By Dan Skip Allen

HMs:Barry Season 7, Hijack, Perry Mason Season 2, The Mandalorian Season 3, Bosch Legacy Season 2, Succession Season 4, Reacher Season 2, Loki Season 2, The Crown Season 6, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty Season 2

10: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2

8.3/10 IMDB 98% Rotten Tomatoes

First episode date: May 5, 2022 (USA)

Based on: Star Trek; by Gene Roddenberry

Composer: Nami Melumad

Created by: Akiva Goldsman; Alex Kurtzman; Jenny Lumet

Genre: Adventure; Drama; Science fiction

Network: Paramount+

Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock and Number One explore new worlds around the galaxy on the U.S.S. Enterprise.

Star Trek had been a franchise that has spanned decades. Starting with James T Kirk and going to Jean Luc Picard and others afterward. Just touched on a little bit in the original series Christopher Pike. Star Trek Strsnge Nee World expands on this character quite a bit with Anson Mount in the role as Captain of the USS Enterprise before Kirk took off the helm years later. Combined with a younger Spock played by Ethan Peck and a group of idealistic compatriots they traverse the galaxies looking to find new life while trying to fend off threats from the Gorn, Klingons, and Romulans. The interpersonal relationships between the crew members lead to fantastic stories and adventures. Even one involving a crossover with Star Trek Lower Decks the animated series about ensons from a future version of Star Trek. That was a fun crossover. This series gets what Star Trek is truly about and I very much love the direction its heading in from Season 2 onward.

9:Lawmen Bass Reeves

7.8/10 IMDB 81% Rotten Tomatoes

First episode date: November 5, 2023 (USA)

Network: Paramount+

Created by: Chad Feehan

Genre: Western

Theme music composer: Chanda Dancy

From executive producers Taylor Sheridan and David Oyelowo, the untold story of the first Black U.S. Marshal, Bass Reeves.

Paramount and MTV have gotten into a very good relationship with Taylor Sheridan the creator of Yellowstone and his neo-Western Trilogy Hell or High Water, Sicario, and Wind River. He has become a proven commodity. The latest series for the streaming service Paramount Plus is Lawmen: Bass Reeves. It features David Oyelowo as a slave turned Deputy Sheriff when this wasn’t a thing in this country. The late 1800s was a lawless time in this country and the South was a bad place to be a runaway slave. Even if you have turned out to be a Sheriff. Oyelowo has perfect casting and he embodies this man and his beliefs. He started a family and made some friends along the way but his enemies were always around the corner looking to get him. This series like so many others from Sheridan has a great Western feel and brought this American South and Midwest to life in a fantastic way. Throw in great supporting turns from Barry Pepper, Dennis Quaid, Forrest Goodluck, and many others and Shetidan and Paramount/MTV have another hit on their hands.

8: The Last of Us

8.8/10 IMDB 96% Rotten Tomatoes

First episode date: January 15, 2023 (USA)

Networks: HBO, Sky Deutschland

Based on: The Last of Us; by Naughty Dog

Editors: Timothy A. Good; Mark Hartzell; Emily Mendez; Cindy Mollo

Genre: Post-apocalyptic; Drama; Thriller

Production location: Canada

Joel and Ellie, a pair connected through the harshness of the world they live in, are forced to endure brutal circumstances and ruthless killers on a trek across a post-outbreak America.

Honestly, I haven’t been a fan of video games and I don’t play them but I know the world is filled with gamers. Once in a while, a video game film or show comes out that intrigues me. The Last Of Us is one of those shows. It combined relatable characters with themes I’ve come to love over the years. The zombie/ infected genre. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey play Joel and Ellie, two individuals who have their agendas but reluctantly join forces for the better good. Along the way, they meet some interesting or weird people who come in and out of their lives within the context of the series. Actors like Nick Offerman, Murray Bartlett, Storm Reid, and Melanie Lindsey are some of the supporting ensembles that bring this show based on this worldwide phenomenon of a game to life. The creatures are nasty and creepy and I definitely would want to come face to face with any of them. They are scary as hell in the series. HBO has many hits on their hands and this is just another one that I love watching.

7: Monarch Legacy of Monsters

7.4/10 IMDB 75% Rotten Tomatoes

First episode date: November 17, 2023 (USA)

Based on: Godzilla; by Toho Co., Ltd.

Genre: Action; Adventure; Science fiction; Monster

Network: Apple TV+

Producers: Brian Rogers; Yoshimitsu Banno; Kenji Okuhira; Scott Schofield; Al Letson

Production companies: Safehouse Pictures; Toho Co., Ltd. Milkfed Criminal Masterminds; Chris Black Broadcasting System; Legendary Television

After the world-shattering revelation that monsters are real, two siblings follow in their father’s footsteps to uncover their family’s connection to the secretive organization known as Monarch.

