My 2022 Favorites: Television

My Favorite Shows of 2022:
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Ranking TV in this era is a difficult task, we have never had more shows and platforms to watch them on.  Television used to be a place movie stars were born or the place they went after their career had died. Now, movie stars at the peak of their career are starring in television shows. Just this year, Zendaya simultaneously had Spider-man No Way Home in theatres and Euphoria airing its second season on HBO. Additionally, singer/actress Selena Gomez, one of the most followed people on Instagram, is nominated at the Golden Globes for the show Only Murders in the Building. Oscar winners like Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman are spending their time making shows or specials for TV. Television is at a peak, and it is here to stay. With that said I have compiled a list of my favorite shows of 2022. I wanted to create a list that made space for all different kinds of shows, so these categories are tailored to the show and if you have your own favorites that missed this list please add them in the comments! 

Favorite Show everyone should be watching:

​With the plethora of television offered, there is room for every person’s specific niche. Superheroes, Fantasy, Vampires, Romance, and Period Pieces there are shows for every specific taste. Yet, every once in a while, there is a show that seems everyone could and should be watching. No show fits this description more than ABC’s Abbott Elementary. With a second season that has lived up to the success of the first, Abbott Elementary is a show anyone can watch. The show is done in the “mockumentary” style and follows Quinta Brunson’s main character teacher Janine as she optimistically navigates the realities of the Philadelphia public school system. The show is heartwarming, funny, and real. Brunson’s show has the unique ability to speak to millennials, boomers, and gen z audience watchers all at the same time. No show feels as capable of being discussed around the Holiday table with family more than this one. With outstanding performances from the entire cast and jokes that keep getting funnier, Abbott Elementary is sure to be around for a while.

Favorite Superhero Show:

Superhero content continues to dominate all media outlets and this year was a huge superhero television year. While for me, no superhero shows this year quite lived up to the surprise of 2021’s Hawkeye there were still plenty of superhero shows to pilfer through this year. While Disney + has dominated this genre for me the last few years this year Prime’s The Boys edged out the competition. With a season three that was equal parts horrifying and hilarious, The Boys is doing something no other superhero show has done which is getting better with each season.  Anthony Starr is chilling as villain Homelander and the uphill battle to stop him is exciting to watch. While the show is most assuredly raunchy and not for the easily squeamish it has a heart underneath all the grittiness that makes it impossible to stop watching. The Boys is proof that the superhero genre is malleable and most assuredly here to stay in many different packages.

Favorite Throwback:

With the consistent onslaught of television, it is no surprise that the reboot/remake aspect of television continues to thrive. While there have been many talked about reboots none did it quite as bravely as Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire. Not an exact reboot of the novel or 1994 movie of the same name, the show was more of a re-imagination. The show feels viscerally different, yet it still feels firmly rooted within the world Rice created. The show is set in modern 2022, as vampire Louis recounts his life to an aging reporter Daniel Malloy. Jacob Anderson’s performance of the guilt-ridden Louis feels similar to Brad Pitt’s iteration of the character, yet Anderson crafts another dimension to Louis. This re-imagination tells the story of Louis as a Black Queer man in 1910’s New Orleans. The show explores all of the facets of Louis the film only alluded to including his relationship with his maker Lestat. The show examines the relationship between the two men as Louis learns how to become a vampire and how to navigate the toxic yet inescapable pull toward Lestat. The result is a show that explores topics such as abuse, sex, parenthood, racism, and of course immortality. The show is a must-watch not only for the stand-out performances from the actors but for the fearlessness with which the show attacks the issues its predecessors left untouched.

Favorite Period-Piece:

From the Crown to Downtown Abbey there is still a huge draw to the period genre. Yet, no show has the ability to captivate quite like Netflix’s Bridgerton. To say this was my favorite "period-piece" or "romance" would be a severe understatement as the show was one of my favorites of the entire year. With a jaw-dropping 2020 first season, viewers waited with bated breath for the second season of the show. While I admit I had trepidation after it was announced the show would focus on eldest Bridgerton brother Anthony’s love story. Anthony was hardly a fan-favorite from the first season as he served as a foil in his sister’s love story, but Jonathon Bailey proved his wide range as he created a side to Anthony that was not only charming but complex. This season, the show proved it has the ability to craft more than one type of romance. While the first season played on the romance trope of “fake lovers to real lovers” this season tackled the “enemies to lovers" trope. Simone Ashley served as the perfect counterpart to Bailey's Anthony as she crafted an unforgettable performance as Kate Sharma the elder sister of the object of Anthony’s affection. Despite her chilly disposition, Ashley depicts Kate with a tenderness that always feels just within reach. While season one proved that period pieces can be sexy season two leaned into the slow-burn trope. Kate and Anthony’s relationship is undeniably simmering but the show displayed restraint as it waited for the relationship to build itself up to a burn. Season two of Bridgerton proved the power of television romance as the show had less sex but more sexiness as Ashley and Bailey put on a masterclass of chemistry. As Anthony and Kate continue to deny their feelings, they simultaneously made glances across a table, or a brush of a hand feel devilishly intimate. The show not only lived up to season one, but it proved the show will be dominating the period-piece and romance genres for years to come.

