16 Shows We're Loving Right Now

TV has had a busy few months. We're more than halfway through 2023, and so far, beloved series have wrapped up their final seasons, familiar faces have returned to our screens, and brand new gems have taken us by surprise. There's been a lot to watch and a lot to enjoy. With the state of the entertainment industry more uncertain than ever, it seems important to celebrate the shows we love.

With this list, we're focusing on recent releases we've been loving and highlighting shows that may not have gotten their full due (it's not like anyone else has to tell you to watch Succession). Here are TV Guide's recommendations for the shows you should be watching right now.

More recommendations: 11 Great Movies to Stream This Summer

Minx

Minx was nearly a casualty of this incredibly bleak streaming television era when it was canceled after one season at Max while Season 2 was already filming. Now, it's got a new home on Starz, and the world is better for the fact that it gets to continue, in all of its raunchy '70s glory. In Season 2, the titular magazine's staff navigate the suddenness of their newfound fame as their (formerly) fringe publication rises to become a true cultural phenomenon: While Joyce (Ophelia Lovibond) takes to the spotlight, Doug (Jake Johnson) wonders about the future of his role at the company. But this is also a show that understands the strength of its ensemble and allows characters like Joyce's sister Shelly (Lennon Parham) and Minx photographer Richie (Oscar Montoya) to have weighty stories of their own. One of the breeziest shows on TV, Minx remains a pleasure to watch. -Allison Picurro

The Other Two

In its third season, The Other Two, our most quotable comedy since 30 Rock, was weirder, gayer, and more high-concept than ever. Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider's comedy about the forgotten siblings of a teen pop star raised the stakes this season as those siblings, Brooke (Heléne Yorke) and Cary (Drew Tarver), dealt with separate realizations that getting what you thought you wanted doesn't always result in fulfillment. This show is adept at balancing genuine drama with over-the-top humor, and Season 3 had that in spades: There was the "AIDS play" episode, and "homosexual goo," and the recurring sight gag of Ken Marino wearing his glasses on the end of his nose. Knowing it won't return for a fourth season is disappointing, but The Other Two is luckily a show that becomes more rewarding and prescient with time. -Allison Picurro

Somebody Somewhere

On the surface, Season 2 of Somebody Somewhere, which aired this spring, was a gentle cooldown at the end of HBO's Sunday night lineup — a humane small-town story following all the blood and bite of Succession and Barry. But don't be fooled by its simple premise; Somebody Somewhere hits the emotions just as hard. The dramedy, which focuses on the friendship between Bridget Everett's Sam, adrift in her Kansas hometown after the death of her sister, and Jeff Hiller's Joel, her old show choir classmate, looks further inward in its second season as Sam questions whether everyone she loves is bound to leave her. But its musings on grief, loneliness, and self-sabotage are balanced out by the salvation of art and community, the defiance of queer joy, and the healing powers of Laura Branigan's "Gloria." If you haven't paid this show a visit yet, now's the time. Its renewal for Season 3 is a gift. -Kelly Connolly

Poker Face

Rian Johnson's Poker Face stands out in a sea of crime stories for its Columbo-style spin on the whodunit: In this Peacock murder mystery series, we know who did it. It's now up to Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne), a woman with an uncanny ability to identify lies, to catch the culprit. Johnson's series is far from the first to attempt the inverted detective story. But Poker Face feels fresh and original because of Charlie's unorthodox approach to unveiling the truth — this woman has no background in law enforcement and simply wants to figure out why her innate lie detecting alarm keeps going off. The show also offers plenty of variety with its case-of-the-week format. And the meaty list of suspects for each case allows for an impressive roster of guest stars, including everyone from Judith Light and Tim Meadows to Stephanie Hsu and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. -Kat Moon

