The 20 best TV shows of 2022
In the past half-decade or so, a significant shift has taken place in visual media as movie studios strive to copy the episodic nature of cable television, and the latter has become increasingly shorter and more cinematic. At this point, Disney’s Marvel cinematic universe may as well be an elongated TV series, with cartoons, movies and more all feeding into one centralised storyline, whilst limited shows like Apple’s Severance have the budget and freedom to explore a wide range of creative endeavours.
Sure, cinema still manages to get bums on seats, but these days, it’s largely TV that rules the roost, demanding the attention of viewers all day, every day, with a variety of offerings, from consumable reality TV to dark, complex dramas. Such is evident in the sheer amount of television content 2022 has managed to produce, with the likes of HBO, BBC, Apple TV and Netflix continuing to churn out greatness.
Just like almost every year of the 21st century, HBO dominates over the competition with a baffling amount of quality shows in 2022, maybe even setting itself a new record. With returning series’, Atlanta, The White Lotus and Barry, the network continued to make a statement in the industry, but that’s without even mentioning its new offerings, We Own This City, Irma Vep and Nathan Fielder’s remarkable The Rehearsal.
With that being said, HBO is certainly under pressure with the weight of Netflix breathing down its neck. Bombarding the release schedule with what feels like a new release every week, the streaming service isn’t holding back from vying for online supremacy, once again impressing in 2022 in a year that included such highlights as Stranger Things, Top Boy and the breakout success Wednesday.
So, we’ve gone back through the year month-by-month to uncover the very best 2022 had to offer.
The 20 best TV shows of 2022:
20. Wednesday (Netflix)
This year saw a brilliant reboot of the Addams Family. Wednesday arrived in November and saw Jenna Ortega take on the iconic role of Wednesday Addams. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzman perform as the heads of the family Morticia and Gomez, respectively. At the same time, there are supporting roles for the likes of Gwendoline Christie, Riki Lindhome and Christina Ricci, amongst others.
Tim Burton has directed four of the first season’s eight episodes, which gives the limelight to the Addams family’s daughter. Narratively, the show focuses on Wednesday, who moves to a new school in Vermont after she has been expelled from her previous school for releasing live piranhas into its pool. Her new school Nevermore High is more aligned with social and monstrous outcasts like herself and allows her to come to terms with her psychic powers.
19. Slow Horses (Apple TV)
We’ve been treated to the first two seasons of Slow Horses this year, and fans of the show were also pleased to learn that Apple TV+ has renewed it for a third and fourth season. The spy thriller show is based on Mick Herron’s Slough House novel series and focuses on the titular administrative building for washed-up MI5 officers. Its inhabitants are known as ‘Slow Horses’ and are forced to perform an endless stream of mind-numbing tasks.
Gary Oldman plays the boss of the building, Jackson Lamb, who is lazy and half-pissed most of the time, although he still possesses some of the skills that got him into MI5 in the first place. Lamb expects many of the Slough House workers to quit due to utter indifference eventually. Still, despite their exertion, the Slow Horses become embroiled in several investigations that are important to the future of Britain’s safety.
18. The Responder (BBC)
The Responder ought to be close to real life because ex-Merseyside policer officer Tony Schumacher wrote it. Martin Freeman, Adelayo Adedayo, Ian Hart, and MyAnna Buring star in the Liverpool-based cop drama that Schumacher claims has a lot to do with him biographically and explores the difficulties he faced during his time in the police force. However, Schumacher also maintains that the main storyline is fictional.
Martin Freeman plays Chris Carson, who has recently been demoted from his position as an inspector in the Merseyside police. He now works the graveyard shifts in the city centre, and much of his screen time is dominated by sessions with his therapist and visits to his mother, who is in a care home. Carson is partnered with Rachel Hargreaves, whose willingness to adhere to police policies is contrasted with Carson’s frustrations with them.