I’m a big fan of the recent incarnation of the Monsters universe brown to the big screen by Legendary and Warner Brothers. Those films created a new origin story for these monsters including Godzilla,  King Kong, and many others. Monarch is a government organization that is involved with this world of gargantuan. The new show from Apple TV fills in a lot of the gaps in the films that have come out in theaters. There are a few key players led by a brother and sister duo Kate and Kentaro (Anna Sawai, Rrn Watsbe) and Lee Shaw (Kurt Russell old, Wyatt Russell young) This series delves into the person behind the Monarch and how it ties into why these giant monsters are here on Earth and why they have been hidden among us for so long. This is an incredible show with a great cast that brings this world to life in a great way.

6: Star Wars: Ahsoka

7.6/10 IMDB 76% Rotten Tomatoes

First episode date: August 22, 2023 (USA)

Based on: Star Wars; by George Lucas

Composer: Kevin Kiner

Editors: Dana E. Glauberman; Rosanne Tan; James D. Wilcox

Genre: Action-adventure; Science fiction

Network: Disney+

Former Jedi knight Ahsoka Tano investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy.

Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) was a little-known character created by Dave Filoni for his spin-off animated series The Clone Wars as the Apprentice for Anakin Skywalker who we all know would later turn to the dark side and become Darth Vader. She was a little spunky and got into trouble and eventually renounced her training as a Padawan learner. As an adult she became friends with some Rebels including Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and developed her group of enemies among them Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) Filoni and his new partner Jon Favreau decided to bring this now beloved character to live action. First in The Mandalorian and now in her show. This first season was terrific. It brought this character and this world she exists in, to a whole new level. This was a fantastic first season with new planets and characters and a completely new direction for this character.

5: The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Season 5

8.7/10 IMDB 90% Rotten Tomatoes

Final episode date: May 26, 2023

First episode date: March 17, 2017 (USA)

Created by: Amy Sherman-Palladino

Genre: Comedy drama; Period drama

Network: Amazon Prime Video

Producers: Dhana Gilbert; Matthew Shapiro; Salvatore Carino; Sheila Lawrence

It’s the late 1950s and Miriam “Midge” Maisel has everything she has ever wanted — the perfect husband, two kids and an elegant apartment on New York’s Upper West Side. Her seemingly idyllic life takes a surprising turn when she discovers a hidden talent she didn’t previously know she had — stand-up comedy. This revelation changes her life forever as she begins a journey that takes her from her comfortable life on the Upper West Side through the cafes and nightclubs of Greenwich Village as she makes her way through the city’s comedy industry on a path that could ultimately lead her to a spot on the “Tonight Show” couch. The series was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino (“Gilmore Girls”).

remember the first episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel like it came out yesterday on Prime Video. It made me laugh and cry, and I knew instantly that this pilot was going to be turned into a great show, and it was. Rachel Brosnahan is fantastic as the lead character trying to balance her career as a stand-up comedian, mother, and writer on a late-night talk show. She also has to deal with her neurotic father played perfectly by Tony Shalub and her ex-husband Joel played by Michael Zegan who is determined to have his own successful life despite his on-again off off-again relationship with his ex-wife. The writing is spot on in this series and Alex Borstein as Susie is the unsung hero that is the glue that makes this series fit together. She is very funny and has a great arc of her own, in this final season of the show. This season has a flashforward element that helps give the show a fit conclusion to what I’ve enjoyed for four previous seasons. This was a very good end to this show.

4: Ted Lasso Season 3

8. 8/10 IMDB 90% Rotten Tomatoes

Final episode date: May 31, 2023

Writers: Jason Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Phoebe Walsh, Bill Lawrence, Joe Kelly, More

Network: Apple TV+

Awards: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, More

First episode date: August 14, 2020 (USA)

Program creators: Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt, Bill Lawrence, Joe Kelly

Nominations: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, More

An American football coach is hired to manage a British soccer team; what he lacks in knowledge, he makes up for in optimism, determination and biscuits.

 is no surprise to anyone that I am a big fan of the EPL (The English Patient League), so with that, it makes sense that I would love Ted Lasso. Which features a main character who is the manager of a soccer team in the EPL. Jason Sudeikis, famous for his days on SNL, embodies this fish-out-of-water character perfectly in this show. The supporting cast, including Juno Temple, Hannah Waddingham, Nick Mohammed, Brte Goldstein, and Phil Dunster, are also very good.  They all have great chemistry with each other. This show has a heart to it that I don’t think any other sitcom on television or streaming has right now. There is a sweetness to the characters even when they are sometimes at odds with each other. There were various stories this season that were wrapped up, but it doesn’t mean there won’t be another season of this amazing show.