Jury Duty

Is the term "social experiment" just another term for "televised torture"? Maybe, but in this hybrid reality-scripted series — in which a lone mark believes he's being filmed as part of a documentary on jury duty, unaware that everyone around him is an actor — the subject comes off looking like a pretty cool guy. Ronald Gladden is the unwitting hero of this hilarious Joe Schmo Show-The Office mashup that sees talented improv comedians play a wide range of outlandish characters who push Gladden to the limits of believability, getting all the way to the precipice of making the whole project come crumbling down before wiggling their way back to some level of sanity. The cast is not all unknowns; James Marsden plays himself in one of the standout comedic performances of the year. -Tim Surette

Primo

Missing Mike Schur's universe of thoughtful comedies, like The Good Place and Parks and Recreation? Check out Freevee's charming Primo, which Schur executive produces. The coming-of-age comedy, inspired by the childhood of series creator Shea Serrano, follows San Antonio teen Rafa (Ignacio Diaz-Silverio) as he navigates high school while being raised by his mother and five uncles, who all have different ideas for what it means to be a man. -Kelly Connolly

The Righteous Gemstones

The Righteous Gemstones just keeps getting better and better. Danny McBride's comedy about a world famous televangelist family continues to succeed because of how thoughtfully it builds out its world through its dysfunctional cast of characters. This is a show that understands that it has struck gold with its flawless, always-game ensemble and capitalizes on how uniquely well suited they all are for the material. While Season 3 shines more light on patriarch Eli's (John Goodman) past by bringing his estranged sister, May-May (Kristen Johnston), into the fold, it never sacrifices its supporting players, like the kind, patient BJ (Tim Baltz) and the loyal, soft-spoken Keefe (Tony Cavalero). Here, fire dances and car chases and Baby Billy's (Walton Goggins) crackpot money-making schemes can lead to surprisingly emotional, character-building moments. Ignore the inescapable Succession comparisons; Gemstones is its own gloriously absurd animal. -Allison Picurro

The Bear

Season 2 of The Bear, summer 2022's sleeper hit about the frenzied staff of a flailing Chicago sandwich joint, is a love letter to its supporting characters. As the crew struggle to get their new restaurant off the ground, special care is paid to members of the restaurant's staff, who in Season 1 often functioned as behind-the-scenes figures in Carmy's (Jeremy Allen White) journey. This time around, kind-hearted pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce) finds new inspiration in Denmark, while hard-ass line cook-turned-sous chef Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) opens herself up to new opportunities. Even the abrasive, perpetually lost Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) emerges as a kind of hero. Introductions of key figures from Carmy's past also help illuminate his ongoing struggles with grief and ambition. Yes, this is still a show built on frenetic energy and tight close-ups and loud, overlapping dialogue, but like the staff at a good restaurant, it makes its audience feel taken care of. -Allison Picurro

Joe Pickett

Joe Pickett is at the front of the wagon train of neo-Westerns circling your televisions after Yellowstone made it cool to be a cowboy again, and its mix of Wyoming wilderness whodunit mystery and self-deprecating humor has turned it into a quiet word-of-mouth success since it moseyed on over to Paramount+ from Spectrum. For All Mankind's Michael Dorman stars as the titular game warden, whose job of wildlife regulating bristles locals and leaves him persona non grata. As the show says early on, there's a reason game wardens are killed more than any other officer of the law, and Joe faces the challenge with a reluctant confidence that makes him easy to root for. Most episodes also feature a wacky animal-related storyline, like the drunk elks who terrorize locals after eating fermented apples. It's a fun show with a romantic center that knows when to get serious. -Tim Surette     

A Black Lady Sketch Show

It's a shame we won't get to see more of A Black Lady Sketch Show, one of the most consistently funny shows on TV, which will not return for a fifth season after concluding its fourth earlier this year. In Season 4, Robin Thede's series delivered a goofy sketch involving church deacons in an NBA-inspired baptism competition, a surreal interview with Colman Domingo, and a powerhouse performance from series regular Gabrielle Dennis. A Black Lady Sketch show ending is a big loss for comedy, but at least we can revisit it whenever we want. -Allison Picurro

