It's still the best comedy series on TV currently - it's relatively lower ranking more a factor of a strong run of other shows this season. This season saw some really inspired storylines - mainly everything to do with Guillermo becoming a vampire but one who didn't get converted by his master, and not becoming one in full. His overall storyline was getting a bit fallow so that really supercharged it. The Nadja stuff owning the vampire night club was also a great source of fun. And the dependable, such as literally any line read by Matt Berry ("Chilaquiles" being my favorite one this year), was as dependable as ever. What We Do in the Shadows has been TVs best comedy for a few years now (granted, a couple shows further up are very much half-comedies) and shows no signs of slowing down heading into what will be its final season next year.
9.) Telemarketers (HBO)
The first documentary to make my list since Tiger King and The Last Dance in 2020, and it was one that snuck up on me. At first it seemed like a mockumentary. Then it seemed like the story of the wild west zaniness of the semi-legal spam callers. And it very much was in that first episode. But I'll never remember midway through the second episode, when it became clear some of the police unions were fully in on this all the way, that I realized this was something truly special - and so well crafted by what can only be called truly amateur filmmakers. But man it worked - grab you in with the excess and hilarity and shock of what those telemarketers were doing in their weird little world in New Jersey and slowly peel back layer after layer to show a larger, more harrowing, more impactful view on corruption. And I'll be remiss to finish this without noting the performance of the GOAT, Mr. Patrick J. Pespas - everything about him was gold, especially seeing him reach some semblance of normalcy with his life in the third episode. For what was such a small little documentary released over the summer, it made a lasting impact.
8.) Only Murders in the Building (Season 3, Hulu)
The highs of this show remain as good as anything on TV. When Steve Martin and Martin Short are on, it is truly special, and I like that they let Selena Gomez have some more independent storylines this season as well. The guest stars the show can command is insane, with Meryl Streep being the add this year. But in her casting and role lies a bit of my challenge with what was my #1 show in 2021, and Top-5 last year. Namely it went a bit too wide to make all things work. The underlying plot device of the play itself was one, a show within a show which while giving us some great moments (like every time Steve Martin sang "which of the pickwick twins did it" or whatever that line was. The actual mystery strained a bit this year, but what made up for it were characters like Mabel's boyfriend, and the various times they wrung out for drama Mabel realizing that she just loves these two old fogies that she calls friends. It never doesn't work to be honest. I'm sure we're already on the back nine of this amazing show, but I still can't wait to see waht comes next.
7.) The Great (Season 3, Hulu)
For this one, we never will see what comes next. I was so saddened to hear The Great was cancelled. I truly wanted to see where they took the story next. Yes, the first couple episodes after Peter's death were a bit grim, but from the moment Catherine found herself again it could have gone on swimmingly. Alas, though, we end with one of the most caustic, biting shows living its best life. I was always curious how they were planning on killingt Peter, something that happened far more quickly in reality than they played it out. While I was sad when it happened, the genius idea of keeping Nicholas Hoult's brilliance alive by him playing a look-a-like was inspired. Elle Fanning was amazing as always, especially at her most evil in her finally taking it out on all the scores of people that crossed her in past seasons. Or in her most joyous, with that beautiful dance sequence being so hauntingly beautiful. This was supposed to be a transition season to a full reign of Catherine season 4. Alas, we'll never get a Season 4. For this show to last three seasons was a miracle, but the world can do with more hilarious political satire like this. Yes, it strayed basically 100% away from reality as we headed into Season 3, but who cares. For a show taht could blend Veep and Game of Thrones so effortlessly, I'll always be impressed.
6.) Bodies (NETFLIX)
For a while NETFLIX seemed a bit out of ideas. Well, at the tail end of 2023, they released this beauty (co-produced with BBC, admittedly) and my show to come at #5 and restored my faith in full. My word was Bodies excellently crafted. Unpeeling layer after layer just expertly over its episodes. Starting out so spookily, so greatly showing the different periods. We could tell early on it was all time travel related, but unsure how. I love that they kept so much of the reasoning for those last two episodes, be it who the person was that arrives nude, to waht the deal with teh kid is, and so much else. Yes, there was some messiness early on that never got adequately explained - like the Muslim kid in teh first two episodes, or how exaclty Elias's foster parents in 2023 were involved, but who cares because from Stephen Graham, to all the various detectives, were so excellent. That moment when the loop is finally broken with Hollingshead telling Mannix in 1883 that he knows who he is, and it unraveling everything, was one of the great moments of television in the year. I honestly don't know why I don't have this higher other than to say my Top-5 is super strong this year. In the end, this show, with its mythology, its reasoning, its performances, its perfect mystery was so good it outweighed the simple fact that there;'s no logical explanation of how the loop got started in the first place.
