The UK’s Top 10 Most Popular TV Shows of the Year (2023)

The UK’s Top 10 Most Popular TV Shows of the Year (2023)

Published on 08 December 2023

Updated on 22 July 2026

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It was inevitable that 2023 would be an outstanding year for TV with the return of Emmy-award winning shows such as Succession and Ted Lasso. This year gave us plenty of series to binge for big laughs, lots of tears, or an escape into a fictional world. As 2023 comes to a close, JustWatch has crunched the numbers to find the most popular TV series on streaming services throughout the year.

2023 started strong with HBO’s adaptation of the acclaimed video game, The Last of Us, which topped this year’s streaming charts. With a huge audience of new and pre-existing fans, this gripping dystopian horror became the most popular TV series of the year and already has a second season on the horizon.

Netflix debuted Tim Burton’s Addams Family spin-off Wednesday in late 2022, opening to worldwide success that led to a viral TikTok dance, and even broke the streamer’s records to become the most viewed series (in English) on the platform. The Netflix original series landed at #5 on the streaming charts. Netflix also released the fourth and final season of its award-winning drama, Top Boy, as well as the mind-boggling mystery series, Manifest.

Many of us also handled the heat of the kitchen in the second season of The Bear, bringing back Chicago’s favourite sandwich shop. Another favourite from Disney+ is Tom Hiddleston’s return as the God of Mischief in the second season on Loki, which debuted back in October. Other family favourite franchises also found success on the streamer, including Star Wars with the third instalment of The Mandalorian.

Several contemporary cult classic TV shows also came to a close this year, as the final season of HBO’s family business drama Succession aired with some shocking surprises. Apple TV+ also said farewell (for now it seems) to its greatest asset, Ted Lasso, as AFC Richmond returned for its third and final season of the Emmy-award winning comedy. In between the bittersweet goodbyes, viewers indulged in copious amounts of animated sitcom South Park for some light relief.

We found the top 10 titles using the JustWatch popularity score, which considers a host of activities such as clicking on a streaming offer, which titles were added to watchlists, and which titles were marked as ‘seen’. You can find the top 10 below, including streaming offers so you can catch up with the most popular series of the year.

01

The Last of Us
Twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed, Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the United States and depend on each other for survival.

02

South Park
South Park

South Park

1997

Follow the misadventures of four irreverent grade-schoolers in the quiet, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado.

03

Succession
Succession

Succession

2018

Follow the lives of the Roy family as they contemplate their future once their aging father begins to step back from the media and entertainment conglomerate they control.

04

Wednesday
Wednesday

Wednesday

2022

Smart, sarcastic and a little dead inside, Wednesday Addams investigates twisted mysteries while making new friends — and foes — at Nevermore Academy.

05

Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso

2020

American college football coach Ted Lasso is hired to manage AFC Richmond, a struggling English soccer club, and must win over skeptical players, staff, and fans.

06

The Mandalorian
After the fall of the Galactic Empire, lawlessness has spread throughout the galaxy. A lone gunfighter makes his way through the outer reaches, earning his keep as a bounty hunter.

07

Manifest
Manifest

Manifest

2018

When a commercial airliner suddenly reappears after being missing for five years, those aboard must reintegrate into society.

08

The Bear
The Bear

The Bear

2022

A young chef from the fine dining world returns to Chicago to run his family's sandwich shop.

09

Loki
Loki

Loki

2021

The mercurial villain Loki resumes his role as the God of Mischief in a new series that takes place after the events of “Avengers: Endgame.”

10

Top Boy
Two seasoned drug dealers return to the gritty street of London, but their pursuit of money and power is threatened by a young and ruthless hustler.

About this list

Titles

11

Total Watch Cost

£60.94

Total Watch Time

345h 24min

Genres

Drama, Comedy, Science-Fiction

Where can I watch this list online?

Find out which streaming services have the most titles from this list below.

There are 10 titles in this list and you can watch 3 of them on Sky Go. 15 other streaming services also have titles available to stream today.

  1. 3 titles Sky Go
  2. 3 titles Now TV
  3. 3 titles Netflix
  4. 3 titles Netflix Standard with Ads
  5. 3 titles Disney Plus