The best TV of 2023 so far
Atlanta
Disney+
Over its four series, Donald Glover’s always-excellent show seemed determined to stretch the parameters of what one programme could be. Sometimes a horror, sometimes Black Mirror-esque satire, sometimes straight-up rap comedy, it freewheeled not just through genres but also through casts, regularly branching off into episodes containing none of the core characters. For its final run, it opts for a less disparate approach, largely following Earn and co as they get dragged into extended family beefs, flee gunmen and enter a strange hole in the space-time continuum filled with ex-lovers. Not only is it the show’s most focused outing, but the finale is a masterpiece of nuanced, clever writing that leaves you questioning what you’ve just seen – and wondering whether you need to go back and rewatch all four seasons.
Barry
Sky Atlantic
In the battle of finales, Succession was always going to obliterate Barry when they aired on the same night. But Bill Hader’s treacle-black comedy about a hitman-turned-amateur actor has been overshadowed for too long. Things become almost unbearably bleak in the last season, and yet it remains as compelling as ever, complete with classic comedy moments (see Gene Cousineau’s narcissistic delusion that Daniel Day-Lewis wanted to play him in a biopic – brought wonderfully to life by Henry Winkler). It’s sometimes hard to believe each episode lasts just 30 minutes, with the finale alone being a tale of two halves. Part bloody shootout, part Hollywood satire, it’s a truly neat finish. As Barry himself puts it: “Oh, wow.”
What we said: “Barry deserves to go down as one of the best of all time.” Read the full review
Beef
Netflix
There are car chases, shootouts, deaths and kidnaps in this tale of two Los Angeles residents whose lives become consumed by a spiralling feud that’s triggered by a road rage incident. But for all its high-octane, anger-fuelled action, there is humour, tenderness and – in Ali Wong and Steven Yeun’s outstanding performances – a tale of the ways deep, existential sadness can be overcome by the most unlikely of allies.
What we said: “Amid this entertaining chaos, there’s the thrillingly subversive suggestion that pelting it full-throttle down the rage super highway might be the most direct route to feeling alive again – whatever your therapist has to say.” Read the full review
Black Ops
BBC One
It’s chock-a-block with gags, a
