In this article, we will be taking a look at the 15 most anticipated TV shows of 2023. To skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to see the 5 most anticipated TV shows of 2023.
TV shows have continued to persist for decades in an industry which has been consistently changing for several years. Half a century ago, there weren't many options in the way of entertainment, with internet distractions not available, and only a few options available in terms of TV shows on television due to a lack of channels. This is why most of the most watched TV shows of all time are TV shows which were created in the 1970s and 1980s, with M*A*S*H's finale being the most watched TV show episode of all time with more than 105 million viewers tuning in. The show was produced by CBS, which in turn is owned by Paramount Global (NASDAQ:PARA). Most of the revenue earned by TV show producers comes from commercials aired during broadcast, and the M*A*S*H series finale saw CBS charge $450,000 for 30 second commercial blocks, an unheard amount for 1983 and even higher than the Super Bowl, which would be well over $1.38 million adjusted for inflation in 2023, something which even the most anticipated TV shows of 2023 will struggle to achieve.
15 most anticipated TV shows of 2023
As more and more TV shows are being produced, and other entertainment options exist as well, viewership isn't close to the levels it used to be. However, the industry has rapidly evolved to cater to this situation and has been given a new lease on life with the advent of streaming services. While Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) was the pioneer of the streaming era, other businesses soon saw the potential and jumped in, be it Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) with Amazon Prime, HBO with HBO Max which is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD) or Disney+, by The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS). For a decade, streaming companies continued to grow exponentially, tacking on viewers by the millions which received a massive boost in 2020 after lockdowns during the pandemic resulted in a major boost in the number of people looking to stream their television entertainment and "binge watch" rather than the traditional method of an episode a week. In fact, in 2020, Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) gained a record 37 million subscribers while Disney+ crossed 100 million subscribers in just 16 months. However, in 2022, after Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) announced that its number of subscribers dropped which tanked its stock, taking down other streaming stocks as well, with just Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) and Disney+ saw more than $300 billion in market value wiped off. High competition because of numerous strong competitors has also impacted growth rates for each streaming service, and what happens to the TV show industry will depend on the outlook of streaming companies.
According to Ampere Analysis, over $23 billion is expected to be spent on original content, some of which include the most anticipated TV shows of 2023. However, many countries are facing a cost of living crisis, including one of the biggest streaming markets in the United Kingdom, where the number of people with at least one paid-for video subscription fell by almost a million from just January to September 2022.
To determine the most anticipated TV shows in 2023, we have checked multiple sources including Rolling Stones, Collider and The Wrap. If a show appeared first in a list of 35 shows, we assigned it a score of 35/35 =1, and 34/35 for second-place and so on. For lists appearing in multiple sources, we calculated the average score. The list was then ranked from the highest score to the lowest score, representing the average position of each TV show. We have excluded some TV shows such as The Last of Us, which has already come out in its entirety, was present on most lists and earned critical and commercial acclaim almost unanimously. So, let's take a look at the TV shows that you shouldn't miss out on, starting with:
15. The Mandalorian
Total score: 0.72
The Mandalorian was intrinsic in making Disney+ a massive hit and helped it gain millions of subscribers in a very short amount of time. has a rating of 8.2/10 on IMDB and the first live-action series in the Star Wars franchise, with its third season premiering on March 1st. The show stars Katee Sackhoff and Pedro Pascal.
14. Mrs. Davis
Total score: 0.73
The Peacock show, which will air in April, the show stars Betty Gilpin as a nun who has taken on the challenge of destroying the AI called Mrs. Davis. While little more is known about the plot, the show is directed by Damen Lindelof, known for his work on various other amazing shows such as Watchmen and Lost.
13. Full Circle
Total score: 0.76
Full Circle is a TV mini-series based on an investigation of a botched kidnapping which connects several characters and cultures in New York City. The six episode season will release on HBO Max.
12. Tiny Beautiful Things
Total score: 0.77
Tiny Beautiful Things is a Hulu TV show about a woman who becomes an advice columnist even when her own life is continuously getting worse. The first episode will air on April 7 and stars Julien Marlon Samani, Johnny Berchtold and Elizabeth Hinkler.
11. Yellow Jackets
Total score: 0.78
Airing on Showtime, Yellow Jackets was a breakout hit when the first season aired in November 2021. The TV show earned seven Emmy nominations including "Outstanding Drama Series" and is about a group of girls' soccer team players whose plane crashes and tracks their life as they're stranded for 19 months in 1996, as well as the aftermath 25 years later in 2021.
10. White House Plumbers
Total score: 0.80
Political dramas generally tend to do well, and the miniseries will premier on HBO in March. The TV show stars Woody Harrelson, Lena Headey, Justin Theroux, Domhnall Gleeson and Kiernan Shipka, which focuses on Watergate masterminds tasked with plugging press leaks, only to overturn the president that they were attempting to save.
9. Fargo
Total score: 0.81
Inspired by the 1996 film of the same name, Fargo is a black comedy crime drama TV show which is one of the oldest in our list having premiered almost 9 years ago in April 2014. Each season of the TV show is set with a different cast, different premise and different location and has won several Emmy awards. The fourth season came out in 2020 and now, after a gap of more than two years, the fifth season is set to come out in 2023, which will be set in 2019, and stars Jon Hamm, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Juno Temple among others.
8. The Power
8otal score: 0.83
The Power is a British science fiction TV show which is among the most anticipated TV shows of 2023. The show is expected to premier on Amazon Prime Video on March 31 and stars acting legend Toni Collette and Auliʻi Cravalho. The shows has a very interesting premise where all teenage girls in the entire world develop the ability to electrocute any person they want, before learning they can get older women to do it too. How the show develops and which line it takes will be very interesting to see, as will the question whether its success will live up to expectations.
7. The Company You Keep
Total score: 0.83
The 2023 TV show The Company You Keep premiered on ABC on February 19, 2023. The show is based on another TV show from South Korea called My Fellow Citizens! with the show starring Catherine Haena Kim and Milo Ventimiglia. The show is about a police officer and a conman and a love affair between the two, despite their professions setting them on a collision course. There are just 3 episodes of the TV show which currently has a rating of 7.2/10 on IMDB.
6. Daisy Jones and the Six
Total score: 0.85
Fans of hippie culture or bands like Fleetwood Mac will absolutely love Daisy Jones and the Six, the Amazon Prime TV show which aired on March 3. The show is based on the band Daisy Jones and the Six, about a band which quit at the top and now decades later, member of the band have agreed to tell the truth. The show is based on the novel of the same name by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Because of the massive success of the novel, the hype for the show has been incredibly high which is why it is also one of the most anticipated TV shows of 2023. Romance, drama and intrigue are set to grip viewers, but let's wait and see whether the show lives up to the hype.
