What is the best TV show of 2022? More so than ever before, pop culture is dominated by the small screen – these are our picks for the best TV shows of the year across Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and Disney+.
It’s been a spectacular year for the small screen, whether it’s the resurrection of seemingly doomed IP, an epic, Upside Down sequel season that became a worldwide phenomenon for two months, or the galaxy far, far away surprising us with one of its greatest storytelling achievements.
TV may have once been viewed as the inferior, lesser-respected medium – but in the new era of streaming, quality programming is a necessity to stay competitive, and audiences are more tuned in than ever.
We’ve mourned the losses of beloved characters, screeched in agony at cliffhangers, and sat mouth agape at some of the most brutal deaths put to screen – these are the best TV shows of 2022 on Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV, and more.
Contents
- Best TV shows of 2022 (overall)
- Best TV shows of 2022 on Netflix
- Best TV shows of 2022 on Hulu
- Best TV shows of 2022 on Apple TV
- Best TV shows of 2022 on Amazon Prime
- Best TV shows of 2022 on Disney+
- Best TV shows of 2022 on HBO Max
Best TV shows of 2022
Television is an ever-evolving smorgasbord of content; channel-hopping, navigating the click-click-click roster of each service, and searching online for recommendations is a feat of stamina – yet, we all do it, week in and week out.
To make this as comprehensive as possible, we’ve kept it simple: we’ve ranked our top five choices for the best shows of 2022 across all the streaming platforms, before offering five brilliant shows from each one.
5. Stranger Things Season 4
Stranger Things Season 4 blew us away; a super-sized season with the biggest bad the show’s ever suffered, with hype and scale akin to an Infinity War-level blockbuster event.
The runtimes may have been a touch indulgent in the first batch, but Volume 2 was a remedy for any of its wrongs: emotional, badass, and goosebump-worthy right to the last second. Just wait for the Endgame.
Where to watch: Netflix
4. Severance
If you could eliminate all of your worries about having the perfect work-life balance and forget anything and everything about your job the moment you finish a shift, would you?
This is the moral and emotional dilemma at the core of Severance, Ben Stiller’s extraordinary series which debuted on Apple TV+ earlier this year, combining the best of Black Mirror’s dystopian-thriller edge with heart-aching drama and one of the best season finales you’ll ever see.
Where to watch: Apple TV+
3. House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon is a miracle. To overcome such trepidation with sweeping success in every aspect of its production – above all else, the story – after the calamity of Game of Thrones is no small feat.
Its continual recasting may have raised a few eyebrows, but there’s a deliberate, immaculate synergy to all of the storytelling in this prequel – and the Dance of the Dragons has only just begun.
Where to watch: HBO Max
2. The Bear
If you blended Boiling Point and Chef with the heart of John Hughes, you’d serve up The Bear, a scintillating, gut-throttling new kitchen drama set in the heart of Chicago.
It follows Carmen, a globe-trotting, star-wielding chef who returns home to run his late brother’s sandwich shop. The rumbling in your tummy will never seize, but the show excels with an emotional throughline as devastating as it is uplifting.
Where to watch: Hulu (US), Disney+ (UK)
1. Barry Season 3
There’s no debate: Barry is the best show on TV right now. Bill Hader’s odyssey of a hitman pursuing acting reached its peak with Season 3, an embarrassingly immaculate accomplishment of shocking, compelling television.
Barry and Chris’ final moments in Season 1 is the best indicator of the tone struck this time round; the laughs are fewer, the pain is intensified, and the episode-to-episode suspense never lets up. Start watching now or regret catching up later.
Where to watch: HBO Max
Best TV shows of 2022 to watch on Netflix
Netflix dominated the world with Stranger Things Season 4, and deservedly so. Volume 1 re-established its position as the biggest show in the world, and Volume 2 roused and punished us with an incredible finale.
What is the best show on Netflix?
Below we’ve ranked the five best TV shows to watch on Netflix from 2022.
1. Stranger Things
2. The Sandman
3. Derry Girls Season 3
4. Heartstopper
5. Ozark
Best TV shows of 2022 to watch on Hulu
The Bear may have made our overall top five, but that’s not a slight to Hulu’s programming. It started the year strong with Predator prequel Prey, and the platform has managed to stand out with action, biopics, and True Detective-esque crime dramas.
What is the best show on Hulu?
Below we’ve ranked the five best TV shows to watch on Hulu from 2022.
1. The Bear
2. The Dropout
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3. The Old Man
4. Under the Banner of Heaven
4. Only Murders in the Building Season 2
Best TV shows of 2022 to watch on Apple TV
Severance had us gagged. It boasts one of the strongest sci-fi concepts in years, and the craft behind its claustrophobic set and the performances are stellar. But Apple TV has enjoyed plenty of success elsewhere, notably with Bad Sisters and Slow Horses.
What is the best show on Apple TV?
Below we’ve ranked the five best shows to watch on Apple TV from 2022.
1. Severance
2. Bad Sisters
3. Slow Horses
4. Black Bird
5. Trying Season 3
Best TV shows of 2022 to watch on Amazon Prime
There was an easy runner-up for our top five shows: The Boys Season 3, a superhero masterpiece that certified itself as the supreme comic book property across screens big and small; razor-sharp, frightening, and always exhilarating.
What is the best show on Amazon Prime?
Below we’ve ranked the five best shows to watch on Netflix from 2022.
1. The Boys Season 3
2. The English
3. A League of their Own
4. Reacher
5. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Best TV shows of 2022 to watch on Disney+
We doubted Andor; why would anyone care about that guy from Rogue One, we cynically pondered, after the failings of The Book of Boba Fett. How wrong we were: it may be the best thing to come out of Star Wars since the original trilogy.
What is the best show on Disney+?
Below we’ve ranked the five best shows to watch on Disney+ from 2022. Note: Disney+ in the UK hosts most of Hulu’s programming, so if you think we’ve missed some, it’s likely they’re in the above section.
1. Andor
2. Werewolf by Night
3. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
4. Ms. Marvel
5. Light & Magic
Best TV shows of 2022 to watch on HBO Max
HBO has always been the home of prestige television, and while the changes at Warner Bros. may have overshadowed its output in the latter half of the year, we won’t forget its hits: Barry Season 3, House of the Dragon, and more.
What is the best show on HBO Max?
Below we’ve ranked the five best shows to watch on Disney+ from 2022
1. Barry Season 3
2. House of the Dragon
3. The Rehearsal
4. The White Lotus Season 2
5. Peacemaker
Those are the best TV shows of 2022. You can check out our picks for the best movies of the year here.
You can also check out our hubs for upcoming TV shows below:
1883 Season 2 | 1923 | Severance Season 2 | The Last of Us HBO | Invincible Season 2 | The Boys Season 4 | Stranger Things Season 5 | Succession Season 4 | Ted Lasso Season 3 | You Season 4 | The Witcher Season 3 | The Witcher: Blood Origin | Rick and Morty Season 7