17. Undone (Amazon)
The second season of Undone arrived this year, following the critical success of the first season in 2019. Kate Purdy and Raphael Bob-Waksberg are the minds behind the psychological comedy-drama series that employs the rotoscope technique of animation in the style of Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly. Undone is Amazon’s first venture into the world of adult animation.
The series focuses on Alma Winograd-Diaz, a Mexican-American who discovers that she can manipulate space and time following a terrible car crash, and she uses her new powers to learn more about her father’s mysterious death. Bob Odenkirk plays Alma’s father, Jacob, who helps her on her quest, while Angelique Cabral and Constance Marie play Alma’s sister and mother, respectively.
16. Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99 (Netflix)
Jamie directed Netflix’s original docuseries about Woodstock’s iconic music festival, such as the events leading up to the violent acts that took place there. The series featured appearances from the festival acts Gavin Rossdale, Jonathan Davis, and Fatboy Slim, who share their experiences of the three-day festival.
Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99 is as harrowing as it is illuminating, not shying away from any of its material. The series is a cohesive and thorough investigation, examining the dynamics and incidents that led to a catastrophic series of events. The imagery is astounding, frightening even, and contrasts vastly with Woodstock’s original assumptions of love, peace and celebrating music and one another.
Instead, this Netflix doc presents the greed, desperation and uncivilised manner that plagues the Woodstock name. Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99 maintains its vision through its runtime, tightly tying all its elements and expositions to construct an understandable and insightful documentary on a challenging incident.
15. Stranger Things (Netflix)
This year, the Duffer brothers released the fourth volume to their viral Netflix original, Stranger Things. Following the last season, audiences saw the latest supernatural mysteries plaguing a small town in Indiana. The show’s assembled cast of adult and child actors battle against a powerful being from the ‘upside down’.
The 2022 spring and summer were all about Stranger Things season four. With new characters immediately becoming fan favourites, popularised on social media, and a Kate Bush soundtrack addition that skyrocketed the ’80s hit back on the charts, this season had an unmistakable cultural influence this year. The show also received acclaim for its direction, magnificent visuals and compelling performances. It blended emotional value alongside some breathtaking action sequences, still carrying the classic ’80s nostalgia to bring a stylistic punch.
This season, Stranger Things transitioned into something darker and more mature, leaving its dedicated fanbase to fester in anticipation of where the story will go next.
14. Atlanta (HBO)
Donald Glover’s comedy-drama premiered in September 2016, introducing audiences to the lives of a college dropout turned music manager and a rapper in Atlanta’s hip-hop scene. The series also stars Glover alongside Bryan Tyree Henry and Lakeith Stanfield. The fourth and final season aired this year, with Glover’s character Earn attempting to redeem himself to the mother of his child.
Atlanta’s previous season was universally deemed superior to its last offering. Its subject matter examined the experience of black musicians and other talents alongside critiques of mass white liberalism and the past threading through as a cemented hook. The concept of legacy is explored, a reasonable value for the conclusive season, with a juxtaposition between professional and private life imposed on the matter. Costs of certain lifestyles are also explored, with artistic integrity and financial aspects portrayed. The cast delivers raw and vibrant energy to their performances, elevating the story.
13. Pachinko (Apple TV)
This drama series was created by Soo Hugh, who adapted from Minn Jinn Lee’s 2017 novel of the same name. Pachinko stars Youn Yuh-Jung, Lee Min-ho, Kim Min-ha, and Jin Ha and follows the hopes and dreams of a Korean immigrant family across four generations.
Through its values of survival and hope, as portrayed in an intimate approach, Pachinko was met with critical acclaim upon release. Pachinko is ambitious, authentic and visually stunning, outlining its collective concepts of culture, identity and bigotry. The approach of the subject matter being told through various generations provides layers to the story with a contrast of perspectives and presentations, managing to keep any stones of bitterness at bay and earning a dignified outlook.
With stunning performances and vibrant spectacles, Pachinko is one of the year’s most compelling examples of visual storytelling.