3: The Continental: Based on the World of John Wick

7.2/10 IMDB 63% Rotten Tomatoes

Fir date: September 22, 2023 (USA)

Based on: John Wick; by Derek Kolstad

Cinematography: Pål Ulvik Rokseth; Peter Deming

Composer: Raffertie

Genre: Action thriller; Crime drama

Network: Peacock

The Continental is a chain of hotels around the world that serves as a neutral ground for members of the underworld; the hotel workers of the Continental try to handle the hitmen and murderers who come to stay.

To say I’m a big fan of the John Wick Franchise would be an understatement.  I love this franchise. So, when I heard the creators were doing a spin-off based on the hotel featured in the series of films, I was very excited. Then I heard it was going to be set in the 70s from the Hughes Brothers. I was excited then. That could only be for so long, though, because I had to wait for the show to come out on Peacock before I was totally invested in the series completely. I am here to say the show lived up to my expectations. Mel Gibson was a great villain, and the actors who played the main characters from the John Wick films Colin Woodell as Winston Scott and Ayomide Adegun as Charon were both fantastic. They embodied their counterparts perfectly. That is not the only thing great about this series, though. The show, as I said, was set in the 70s, which at this time was dirty and grimy, and the cinematography was gritty like a 70s film. The series had loads of action, and everything about it was right in my wheelhouse. I ate this series up. 

2: The Bear Season 2

8.6/10 IMDB 99% Rotten Tomatoes

Awards: Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series, More

Network: Hulu

Writers: Christopher Storer, Joanna Calo, Alex O’Keefe, Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, More

First episode date: June 23, 2022 (USA)

Program creator: Christopher Storer

Nominations: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, More

Genres: Drama, Comedy, Comedy drama

A young chef from the fine dining world comes home to Chicago to run his family sandwich shop after a heartbreaking death in his family. A world away from what he’s used to, Carmy must balance the soul-crushing realities of small business ownership, his strong-willed and recalcitrant kitchen staff and his strained familial relationships, all while grappling with the impact of his brother’s suicide. As Carmy fights to transform both the shop and himself, he works alongside a rough-around-the-edges kitchen crew that ultimately reveals itself as his chosen family.

 came to the party regarding The Bear a little late. Once I caught on to the hype, I was fully in on this terrific show. It reminds me of a restaurant chain where I live in Central FL. But instead of a Chicago Beef Restaurant, it’s a Philly Cheesesteaks & Hoagie Restaurant. The characters in The Bear remind me of people who work/own the restaurant I used to frequent quite often. Jeremy Allen White is a revelation in the show, and Ebon Moss Bachrach and Ayo Idabari are both great as well. The character development is amazing. This is a show that captures what it is to work in a restaurant and the pressures that follow. Episodes 6 and 7 were both incredible, and I can say enough how phenomenal this show is.

1: Picard Season 3

7.5/10 IMDB 89% Rotten Tomatoes

Final episode date: April 20, 2023

Network: Paramount+

First episode date: January 23, 2020 (USA)

Writers: Terry Matalas, Gene Roddenberry, Alex Kurtzman, Michael Chabon, Akiva Goldsman, More

Executive producer: Rod Roddenberry

Awards: Writers Guild of America Award for Best on Air Promotion

Set at the end of the 24th century, 18 years after the events of `Star Trek: Nemesis’, with Sir Patrick Stewart reprising his iconic role, `Star Trek: Picard’ revolves around retired admiral Jean-Luc Picard. He is still deeply affected by the loss of Lieutenant Commander Data, portrayed by Brent Spiner, and the destruction of Romulus, and steps into the next chapter of his life.

Picard Season 3 was the perfect conclusion to this series and the next-generation crew. Patrick Stewart and company brought everything to this final season. The nostalgia factor was very real for me as a huge Next Generation fan. Terry Matalas knew just what fans of this franchise wanted, and he gave it to them in spades. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but it was a lot of stuff I loved seeing. He brought back loads of characters from the Next Generation cast as well as Jean Luc Picard himself in his Swan song. The last two episodes were epic in scale and reminded me of a movie.  That’s how big and grand they were. The entire season brought me back to when I was a kid watching Star Trek The Next Generation every Saturday at 7 pm. I could not have imagined this season or show going any better than it did. I was blown away by how amazing this season was, and I hope Matalas has more Star Trek in that brain of his.