(Photo by Matt Dinerstein/FX)
The 145 Best TV and Streaming Series of 2022
Updated (to reflect the latest scores): December 30, 2022
The fifth season of Yellowstone, the first season of its prequel 1923, new fantasy series Willow, and the final season of The Walking Dead are among the latest TV and streaming seasons to be Certified Fresh and join our list of the best shows of the year.
But as 2022 comes to a close, The Bear emerges victorious on our list of TV and streaming series that released a season that was Certified Fresh in the year. The FX comedy series on Hulu portrays the fish-out-of-water drama that results when a world-class chef returns home to Chicago to take over the family sandwich shop. With a 100% Certified Fresh score on 72 reviews, season 1 of the series takes the top spot. The next closest title is season 1 of Netflix romance Heartstopper, which is Certified Fresh at 100% on 55 reviews.
So congrats to The Bear star Jeremy Allen White and his compatriots in fine restaurant-service comedy.
To be Certified Fresh, seasons must score at least 75% on the Tomatometer, with at least 20 critic reviews (five of those from Top Critics). Shows retain their Certified Fresh status even if they fall below 75%, as long as the scores stay at 70% or above.
Read Also: The Best Movies of 2022
To break any ties, seasons that have the same score are then ranked by the overall number of reviews (season only or season and episodic scores together where episodic reviews can be counted). Ties between seasons with the same score and the same number of reviews are broken by the audience score and then number of audience reviews.
Recently added: 1923 season 1, Phoenix Rising season 1, Never Have I Ever season 3, George & Tammy limited series, The Peripheral Season 1, Starstruck season 2, Slow Horses season 2, Willow season 1, Yellowstone season 5, Tulsa King season 1, 1899 season 1, Welcome to Chippendales limited series, The Walking Dead season 11, Fleishman Is in Trouble season 1
Did your favorite shows of 2022 make our list of the best-reviewed TV of the year? Tell us about your picks in the comments!
Adjusted Score: 74174%
Critics Consensus: The Baby's tone can be as wobbly as a rocking crib, but its audacious nature of comedy and horror deserves to be nurtured.
Adjusted Score: 76860%
Critics Consensus: While Uncoupled struggles to integrate the comedic thrills of modern dating with its more serious concerns, the uneasy mixture makes for a surprisingly mature evolution of the Darren Star formula.
Adjusted Score: 76472%
Critics Consensus: Murderville's improvisational premise can lead to stretches of dead air, but the moments of spontaneous inspiration are worthwhile -- and it helps to have Will Arnett on the case.
Adjusted Score: 78761%
Critics Consensus: Night Sky reaches for the stars when it really should have settled on a feature length finish, but the combined supernova of J.K. Simmons and Sissy Spacek shines bright.
Adjusted Score: 79281%
Critics Consensus: Wedding Season's mashing of discordant genres can make for a less than perfect union, but nobody will object to the compelling chemistry between Gavin Drea and Rosa Salazar.
Adjusted Score: 74761%
Critics Consensus: Blessed with a twisty true story that needs little embellishment to intrigue, Welcome to Chippendales details the battle over a beefcake empire with stylistic verve.
Adjusted Score: 76968%
Critics Consensus: Westworld's continued reliance on mystery will frustrate just as much as it intrigues, but this fourth season still offers plenty of gleaming and menacing insight into a brave new world.
Adjusted Score: 79464%
Critics Consensus: Distinguished by biting performances and coiling ambience, The Essex Serpent is a highly accomplished Gothic romance.
Adjusted Score: 80363%
Critics Consensus: 1899 navigates its multicultural passengers through an atmospheric mystery and delivers a suspenseful journey, even if it may never reach a satisfying destination.
Directed By:
Adjusted Score: 83652%
Critics Consensus: Somewhere on the edges of this sci-fi vision is a compelling narrative, but The Peripheral's single-minded focus on its lofty ideas comes at the expense of character or coherence.
Adjusted Score: 82410%
Critics Consensus: The Outlaws is a touch too broad to mine much nuance from its concept, but its aggressive affability and merry band of miscreants make for a solid caper.
Adjusted Score: 80499%
Critics Consensus: Though After Life's second season struggles to affirm its existence, it's a solid entry for anyone aching for a little more contemplative gallows humor.
Adjusted Score: 82662%
Critics Consensus: Tulsa King's stale comedy sometimes feels like ordering spaghetti with marinara and instead getting egg noodles and ketchup, but Sylvester Stallone still commands the screen with his swaggering charm.
Adjusted Score: 86426%
Critics Consensus: The risqué thrill may have faded, but Bridgerton remains a compulsive episode-turner in this delightful sophomore season.
Adjusted Score: 82472%
Critics Consensus: David E. Kelley's adaptation of the The Lincoln Lawyer relies too much on quirk to paper over its lack of true novelty, but this is a reliable enough vehicle for fans of legal pulp.
Adjusted Score: 85541%
Critics Consensus: Julian Fellowes' brand of upstairs, downstairs intrigue makes a seamless transatlantic transition in The Gilded Age, with an outstanding cast making the travails of the rich a compelling watch.
