Monday Musings: Happy New Year! 🎆Listing My Top 10 Shows To Binge In 2024, My Best Streams of 2023

The first a'musing Monday of 2024

Jan 02, 2024

Hooray! It’s 2024! 👏

How excited are you for a fresh new year? With the new year comes the marching in of anticipated new shows, but don’t forget to remember those that made 2023 so great. I’m making a list and checking it twice of the great streams of 2023 and what I’m most looking forward to streaming in 2024 (there’s just so much!).

My Favorite Streams of 2023

Best Episode #1 — The Bear: Forks (FX on Hulu)

If ever there was a perfectly written episode this year, The Bear episode titled “Forks” is as good as it gets. A beautifully written character piece on Cousin Richie was a complete story within a series that captured an entire character’s story arch in just 35 minutes. It serves as a standalone episode focusing on just one character featuring the best cameo of the series — Olivia Colman. Each scene was delicately executed and yes, I cried. It was that good.

Best Episode #2 — Succession: Connor’s Wedding (MAX)

It was inevitable, but Season 4: Episode 3 titled “Connor’s Wedding” came with a punch and it was a raw, chaotic, but seamlessly executed episode where everything you love about Succession came together to create one (I would say of three) near perfect episodes this season. The episode, now famously, was shot, in-part, as a modified stage play utilizing multiple cameras. One scene from the dreaded “phone call” took place over 27-minutes, unbroken, in one take. The acting, Nicholas Britell’s haunting score, the tempered writing was in short, dynamic. I’m still catching my breath.

Best Villain — John Paul (Bad Sisters - Apple TV+)

I know this series came out in 2022, but honestly, I just watched it in 2023. I loved this series for the great cast and cleverly executed story, but mostly for John Paul, the grossly horrible husband who we find dead at the first scene and we then spend the entire season trying to figure out who killed him. Every scene done in flashbacks he gets more awful than the last, but actor Claes Bang does a brilliant job leaning into this despicable character who makes it impossible to take your eyes off of. You love to hate him, which in a sense is what makes villains so intoxicatingly captivating to watch on-screen.

Best Historical Series — The Gilded Age (HBO/MAX)

I started this series, then stopped, but now I’m back on The Gilded Age choo-choo train and I’m here for the long ride. I love most everything about this series. The costumes, the highbrow Bravo-esque catty drama, the Easter eggs on NYC history in every episode, the loosely based Astor/Vanderbilt characters, and some of my favorite actresses are here — Carrie Coon, Cynthia Nixon and mother Christine Baranski. For me, it’s my favorite Julian Fellowes series next to Belgravia (I was one of the few that just could not get into Downton Abbey). Did you also know that Meryl Streep’s daughter plays Marian?

Best Series I Did Not Want to End - The Crown (Netflix)

The Crown has always been for me that cozy blanket that I cover myself with knowing it will keep me warm and comforted. With all the crap on Netflix (okay, there’s some good stuff too), The Crown is one of the most consistent series on the streaming platform with incredible casting, a captivating blend of character pieces and historical dramatizations, and enough revelations about the royal family to keep my inquiring mind stimulated. I still can’t get over how beautiful Claire Foy (Queen), Vanessa Kirby (Margaret), Emma Corwin (Diana), Elizabeth Debicki (Diana), and Josh O’Connor (Charles) portrayed their respective real-life counterparts. I could watch this series until the fall of British Royalty.

Best Series Based On A True Story — A Small Light (Disney+/Hulu/NatGeo)

It’s a historical tragedy that many filmmakers before have crafted as a haunting piece of cinema — often brutally dark and with gut-wrenching sadness as the Holocaust actually was. A Small Light is another type of story during this dark time, sort of in the vein of the Oscar-winning film Life is Beautiful, about the true story of Miep Gies, the Dutch citizen who sheltered Anne Frank and her family (and many others) during World War II when Europe was under the threat of Nazi occupation. Bel Powley (she also stars as Claire on The Morning Show) does an excellent job portraying Gies in a performance that is what the title reads “a small light” in a very dark time in history. It’s a moving retelling of the Anne Frank story from another perspective who has her own story of resistance and resiliency. The production value of this series is also very high with a wonderful cast, authentic set and costume design, and beautiful writing and direction. I wish the billionaires behind this mega-streaming platform had invested more money into promoting this series as it is one everyone should watch.

Best Ensemble Cast — Only Murders in the Building: Season 3 (Hulu)

This is one of those series where every season seems to get better than the next. You can tell just by the cameos how loved this show is, not just by audiences, but by actors too. Meryl Streep was, as always, outstanding as Loretta Durkin, the aspiring theatre actress who was determined to get her big break. The trio of Martin Short, Selena Gomez and Steve Martin were amusing, as always, and the tight, well-crafted mystery is still as clever as ever in this latest installment.

