The best series of 2023: a video game adaptation beats all the hits from Netflix, Disney+, Amazon and Co.

FILMSTARTS and Moviepilot have once again joined forces to compile the ultimate best lists for 2023 – also for series. All seasons that premiered in Germany in 2023 and aired in their entirety that calendar year were eligible. Last year’s winners ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ (2020), ‘WandaVision’ (2021) and ‘Andor’ (2022) are followed by a series that is not on any of the major streaming services Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Disney and then is another video game adaptation. Who would have thought that a few years ago, when video game adaptations had a reputation for always being bad…

Our top 25 features numerous top-rated titles. You probably know some, but also one or two insider tips. After all, such leaderboards always invite you to discover new, promising series. So enough of the foreword. Here are the 25 best series of 2023. From 25 to 11 in a compact list, for the top 10 with a short explanation.

Places 25 – 11

25. “Daisy Jones and the Six”

24. “For All Mankind – Season 4”

23. “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Season 2”

22. “Beef”

21. “Copenhagen Cowboy”

20. “Atlanta – Season 4”

19. “A Murder at the End of the World”

18. “Never in My Life – Season 4”

17. “Scott Pilgrim Leaves”

16. “Siloh”

15. “Shrink”

14. “The Fall of the House of Usher”

13. “The Curse”

12. “Only Killings in the Building – Season 3”

11. “Ahsoka”

10th place: “Poker face”

‘Star Wars 8’ director Rian Johnson and his great leading lady Natasha Lyonne have created an exciting and well-told crime series that, not coincidentally, brings back memories of the genre classic ‘Columbo’. Charlie Gale, who travels across the US on the run from the henchman (Benjamin Bratt) of a shady casino magnate (Ron Perlman), is one of the series’ most fascinating protagonists of the year. Very nice is the way in which she, as a walking lie detector, repeatedly ends up in criminal cases… and the many guest stars are another highlight of “Poker Face”.

9th Place: “Loki – Season 2”

In the second season of ‘Loki’, Tom Hiddleston can also make an impression as a trickster converted to goodness who wants to save the Marvel multiverse. Strange worlds are explored again and familiar and new characters can be experienced in different variations. FILMSTARTS Marvel expert Julius Vietzen is one of the many enthusiastic fans of the series, which he even puts first in his personal annual top list: He praises: “Thanks to a clear vision, fantastic images and a great cast “The journey of Marvel fan favorite Loki comes to a perfect conclusion here.”

8th place: “Gen V”

“The Boys” has regularly appeared on our previous top lists. That won’t change even in a year without a new season of the series – because now we’re also excited about the spin-off “Gen V”. Those responsible succeed in expanding the strange world with a university story. But of course it is not an ordinary university, but one for superheroes. And things are turbulent there. Because when dozens of teenagers come together with deadly powers, trouble won’t be long in coming.

7th place: “Real – Our Youth”

In three episodes of Echt – Our Youth, ex-pop superstar Kim Frank, who now works as a director, looks back on the turbulent times of his band Echt – and does so so skillfully that it delights countless people in both editorial offices. – and even from different age groups. While Andrea Wöger, deputy editor at Moviepilot, is so excited about how the story of her “first big band love is being reworked in a brutally honest way for my generation”, our social video producer Nino Steffeck was only born when Echt was celebrating and became successful. Still “deeply touched” by the coming-of-age series.

“Real – Our Youth” is available in the ARD media library!

6th place: “One Piece”

Translating the fan-favorite anime highlight “One Piece” into live-action could have gone horribly wrong. But Netflix has succeeded. The new version of “One Piece” on the streaming service is “THE series surprise of the year” and not just for FILMSTARTS series expert Markus Trutt – and hopefully it won’t end so soon. Ultimately, the Netflix hit gave us “a pirate adventure that is as crazy as it is exciting, with a lot of heart and perhaps the most charming ensemble of main characters of the year.”

“One Piece” is exclusively on Netflix!

5th place: “Blue Eye Samurai”

Netflix can not only successfully recreate live-action animated series, but also launch great animated series. Despite the setting and story about a young warrior obsessed with revenge and searching for her white father, ‘Blue Eye Samurai’ is not an anime, but an American-French production. According to the viewing figures on various criticism collection portals such as Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic, it is even the best Netflix series of the year – and it is for us too. Because so much can already be revealed here: no other Netflix series is ahead of “Blue Eye Samurai” on this list.

“Blue Eye Samurai” is available exclusively on Netflix!

4th Place: “Ted Lasso: Season 3”

The finale of “Ted Lasso” was criticized in part because it was not up to the level of the excellent first two seasons. The majority of our two editorial teams agree with Moviepilot author Christian Steiner, who says of his personal favorite of 2023: “I don’t care what the reviews say: ‘Ted Lasso’ was also the perfect series at the perfect time in the third edition. season! Balm for the soul.” So if you haven’t seen the conclusion of the story about an American football coach who suddenly coaches a football team in Great Britain, join the conversation!

“Ted Lasso” is available exclusively on AppleTV+!

3rd Place: “The Bear: Season 2”

“The Bear” ended up in third place in our series rankings in 2022. And it seems as if the series about former star chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), who gives his deceased brother’s dilapidated snack bar a major makeover, has settled there. The second season, in which a new top restaurant has to be created, in which trips to Copenhagen and back to a very turbulent Christmas in the past take place, is also a masterpiece of great hustle and bustle!

2nd Place: “Sequel: Season 4”

How often do excellent series end in such a way that you regret having been enthusiastic for so many years. This is not the case with “Succession” – on the contrary. The finale of the story about the four descendants who fight for the favor and inheritance of their father, media magnate Logan Roy (Brian Cox), is not only the ‘crowning achievement’ for Moviepilot editor Esther Stroh. This year, no series took first place on so many individual lists from both editors. Movie Pilot series expert Max Wieseler especially wants to draw attention to the third episode: “No series episode has destroyed me so emotionally this year!”

1st place: “The Last Of Us”

The best series of the year is the adaptation of the classic video game “The Last Of Us”. By far the story of an unlikely duo wandering through an apocalyptic future was represented on most individual lists – especially since it appealed to both fans of the original and anyone who just wanted a thrilling story. FILMSTARTS student worker Madlen Zimmermann is excited enough to point out that the film adaptation of her favorite video game “managed to surprise despite telling an already familiar story.” She hasn’t looked forward to the next episode of a series every week for years.

The best series of 2023 – also in the podcast

If you want more series tips, we have podcast advice for you. Moviepilot colleagues wrote in a current issue of Stream rush talked about their series favorites of 2023. Of course, there are many titles that also made it onto this list, but there are also one or two additional recommendations.

Naturally, we chose not only the best series of the year, but also the best films of 2023. There, a Marvel spectacle not only defeated Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” in an exciting three-way battle, but also a German cinema highlight. The full top 25 list can be found here: