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Peacock 2023 Staff Picks
Check out some of our staff’s favorite offerings of the year.
Content availability may vary over time.
It's been a big year for Peacock. From hilarious comedy specials to gripping dramas, buzzy TV shows, and box-office-shattering films, Peacock has given us a lot to stream this year, so we wanted to look back and highlight some of our favorites.
See below for our 2023 Peacock staff picks!
Burning
Top Pick of Juan Rodríguez Aguilar
Adapted from a short story by Japanese author Haruki Murakami, Burning centers around an introverted aspiring writer caught in a love triangle with his free-spirited former classmate and her wealthy acquaintance (played by Steven Yeun), who has a damning secret of his own. Despite coming from different social backgrounds, their fraught lives intertwine, with each protagonist developing a need, and even a little mistrust, for each other. Directed by South Korean auteur Lee Chang-dong, the film, which made the shortlist for Best International Film at the 91st Annual Academy Awards and part of Peacock's AAPI collection in 2023, develops into an unconventional murder mystery where nothing is as it seems. The story gradually builds and builds before reaching its powerful conclusion, revealing a captivating payoff that lingers in the mind long after it ends.
Stream Burning on Peacock.
Chris Fleming: Hell
Top Pick of Henry Block
From the beginning, Chris Fleming: Hell tells you it's far from a normal stand-up special. Instead of starting with a classic, heroizing shot of a comedian walking on stage to a roaring crowd, the off-beat and self-deprecating Fleming falls into the stage steps with his torso and limbs jutting out impossibly and is told by a producer that he’ll have to be put down like a horse. The rest of the surreal special (stand-up mixed with songs and sketches) plays out like we're on an otherworldly journey with Fleming into hell — but he makes it fun. Fleming's singular style of comedy is teeming with specificity and unabashed absurdity. At one point, he sings a song about whether he should buy a gerbil or a carton of raspberries (both cost $4.99). The comic says the special is for "theater people who don't get cast," but really, it's for everyone who could use a good laugh.
Stream Chris Fleming: Hell on Peacock.
Dr. Death
Top Pick of Rodrigo Azurmendi
Dr. Death Season 2 is an excellent encore to the inaugural season of the anthology series. Edgar Ramírez’s Dr. Macchiarini is even more conniving and Machiavellian than Joshua Jackson’s Dr. Duntch and the show is relentless in showing both the suffering of his patients and the combination of personal ambition and systemic failures that allow these monsters to roam freely and practice medicine – even as death counts and whistleblower reports pile up. Luke Kirby’s Dr. Gamelli steals the show with the perfect blend of righteousness, humanity and self-deprecating humor, providing a much-needed dose of comedic relief — just as Christian Slater’s Dr. Kirby did in Season 1.
Stream Dr. Death on Peacock
The Exorcist: Believer
Top Pick of Carl Haynes
In The Exorcist: Believer, Angela and her friend Katherine are just two normal girls until one act leaves them possessed by evil incarnate. A series of supernatural events ensue, leaving a single father, terrified and desperate for answers. His last hope lies in the hands of the only living person who’s witnessed anything like this before. As a horror fan, I really enjoyed how this installment combined all of the things we loved about the original Exorcist with a new concept.
Stream The Exorcist: Believer on Peacock.
Five Nights at Freddy’s
Top Pick of Melissa Molina
When an agitated man (Josh Hutcherson) takes on a poorly paid nighttime security job at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, he quickly realizes that this job is bringing him and others into a world of terror. The video-game-series-turned Universal and Blumhouse film adaptation Five Nights at Freddy’s defied all box office expectations when it arrived in movie theaters this past October. Serving as the newer generation’s gateway into horror, the Emma Tammi-directed movie hooked audiences through its creepy premise, dynamic multigenerational cast, and exceptional animatronics created by the Jim Henson Company. Will we see more of Freddy, Chica, Foxy, Bonnie, Cupcake, and others on the big screen again? Time will tell, but you can enjoy all the frights that this film has to offer on digital and physical media through Universal Home Entertainment.
Stream Five Nights at Freddy’s on Peacock.
