Our 23 most popular film and TV stories of 2023
Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who couldn’t get enough of our film and TV coverage in 2023.
In this special year-end edition, we expand our weekly “ICYMI” feature, highlighting the most-read stories from the film and television teams at The Times. From news-making interviews and incisive criticism to one very buzzy “obituary,” these are the stories that defined the year on screen. Happy reading!
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23. ‘The Last of Us’ team explains the ‘skeleton key’ episode that has everybody talking: The HBO series introduces two characters from the game, Bill and Frank, and changes their story completely. Here’s why.
22. ‘Sullivan’s Crossing’ on the CW is a pleasant import from the makers of ‘Virgin River’: This soapy romantic drama from Canada, based on the novels of “Virgin River” writer Robyn Carr, centers on another medical professional who’s moved to the countryside.
21. Netflix has Oscar hopes for its Diana Nyad biopic. But the swimmer’s exaggerations cast a pall: “Am I embarrassed to have inflated my own record when my record is pretty good on its own? Yes, it makes me cringe,” legendary swimmer Diana Nyad told The Times, days before the premiere of “Nyad.”
20. In the underwater tragedy of Netflix’s ‘Deepest Breath,’ the appeal of the deep explained: Filmmaker Laura McGann discusses how she made her stunning freediving documentary featuring Alessia Zecchini and Stephen Keenan.
19. A Christmas tree contest and a hunt to uncover Mel’s father: The holidays come to ‘Virgin River’: The showrunner and a set designer on Netflix’s “Virgin River” discuss how they prepared for the pair of holiday-themed episodes that will round out the fifth season of the series.
18. Padma Lakshmi opens up about leaving ‘Top Chef’: It wasn’t ‘sustainable’ anymore: The longtime star of Bravo’s cooking competition discusses what spurred her sudden exit, what she’d like to host next and the worst dishes of her run.
17. Don Lemon was the brightest star at CNN. Then he became the story: How a series of missteps led to Lemon’s fall from grace, just two years after “Don Lemon Tonight” became the cable network’s prime-time flagship.
16. ‘Beau Is Afraid’ explained: A disturbingly in-depth analysis of Ari Aster’s guilt trip to hell: Ari Aster’s full intentions with “Beau Is Afraid” are known only to him — and maybe his mother and therapist. Here’s our best effort to crack its code.
15. ‘RRR’s’ ‘Naatu Naatu’ makes history with original song triumph at 2023 Oscars: The infectious number from action blockbuster “RRR” made it the first Indian movie to be nominated in any category outside international film.
14. Hip-hop and Beyoncé almost saved the show until the Grammys botched the ending: The redemptive moment of Beyoncé finally winning album of the year never came, and as beloved as Harry Styles might be, the show ended on a low note.
13. Chris Rock slaps back at Will and Jada Pinkett Smith — hard — in live Netflix special: Nearly a year after Will Smith’s shocking assault at the 2022 Oscars, Rock broke his silence Saturday in the live Netflix special “Selective Outrage.”
12. How hilarious ‘Barbie’ earworm ‘I’m Just Ken’ brings toxic masculinity to its knees: From “beach-off” to dream ballet, The Times has just #Kenough guidance to help you make sense of the “Barbie” movie’s climactic musical number.
11. What does ‘Big Brother’ deem offensive? A pair of controversies raise questions: A contestant who admitted using a derogatory word for people with disabilities remains in the house one month after another was ousted for offensive language.
10. How ‘Fishes,’ the most chaotic episode of ‘The Bear’ Season 2, came together: Christopher Storer, the creator of “The Bear,” discusses how he directed the season’s wild and stressful holiday episode, “Fishes.”
9. ‘I’m not going to make $1’: The director of ‘Sound of Freedom’ breaks his silence: After weeks distancing himself from the controversy around his summer box-office sensation, Alejandro Monteverde finally tells “the whole story.”
8. Queen Charlotte and King George III: What does the ‘Bridgerton’ prequel get right?: The “Bridgerton” spinoff explores unanswered questions about Queen Charlotte’s racial identity and King George III’s mental health.
7. ‘Oppenheimer’ doesn’t show us Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That’s an act of rigor, not erasure: Christopher Nolan’s movie has no interest in reducing the atomic bombings of Japan to a trivializing, exploitative spectacle, despite what some would want.
6. ‘It was a witch-burning’: Roseanne may forgive Hollywood, but she’ll never forget: The comedian’s new Fox Nation special is her largest platform since ABC fired her over a racist tweet in 2018. And she has no plans to hold back.
5. All the 2023 best picture Oscar nominees ranked, from worst to best: Best picture is the only Oscars category that uses a preferential ballot, where voters rank all 10 nominees. Here’s how our critic would rank them.
4. Read the stirring monologue about womanhood America Ferrera delivers in ‘Barbie’: Ferrera, who co-stars in “Barbie” as Gloria, a lifelong admirer of the doll, delivers a rousing speech about womanhood in the film. Here’s how it came together.
3. ‘It was about safety’: Why the leaders on ‘Below Deck Down Under’ fired two castmates for misconduct: Nadine Rajabi, an executive producer on the series, and the yacht’s leaders, Aesha Scott and Jason Chambers, discuss the events that led to Luke Jones and Laura Bileskalne being fired.
2. The Oscars’ best picture might seem radical. But it’s as traditional as they come: For all its representational achievements, the sentimental, self-important “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is not as bold a choice as it appears.
1. Logan Roy, conservative media mogul who shaped contemporary politics, dies at 84: Our obituary for the fearsome “Succession” character garnered national media attention, sparking a fresh debate about spoiler culture and earning praise for its note-perfect imitation of obituary conventions.
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