For this top TV shows of 2022 list we asked our writers to select their favorite series from across genre, network, and countries. From sci-fi to generational storytelling and workplace comedies, we’ve covered it all.
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Now, to make the top TV shows of 2022 list it had to have been a live-action series, aired in the calendar year of 2022, and had to be considered a “series” by the platform it aired on. Thanks to such widely available international series on platforms like Netflix, we didn’t restrict by country, and we didn’t limit by number of episodes of all.
15. Yakamoz S-245
Showrunner: Jason George
Stars: Kivanç Tatlitug, Jerry Hoffmann, Ecem Uzun, Özge Özpirinçci
Where to Watch: Netflix
“Yakamoz S-245 expands a world that has to be one of my favorite science fiction series that Netflix has put out. It has a fantastic premise, near-perfect execution, and compelling characters. The only thing I hope is that we’re not left hanging too long on Yakamoz S-245’s cliffhanger.”
14. Reacher
Showrunner: Nick Santora
Stars: Alan Ritchson, Malcolm Goodwin, Willa Fitzgerald
Where to Watch: Prime Video
“Reacher is Sherlock Holmes meets Commando in the best ways possible. Jack Reacher brings all the physical presence of an 80s action movie star while maintaining the mental ability of a 90s crime-thriller detective. The balance is struck well enough that the door is wide up open for a thriving series with over 20 novels of source material to pull from.”
13. Heartstopper
Showrunner: Euros Lyn & Alice Oseman
Stars: Joe Locke, Kit Connor, Yasmin Finney, William Gao
Where to Watch: Netflix
“Heartstopper is a phenomenal adaptation of the source material and a wonderful exploration of the beauty of queer stories.”
12. The Resort
Showrunner: Andy Siara
Stars: William Jackson Harper, Cristin Milioti, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Skyler Gisondo
Where to Watch: Peacock
“The Resort manages to play in multiple genre toyboxes without ever feeling overstuffed. You have a sci-fi story with all the time travel trappings. You have a mystery about a disappearance and the cover-up that follows. Then you have two couples processing very different versions of grief. And to close it all you have a stellar comedy that comes in through the environment, physical mishaps, and darker narrative themes as well. Each piece on its own works well, but when pulled together with a deft hand, The Resort is perfection.”
11. Pachinko
Showrunner: Soo Hugh
Stars: Lee Min-Ho, Soji Arai, Jin Ha, Minha Kim, Youn Yuh-jung, Anna Sawai
Where to Watch: ApplTV+
“Pachinko has become the new standard for television. Its time-jumping format had a dynamic edge and seamless flow that triumphs where others falter. The relationships between characters as they grow are now my baseline to judge dramatic long-form series. Epic in scope but intimate in its execution, nothing tops the emotive beauty of Pachinko.”
10. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Showrunner: Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet
Stars: Anson Mount, Melissa Navia, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush
Where to Watch: Paramount+
“Star Trek Strange New Worlds feels so comfortably familiar by tapping into the roots of what made the original show such a success, but with the modernization of the visuals, complete with a brilliant ensemble cast I find myself even more invested than I ever have been. Anson Mount captivates as Captain Pike creating an alluring and incredibly influential character that rises to the standards of past Starfleet Captains that have come before him.”
9. Abbott Elementary
Showrunner:Quinta Brunson
Stars: Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams,Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Chris Perfetti
Where to Watch: Hulu
Abbott Elementary is funny because it’s true. The best workplace comedy since The Office and Parks & Recreations, Quinta Brunson understands when to use physical comedy, dark comedy, and when to take time to show the audience what needs to be done for education. With a cast that absolutely rocks, this series is one of the bests.
8. A League of Their Own
Showrunner: Abbi Jacobson, Will Graham
Stars: Abbi Jacobson, Chanté Adams, D’Arcy Carden, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Roberta Colindrez
Where to Watch: Prime Video
“A League of Their Own is incredible. It’s both one of the best sports stories and one of the best queer stories I’ve enjoyed. I hope it gets at least another season so it can bring even more joy, teamwork, strife, and yes, crying to our screens.”
7. Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities
Showrunner: Guillermo del Toro
Stars: F. Murray Abraham, Lize Johnston, Ben Barnes, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Crispin Glover, Eric André, Sofia Boutella
Where to Watch: Netflix
“Pairing lightness and almost camp with bleak and meaner stories is how Cabinet of Curiosities sets itself apart. These aren’t just stories, collected. These are stories curated with wonder and love as well. I hope we get many, many more seasons with many more stories in the future.”
6. House of the Dragon
Showrunner: Ryan J. Condal, George RR. Martin
Stars: Emma D’Arcy, Emma D’Arcy, Milly Alcock, Rhys Ifans, Matt Smith, Paddy Considine, Eve Best, Steve Toussaint
Where to Watch: HBO Max
“House of the Dragon Season 1 delivers everything we were promised. Politics, drama, action, and shocking moments that have you stoked to jump back in. Plot armor seemed to exist at the beginning of the season, but it’s gone now. On top of that, the cast we have now is the best of the season with D’Arcy giving a triumphant and powerful performance as Rhaenyra. They bring power and kindness in equal measure, and intelligence and rage too. House of the Dragon Season 1 is a strong return to form for Game of Thrones as a franchise.”
5. The Sandman
Showrunner: Neil Gaiman
Stars: Tom Sturridge, Boyd Holbrook, Vivienne Acheampong, Vanesu Samunyai, Mason Alexander Park
Where to Watch: Netflix
“The Sandman was well worth the wait and one of the best adaptations I’ve seen. Not to mention, as a series that has long offered up queer characters and commentary, to see that completely embraced in live-action shows more of how much further Gaiman wanted to go with his original stories. From top to bottom, Gaiman’s fingerprints are all over The Sandman and man does it thrive in its magic and darkness.”
4. Severance
Showrunner: Dan Erickson
Stars: Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman
Where to Watch: AppleTV+
“Once you watch Severance you’ll never look at your office the same way again. It’s such a damn good show, and it’s one of those series that once you’ve watched you immediately recommend it to friends and family with extreme enthusiasm. Boasting a superb cast from Adam Scott, John Turturro, Patricia Arquette, and Christopher Walken. It’s an uncomfortable, unsettling, and beyond eerie watch, with a finale, you won’t want to miss.”
3. Andor
Showrunner: Tony Gilroy
Stars: Diego Luna, Kyle Soller, Stellan Skarsgård, Genevieve O’Reilly, Denise Gough
Where to Watch: Disney+
“Andor is everything that I didn’t know I wanted. A science fiction drama series with building elements of espionage, it manages to succeed by embracing its genre in the same way other successes have as well. With pacing that feels natural, it also feels like a slow wrenching up of tension, a build to something more that I can’t wait to see. Andor is mature, spectacular, and a deeper look into the people left behind while Jedi hide, bounty hunters succeed, and the Empire rules.”
2. Interview With The Vampire
Showrunner: Rolin Jones
Stars: Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Bailey Bass, Eric Bogosian, Assad Zaman
Where to Watch: AMC+
“Each episode of Interview With The Vampire pulls the audience deeper and deeper into Anne Rice’s world while at the same time paying off every single choice made. Embracing the romance and the violence in equal measure, we get the full sense of the toxicity that runs through the love that binds Lestat and Louis together.”
1. The Boys, Season 3
Showrunner: Eric Kripke
Stars: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Karen Fukuhara, Laz Alonso, Tomer Capone
Where to Watch: Prime Video
“The Boys Season 3 knows exactly who its audience is and continues to lean into the elements that have made this show the success that it’s been. Expect many more moments of entertainingly depraved content in some of the most creatively twisted story points. The cast continues to serve up fantastic performances in the most obscene circumstances imaginable. There’s nothing else left to say other than that it’s utterly diabolical, but then again, it’s The Boys.”
Our Top TV Shows of 2022 showcases the diversity of genre of talent available on streaming platforms whether its through episodic releases or season ones, the love is there. From drama and sci-fi to comedy fantasy, 2022 had a lot to love. Just missing the top TV shows of 2022 list are Peacemaker, White Lotus, and Derby Girls. Did your favorite make out top TV shows of 2022 list? Let us know on social media: @butwhythopc.