Adjusted Score: 88212%
Critics Consensus: Pam & Tommy sometimes undercuts its own critique of cultural voyeurism with lurid stylization, but Lily James' performance gives this sleazy opus an undeniable heart.
Adjusted Score: 80983%
Critics Consensus: Sprawling to a fault but packed with lovable characters and cultural resonance, Queer as Folk successfully updates a watershed in LGBTQ representation for a new era.
Adjusted Score: 82364%
Critics Consensus: As willfully provocative as ever in its second season, Euphoria still isn't for all tastes -- but when its addictive ingredients are mixed just right, the results remain intoxicating.
Adjusted Score: 111344%
Critics Consensus: While the sense of finality is diminished by the promise of even more spinoffs, The Walking Dead's eleventh season is a solid enough conclusion to an epic tale of zombies that never had a clear offramp to begin with.
Adjusted Score: 81580%
Critics Consensus: The Handmaid's Tale has lost its urgency after spreading its once-arresting premise thin in a season focused on vengeance's consequences, but the women of Gilead are still played with compelling exactitude.
Adjusted Score: 82678%
Critics Consensus: Tonal inconsistency and an ill-defined ensemble can make this comedy hard to love, but it wholly delivers as an overdue showcase for Vanessa Bayer.
Adjusted Score: 83257%
Critics Consensus: Outer Range's plethora of subplots threaten to get sucked into a wormhole of ponderousness, but at least this sci-fi Western is anything but plain.
Adjusted Score: 89150%
Critics Consensus: A visual knockout elevated by Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer's performances, The English is a heady and somewhat meandering Western made with admirable craft.
Adjusted Score: 87051%
Critics Consensus: Blessed with an impressive level of access to its mercurial subject, Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy presents a thoroughly absorbing portrait of his life and career.
Adjusted Score: 116511%
Critics Consensus: This won't be the Obi-Wan Kenobi some viewers are looking for, but Ewan McGregor's soulful performance and some refreshing twists make this a satisfying -- if circuitous -- addition to the Star Wars saga.
Adjusted Score: 91358%
Critics Consensus: The characters Fleishman Is in Trouble spends time with aren't the most likable bunch, but the series examines their foibles with compelling insight -- and they're brought to life by a terrific trio of stars.
Adjusted Score: 86455%
Critics Consensus: Loot doesn't quite service comedic treasure Maya Rudolph as satisfyingly as a star vehicle should, although there are enough riches here to suggest a big return on investment -- when this promising sitcom finds its footing.
Adjusted Score: 88570%
Critics Consensus: George & Tammy may not have the staying power of the classic songs recorded by its subjects, but this biopic benefits from a pair of well-matched and supremely committed leads.
Adjusted Score: 88456%
Critics Consensus: Shining Girls' time-bending conceit often induces a headache instead of thrills, but Elisabeth Moss' superb performance gives this mystery a riveting center of gravity.
Adjusted Score: 90745%
Critics Consensus: Ozark hasn't gotten out clean just yet, but its mesmeric performances and taut suspense signal that the Byrde clan are as entertainingly resourceful as ever.
Adjusted Score: 82083%
Critics Consensus: Angsty as a disgruntled teenager and all the better for it, Becoming Elizabeth finds fresh drama in the Tudors by shifting focus onto the royal court's web of spiders.
Adjusted Score: 87777%
Critics Consensus: The Wilds gets a little lost after expanding its ensemble at the expense of its original hook, but the core cast remains as watchable as ever.
Adjusted Score: 89862%
Critics Consensus: While there's some turbulence as The Flight Attendant charters a new course, passengers are in safe hands with Kaley Cuoco's zestful turn and the writers' knack for satisfying twists.
Adjusted Score: 89953%
Critics Consensus: Tokyo Vice's protagonist is its least interesting element, but the intrigue of Japan's underworld and the verisimilitude of its setting make for a seductive slice of neon noir.
Adjusted Score: 90051%
Critics Consensus: Gleefully excessive in both form and function, Winning Time pairs a larger-than-life roster of characters with whiplash style to deliver an absolute slam dunk.
Adjusted Score: 89945%
Critics Consensus: Expanding on the saga while leaving plenty of room for callbacks to the original, this series-length sequel should satisfy fans who've been patiently waiting for more Willow.
Adjusted Score: 131492%
Critics Consensus: It may not yet be the One Show to Rule Them All, but The Rings of Power enchants with its opulent presentation and deeply-felt rendering of Middle Earth.
Adjusted Score: 89868%
Critics Consensus: An intriguing blend of horror and noir, Archive 81 offers addictive supernatural thrills that are haunting in the best way.
Adjusted Score: 91158%
Critics Consensus: While Under the Banner of Heaven gets bogged down by an overabundance of backstory, its procedural through-line is enriched by a thoughtful introspection on personal faith.
Adjusted Score: 98641%
Critics Consensus: Rick and Morty starts showing signs of fatigue with an uneven batch of adventures that are often more crude than clever, but a major shakeup to the status quo helps this season finish strong.
Adjusted Score: 97700%
Critics Consensus: Its entertainment value may wax and wane a bit, but Moon Knight ultimately settles into a mostly enjoyable -- and refreshingly weird -- spot in the MCU firmament.
