The Top Ten Shows of 2022...
... a way too early list
Usually, I try to reserve my Friday writing for more serious or reflective pieces but this week has been a little hectic. I’ve made a commitment this year to write on Mondays and Fridays nonetheless, so today you get a short but way too early top ten list of this year’s best television shows.
Sidebar: I wonder how much longer we’ll refer to these creations as “television shows” even though many are now streamed on phones, tablets, and laptops. My dad used to refer to shoes as “sneakers”, which covered a multitude of types and a multitude of sins if you are the fashion police. But here we are and television is in quite good shape these days.
Let’s explore this year’s best, thus far…
10. Righteous Gemstones (HBO Max, season 2)
After an uneven first outing, I became a full-fledged convert in the second season. Kelvin basically created his own Power Team, Judy became the funniest character on the show, and Walton Goggins as “Baby” Billy is a treasure. If you need the cathartic feeling of laughing at religious shenanigans, this might be your fix. I’m naming and claiming this show as one of the year’s best.
9. Ozark (Netflix: season 4, part 1)
I can’t tell if Ozark’s fourth season is that good or if I’m just excited to see how this all ends. Either way, I finished part 1 in about two days earlier this year and I was ready for more immediately. Luckily, we don’t have to wait long as part 2 is coming out in late April. I’m not a binger by trade but somehow Ozark has sunk its teeth into me. If you haven’t watched this show yet but have heard it’s like Breaking Bad, I would mostly concur with the exception that just about everyone on this show is terrible.
8. Slow Horses (Apple TV+, season one)
I wrote about this show recently so I won’t delve much further in but to say that if you like Gary Oldman, British spycraft, and government conspiracy, then this is your bag. It’s most assuredly in mine.
7. Abbott Elementary (ABC/Hulu, season 1)
You’ve probably heard the pitch, “Abbott Elementary is The Office, but set in a public school”. No doubt that is somewhat true but there’s a lot more there. First, as a former Teach For America alum, I can confirm that Jacob’s character is painfully accurate. Second, I simply love the way this show loves the community of this school. It would be easily understandable to make some of the characters into caricatures, but there’s a lot of depth and nuance here and I always appreciate that effort in the writing. I’m looking forward to more seasons!
6. Pachinko (Apple TV+, limited series?)
Speaking of being way too early to judge something… I am only two episodes in on this but it feels like I can trust the creators to keep making something truly spectacular. I also trust that this ranking will move up by the end of the year. It’s a generation-spanning and multinational story that is exquisitely shot, directed, and acted. Unlike my desire to burn through the anxiety-inducing Ozark, Pachinko is a slow burn worth savoring and meditating upon.
5. Atlanta (FX/Hulu, season 3)
I’ll admit that this season of Atlanta has taken me more time to embrace, but it’s also led me on more rabbit holes than previous entries, so that’s something. Donald Glover and team are still making magic and I’ll always be awed by the mastery, wondering how they pulled off all the tricks.
4. Winning Time (HBO Max, season 1)
There are a few legit gripes about why this show strays so far into fiction when the facts are incredible on their own, but this series has continued to gather steam with each new episode. While painted with broad strokes at times, Winning Time feels made for many of my interests. It’s also the rare sports portrayal that actually gets the playing of it right. That’s not an easy accomplishment, apparently.
3. Somebody Somewhere (HBO Max, season 1)
If you want something almost completely different than Winning Time, I would offer giving Somebody Somewhere a shot instead (pun intended). While Winning Time is glamorous and sexy, Somebody Somewhere gets deep down into the nitty gritty of life and reminds us that while it’s often not pretty, there’s plenty of gems left to find.
2. Station Eleven (HBO Max, limited series)
While it premiered mid-December 2021, the series officially ended in 2022 so I’m counting it! I don’t want to describe this show too much, but I will just say that it took a few turns I was not expecting and I was delighted by almost all of them. It’s a show that is written with care and love for its characters and there’s really something just sweet and beautiful about that fact. If you’re going to make time for a few shows this year, I would highly recommend making sure you catch this one.
1. Severance (Apple TV+, season 1)
Imagine mixing Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a lighter version of Black Mirror, and the mysteries of LOST all into one show. That is Severance. The cast includes Adam Scott, John Turturro, Patricia Arquette and Christopher Walken, and many of the episodes are directed by Ben Stiller. Some might critique the pacing of this series but that didn’t bother me in the slightest and the season finale is one of the best I’ve seen in recent memory.
All right, folks. That’s my unjustified attempt at a top ten list for the year in April. With a glut of shows still left to arrive in 2022, I have no doubt this list will change.
Happy watching!