Netflix Shows That Viewers Will Love In 2023
There's something so satisfying about plopping on the couch after a long day of work, favorite snack in hand, and watching a great TV show. And what's the first streaming service most people go to? Netflix.
As of December 2022, Netflix has racked up over 223 million subscribers, and seems poised to continue thriving. They're the most popular streaming service in the world for a reason: They pioneered the way for other streaming services, completely changing the way people watch TV and even film.
Netflix changed the media landscape again when it switched from buying TV shows to making its own. Some of their original series that viewers can't find anywhere else include "Squid Game," "Stranger Things," and "The Witcher." In 2022 alone, they released several new shows that quickly became hits, such as "Inventing Anna," "Vikings: Valhalla," and "Wednesday."
So, what exciting new shows can viewers expect to see in 2023? Netflix has announced release dates for many brand-new original series, from horror to romance and everything in between. Keep reading to discover the Netflix shows you should keep an eye out for in 2023 — one of them might just become your new favorite!
Jigsaw
Plenty of shows have the audience rooting for the hero, but sometimes it's fun to be on the villain's side for a change. That's the case with this limited series action drama, originally called "Kaleidoscope," which centers around a group of thieves attempting to pull off a massive heist.
The story is loosely based on a real-life situation that happened after Hurricane Sandy hit New York City in 2012, when $70 billion worth of bonds went missing in the storm. (The bonds were damaged by floodwater, not stolen by thieves, but trying to execute a risky heist makes for a much more thrilling story.)
Aside from featuring bad guys as the main characters, this show also sets itself apart from others with its unique storytelling. The series is non-linear and stretches from 24 years before the heist to one year after. The episodes can be watched in any order, so viewers can experience the show in many different ways.
The creator of the show is Eric Garcia, author of "Matchstick Men" and co-writer of the sci-fi film "Repo Men." The talented cast includes Giancarlo Esposito as Leo Pap, the leader of the crew, and Paz Vega as Ava Mercer, the quick-thinking attorney. The show premieres on January 1, starting the new year off with a bang.
The Lying Life of Adults
The teenage years are a rocky time of extreme highs and lows for just about everyone, including Giovanna. The young girl struggles to find herself in this coming-of-age story set in a divided Naples in the '90s. At the surface level, Naples is refined and sophisticated, but beneath that lurks indulgence and vulgarity.
This limited series teen drama is based on Elena Ferrante's book of the same name. The book explored the ways that people of all ages lie, both to others and themselves. When Giovanna learns that adults are lying to her, she is fascinated by the skill that it takes, the consequences it leads to, and the morality of it all.
"To tolerate existence, we lie, and we lie above all to ourselves," Ferrante said. "Falsehoods protect us, mitigate suffering, allow us to avoid the terrifying moment of serious reflection, they dilute the horrors of our time, they even save us from ourselves."
The show is directed by Edoardo De Angelis and stars Giordana Marengo as Giovanna. It will be available to watch in Italian on January 4.
Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House
Who doesn't love food and the arts? There's plenty of both in this drama that follows two friends, Kiyo and Sumire, who move to Kyoto to become Maiko (geishas in training).
Their new home is in the Geiko (geisha) district, which is much more glamorous than their hometown of Aomori. While living with the other Maiko, Sumire hones her performing arts skills, but Kiyo realizes that she wants to pursue her passion for cooking instead.
The show is based on the bestselling manga "Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san" by Aiko Koyama. The manga won the 65th Shogakukan Manga Award and has sold over 2.7 million copies, so the live-action TV adaptation has a lot to live up to.
Hirokazu Kore-eda is the writer, director, and executive producer of the show. Nana Mori plays Kiyo, who cooks delicious homemade meals for the Maiko, and Natsuki Deguchi plays Sumire, who's expected to become an extraordinary Geiko. The show premieres on January 12 and will be available to watch in Japanese.
Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre
Horror fans, rejoice! Many terrifying stories from Junji Ito, acclaimed horror manga artist, are being brought to the small screen in this anime anthology series. Many of these strange, horrifying tales have never been adapted into anime before, so fans of Ito's work can enjoy these disturbing stories in an all-new way.
One of these stories is "The Strange Hikizuri Siblings: The Séance," which follows the Hikizuri siblings as they perform a séance in their house, which just happens to be haunted. Another is "Kubitsuri Kikyuu (The Hanging Balloons)," in which a woman named Kazuko is terrorized by giant heads floating around, trying to get people to hang themselves.
You can count on the other tales to be just as creepy: Junji Ito has a cult following of horror lovers for good reason. The anime series is written by Kaoru Sawada and directed by Shinobu Tagashira. It's set for release on January 19 and will be available to watch in Japanese.
