Best New Series 2023

Fans were understandably wary when HBO announced a live-action adaptation of the wildly popular post-apocalyptic video game series The Last of Us, but thanks to magnetic performances from Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, as well as some stellar production design and the steady guiding hand of Chernobyl showrunner Craig Mazin, the show was a hit across the board and claimed the Golden Tomato for Best New Series.

#1

The Last of Us: Season 1
96% 88%

#1

Critics Consensus: Retaining the most addictive aspects of its beloved source material while digging deeper into the story, The Last of Us is bingeworthy TV that ranks among the all-time greatest video game adaptations.

Starring: Pedro Pascal , Bella Ramsey , Lamar Johnson , Nico Parker

#2

Poker Face: Season 1
98% 81%

#2

Critics Consensus: With the incomparable Natasha Lyonne as an ace up its sleeve, Poker Face is a puzzle box of modest ambitions working with a full deck.

Starring: Natasha Lyonne , Chloë Sevigny , Lil Rel Howery , Joseph Gordon-Levitt

#3

Beef: Season 1
98% 87%

#3

Critics Consensus: Ali Wong and Steven Yeun are a diabolically watchable pair of adversaries in Beef, a prime cut comedy that finds the pathos in pettiness.

Starring: Steven Yeun , Ali Wong , Joseph Lee , Young Mazino

#4

Drops of God: Season 1
100% 93%

#4

Critics Consensus: A saga of cutthroat competition with notes of cool intelligence, Drops of God is a sleek entertainment sure to stimulate refined palates.

Starring: Fleur Geffrier , Tom Wozniczka , Tomohisa Yamashita , Stanley Weber

#5

Extraordinary: Season 1
100% 89%

#5

Critics Consensus: Amiable and cleverly constructed, Extraordinary grounds the fantastical and makes it all the more accessible and thrilling as a result.

Starring: Máiréad Tyers , Sofia Oxenham , Bilal Hasna , Luke Rollason

#6

Primo: Season 1
100% 97%

#6

Critics Consensus: Bearing the unmistakable stamp of creator Shea Serrano's authentic voice, Primo is a generation-spanning sitcom that feels like home.

Starring: Ignacio Diaz-Silverio , Christina Vidal , Carlos Santos , Henri Esteve

#7

Gen V: Season 1
97% 76%

#7

Critics Consensus: Just about as gruesomely subversive as its origin series, Gen V builds on The Boys in occasionally chaotic but overall inspired fashion.

Starring: Jaz Sinclair , Lizze Broadway , Asa Germann , Chance Perdomo

#8

I'm a Virgo: Season 1
96% 79%

#8

Critics Consensus: Boots Riley's towering imagination looms as large as his supersized hero in I'm a Virgo, an uproarious satire that's given an enormous heart to match by star Jharrel Jerome.

Starring: Jharrel Jerome , Brett Gray , Kara Young , Allius Barnes

#9

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Season 1
91% 79%

#9

Critics Consensus: A faithful adaptation of Rick Riordan's novels, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a lovingly realized odyssey through adolescence and myth.

Starring: Walker Scobell , Leah Jeffries , Aryan Simhadri , Jason Mantzoukas

#10

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story: Season 1
94% 74%

#10

Critics Consensus: A resplendent romance between two of the most interesting characters in the Bridgerton saga, Queen Charlotte is a spin-off that arguably perfects the primary series' formula.

Starring: India Amarteifio , Adjoa Andoh , Michelle Fairley , Ruth Gemmell

#11

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off: Season 1
96% 85%

#11

Critics Consensus: Retaining the heart and wit of the original movie while also carving out a fresh path for itself, Scott Pilgrim takes off in the animated medium and soars.

Starring: Michael Cera , Mary Elizabeth Winstead , Kieran Culkin , Chris Evans

#12

Deadloch: Season 1
100% 88%

#12

Critics Consensus: An irreverent twist on the crime procedural, Deadloch's addictive mixture of mystery and mordant humor makes most of its corpse-strewn competition look comparably stiff.

Starring: Kate Box , Madeleine Sami , Nina Oyama , Tom Ballard

#13

Blue Eye Samurai: Season 1
97% 93%

#13

Critics Consensus: Visually dazzling while paying deft attention to character, Blue Eye Samurai is a masterfully rendered animated adventure.

Starring: Maya Erskine , George Takei , Masi Oka , Randall Park

#14

The Curse: Season 1
93% 44%

#14

Critics Consensus: A wickedly uncomfortable marriage of sensibilities between Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie, with a masterful Emma Stone tying everything together, The Curse will make viewers cackle and squirm in equal measure.

Starring: Emma Stone , Nathan Fielder , Benny Safdie , Doug Montoya

#15

American Born Chinese: Season 1
94% 81%

#15

Critics Consensus: Jam-packed with inventive flourishes and grounded by lovable actors, American Born Chinese musters epic elements from Chinese mythology to tell a deeply relatable coming of age story.

Starring: Michelle Yeoh , Ben Wang , Yann Yann Yeo , Chin Han

#16

Mrs. Davis: Season 1
92% 81%

#16

Critics Consensus: Positively bonkers while undergirded by an intelligent design, Mrs. Davis makes Betty Gilpin a hero for modern times in a highly imaginative mixture of spirituality and technology.

Starring: Betty Gilpin , Ely Henry , Raphael Corkhill , Sam Meader

#17

Platonic: Season 1
93% 75%

#17

Critics Consensus: Even with bold swings and romance off the table, the rambunctious rapport between Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen makes Platonic an ideal relationship comedy.

Starring: Rose Byrne , Seth Rogen , Luke Macfarlane , Tre Hale

#18

Lucky Hank: Season 1
96% 66%

#18

Critics Consensus: With the fortune of Bob Odenkirk in its favor, Lucky Hank makes ennui essential viewing with a comedy rooted in relatable human behavior.

Starring: Bob Odenkirk , Mireille Enos , Olivia Scott Welch , Diedrich Bader

#19

The Big Door Prize: Season 1
92% 72%

#19

Critics Consensus: Turning a high concept into a grounded good time, The Big Door Prize realizes its full potential thanks to a lovable cast of relatable characters.

Starring: Chris O'Dowd , Gabrielle Dennis , Josh Segarra , Ally Maki

#20

Star Wars: Ahsoka: Season 1
85% 64%

#20

Critics Consensus: Elevated by Rosario Dawson's strong performance in the title role and a solid story that balances new and old elements of the Star Wars saga, Ahsoka is a must-watch for fans of the franchise.

Starring: Rosario Dawson , Natasha Liu Bordizzo , Mary Elizabeth Winstead , Ray Stevenson