TV We’re Thankful for in 2023: Shadow and Bone, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, The Bear, Good Omens, and More

As we reflect on the year in television, the Tell-Tale TV team is once again considering all the fantastic TV shows that have graced our screens.

From hilarious comedies to enduring series that provide a sense of familiarity, we’re delighted to share the TV gems that have captured our hearts in 2023. Join us in celebrating the shows that make this year truly remarkable!

Here are the TV shows the Tell-Tale TV Team is thankful for in 2023:

Shrinking

Shrinking was the TV comedy we really needed in 2023. The Apple TV+ series deals with mental health and grief in heartfelt, realistic ways while also being laugh-out-loud funny. Shrinking normalizes therapy and seeking help with loveable, hilarious characters we become invested in right away.

Its brilliant writing is only made better by perfect performances from Jason Segel, Jessica Williams, and Harrison Ford — with Harrison Ford being the shining gem. It’s not a role you ever expected to see him in, and it’s absolutely delightful. 

– Ashley Bissette Sumerel

The Bear

This year, I am thankful for The Bear. The series hits all the flavor notes for me: inventive cinematography, brilliant performances, and dynamic writing.

Its second season boasts some great cameo guest stars, too, like Olivia Colman appearing on The Bear Season 2 Episode 7, “Forks,” which is a tremendously well-done hour of television with delicious payoff.

– Erin Allen

Succession

I’m thankful for Succession. It’s always hard to say goodbye to a show for good, but the series finale was definitely one to remember. 

It might not have been what every fan wanted, but it fit perfectly into the storyline. Even though I’ll miss the chaos of the Roy family, I’m thankful it ended on a high note.

– Lara Rosales

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies

This year, I’m thankful to Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, which aired on Paramount+, for daring to show the world as it was in the 1950s, not as history likes to say it was. With a song for every complicated issue, this show gave voice to all types of minorities: gender, race, and sexuality alike.

For one bright, shining moment, we all could feel seen, heard, and represented in some way by the kids at Rydell High.

– Mads Misasi

Good Omens

Despite the soul-crushing cliffhanger that many (most?) of us still haven’t recovered from emotionally, the mere existence of a second season of Prime Video’s Good Omens is something of a miracle in itself.

Getting to watch David Tennant and Michael Sheen together is magical, and the relationship between the demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale is one of the most achingly romantic love stories on TV.

– Lacy Baugher

Daisy Jones and the Six

I’m grateful this year for Daisy Jones and the Six, which was a must-watch weekly show for me despite having already read the book it is adapted from. I appreciated the complicated female characters the show focuses on brought to life by an incredible cast led by Riley Keough.

Not often does one of your favorite shows also lead to one of your favorite albums of the year, but that’s what happened with “Aurora,” which I’ve listened to over and over.

– Breeze Riley

Shadow and Bone

I’m thankful for Shadow and Bone. I loved going on adventures with a dashing privateer, a misfit group of criminals, a legendary sun summoner, an exceptionally skilled tracker, and some of our favorite grisha.

Hopefully, this isn’t the end. No mourners. No funerals.

– Allison Nichols

I’m thankful to Shadow and Bone and its actors for accurately adapting such beloved characters. Brick by brick, this scrappy fantasy showcased sharp-tongued criminals and fierce warriors who made me laugh, cry, and clutch my chest in despair more times than I could count.

Watching Freddy Carter transform Kaz Brekker into the ruthless Dirtyhands was a memorable highlight, but the same could be said for every character performance this season.

This ensemble made sure The Crows and Sturmhond’s fleet lived up to our expectations. I adored watching the scene-stealers manufactured in Leigh Bardugo’s books come to life, and it is a crime their stories are being cut short by a cancellation.

– Alicia Gilstorf

Starstruck

I’m thankful for Starstruck on MAX. Though there were more tears and relatively fewer laughs during Season 3, I loved every minute of seeing this sweet, funny show maintain the heart through the growth and take its final bow on its own terms.

– Brianna Martinez

Chicago P.D.

This year, I am thankful for Chicago P.D. Though the series is now nearly a decade into its run, Season 10 managed to reach depths it hadn’t previously by exploring the effects of trauma.

Showcased primarily on Chicago P.D. Season 10 Episode 14, “Trapped,” and Chicago P.D. Season 10 Episode 17, “Out of the Depths,” Marina’s Squerciati’s performance managed to shed light on mental health struggles that many people face, helping to remove some of the stigma attached to seeking help in a way that isn’t often seen on network television.

– Alyssa Moore

Lessons in Chemistry

This year, I’m thankful for Apple TV+’s Lessons in Chemistry, led by the always amazing Brie Larson and starring a fantastic cast including Lewis Pullman, Aja Naomi King, and Alice Halsey. I tore through Bonnie Garmus’s book and knew I had to watch the show.

Still, I didn’t expect to enjoy it — and love writing about it — this much. It’s a beautiful story about how the healing power of food intersects with science more often than we may realize. Lessons in Chemistry may only be eight episodes long, but it serves up memorable lessons that will last a lifetime.

– Shelby Elpers

The Fall of the House of Usher

I’m thankful for The Fall of the House of Usher this year. Horror maestro Mike Flanagan has done it again. He presents a well-crafted, sumptuous series, with bona fide shapeshifter Carla Gugino delivering career-best work.

It’s filled to the brim with references to Edgar Allan Poe’s works, from character names and plot details to macabre imagery. There’s very little in the media landscape by way of Gothic horror, and this show fills that niche beautifully.

– Melody McCune

This year, I am grateful for The Fall Of The House of Usher, Mike Flanagan’s best work since The Haunting Of Hill House. Once again, he has proven himself to be a master of horror with this adaption of Edgar Allan Poe’s notable works.

As a Poe fan, seeing these stories brought to life impeccably while also giving it his own twist. Bruce Greenwood was stellar as Roderick Usher, captivating audiences from the moment he appeared on screen, as well as Carla Gugino, whose charm was as terrifying as her performance. Every aspect of the show was as perfect as they come.

– Gabriela Burgos

Doom Patrol

This year, fans said goodbye to Doom Patrol. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to this gleefully irreverent and ridiculous gem, but I am grateful for the beautiful send-off we got this season.

Whether it was Rita becoming the undisputed heart of the team, not one but two new queer ships, a sublime musical episode, or finding myself deeply invested in the butt monsters’ character arc, Doom Patrol’s final season gave the characters and viewers the ending they deserved.

More than anything, though, the love that the show’s creators have for these characters flowed from the screen and did what I thought was impossible. It made me love this ragtag team of outcasts even more.

– Sarah Fields

Gen V

This year, I am thankful for Gen V, which expanded The Boys‘ universe through the female perspective. With its gritty and shocking premise, it helped redefine the superhero genre, proving that shows don’t have to sacrifice quality and depth just to make audiences comfortable.

It left the future of this franchise looking very bright and raised hope that women will continue feeling seen through unique and powerful shows like these.

– Rachel Ulatowski

The Chosen

This year, I am thankful for the drama series The Chosen, airing on The CW. While not always necessarily a top-tier TV show when it comes to quality, it helps me put faces to familiar Bible Stories.

– Charles E. Henning

The Great British Baking Show

I am very thankful for The Great British Baking Show. This is one reality show that makes me remember that not everything in life has to be a competition, and finding a passion in something is important.

It’s one of the things that I really needed this year, and this season especially feels especially wholesome. (I also want to bake all the things for the holiday season now.)

– Lauren Busser

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What makes you thankful when it comes to TV this year? Let us know in the comments below!

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