The Holdovers
Top Pick of Colin Gorenstein
They just don’t make ‘em like this anymore, folks. The Holdovers is the ultimate comfort watch — like thawing your toes by the fireplace on a frigid winter day. Combining ’70s lo-fi, a wistful soundtrack (that I’ve had in heavy rotation since first viewing), and undeniable performances from Da’Vine Joy Randolph and a curmudgeonly Paul Giamatti, it’s safe to say Alexander Payne has given us an instant Christmas classic, as well as a classic classic.
Stream The Holdovers on Peacock
Mrs. Davis
Top Pick of Jordan Augustine
Yes, this show is about a nun on a quest to destroy a world-ruling Artificial Intelligence known as Mrs. Davis, but equally is it about more classic I.P. like God and the Holy Grail — and also heists, stage magic, cartoon sight gags in real life, and a surprising ingredient in a falafel recipe. But most importantly, in our world which may or may not be on the brink of A.I. domination and which has purported to become less mysterious as it’s become more online, Mrs. Davis is a show that will truly surprise you if you go along for the ride.
Stream Mrs. Davis on Peacock.
Paul T. Goldman
Top Pick of Sarah Ricard
In 2009, comedy director Jason Woliner (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Parks and Recreation) received a tweet from a man who claimed to have an incredible tale to share. He called himself Paul T. Goldman and he had written a crime book named Duplicity… which he had adapted into his own action-movie screenplay… which he now wanted to be the subject of a documentary. If that seems like a head-scratcher of a backstory, that’s because Paul T. Goldman is a unique meta-show 10 years in the making that nearly defies description – other than Woliner’s brilliant six-part series is as compelling as it is hilarious. I’ve already watched the whole thing twice!
Stream Paul T. Goldman on Peacock.
Poker Face
Top Pick of Adam Waring
My pick for 2023 is the Peacock Original series Poker Face — a throwback to the beloved mystery-of-the-week series from my childhood. Each episode finds our heroine, Charlie Cale (brilliantly played by Natasha Lyonne), in a different location with a new crime to solve. The episodes stand alone as fabulous little jewels, with incredible guest casts, quirky locales, and unique rhythms. But there's also an exciting throughline as Charlie tries to stay one step ahead of the people intent on stopping her. Because the show is from Rian Johnson (Knives Out), expect snappy dialogue, fun camera work, and twisty mysteries that you get to solve alongside Charlie. And even though it's tinged with nostalgia, Poker Face feels totally hip and fresh. It’s a blast, and I highly recommend it.
Stream Poker Face on Peacock.
The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: RHONY Legacy
Top Pick of Will Oser
The ultimate holiday gift came a little earlier than expected this year. For Housewives fans, RHUGT: RHONY Legacy is a nostalgic return to form. Unlike its predecessor seasons, this installment brings wives back from a singular franchise. Most of these women have been off their respective franchise for some time now and somehow that makes us cherish them that much more. Dorinda is throwing out insults like she never left (“Eagles don’t fly with pigeons”). Sonja and Luann are hilariously on the hunt for men, and Kelly’s antics at Kristen's neon-themed party will have you talking long after dinner is served. Watching the former New York Housewives slice and dice the history of their most iconic moments, all while generating new ones? It’s a new kind of inception that this spinoff never fails to deliver in each iteration.
Stream The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: RHONY Legacy on Peacock.
The Traitors
Top Pick of Caitlin Atkinson
Hot take: The Traitors is the best competition series on television today and if you’re not watching yet, what are you doing?! If you love shows with strategy, scandal, deceit, and shocking twists and turns, The Traitors will be your new obsession. Set in a scenic Scottish castle and hosted by the iconic Alan Cumming, this murderous series is the perfect winter binge while you’re cozying up by the fire. Season 2 premieres on Friday, Jan 12 with a star-studded cast that includes reality TV legends from Survivor, Love Island, The Challenge, The Real Housewives, and more. If you can’t get enough of the USA version, The Traitors UK and The Traitors Australia are also available on Peacock, both of which are equally as delightful.
Check out the trailer for The Traitors Season 2:
Stream The Traitors on Peacock and catch The Traitors Season 2 premiering Jan 12.