12. We Own This City (HBO)
You may think that you’ve seen this kind of police drama 1000 times before, but don’t be fooled, We Own This City is yet another classic worth watching from HBO. Telling the story of the rise and fall of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force and the corruption surrounding it, the series was created by The Wire producers George Pelecanos and David Simon, so is packed with quality crime drama.
If this wasn’t enough to sell you on the concept, the show also stars an ensemble cast of Jon Bernthal, Wunmi Mosaku, Josh Charles and Jamie Hector, who each provide some authentic grit.
11. The White Lotus (HBO)
Creator Mike White shocked audiences and critics back in 2021 with this sharply comic drama about the managers and guests at a luxury hotel, so a follow-up series was always going to be on the cards. Keeping to the same premise, season two of White Lotus moves the action from Hawaii to Italy and once again follows the intricate drama that unfolds between guests, workers and locals.
Just as hilarious as the last series and just a dash spicier, the latest effort of White Lotus proves that this show has legs, especially with cast members Jennifer Coolidge, F. Murray Abraham and Aubrey Plaza knocking out of the park.
10. Am I being Unreasonable (BBC)
Ever since This Country was released back in 2017, it was clear that star Daisy May Cooper was capable of comedy greatness, but the new limited series Am I being Unreasonable defied all expectations of her talent. A comedy second and a riveting drama first, the series tells the story of two newfound friends who struggle with loving relationships, largely due to the men that make their lives more complicated.
Taking you on a trip of dramatic mastery, the show, which is written by co-stars Cooper and Selin Hizli, is as charming as it is genuinely thought-provoking.
9. Top Boy (Netflix)
Top Boy, a crime drama which began life on Channel 4, has long been known as a gem of British television, telling the gripping tale of the life of drug dealers on the streets of London. Shifted to Netflix with the help of rapper Drake, Top Boy has become one of Netflix’s prized possessions, with the latest series of the show taking the story to new heights, setting up a scintillating finale to be released in the coming years.
Made great by its sharp, authentic script and performances from the likes of Ashley Walters, Kano, Little Simz and many more, Top Boy continues to impress series upon series.
8. The Bear (Hulu)
In June, The Bear arrived on Hulu, consisting of eight episodes. The series stars Shameless star Jeremy Allen White as a young chef, Carmy, who leaves the world of fine dining behind to run his family’s Italian beef sandwich shop following the suicide of his older brother, who has left behind the dilapidated kitchen, debts, and disorderly staff members.
Created by Christopher Storer, the show also features Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Abby Elliott. Struggling against staff members who disagree with his ideas to modernise the sandwich shop, Carmy hires a trained chef, Sydney, to help him fix the restaurant.
The Bear contains stunning performances and a script that shines in both chaotic and tender moments. The show captures the mad rush of the kitchen as Carmy deals with the grief and guilt of his brother’s passing. An incredible monologue delivered by White in the final episode is a standout moment, highlighting the sheer brilliance of the acting, writing, and directing.
7. Irma Vep (HBO)
Olivier Assayas based his latest HBO miniseries Irma Vep on his 1996 film of the same name starring Maggie Cheung and Jean-Pierre Leaud. The series follows Alicia Vikander as Mira, an American film star who arrives in France to film a television adaptation of the silent film Les Vampires, much like the original film. Assayas’ meta-commentary on the film industry and cinema also features Vincent Macaigne, Devon Ross, Adria Arjona, Byron Bowers and Jeanne Balibar, with a cameo from Nathalie Richard, who appeared in the 1996 film.
With some critics suggesting that the 2022 miniseries is better than Assayas’ original film, it is clear that the filmmaker’s use of earlier source material strays far from being stale and redundant. The series simply reaffirms Assayas’ status as one of the most innovative and intelligent contemporary French filmmakers. Irma Vep is both sophisticated and humourous in its self-referentiality, making it easily one of HBO’s most outputs this year.
