In a year crowded with returning powerhouses and surprising breakout hits, the best shows of 2022 demonstrated the breadth of television, blending prestige drama, genre innovation, and character-driven comedy. This guide distills standout series that earned lasting acclaim, mapping their narrative strengths, cast achievements, and cultural footprint while remaining relevant for new viewers and rewatch cycles. Below, you’ll find curated recommendations, key context, and practical paths to explore each show beyond the initial release window.
Why 2022 Stands Out in Television History
2022 arrived amid shifting release schedules, evolving audience expectations, and a maturing streaming landscape. The best shows of 2022 reflected this by balancing event-scale storytelling with intimate, serialized character work. Critics and audiences highlighted bold risks, refined genre play, and a willingness to address timely themes with nuance. This mix of artistic ambition and emotional accessibility explains why several 2022 titles continue to shape conversations and appear on year-end rankings long after their premiere dates.
Top Drama Series to Remember
Drama led the conversation, with complex family sagas and morally gray crime narratives dominating lists. The best shows of 2022 in drama offered serialized depth, strong directorial voices, and performances that anchored sweeping stories in intimate detail. These series balanced episodic momentum with long-form payoff, making them durable candidates for rewatch and recommendation.
The Crown: A High-Profile Closure
Entering its final season, The Crown delivered a polished, historically minded conclusion that emphasized human stakes over spectacle. Critics praised its restrained tone and careful casting choices, even as debates about historical accuracy persisted. The series maintained a consistent visual language and meticulous production design, securing its place as one of the defining prestige dramas of the decade.
Severance: Workplace Horror as Social Allegory
Severance stood out for its stark visual style and tightly controlled pacing, turning a speculative workplace premise into a resonant psychological thriller. Reviews highlighted its sharp conceptual clarity, moody production design, and strong ensemble performances. By merging corporate satire with existential mystery, the show created a durable narrative hook that invites analysis beyond genre labels.
Better Call Saul: A Masterclass in Character Arcs
Completing its sixth and final season in 2022, Better Call Saul offered a meticulously paced finale that reframed years of character development. Critics emphasized its cinematic craft, moral complexity, and payoff to long-running threads. The convergence of Jimmy McGill’s transformation and Mike Ehrmann’s stoicism produced some of the year’s most discussed sequences.
Breakout Comedies and Genre Hybrids
Comedy and genre-blending shows gained traction in 2022, offering tonal variety without sacrificing narrative coherence. The best of this wave balanced humor with thematic weight, often crossing into satire, horror, or romance in ways that felt organic rather than trend-chasing. These series expanded the field’s relevance to broader audiences.
Only Murders in the Building
Only Murders in the Building strengthened its podcast-inspired mystery structure while deepening its trio’s relationships. Critics noted improved pacing and more satisfying case-of-the-week integration with ongoing character arcs. Its blend of camp, wit, and light thriller elements helped it stand out in a crowded comedy field.
Reservation Dogs
Reservation Dogs presented a heartfelt blend of comedy and magical realism, focusing on Indigenous teenage life with specificity and warmth. Reviews celebrated its authentic casting, visual imagination, and balance of humor with poignant coming-of-age stakes. The series demonstrated how genre elements could serve character-first storytelling.
Global and Animated Expansions
International imports and bold animated projects widened the 2022 landscape, offering perspectives and visual approaches less common in mainstream discourse. These series often prioritized distinctive authorship and formal experimentation, appealing to viewers seeking variety beyond linear, dialogue-driven plots.
Arcane (Season 1): Worldbuilding in Animation
Arcane impressed with its lush animation, tight plotting, and emotional clarity, turning a game universe into a character-driven tragedy. Critics highlighted its thematic cohesion, strong voice cast, and capacity to convey complex relationships through visual storytelling. Its success illustrated animation’s growing role in prestige genre programming.
