Ed Martin's Top 25 Programs of 2023 (Part One)

Succession HBO HBO39s sizzling drama pictured at top about a massively powerful and infinitely effed up family of media titans remained gripping right to the end even though there was no way that anyone outside of the one percent could relate to its uniformly detestable characters who remained toxic even when their daddy surprisingly died That39s a formidable accomplishment in itself The funeral as striking a showcase for this masterful ensemble of actors as any in the series gets my vote for Episode of the Year Like the Ewings and the Carringtons of the 3980s the Roys caught the vibes of their times I39ll miss watching them sufferReservation Dogs FX on Hulu Consider this a fond farewell to an historic dramedy that broke barriers and expanded the horizons of storytelling without any major players in the mix Even though it has been cancelled I hope that Dogs39 delightful stars D39Pharaoh WoonATai Devery Jacobs Lane Factor and Paulina Alexis along with series creator Sterlin Harjo get to take a bow on stage during one of 202439s many award shows I39m going to give a special shout out to quotDeer Ladyquot the third episode of the series39 final season in which Bear WoonaTai encounters the spirit of a woman Kaniehtiio Horn seeking violent justice for the horror she and so many Native American children endured at governmentfunded quotboarding schoolsquot that were disgracefully intended to help eradicate Native American culture I didn39t know about them did you quotDeer Ladyquot may not have been the Episode of the Year see Succession above but it was the one that for me made the greatest impactTed Lasso Apple TV I wasn39t blown away by the third and quotfinalquot season of Apple39s shiniest show which was weighed down by too many overlong episodes that would have benefitted from some smart editing I didn39t care for the direction that several characters went in either But I39m making room for it on this list because it remained more ambitious than most TV comedies I still loved the characters and in terms of pure feelgood entertainment the consistently charming quotSunflowersquot which was set in Amsterdam was probably my favorite episode of any TV series this year I wanted every other episode of Ted Lasso this season to be shorter but this one could have gone on for another hour and kept me under its spellVanderpump Rules Bravo This may be the only yearend column naming the top television programs of 2023 to include the tenth season of Vanderpump Rules but how can I resist In terms of widespread popculture impact few if any others came close especially when its cast became caught up in what was surely the most vivid upset in modern quotrealityquot TV history when Tom Sandoval was found to be cheating on his longtime love Ariana Madix with her best friend Raquel Leviss The pottymouthed nastiness that permeated the reunion interview shows redefined the concept of trash TV I39m talking to you James and Lala Watching host Andy Cohen and Lisa Vanderpump herself try with little success to keep the kids in line was priceless I cannot imagine what the next season will bring Nor can I wait for it to begin on January 30Poker Face Peacock Peacock39s delightful Poker Face is a tremendously entertaining comedy or to be more accurate dramedy that like Frasier on Paramount would be right at home on a broadcast network especially because each episode tells a selfcontained story So why isn39t it on Peacock39s big broadcast sibling NBC Regardless Natasha Lyonne was a marvel as Charlie a Vegas casino worker with the ability to know when someone is lying Forced to hit the road after her investigation into the murder of a coworker makes her the target of some very bad people goodhearted Charlie keeps coming upon one mysterious death after another and can39t help but stick around and utilize her quotgiftquot to set things right Viewers know who did what right from the start validating comparisons to the classic detective drama Columbo It is also worth noting that no show in 2023 offered as remarkable a lineup of guest actorsFellow Travelers Showtime Showtime delivered an endoftheyear winner with the powerful drama tracing the lives of several gay men from the stifling political atmosphere of the 3950s through the AIDSravaged 3980s The fact that it sometimes played as a melodrama made clear how far our society has come and what is at risk in our current combustible climate As many critics have accurately noted Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey gave the performances of their careers but given how much more they will both undoubtedly accomplish in the decades to come why make that distinction nowThe Morning Show Apple TV Apple39s signature drama finally kicked into high gear during its third season supercharging its tantalizing mix of fraught personal drama corporate malfeasance and perilous social psychology in ways that prompted comparisons to HBO39s Succession But to me it now more closely resembles Dallas and Dynasty We need our guilty pleasures right Especially during this maddening decade That39s something most makers of television entertainment today seem to have forgotten This show boasts one of the most impressive casts on television today including in primary supporting and recurring roles Jennifer Aniston Reese Witherspoon Billy Crudup Julianna Margulies Greta Lee Mark Duplass Jon Hamm Nicole Beharie Karen Pittman Holland Taylor Nestor Carbonell Tom Irwin Marcia Gay Harden and Tig Notaro I wonder who will come along nextThe Bear FX on Hulu Last year I referred to The Bear as a quotmodest little dramedyquot This year it was more like a quotkingsized emotional powerhousequot out to clobber anything in its path But I still loved it I could have done without quotFishesquot the heavily praised Christmas episode which raised the concept of stuntcasting to bizarre levels Jamie Lee Curtis John Mulaney Bob Odenkirk Sarah Paulson Oliver Platt Gillian Jacobs and Jon Bernthal all wedged into a show already blessed by a sensational ensemble of lesserknown players including Jeremy Allen White and especially the stunning Ebon Moss Bachrach and Ayo Edebiri I39m more quotForksquot than quotFishesquot but I have to admit that Curtis deserves every award available for her fearless portrayal of the ferocious Berzatto matriarch Donna While it made sense to tell us more about Carmy39s family which was shattered by the suicide of his brother Michael the sweet and sour center of this remarkable little show should remain the collective stories of the team at his new restaurantTo be continued Posted at MediaVillage through the Thought Leadership selfpublishing platformClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageorgMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Ed Martin's Top 25 Programs of 2023 (Part One)

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Ed Martin's Top 25 Programs of 2023 (Part One)

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