That '90s Show
Fans of "That '70s Show" are getting the chance to revisit the Forman basement in a whole new way. "That '90s Show" is a spin-off that follows Leia Forman (Callie Haverda), Eric and Donna's teenage daughter, as she stays with her grandparents Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) over the summer. Leia makes some new friends and they get into all kinds of crazy antics, including smoking in the basement and bringing a keg up to the water tower.
Many of the original cast members will make guest appearances on the show, including Ashton Kutcher as Kelso, Topher Grace as Eric, and Laura Prepon as Donna. We're getting nostalgic already!
Bonnie and Terry Turner, the creators of the original series, developed the reboot with the help of their daughter Lindsay Turner, as well as Gregg Mettler. Mettler was a writer for the original show, and aside from being a creator of the reboot, he's also the showrunner.
In a 2022 interview with Variety, Mettler said, "I wanted [the new series] to have the same feeling as 'That '70s Show' did. The show had a very special tone. It was playful, it had a heart, it was sarcastic, it was filled with love within this family, within the friend group."
The show is set for release on January 19.
Shahmaran
In this steamy love story, a woman named Sahsu sets out to confront her grandfather, who abandoned her mother in Adana, Turkey, many years ago. On her journey, she visits the mysterious community of Mar, and the people there believe her arrival is connected to the legend of the Shahmaran. When she meets a man named Maran, she discovers just how real the legend is.
The show is based on the Middle Eastern tale about the Shahmaran, a half-woman half-snake creature who lives in a cave. A man explores the cave, crosses paths with the Shahmaran, and they end up falling in love. In the series, the genders are swapped, but much of the rest stays the same.
The show is written by Pınar Bulut, directed by Umur Turagay, and produced by Burak Sağyaşar and Timur Savcı. The cast includes Serenay Sarıkaya as Sahsu and Burak Deniz as Maran. It's set for release on January 20 and can be enjoyed in Turkish.
Lockwood & Co.
This detective thriller show revolves around a trio of teenagers who hunt down deadly ghosts in London. They might not have adult supervision, but they do have their work cut out for them: They need to solve a mystery that could change the course of history.
"Lockwood and Co." is based on Jonathan Stroud's award-winning book series of the same name. In the books, Lucy (Ruby Stokes) has psychic abilities that she uses through touch. George (Ali Hadji-Heshmati) is great at conducting research, as well as having a possessed skull in a jar as a pet. Anthony (Cameron Chapman) is the leader of the group and has supernatural sight, helping them track down spirits. It remains to be seen, however, how faithful the series will be to the source material.
This is the first TV project from Joe Cornish, the writer and director of the sci-fi film "Attack on the Block." The series is set to premiere on January 27.
My Dad the Bounty Hunter
A family that fights aliens together stays together — at least, that's the case in this animated action-comedy show. Sean and Lisa are two young siblings who wish they could spend more time with their dad, but he's always getting called into work. One night, they sneak into the trunk of his car so they can spend time with him at work, but things don't go as planned. They quickly discover that he's an intergalactic bounty hunter and end up hitching a ride with him to outer space.
Spending quality time together takes on a whole new meaning as they fight aliens and robots on their epic space adventure in "My Dad the Bounty Hunter." Tracking down dangerous alien fugitives isn't easy, but they'd better complete the mission fast and get back home before Mom finds out.
Everett Downing and Patrick Harpin are co-creators, directors, and executive producers of "My Dad the Bounty Hunter." The vocal talent includes Priah Ferguson as Lisa, JeCobi Swain as Sean, and Laz Alonso as their dad, Sabo Brok. It premieres on February 9.
Yu Yu Hakusho
The live-action adaptation of a popular manga series follows Yusuke Urameshi, a juvenile delinquent who dies after saving a boy from getting hit by a car. His soul arrives in the Underworld, where he's told that his sudden act of altruism took the Underworld by complete surprise. There is no place for him in Heaven or Hell, so he becomes an Underworld Detective and protects humanity from demons and evil spirits.
The manga of the same name, written by Yoshihiro Togashi, was extremely popular, inspiring many adaptations, including an anime series, multiple anime movies, and a stage play — but a live-action series has never been done until now.
According to Netflix, director Sho Tsukikawa said, "When I first heard about 'Yu Yu Hakusho' receiving a live-action adaptation, I honestly wondered if it would even be possible — but after being presented with the producer's vision and possibilities with Netflix, my expectations grew and I found myself burning with passion to make this project come to life."