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Many people I've recommended this show to have replied, "Star Trek? Get stuffed in a locker, nerd." It's a highly illogical response, because the greatest thing about Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is that it doesn't require Star Trek fandom or familiarity to jump right in. The prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series is built for longtime fans and newbies alike, jumping from genre to genre — one week will be a diplomatic drama, the next will be science-fiction horror, and the next will be a reality-bending comedy — and focusing on the wonder of space exploration, intelligent problem solving, and intergalactic unity, all while creating deep character arcs for the crew of the USS Enterprise. And not to be shallow, but the cast — which includes Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Christina Chong, and Rebecca Romijn — is smoking hot, too. -Tim Surette

Beef

Following two strangers (played by Steven Yeun and Ali Wong) who become inextricably entangled after a road rage incident, Beef is one bold swing after another. Creator Lee Sung Jin's vision is a treat to watch unfold until its final beautiful moments, and it's all anchored by two explosive, phenomenal performances from Yeun and Wong. Still, it's impossible to discuss Beef without acknowledging the controversy around one of its stars, David Choe, whose jokes about self-described "rapey behavior" were brought to light not long after the series premiered on Netflix. It certainly overshadowed the success of Beef, which on its own is riveting and well crafted. -Allison Picurro

Mrs. Davis

Mrs. Davis is TV's most fun new show in years. A bonkers, intoxicating joyride through tech and religion starring the great Betty Gilpin as a nun fighting an AI algorithm, the Peacock series marries the comic and dramatic sensibilities of its creators, Tara Hernandez (The Big Bang Theory) and Damon Lindelof (The Leftovers), into one audacious and totally singular package. The show is an experience too surprising to spoil, except to say it's got everything from a quest for the Holy Grail to mid-tier Reno magicians, and it builds to a gag so brilliant it could make a devotee out of anyone. -Kelly Connolly

I'm a Virgo

The premise of I'm a Virgo — Jharrel Jerome plays a 13-foot-tall teenage boy named Cootie — is intriguingly and irresistibly bananas on its own, but Boots Riley's fantastical dramedy is more than just a funny logline. Over seven episodes, the series blends Riley's penchant for surrealism with a healthy amount of social commentary. It thrusts its protagonist out into a world that literally has no place big enough for him (communicated through clever camerawork and a nimble performance from Jerome), and through that wonky coming-of-age tale it's able to explore the joys and tragedies of being a Black kid in America, the trappings of fame, and what it means to be considered heroic. Quite unlike anything else on TV right now, I'm a Virgo is easily one of the year's most shining gems. -Allison Picurro

Deadloch

We all know how Scandinavian murder mysteries work: Damaged homicide detectives battling personal demons are dropped off in a gloomy small town where everyone is a suspect after a dead body shows up. Apparently Australian murder mysteries are much the same... except they're also funny. This surprising series blends outlandish black comedy with a very serious murder mystery in a coastal town, putting the local police chief (Kate Box) in an odd-couple team with a foulmouthed detective (Madeleine Sami) from the big city. Creators Kate McLennan and Kate McCartney somehow seamlessly meld the two genres together without losing the potency of either, even when a potentially man-eating seal is considered one of the suspects. -Tim Surette      

I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson

For three seasons, I Think You Should Leave has been exploring the rabid depths of the human condition in bite-sized episodes. In an I Think You Should Leave sketch, people can express their most desperately unhinged thoughts and emotions; these people are frequently played by series co-creator Tim Robinson, who plays maniac characters who are perpetually a hair-trigger away from absolute implosion. There is no such thing as a normal interaction here, with every situation ratcheted up by the show's now-signature misdirects. Season 3 gives us instant classics like "Eggman Game," "Jellybean," and "The Driving Crooner," and new guest stars like Tim Meadows, Jason Schwartzman, and Ayo Edebiri effortlessly fit into the show's madcap rhythm. It's never too late to discover the screaming joys of I Think You Should Leave. -Allison Picurro