Lupin: French Suspense with Historical Texture
Lupin combined sleek heist mechanics with social commentary and period detail, offering a charismatic, globe-trotting lead. Reviews pointed to its brisk pacing, intricate set pieces, and clever reimagining of a classic character within a contemporary French context. The series drew new audiences to the Lupin mythos while satisfying long-term fans.
Documentaries and Limited Series Worth Remembering
Documentary and limited series in 2022 leaned into immersive reporting and innovative structure, often crossing into essayistic and personal modes. These projects extended the year’s reputation for risk-taking, using the format’s flexibility to tackle underreported stories with clarity and care.
The Bear: Pressure-Cooker Storytelling in Culinary Setting
The Bear delivered an intense, sensory-driven portrait of restaurant life, using rapid cuts and layered sound design to simulate kitchen stress. Critics praised its empathetic ensemble, strong writing, and capacity to balance trauma with catharsis. The series became a benchmark for workplace storytelling grounded in authenticity.
We Are Lady Parts: Faith, Humor, and Community
We Are Lady Parts won audiences with its warm ensemble, sharp humor, and thoughtful exploration of Muslim identity in contemporary Britain. Reviews highlighted its confident tone, timely themes, and musical energy, positioning it as a defining comedy-drama of the year. Its focus on intergenerational dialogue added texture to familiar genre beats.
How to Revisit or Discover 2022’s Best Shows
Finding and revisiting the best shows of 2022 is straightforward across major platforms, though catalog placement can vary. This section outlines reliable paths to each title, including subscription locations, purchase options, and library availability, making it simple to plan a curated watch list.
Streamer and Platform Quick Reference
| Show | Verified Platform (examples) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| The Crown | Netflix | Full run available; final season split into two parts |
| Severance | Apple TV+ | Original series; requires subscription |
| Better Call Saul | AMC+ / Netflix (regions vary) | Complete series; some regional licensing differences |
| Only Murders in the Building | Hulu | Original series; new seasons released annually |
| Reservation Dogs | Hulu | Completed series; all episodes available |
| Arcane | Netflix | Season 1 available; Season 2 in development |
| Lupin | Netflix | Three seasons available; periodic renewal status |
| The Bear | Hulu | Season 1 strong critical reception; Season 3 in progress at time of latest update |
| We Are Lady Parts | Peacock | Original series; renewed beyond 2022 |
Practical Discovery Tips
- Use platform-specific filters for year and genre to surface 2022 originals and renewals.
- Check JustWatch or Reelgood for real-time availability by country and subscription tier.
- Leverage watchlists on services like Netflix and Hulu to track planned viewing across multiple shows.
- Consider bundled subscriptions (e.g., Apple TV+, Max) if you plan to sample more than one platform’s originals.
Common Questions About the Best Shows of 2022
Below are concise answers to recurring questions that help clarify context, avoid confusion with similarly named titles, and support informed viewing choices.
Are these rankings based only on critic scores?
No. While critic reception is an important signal, this overview weighs audience engagement, awards recognition, cultural discussion, and long-form rewatch potential. Series are included for their demonstrated staying power beyond initial reviews.
What qualifies a show as ‘best’ for a given year?
For evergreen lists like this, the threshold is sustained acclaim, distinct creative vision, and relevance to ongoing viewing habits. A show may have premiered earlier or extended beyond 2022 but been widely discussed, rewatched, and evaluated during this period.
Does availability affect a show’s ranking?
Availability is noted for accessibility, but it does not directly determine placement. The aim is to highlight series that remain meaningful to watch now and in the future, regardless of platform location.
How often is this list updated?
This is designed as an evergreen overview, not a time-sensitive chart. Platform details and seasons in progress are periodically reviewed to keep practical guidance current while preserving the core analysis.
Should I watch these in order of release?
Not necessarily. Prioritize by genre preference, mood, or completion status. For serialized arcs (e.g., The Crown), watching in release order enhances payoff, while standalone series can be tackled based on interest.