Continuing our guide to the very best of 2023’s small-screen entertainment. <\/p>

While the Christmas festivities have concluded, there\u2019s no need to succumb to the January gloom.<\/p>\n

This week, RadioTimes.com<\/a> invites you to reminisce and celebrate the highlights of 2023\u2019s television. We\u2019re rolling out our yearly tradition of counting down the top TV series of the year, showcasing the best and brightest that graced our screens.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Over the next five days, we\u2019ll be revealing our top 50 shows, as selected by our team of editorial experts. Today (27th December), we continue our countdown with 40-31 \u2013 expect time travel thrillers, obsessive fans and maverick spies\u2026<\/p>\n

Be sure to join us again tomorrow and throughout the week as we disclose our full list, including the show that\u2019s landed this year\u2019s much-coveted No. 1 spot.<\/p>\n

Best TV shows of the year 2023, 50-41: Hijack, Heartstopper and more<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
40. Beckham<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\"David$ \n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Netflix<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nAvailable on Netflix<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Netflix has become known for its flashy documentaries, and they don\u2019t get more flashy than <\/span>Beckham<\/span><\/a>. Charting the former England captain\u2019s rise from Leytonstone to global icon, there are photoshoots with popstars, questionable fashion choices and chats around the fire in the 48-year-old\u2019s<\/span> ridiculously classy mansion, all wrapped into three fast-paced hours of entertainment.<\/span><\/p>\n
It\u2019s slick, stylish and sentimental, and David\u2019s executive producer influence is clear throughout \u2013 with beats of humour and suggestions of a down-to-earth family dynamic, the Beckhams come out of this very well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Yet director Fisher Stevens consistently aims to dig deeper, exploring the mental impact that becoming a superstar, and having the weight of an entire country on your shoulders, can have on an ordinary man<\/span> who one suspects still can\u2019t quite believe his life has panned out the way it has. It\u2019s fun but thought-provoking, and with Spice Girls, Eric Cantona and a Britpop-infused soundtrack all present throughout, it provides a solid dose of \u201890s nostalgia. A must watch. \u2013 George White<\/a>, Sub-Editor<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
39. The Lazarus Project<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\"Charly$ \n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Sky<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nAvailable on Sky<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
It\u2019s been a brutal wait for The Lazarus Project<\/a> season 2 after <\/span>that<\/span><\/i> season 1 finale, but finally we got to find out how the story continued. While season 1 saw Paapa Essiedu\u2019s George attempt to end the world in a bid to bring his girlfriend, Charly Clive\u2019s Sarah, back to life, season 2 saw his quest for redemption.<\/span><\/p>\n
[squirrel-affiliate-playlist squirrel_playlist_id=\u201d610\u2033 \/]<\/p>\n
The stakes are higher than ever before, with a mind-bending second run proving the show has longevity. There\u2019s just as much action, potentially even more twists and turns, and another major cliffhanger to see us out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
It might not have been renewed for season 3 just yet, but we\u2019re going to need to see how this one plays out. <\/span>\u2013 Louise Griffin<\/a>, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n
38. Blue Lights<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\"Sian$ \n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
BBC\/Gallagher Films\/Two Cities Television<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nAvailable on BBC iPlayer<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
From Happy Valley<\/a> and Unforgotten<\/a> to Endeavour, there has been no shortage of police procedurals this year.<\/span><\/p>\n
But it was Blue Lights that really stood out from the crowd. Set in Belfast, the BBC drama followed three probationary officers in the police service of Northern Ireland \u2013 Grace Ellis (Si\u00e2n Brooke), Annie Conlon (Katherine Devlin) and Tommy Forster (Nathan Braniff) \u2013 as they were thrown in at the deep end, and offered a refreshing take on the genre.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Sure, there were all the police procedural staples \u2013 car chases, MI5 operations and gang violence \u2013 but it was the show\u2019s rounded and instantly likeable characters that really made the series shine, and that made it so gripping when the characters put their lives at risk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
This was a tense and nuanced examination of courage, loyalty and morality, with standout performances from Braniff as the nervous Tommy and Richard Dormer as his obstinate, hardened partner, Gerry. \u2013 Molly Moss<\/a>, Trends Writer<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
37. Slow Horses<\/strong><\/h2>