The streaming age might be in flux as we speak. The biggest story of the year, without question—which maybe some people don’t recognize as the biggest story of the year, but trust us, it was— was the Netflix stock crash of April 2022. After years of flying high, Wall Street suddenly turned on Netflix, turned on streaming, and started rethinking their evaluations of the profit margins on streaming. This news rocked the film and TV industry. After all, this was only two years after Bob Iger, Disney, and all the other streamers pointed to the rafters and said, the future of our business is streaming; we’re putting all our eggs in those baskets. And lay thousands of eggs they did, which is—wait for it, I’m getting to it—the reason why two years later, we are absolutely underwater and inundated with so much great television that no human on earth has the time to watch.
READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2022
This may potentially change soon if streaming isn’t cost-effective—HBO Max is panicking under Warner Bros. Discovery and all the debt they carry; Bob Iger was brought back to rescue Disney after some disastrous quarters not showing enough growth under Bob Chapek. And maybe all streamers will relax and not release hundreds of pieces of content each year. Who knows. But right now, as of this moment, for us, it’s a good problem to have. Yes, we’re drowning in the age of #TooMuchContent, and while we’re not sleeping much, 2022 was a fantastic year for TV, one of the best on record. This list has an embarrassment of riches, 25 amazing shows, with a deep bench of honorable mention goodies, cause we were swimming in excellent shows. – Rodrigo Perez
Follow along with all our Best Of 2022 coverage here.
26. “Our Flag Means Death.”
Based on a true-ish story, “Our Flag Means Death” tells the story of a wealthy landowner, Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby), that has a midlife crisis and decides to become a pirate with some hired help. Things take a turn when authentic sea pirate Black Beard (Taika Waititi) and his crew run across Stede and his merry band of nitwits and decide to have some fun. What starts as a potentially typical, quirky workplace comedy set on a pirate ship quickly transforms throughout a single season into what might be one of the best and most heartbreaking forbidden love stories of our modern time. Leaving the laughs for when they’re needed, the series daringly plums the depths of sexual fluidity and emotion between two men. Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby give what might be career-best performances by leaning into their chemistry and setting sail for more uncharted dramatic waters. That, paired with a lively group of supporting players, makes it clear that “Our Flag Means Death” can stand shoulder to shoulder with Waititi’s other recent hit television productions like “What We Do in the Shadows” and “Reservation Dogs.” – Mike D’Angelo. [read our review]
25 “The White Lotus.”
How do you follow a smash hit critical success like HBO’s “The White Lotus,” which took the world by storm in the summer of 2021 before basically winning all the Emmys it possibly could a year later? Creator Mike White has arguably struggled a bit to match the high bar he set for himself, but the second trip for his dramedy/mystery/social satire has developed into its own thing with each new episode. Aubrey Plaza, Michael Imperioli, F. Murray Abraham, Haley Lu Richardson, Theo James, a returning Jennifer Coolidge, and all the members of a perfectly-cast ensemble are playing more with gender roles than class ones this time as White unpacks how the often transactional nature of relationships doesn’t change just because couples are on vacation. Only time will tell if how White lands this still-unfolding season means its placement on this list is too high or too low, but it’s safe to say that the return trip has been worth the cost of travel. – Brian Tallerico [read our review]
24. “Euphoria”
Kids these days! The pandemic derailed the initial plans for Sam Levinson’s follow-up to his Emmy-winning 2019 breakthrough hit, leading to a pair of acclaimed standalone episodes before the HBO teen drama finally returned with a fury in January 2022. It may feel like a lifetime ago now. However, the power of the best of season two of “Euphoria” still lingers in the mind’s eye, especially the breathtaking fifth episode of the season, one that saw Rue Bennett (Zendaya) on the run from those that she owes for the drugs that mom flushed down the toilet. Zendaya won an Emmy again for her work, but she wasn’t the only standout this season as Sydney Sweeney and Maude Apatow also delivered career-best work, particularly in a duo of final episodes that brought the tension between their characters to a climax. The second season of “Euphoria” often felt a bit haphazard, like anything could happen in any given episode, but that was one of its strengths, finding the chaos of teen life in the 2020s in ways that no other show has been able to capture. – BT [read our review]
23. “Black Bird”
The masterful writer Dennis Lehane (“Mystic River,” “Shutter Island”) came to Apple TV this year and delivered one of the best mini-series of 2022. Lehane adapts the true story of James Keene (Taron Egerton), an average criminal who ends up behind bars with a very un-average sociopath. As suspected serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser) tries to legally plan for his release, the authorities convince Keene to become his BFF, hoping that Hall will confess to crimes for which he has yet to be convicted. As the cops investigate on the outside, including the best performance from Greg Kinnear in years, Keene sees the true face of evil. Egerton and Hauser do some of the best acting work of their careers, and it’s striking to see Ray Liotta in one of his final roles as Keene’s father, whom Jimmy hopes to see once before he dies. – BT [read our review]
22. “Rothaniel”
It feels a bit reductive to call this Emmy winner the best stand-up special of the year because what Jerrod Carmichael accomplishes in this moving piece of work is more than just a traditional comedy. While “Rothaniel” can be very funny, it gains its power through how personal and revealing Carmichael allows himself to be, moving from stories about his family to the revelation that he’s gay. Masterfully directed by Bo Burnham, “Rothaniel” enable the crowd to become a part of the experience, shouting out questions and affirmations to Carmichael. It gives the whole experience the feeling of something that’s unfolding almost communally as the interplay between Carmichael and his audience strengthens the emotional power. Stand-up specials often feel so rehearsed, but there’s a grounded brilliance to “Rothaniel” that makes it feel spontaneous and life-changing. – BT [read our review]
21. “What We Do in the Shadows”
Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), Guillermo (Harvey Guillen), and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) may have lost a comedic step or two from the heights of this FX hit’s first three seasons, but it still remained one of the most unpredictably hysterical comedies on TV in 2022. The writing this year really centered on how most of this group has struggled to find happiness, even the ones who have hundreds of years to do so. Whether it was Nadja opening a vampire nightclub, Nandor choosing a bride from the history of women he had left behind over the centuries, or Guillermo trying to find love himself, the characters this season were all reaching for something to break the tedium of their lives. Of course, “What We Do in the Shadows” is still often at its best when it’s being its goofiest, like a spoof of house-flipping shows that ended hysterically or an unforgettable appearance by the New Jersey Devil. Again, the themes may not all coalesce, and there’s reason to start worrying that the writers are running out of ideas, but there’s life in this chaotic creation for now. – BT [read our review]