Best Goodbye - Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

Although this last season started off a little rough for me, Ted Lasso’s final season overall was a great farewell. It left audiences with that last glimmer of hope that a comeback was possible or at least a few hopeful spinoffs — will Rebecca get her women’s football team? The episodes were longer, which took awhile in the beginning to get accustomed to (actually I think the writers took a bit of time to get used to writing hour-long episodes), but by the last few episodes, it really had that unique charm that we viewers had come to love. I’ll miss this show most of all in 2024.

Best Adaptation of a Book - Daisy Jones & The Six (Prime Video)

I really enjoyed this novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, but I have to say I think the series was even better. Daisy Jones & The Six is a very, very loosely inspired band-biopic of Fleetwood Mac featuring a great California-boozy-hippie soundtrack and standout performances by Riley Keough, Sam Claflin, and Suki Waterhouse. The authenticity of the music and the vintage Los Angeles sets, and the bohemian wardrobe transported viewers to the sepia-toned era of the 1970s. I loved the soundtrack so much I added it to my Apple playlist and am eagerly awaiting to see if Ms. Reese Witherspoon & Amazon will greenlight an additional season.

Best Portrayal of Grief — The Great (Hulu)

Sadly, one of my favorite series on Hulu, The Great was cancelled, but I’m still in awe of how this series handled grief this season. One of the main characters suffered an icy death early on in season three and the writing of a grieving widow was so clever and unique, mainly because this comedy is a satire, so everything is grossly exaggerated. Instead of just one episode displaying loss and sadness, the writers showed grief over the entire course of the season in various tones that were both funny and heartbreaking. Spoiler Alert: Elle Fanning took on the brunt of these emotions and did a fantastic job executing the beautiful madness that is grieving.

Best Documentary - The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart? (HBO/MAX)

There were so many great documentaries in 2023, but I really enjoyed the one about The Bee Gees, that soulful disco band of brothers that defined a generation of music. Although I love this band, I didn’t know much about their personal lives. I was so deeply moved by Barry Gibb, the only surviving brother who had an incredible story to tell and did it with such delicateness and respect. So many interesting stories of their road to fame, the history of that era, and the rise and fall of disco music.

Best Re-stream — Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown (MAX)

There’s a lot going on in the world right now, and I’ve been streaming Anthony Bourdain’s early travel series No Reservations for the past year, but I recently watched his Part Unknown series from CNN where he traveled to Jerusalem. Here, you see just how great, not only as a travel host, but really as a writer and journalist Bourdain is. His series is a blend of history and culture, but it’s really the deep connection of the people and the food that makes each episode so impactful. He allows himself to be a great listener of people who share their stories for the world to hear.

Introducing The Literary Wineaux Society Book Club 🍷 📚

Speaking of Anthony Bourdain! I started a book club for winos like us. If you are in the Orange County, CA or Scottsdale, AZ area you can join us for wine tasting and talking books. If not, please follow us @literarywineauxsociety on Instagram to see what we’re reading! This month is Anthony Bourdain’s “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly” and “Killers of the Flower Moon”.

