Having a good TV show to binge on is a blessing, and with the boom of various streaming platforms, these little daily gifts are quite easy to find. In the current climate of content creation, there’s something for everyone. What in the past seemed like a bankruptcy of content, now has taken the shape of a tsunami that has managed to seep its way into most of our electronic devices.
This has resulted in a major shift from a lack of content, to a lack of time to take in the barrage of content. With so much out there, here’s a list of the best shows of 2022, to help you decide how best to spend your time.
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22 Somebody Somewhere
HBO
The wonderful Somebody Somewhere is a quasi-autobiographical dramedy about a woman named Sam who returns to live with her parents after the death of her sister. Always the black sheep of the family and an outsider who chooses to avoid vulnerability at all costs, Sam slowly opens up and grieves as she befriends a group of queer characters as eccentric as herself. Starring and loosely based on the life of Bridget Everett, Somebody Somewhere is a sweet, quirky delight with a wonderful supporting cast, including a scene-stealing Jeff Hiller.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
21 The Responder
BBC
The UK is seemingly obsessed with crime dramas these days, but fortunately, a few have really stood out from the pack. The Responder is one of them, a show which wears the disguise of a dark crime drama to mask the fact that it’s actually a pretty incredible character study and sometimes ridiculously loose, weird show. Martin Freeman plays against type and is arguably the best he’s ever been as the titular police responder; with a buzz cut and intense, world-weary eyes, he dominates this extremely confident series created by a former cop.
20 Undone
Prime Video’s technologically astounding rotoscope series Undone returned for season two in 2022, and did not disappoint. The psychedelically animated but emotionally grounded series took its main protagonist, the antisocial Alma (played perfectly by Rosa Salazar), and sent her through space and time alongside her previously dead father (played by Bob Odenkirk in serious mode). Brimming with startling emotional moments, a gorgeous but sad God’s-eye-view of humanity, and sci-fi genius, Undone was one of the most underrated shows of the year.
19 Pachinko
Apple TV+
A beautiful epic of modern storytelling, the South Korean series Pachinko is that rare book to screen adaptation that almost seems like it was meant for the visual medium. A sprawling romantic and historical drama, the Apple TV+ series educated viewers in Korean history, partly taking place during the Japanese occupation. Chronicling more than 70 years in the lives of lovers, family, friends, and enemies, the sweeping, visually stunning series was both literary and truly cinematic.
18 Sort Of
Sienna Films
A delicately funny Canadian series co-created by and starring Bilal Baig, the critically acclaimed Sort Of continued the hilarity and soul-searching emotion in 2022. While the series is a beautifully progressive LGBTQ+ character study with enough representation to go around, Sort Of transcends the trapping of any sociopolitical label by offering a complete portrait of the human condition in the 21st century.
The show follows Sabi through their gradually important role as a caretaker in a family, but the plot is really just an excused to hang out with some delightful characters and study the universally queer depths of the human spirit.
17 Sherwood
The other great crime drama from the UK this year, Sherwood is less a cop show than it is a study of resentment, lasting bitterness, and the inability of old wounds to properly heal. Chronicling a murder investigation in a small town which was a sociopolitical nightmare in the ’80s due to union strikes, scabs, and picketing, Sherwood depicts a world that can’t forget the past and doesn’t want to. The mystery and procedural elements of the series are great, but it’s the haunting meditation on bitterness and division that feels so very topical today.
16 Rings of Power
For the most expensive TV show to have ever been made, Rings of Power does not disappoint, at least in terms of effects, make-up, costumes, cinematography, and set design. The show explores the world of Middle Earth, years before The Hobbit. The show captures various kingdoms of the middle earth ranging from Elven, the stronghold of Eregion, to the Drarven kingdom of Khazad-dûm. With so much detailing to get into, in terms of set design, VFX and costumes, the experience the show creates highly justifies the big budget tag it comes with.
15 House of the Dragon
Warner Bros. Television
House of the Dragon is another big budget show that’s set in the past based on an extension of an already existing storyline. The show begins 200 years before Game of Thrones and tells the story of House Targaryen and its rise into the upper echelons of Westeros.
14 As We See It
Adulting is hard. It’s even harder with social media constantly reminding you there’s someone out there having way more fun than you. As We See It is one such story of three autistic roommates navigating love, life, and ‘adulting.’ Unlike the sitcoms that center around friendships and are churned out by the dozen, As We See It has a lot of heart and depth to it. It’s a show with complex characters and severe repercussions, making it an emotionally draining yet endearing show to watch.
13 1899
Netflix
From the makers of Dark comes 1899. Set in the late stages of the Victorian era, 1899 is a puzzling tale of a passenger ship traveling from London to New York, and its encounter with a ghost ship that’s reportedly gone missing.
