List
2023 Staff Picks: Television
Our expert staff members look back at the year and share some favorite titles.
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Dark Winds: Season 2
2023Get this itemAdapted from Tony Hillerman’s popular Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mystery books, this Native-led noir Western TV series dives deeply into Navajo culture. The entire cast, including lead actors Zahn McClarnon, Kiowa Gordon, and Jessica Matten, does stellar work, making us care deeply about the characters, their stories, and of course the layered, twisty plot. Filmed on tribal lands in New Mexico, it's not just the vast Southwestern vistas that will take your breath away. Suggested by Andrew and Sharon.
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The Last of Us: The Complete First Season
2023Get this itemA masterclass in taking video game content that already stands as canon in the narrative gaming world and expanding it into something even fiercer, more heartbreaking, and more empowering. We loved every moment of Joel and Ellie's quest: cried at their losses, held our breath against floating spores, and felt included in each sacrifice they made to keep each other alive. This was the best thing on television in a long, long while, and we’ll die (with mushrooms growing out of our eyes) on that hill. Suggested by Alex, Amber I., Grace, and Mark.
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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 (DVD)
2023Get this itemDid we REALLY need yet another prequel to the original series “Star Trek?” Just consider the episode called ‘Those Old Scientists’ and it turns out that we did. In its second season, "Strange New Worlds" continues making Star Trek seem fresher than it has in years. After all, what's the point of not having to answer to Disney if you're going to stay in a comfortable rut? Suggested by Andrew.
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Poker Face: Season One
2023Get this itemHere is a series that’s funny, smart, and addictive. Think of it as a throwback to mystery of the week television, especially “Columbo.” Natasha Lyonne shines in the unique way only she can as an on-the-run drifter who meets up with many interesting characters and stories along the way. We also loved being surprised by the many famous and talented guest stars. Suggested by Mandy, Rummanah, and Sharon.
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D.I. Ray: Season 1
2023Get this itemThis British series successfully combines crime drama with social commentary themes, including cultural racism, microaggressions, and prejudice. There’s a lot to unpack. Parminder Nagra is terrific in the lead role, a newly promoted detective inspector who’s more than up to the task despite the roadblocks thrown in her way. Suggested by Rummanah and Sharon.
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The Way Home: Season 1
2023Get this itemI was delighted by this time travel series from Hallmark focusing on three generations of strong, independent women from one family as they each search for answers, take different paths, but find their way back to one another and the meaning of family. It was a binge-watch for me, and I’m eager to see what season two has in store. Suggested by Sharon.
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Abbott Elementary: The Complete Second Season
2023Get this itemThis show is hilarious and endearing in so many ways. The actors and writers manage a perfect balance of laugh-out-loud moments and thoughtful critiques about the school system. Suggested by Amber I., Michelle, and Rummanah.
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Interview with the Vampire: Season 1
2023Get this itemWith Anne Rice and her son Christopher Rice as executive producers, this AMC adaptation elevates the beloved gothic novel to a multilayered story as it addresses issues of race, sexuality, history, and toxic relationships while remaining loyal to the original story. Exquisitely shot in New Orleans with a wonderful keen eye to period details and a fabulous cast of characters who seamlessly embody their characters, this series mesmerized us and we can not wait for the new season to begin. Suggested by Rummanah and Sharon.
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Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies: Season One
2023Get this itemA little-known fact about me is that I love "Grease"--the musical, the movie, even "Grease 2," so I had to give this one a try. Just like "Grease" gave us a glimpse into the '50s with a '70s twist, "Rise of the Pink Ladies" does so with a 21st century sensibility and message of female empowerment. I love the hidden nods to the original in this musical prequel but am sad that it won't likely get a second season. Suggested by Mandy.
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Recipes for Love and Murder: Series 1
2022Get this itemBased on the popular mystery series by Sally Andrew, we thoroughly enjoyed this dark comedic whodunit involving a food writer turned advice columnist turned amateur sleuth. The cast is superb, the South African setting is refreshing, and the food on view is scrumptious. Suggested by Rummanah and Sharon.
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Ridley: Season One
2023Get this itemVeteran actor Adrian Dunbar stars as an ex-detective inspector, who is brought back to be a consultant on a complicated murder case. With its well-written stories, excellent acting, solid production values, and beautiful shots of Northern England, this series does not disappoint. Suggested by Sharon.
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Unforgotten: The Complete Fifth Season
2023Get this itemFrom the beginning, we’ve been fans of this British crime TV series about a team of detectives that solves cold cases. In the fifth season, a major character is gone and a new character is added. It can be hard to get over such a big change, yet this series succeeds on multiple levels--the performances ring true, the writing hits the mark, and difficult themes are handled realistically and with sensitivity. Suggested by Rummanah and Sharon.
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Annika: Season Two
2023Get this itemThe wonderful Nicola Walker plays DI Annika Strandhed, the head of the Glasgow Homicide Unit. Season one was excellent and the second season has upped its game. The writing is tighter, the actors are stellar, and Annika’s habit of breaking the fourth wall to offer comments about their cases and her personal life, often via literary allusions, is even more entertaining. Suggested by Rummanah and Sharon.
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Nancy Drew: The Final Season
2023Get this itemBased on the iconic amateur sleuth book series, this is sadly the final season. I loved how this show updated and reimagined the title character, her cohorts, and the cases. It blended elements of supernatural and horror into the mystery while seamlessly incorporating inclusivity and diversity into the narrative and its casting decisions. Suggested by Sharon.
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Loki: The Complete First Season
2023Get this itemOne day, you're the baddest supervillain around; the next...well days don't really apply to you anymore. Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is at the mercy of the Time Variance Authority, committed to The Sacred Timeline and retrofuturist office design. Perhaps Asgard's least favorite son will discover his glorious purpose. Closer in spirit to "Dr. Who" than "The Avengers," the first season of this entertainingly bonkers MCU spinoff has (finally!) gotten a Blu-ray release. Suggested by Andrew and Sharon.
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Black Snow
2023Get this itemThere's a lot going on in this Australian mystery miniseries. In coastal town Ashford, a time capsule provides new clues in the 25-year-old murder of a teenager. But both the 2019 and 1994 storylines keep cycling back to the ways Ashford was built on the (not always voluntary) labor of generations of Pacific Islanders, and it's a reminder that ours isn't the only country reckoning with the darker chapters of its past. Suggested by Andrew.
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