Favorite Show that was cancelled too soon:

Every year there seem to be multiple shows that are canceled before they have the opportunity to really reach their stride. No show had its legs taken out from them more than Netflix’s teen vampire drama First Kill. The show premiered this summer and was promoted as a “Lesbian Romeo and Juliet” story. The show followed a teen vampire Juliet and a teen vampire hunter Calliope as they fall in love despite their family’s generation feud. While the show was admittedly campy it also was a rarity on TV as it centered Queer female love and it had the potential to grow into a strong show. With two young talented actresses at the center and a premise that had potential the show deserved more than its one season and I was sad to see it go.

Favorite show that ended:

While different from cancellation, some shows found their natural conclusions this year. While some shows most definitely did not stick the landing (looking at you Killing Eve) NBC’s This is Us landed the show perfectly. With a season centered around tying up loose ends, the show leaned into what it always did best which was family. The show did not take too many risks in the last season and certainly was not perfect but it seemed intent on giving fans the ending they deserved and who does not appreciate that? While I will most surely miss seeing Randall and Beth and Jack and Rebecca on my screen each week, I feel good knowing how This is Us ended.

Favorite show that Surprised me: 

​No show surprised me more than Prime’s A League of Their Own. While Broad City undoubtedly proved Abbi Jacobson’s comedy writing and acting chops her 2022 re-imagination of A League of Their Own seemed to take her to another level. Admittedly, the show came across my screens on a whim but after the first episode, I found myself coming back each week more invested. The show is proof that representation can (and should) have layers. The show centers on female characters that have intersectional yet different identities. The show follows its two leads Jacobson’s own Carson and Chante Adams’s Max as they both attempt to play baseball in the 1940s. Carson grapples with her Queer sexual awakening as she finds herself playing baseball for the Peaches. Max simultaneously deals with racism and homophobia as she also fights to play baseball. Jacobson’s show is a great example that representation should not be a facet of a show but instead should be ingrained into the heart of a show. With complex characters and room to grow the show is sure to stand out as an example of how to do representation.

Favorite Comedy:

​Only Murders in the Building is a show I admit I never thought I would like. A murder mystery starring Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez as podcasters would never have been on my bucket list of must-watch shows, yet somehow Only Murders in the Building is undisputedly charming. The dynamic between Short and Martin with Gomez is not only funny but endearing. With a season full of A-list guest stars and a new murder mystery I worried the heart of the show would fall to the wayside but the show did an excellent job thriving in its second season in 2022. The best parts of the show continued to be the scenes amongst the three main leads as they navigated the mystery and their evolving relationships from acquaintances to friends. While I have doubts about how long the show can keep up the gag as far as 2022 was concerned Only Murders in the Building continued to be one of the best comedies on TV.

Favorite Underdog Show:

Starz’s drama P-Valley is the best show on television that no one seems to be talking about. The show has incredible acting performances, killer soundtracks, and writing that is gripping. The show created by Katori Hall is an adaptation of her play and explores the lives of strippers at a nightclub in Mississippi called the Pynk. The show tackles issues such as racism, colorism, misogyny, and femininity in a way that centers the Black Female experience in particular. With breakout performances such as the riveting “Uncle Clifford” played by Nicco Annan and Mercedes played by Brandee Evans, the show is enthralling from beginning to end in every episode. The second season of the show premiered in August 2022 and proved that it is a show that is every bit as captivating despite the impact that the Pandemic had on it.

Favorite watercooler show:

HBO’s House of the Dragon proved the “water cooler” show is still alive. The show has already reached the upper echelons of entertainment while still producing a slew of memes and fan theories that dominated Twitter every Sunday night. Everyone (including my grandma) watched House of the Dragon and if you somehow escaped its claws you most suredly did not escape the memes.
There is no show I wanted to hate more than House of the Dragon. I had been a superfan of Game of Thrones and alongside millions of others, I watched in horror as HBO fumbled the landing with the series end. When HBO announced House of the Dragon, I was at best bitterly compliant about the show. I wanted to hate the first episode and never tune in again. Yet, the show gripped me in a way that felt reminiscent of the peak of Game of Thrones. Watching the Targaryen family slowly implode as the friendship between Princess Rhaenyra and her best friend-turned-stepmother Queen Alicent unravels was equal parts uncomfortable and exciting to watch. The show is not fun television; in fact, I cannot remember ever laughing while watching yet it is impossible to turn away. The world Martin has created in Westeros is brutal but the characters (even the ruthless ones) are compelling to watch. Take, for example, Paddy Considine who had a career-defining role as King Viserys, and Matt Smith's Prince Daemon. Of course, the role of Rhaenyra is surely to be the most recognizable by the end of the series. The role is split between Milly Alcock (episodes 1-5) and Emma Darcy (episodes 6-10) and both create a fascinating and complex main character that sets House of the Dragon apart from its predecessor. Game of Thrones could be so convoluted sometimes it was hard to follow whom to root for, House of the Dragon is clear, you should be rooting for Rhaenyra. While she is flawed and although the show goes to great lengths to humanize her counterpart Alicent (played by Emily Carey and Olivia Cooke) it is clear Rhaenyra is the hero of this show for better or worse. It is her place in the line of succession and the effect that has on the patriarchy that is the driving force behind the show after all. With a climactic episode eight (that might be my favorite episode of television all year) and a cliffhanger ending in episode ten that is sure to haunt viewers for as long as the “Red Wedding” it is clear House of the Dragon is going to be a household name like its predecessor we better all just get used to it. 

Author

Autumn Andersen