The year that is about to end is surely one of those in which there is the least coincidence among viewers when choosing the best released series, surely the result of the large volume of production and the fact that not everyone has access to the same streaming platforms. This year will come, however, marked by the goodbye of fictions that have left their mark such as Succession (HBO Max) and The Crown (Netflix). And perhaps Ted Lasso (Apple TV), of which there is still no confirmation if he has finished or will have spin-off series. The Spanish production that has caused the most talk since its premiere has been La Mesías (Movistar Plus), written, directed and produced by Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo. which has also managed to be the first Spanish series to participate in the Sundance Festival. Below, seven of the foreign series that have had the most impact in 2023 and, if they are not the best, they are at least highly recommended to recover these Christmas holidays.
THE LAST OF US / HBO Max
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey star in this post-apocalyptic story based on the popular video game. Twenty after modern civilization has been destroyed, a born survivor is hired to smuggle a teenage girl out of a quarantine zone. A small job that soon turns into a brutal journey when they must cross the United States and depend on each other to survive.
PALERMO DIVISION / Netflix
Argentine black comedy starring a group of citizens, each of whom represents a social minority, who is recruited to be part of a kind of urban guard to serve the community. At the same time, it is a marketing operation to improve the terrible image of the security forces. The new squad soon discovers that they must face a gang led by some peculiar drug traffickers.
JURY DUTY /Prime Video
This series launched a new format that mixes the genres of mockumentary, reality show and prank shows. The comedy takes place in the room of a fake and scripted trial. They are all actors: lawyers, judge, jury, the accused himself… The only character who thinks that this is real is member of jury number six. The young man is followed by a hidden camera that records him for more than fifteen days.
POKER FACE / SkyShowtime
From creator Rian Johnson (, this mystery series follows Charlie Cale, played by Natasha Lyonne, who has an uncanny ability to determine when someone is lying. Charlie hits the road behind the wheel of her brand new Plymouth Barracuda and at every stop she He encounters new characters and strange crimes that he cannot help but solve.
NOLLY / Film y Cosmo
Helena Bonham Carter plays British television legend Noele Gordon, Nolly. The miniseries explores the rise and fall of the protagonist over almost two decades of one of the UK’s longest-running and most successful soap operas: Crossroads. Set in 1981, it tells how she was abruptly fired from this series and reflects on whether the actress’s personality, which defied what was expected of women in those years, had anything to do with it.
THE HAUNTED HOUSE / Disney
This December marks 60 years since the start of the first Auschwitz trials held in Frankfurt. In the court proceedings, which are considered a milestone in the history of German law, the crimes of Nazi Germany were recognized. This series, based on the novel of the same name by Annette Hess, addresses this process through Eva Bruhns, a young woman who lives with her parents and is hired as a translator for these trials. Eva discovers the horror of the Holocaust and must face the silenced past of her family.
BLUE LIGHTS / Movistar plus
Police drama that follows the day-to-day life of a Belfast police station from the experiences of three rookies: Grace, a former social worker who can’t help but get overly involved in the cases; Tommy, a shy young man with difficulty commanding respect, and Annie, a rebellious young woman incapable of sticking to the rules. The job becomes especially dangerous when they become involved in the investigation of a local mafia and uncomfortable questions arise such as whether anyone is protecting criminals.