Kaata Sakamoto serves as the executive producer of the show, with Tatsuro Mishima as the writer. Takumi Kitamura plays the lead role of Yusuke, alongside Kanata Hongo, Jun Shison, and Shuhei Uesugi. "Yu Yu Hakusho" premieres in December 2023.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
Dear gentle reader: If you thought you'd only ever see Queen Charlotte as a catty, middle-aged monarch, think again. The period romance "Bridgerton" was a huge hit for Netflix, so it's no surprise that they're making a spin-off show. The limited series prequel to "Bridgerton" focuses on young Queen Charlotte's rise to power and her influence on London society. It gives us a whole new perspective on the snuff-loving queen, her complicated relationship with the king, and her friendships with Agatha and Violet (who later become Lady Danbury and Lady Bridgerton).
Shonda Rhimes, the executive producer of the original show, is the writer, showrunner, and one of the executive producers of this new series. India Amarteifio plays young Queen Charlotte, while Corey Mylchreest plays young King George, Arsema Thomas plays young Agatha Danbury, and Ruth Gemmell plays young Violet Ledger. So far, there's only a general 2023 official release date, but What's On Netflix claims it might premiere on May 4.
Tomb Raider
Let's face it: Lara Croft is one of the coolest archaeologist characters out there. She's tough, smart, stylish, and there always seem to be new places for her to explore. That's why viewers are so excited to see her return in an action-packed animated series.
Unlike the previous animated "Tomb Raider" show made in 2007, this series won't be made up of unrelated shorts, but rather one continuous story. It will pick up where the "Survivor" trilogy (the video games "Tomb Raider," "Rise of the Tomb Raider," and "Shadow of the Tomb Raider") left off.
Tasha Huo is the showrunner and one of the executive producers. The writing team includes Troy Dangerfield, Shakira Pressley, and Tasha Huo, while Hayley Atwell stars as Lara Croft.
The show is set for release in 2023, and according to Variety, a second season has already been greenlit.
Mech Cadets
This animated series takes place 50 years in the future, after an alien species called the Sharg has attacked Earth. "Mech Cadets" follows Stanford Yu, a teenager who works as a janitor at Sky Corps Military Academy. He dreams of piloting a Robo Mech, one of the huge robots from outer space that help defend mankind against future alien attacks. Every year, they come to Earth to bond with cadets from the Sky Corps Military Academy, and it's an honor to be chosen by one. When Stanford gets picked and finally has a chance to live out his dream, he must work together with his classmates to protect humanity from another terrifying alien invasion.
The show is based on the Boom! Studios comic series "Mech Cadet Yu" from writer Greg Pak and artist Takeshi Miyazawa. Aaron Lam is the writer and one of the executive producers of the show. It premieres in 2023, although the exact release date has yet to be announced.
The Brothers Sun
Bruce and Charles Sun couldn't be more different. Bruce is a college student who worries about keeping his dream of becoming an improv comedian from his mother. His older brother, Charles, is a cutthroat Triad gangster who takes after their crime boss father. When their father gets shot by an assassin, the estranged brothers have to team up to protect their mother. That means Charles will need to travel from Taiwan to Los Angeles to get his little brother to toughen up.
Brad Falchuk and Byron Wu are co-creators and writers of "The Brothers Sun." The show stars Sam Song Li as Bruce, Justin Chien as Charles, and Michelle Yeoh as their mother, Eileen. In a 2022 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Wu said he's grateful and excited to be part of this "Asian-American centric, Asian-American written, Asian-American directed show." The action-packed dark comedy series will be released in 2023.
The Three-Body Problem
For ages, mankind has wondered whether or not we're alone in the cosmos. This sci-fi drama explores what might happen if we discovered aliens were real and made first contact with them.
"The Three-Body Problem" centers around nanomaterial researcher Wang Miao, who investigates a mysterious string of suicides while crossing paths with astrophysicist Ye Wenjie. Wang also becomes immersed in a virtual-reality game called "Three Body," which follows an alien race as they attempt to understand why their world has such chaotic weather. The game ends up leading Wang down an unexpected path of discovery.
The series is based on the renowned novel of the same name by Liu Cixin. The story is as fascinating as it is complicated, but rest assured, the TV adaptation is in capable hands: D.B. Weiss and David Benioff (the creators of "Game of Thrones") are the showrunners, with Rian Johnson (director of "Knives Out" and "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"), actor Brad Pitt, and actress Rosamund Pike serving as executive producers as well. The talented cast includes Eiza González, Jovan Adepo, and Benedict Wong, to name just a few. The series is slated to premiere in 2023.