The creators of Dark are known for their propensity for ambiguous sound design layered with occult, scientific practices making 1899 an unforgettable audiovisual delight. Another standout element in the show lies in its writing; most of the characters start out as vague, their intentions unclear, and it’s in their unraveling that the show really starts to get eerily creepy. Unfortunately, it’s been cancelled before it had a chance to really open up.
12 The Offer
Paramount
The Godfather is arguably one of the greatest films to have ever been made. While some blockbuster films have spawned a few documentaries about their making, the same wouldn’t do justice to The Godfather. The Offer extensively aims at recapturing the chaotic working relationship between Francis Ford Coppola and Oscar-winning producer Albert S Ruddy, and is thrilling in the process.
11 Shantaram
AppleTV+
Based on the bestselling novel of the same name, Shantaram chronicles the tale of fugitive Fin Lord and his illegal exploits set against the backdrop of Bombay during the ’80s. The show stars Charlie Hunnam as Lin Ford, and is a fast pace roller coaster ride full of twists and turns. With no shortage of bleak moments in the show, the visuals are loud and chaotic; an accurate representation of Bombay for the time.
10 The Bear
Disney Platform Distribution
When we get served a plate of food at a local restaurant, on most occasions, we don’t know the backstory it brings with it. The Bear explores this theme of chaos that a kitchen hides under its smooth, operational veneers. Thematically, the show walks on the same tropes as the return of the prodigal son from the echelons of his craft. As the show progresses, intentions are made clear, wrongs are made right, and in the chaos of the kitchen and the chaos of life, love and hope is found.
9 The White Lotus
Warner Bros.
While season two of The White Lotus failed to live up to the cultural brilliance (and general funniness) of season one, the show still remained one of the most uncomfortably powerful series on television. A great ensemble cast of characters were often magnetic to watch (or hate-watch) as they vacationed in a lavish resort and got up to no good.
While it adopts a soap opera-like style of sexual scandal and revelations, alongside a gorgeous view of Italy from the perspective of luxury, The White Lotus is an ultimately grim, bleak exploration of relationships, sex, class, and power.
8 Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared
Channel 4
Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared is an absurdist horror-comedy that picks up from the ingenious web series from years prior. The British puppet series, filled with vibrant colors and imaginative designs, parodies educational children’s shows but harbors a Lynchian darkness that truly gets under your skin. Following three roommates as they learn more about the world through surrealist, horrifying, and funny adventures, Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared is one of a kind.
7 Cabinet of Curiosities
Cabinet of Curiosities was Guillermo del Toro’s high-quality anthology series on Netflix, which brought eight mostly excellent little films to viewers in the days leading up to Halloween. The wide array of styles and stories are thanks to the excellent selection of directors (including Vincenzo Natali, Ana Lily Armirpour, Panos Cosmatos, Jennifer Kent, and more). Interwoven by scares and screams, together these hour-long episodes make up a passionately, lovingly curated selection of artful horror.
6 All of Us Are Dead
Shows like Squid Game, Hellbound, and Kingdom have not only paved the way for Korean shows, but also created an aura of anticipation around them. In South Korea’s recent installment of zombie horror, Netflix’s All Of Us Are Dead tells the tale of a group of high schoolers who must find a way to escape their school, which has turned into a hotbed for a zombie virus outbreak. All Of Us Are Dead deals with themes such as individuality, bullying, and rebellion, all set against the backdrop of a zombie virus.
5 Better Call Saul
Sony Pictures Television
One of the greatest TV spin-offs ever made, Better Call Saul finished its acclaimed run in 2022 with an epic truncated season. The Breaking Bad-adjacent series continued to redefine the legal drama as we know it, tying up all loose ends from previous seasons and wrapping everything up in a finale that was as dramatic and unexpected as it was logical and fulfilling.
Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn remained one of the great couples in television with this sixth season, as the story of Saul Goodman / Jimmy McGill moved beyond Breaking Bad and into a world of its own.
4 Slow Horses
With the amount of espionage roles that he’s done, Gary Oldman is as much a spy as he is an actor. Slow Horses is based on Mick Herron’s book series called Slough House and features Oldman as Jackson Lamb. Lamb and his group of ragtag dejected agents work at an administrative unit known as Slough House, essentially serving a punishment for some mess-up during their time on the field. Slow Horses brilliantly recreates John le Carre’s world of espionage, with a modern spin to it.
3 Am I Being Unreasonable?
The very funny Daisy May Cooper and Selin Hizli write and star in the wholly unexpected, entirely original British TV series Am I Being Unreasonable? A comedy series that flirts with psychological thrillers, atmospheric horror, and enigmatic mystery, Am I Being Unreasonable? is utterly its own thing. The series follows a woman with a traumatic past who develops a friendship with a stranger in town who may not be who she says she is, and it’s riveting, fun, and surprising from start to finish.