6. Barry (HBO)
Bill Hader returned as hitman Barry Berkman earlier this year for series three of HBO’s dark comedy crime drama Barry. The show began in 2018, following Hader’s character as he travelled from Cleveland, Ohio, to Los Angeles to kill someone. However, after finding himself in an acting class, he meets an aspiring actor, Sally (Sarah Goldberg), leading Barry to question his path in life, all whilst dealing with his criminal associates.
Since its release, the show has garnered 44 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, with Hader taking home the Outstanding Lead Actor prize twice. Thus, it was only natural that a third season would take place – and it definitely did not disappoint.
With season three, Barry has taken a bleaker turn, focusing more on the lives of the supporting characters and how their relationship with the hitman affects them. As Barry descends into darker territory, Hader shines in his role, making this arguably the strongest season to date.
5. House of the Dragon (HBO)
Following the incredible success of Game of Thrones, adapted from George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book series, a prequel show, House of the Dragon, premiered in August on HBO. Created by Martin and screenwriter Ryan Condal, the show is based on the 2018 novel Fire and Blood, set 100 years after the Targaryen Conquest united the Seven Kingdoms, 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen and 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. The show features an ensemble cast, including Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Rhys Ifans, Steve Toussaint, and Milly Alcock. Over ten episodes, the show tracks the events leading to the beginning of the decline of House Targaryen.
The show, which was praised for its strong character development and acting performances, made HBO history by attracting 10 million viewers on its first day of release. House of the Dragon was renewed for a second season just five days after its premiere.
4. Russia [1985-1999]: TraumaZone (BBC)
Adam Curtis might just be the most prolific and formidable documentarian working today, producing fantastic sociological examinations without fail. After last year’s Can’t Get You Out of My Head, Curtis returned in 2022 with a new project about the historical developments in Russia’s socio-political sphere.
Featuring unused archival footage, Russia [1985-1999]: TraumaZone critically evaluates the collapse of the Soviet Union and all the necessary conditions that contributed to the rise of Vladimir Putin. Given the global debate about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Putin’s aggressions, Curtis’ documentary deserves to be at the centre of the conversation.
3. This Is Going To Hurt (BBC)
Popular culture is filled with medical dramas, ranging from Grey’s Anatomy to House but This Is Going To Hurt is an exciting revitalisation of the genre. Based on Adam Kay’s eponymous memoir, the show explores the personal and professional lives of a group of young doctors working in the NHS.
Utilising playful metafictional techniques such as constant breaches of the fourth wall, This Is Going To Hurt follows the journeys of the doctors who have to navigate through rigid hierarchies within the system. With hilarious as well as touching moments, the show has become an essential watch for post-Covid audiences.
2. Severance (Apple TV)
Ben Stiller has finally found his magnum opus in the form of Severance, one of the biggest surprises of 2022. A labyrinthine examination of late capitalism, corporate psychology and Marx’s theory of alienation, Severance imagines a world where one company has figured out how to efficiently exploit workers by splitting their memories into two parts.
Severance is a masterclass in exposition, slowly building this surreal world inhabited by characters who cannot quite retain the memory of their labours. Thankfully, the show has been renewed for a second season which promises to be even more bizarre than the first. Given the increasing worker unrest movements across the world, Severance is an essential watch.
1. The Rehearsal (HBO)
Nathan Fielder, the titular star of the incredible Comedy Central show Nathan For You, returned this year with another sprawling meta-fictional romp called The Rehearsal. Often cited as the Abbas Kiarostami of surreal humour, Fielder has created the greatest show of the year, which doesn’t just make us laugh but also makes us think about the fundamental paradoxes of the medium.
The Rehearsal utilises Fielder’s awkward persona to great effect. On the surface, it’s a mockumentary about a man who tries to plan every little detail related to human interactions for paying customers who want help dealing with difficult situations. It soon devolves into an anarchic deconstruction as Fielder inserts himself into this world of replicas, blurring the lines between fiction and reality.