Top 20 Series Coming in 2024 (I Can’t Wait!) - p.s. no particular order

FEUD: Capote vs The Swans (January 31, FX on Hulu) I can’t wait for this series! I loved FEUD: Bette & Joan from mega-producer Ryan Murphy, but the NYC socialites vs. Truman Capote is a scandal I’m here for. To get a little background on this FEUD, I highly recommend the documentary The Capote Tapes on Hulu — it’s excellent.
The Regime (March 3, MAX) - I’ll watch anything with Kate Winslet starring and the limited series The Regime co-starring Hugh Grant is high on my watchlist. Stephen Frears (Dangerous Liasions) directs Winslet in a story about an authoritarian regime unraveling in a year’s time within the walls of a palace.
The Sympathizer (TBA, MAX) - Robert Downey, Jr. stars in this adaptation of the bestselling book about a half-French, half Vietnamese man who served as a spy for Communist forces during the Vietnam War. Adding to my growing TBR pile now.
House of the Dragon: Season 2 (Summer, MAX) - This Game of Thrones prequel series started off a little bit of a yawn for me, but ended with that same GOT energy I have missed, so much so that I’m waiting with bated dragon breath for the next season to start.
Ripley (TBA, Netflix) - I’ve been waiting for this series FOREVER! Okay since before the pandemic when it was announced that Showtime was putting Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 novel, “The Talented Mr. Ripley” into development. Things got moved around a little and now Ripley will premiere on Netflix and star Fleabag’s Andrew Scott in the title role that Jude Law played in the 1999 film adaptation. Dakota Fanning will play Marge and Johnny Flynn is Dickie Greenleaf.
Expats (January 26, Prime Video) - What’s a new year of streaming without a Nicole Kidman series? I can’t wait for the series adaptation of this novel that explores privilege amongst a group of expats living in a small community in 2014 Hong Kong.
True Detective: Night Country (January 14, MAX) - Most say that the first season of this anthology series that first starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson was the only season worth watching, but you know everyone is still going to tune into this fourth season that stars Jodie Foster and Kali Reis as two detectives in Ennis, Alaska who research two men who have vanished from a research station in the vast icy landscape.
Masters of the Air (January 26, Apple TV+) If you’re wondering where you can see Austin Butler (Elvis) next, it’s here in the World War II action-drama about eleven men flying inside a bomber known as “Flying Fortress” who battle German fighters. I’m more excited about what those behind the camera will bring to this highly-anticipated series — producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks and directors Cary Joji Fukunaga (No Time To Die), Anna Boden (Billions), Ryan Fleck (The Affair), Dee Rees (Mudbound), and Timothy Van Patten (The Sopranos).
Belgravia: The Next Chapter (January 14, MGM+) I wasn’t a huge fan of Downton Abbey, as I’ve mention previously, but I did enjoy the simplicity of Downton’s creator Julian Fellowes’ Belgravia. It has been four years since the last season aired and its future was in the air due to the pandemic, now I’m so happy it’s back at MGM+ for another chapter that follows the nouveau riche in upper class London.
Palm Royale (March 20, Apple TV+) Kristen Wiig, Allison Janney, and Laura Dern lead this all-star cast that chronicles a woman reconstructing her identity in the 1960s after being dismissed by her husband and her entire social circle. I’m so looking forward to seeing all these ladies together in one ensemble that also features Ricky Martin, Kaia Gerber, Mindy Cohn, Leslie Bibb, and Josh Lucas.
Griselda (January 25, Netflix) I love me a good crime drama and this one is about the life of Griselda Blanco, a devoted mother who created one of the most profitable drug cartels in history. If you watched Narcos, you’ll be a little familiar with this story. Looking forward to seeing Sofia Vergara in this type of gritty role.
The New Look (February 14, Apple TV+) - Happy Birthday to me! What a wonderful birthday present for Apple TV+ to release the historical biographical series about the rise of fashion designer Christian Dior. The series stars Ben Mendelsohn and Juliette Binoche as dueling designers Dior and Coco Chanel. As a former fashion design student who hated the sewing machine, this type of series is the kind of couture I like.
Shogun (February 27, 2024, FX on Hulu) When you talk about war epic, this is the type of series one can imagine. Set in the 17th century, British hero figure John Blackthorne, a sailor who rises from outsider to samurai, is used as a pawn in Japanese leader Toranaga’s struggle to reach the top of the ruling chain. The special effects, fight choreography, and production looks intense. Can’t wait.
Apples Never Fall (TBA, Peacock) I loved this family drama novel by “Big Little Lies” author Liane Moriarty. I can’t wait to see what they do with this series (fingers crossed, do not “eff” this up!) The series follows The Delaneys, who on the outside appears to be the perfect family, but former tennis coaches Joy and Stan are dysfunctional parents to three children who are forced to examine their family history when their mother goes missing. Stars Alison Brie, Sam Neill, and Annette Bening.
3 Body Problem (March 21, Netflix) The story sounds not that interesting to me — a group of scientists in the present day are faced with humanity’s greatest threat based on a decision made in 1960s China — however, the series is created by Game of Thrones’ creators D.B. Weiss and David Benioff so I can’t wait to see their next project as its been a longtime coming.
Agatha: Darkhold Diaries (TBA, Disney+) I’m so over Marvel, but I love Kathryn Hahn and I love anything witches so I will be watching and looking forward to this WandaVision spinoff. The plot is being kept under wraps so stay tuned for more deets.
The Bear: Season 3 (TBA, FX on Hulu) - one of my favorite series on Hulu, so naturally it’s on this list.
Interior Chinatown - (TBA, Hulu) based on the critically acclaimed international bestselling book, an Asian American actor struggles against being typecast in Hollywood become witness to a crime and he begins to unravel a criminal web in Chinatown while revealing his own family secrets.
Mary & George - (TBA, Starz) Julianne Moore stars in this period drama that follows the Countess of Buckingham who mold her son to seduce King James I to become his all-powerful lover. The trailer looks salacious and scandalous and I can’t wait to take a bite out of this series.
The Night Agent: Season 2 - (TBA, Netflix) surprisingly, this series was an unpredictable fast binge for me and I can’t wait for the second season!