Adjusted Score: 88281%
Critics Consensus: Emmy Rossum brings remarkable depth to a cipher in Angelyne, a glitzy look at fame for fame's sake where the inscrutability is the point.
Adjusted Score: 90678%
Critics Consensus: While All of Us Are Dead loses some of its bite with an overlong season, its emotional grounding puts plenty of meat on the bone.
Adjusted Score: 88976%
Critics Consensus: The Man Who Fell to Earth may not be out of this world, but a commanding Chiwetel Ejiofor gives this space oddity an earthy gravitas.
Adjusted Score: 89852%
Critics Consensus: Mike Flanagan's hot streak of heartfelt horror stories continues strong in The Midnight Club, a tale of terminal teenagers told with jolts and joie de vivre.
Adjusted Score: 99201%
Critics Consensus: While it may hold few surprises for fans of the source material, The Sandman's first season satisfyingly adapts an allegedly unfilmable classic.
Adjusted Score: 89381%
Critics Consensus: Harrowing but enlightening, Trainwreck is a comprehensive investigation into the structural forces that led to one of the music industry's most infamous disasters.
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 91065%
Critics Consensus: The Resort teases more mysteries than it can satisfyingly pay off, but its likable cast and jaunty tone make for a compulsively watchable vacation.
Adjusted Score: 87265%
Critics Consensus: Reboot hardly reinvents the Hollywood satire with its meta jokes that could have used more bite, but its more conventional qualities -- namely a delightful cast -- make for a mirthful enough watch.
Adjusted Score: 92968%
Critics Consensus: The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey loses some luster in its final stretch, but Samuel L. Jackson and Dominique Fishback's sterling performances make this an unmissable elegy.
Adjusted Score: 94149%
Critics Consensus: While The Patient might test viewers' patience by overextending its killer conceit, the arguably career-best work by Domhnall Gleeson and Steve Carell make this therapy session worth eavesdropping on.
Adjusted Score: -1%
Critics Consensus: Darker and denser than its predecessors, Stranger Things' fourth chapter sets the stage for the show's final season in typically bingeworthy fashion.
Starring:
Directed By:
Adjusted Score: 93047%
Critics Consensus: Claire Foy and Paul Bettany are delightful as a loathsome couple in A Very British Scandal, a sordid saga that's so juicy it'll leave viewers wishing the too-short runtime had afforded them a few more bites.
Adjusted Score: 93454%
Critics Consensus: Fronted by a nervy Julia Roberts, Gaslit is less a slow burn than an acting extravaganza of big personalities enmeshed in historic scandal.
Adjusted Score: 98718%
Critics Consensus: The Dropout succeeds more as a docudrama than a dark comedy, but Amanda Seyfried's disquieting portrayal of Elizabeth Holmes brings fresh blood to this retelling of recent history.
Adjusted Score: 82984%
Critics Consensus: Galloping into the arena of politics with a decidedly nonpartisan bent, Yellowstone enters uncertain territory but remains firmly in the saddle, with Kevin Costner's steadfast presence remaining an invaluable asset.
Adjusted Score: 91082%
Critics Consensus: The Hormone Monsters are pushing paper and phalluses in Human Resources, a workplace spinoff of Big Mouth that's just as raunchy and sweet.
Adjusted Score: 91876%
Critics Consensus: Reveling in the glory of straightforward adventure storytelling, Valhalla is a bloody good dramatization of Leif Eriksson's conquests.
Adjusted Score: 91976%
Critics Consensus: As We See It deftly sidesteps schmaltz by depicting people on the spectrum as well-rounded individuals with their own foibles, enriching both the comedy and pathos.
Adjusted Score: 93273%
Critics Consensus: Plunking two famous funnymen into the unpredictable journey of a sports documentary, Welcome to Wrexham is a calculated gamble that pays off.
Adjusted Score: 94461%
Critics Consensus: Grounded by a disturbingly powerful performance by Elle Fanning, The Girl from Plainville dramatizes a sordid true story with tasteful restraint.
Adjusted Score: 95943%
Critics Consensus: The Afterparty sometimes strains to keep the jamboree of yuks going, but its ambitious melding of genres and extensive guest list of actors make for a worthwhile nightcap.
Adjusted Score: 92182%
Critics Consensus: Kaci Walfall proves a plucky enough heroine to give the deliberately-paced Naomi its own super-powered charm.
Adjusted Score: 92182%
Critics Consensus: Women of the Movement enlivens the tragedy of Emmett Till with solid storytelling and a deeply moving pair of performances by Adrienne Warren and Cedric Joe.
Adjusted Score: 87777%
Critics Consensus: The Summer I Turned Pretty doesn't need more time to become a swan, coming out of the gate a solidly charming and sweet rom-com with appeal across generations.
Adjusted Score: 93480%
Critics Consensus: Unspooling like a slow-motion nightmare, A Friend of the Family benefits immeasurably from Eliza Hittman's deft direction and Jake Lacy's unflinching portrayal of insidious evil.
Adjusted Score: 92868%
Critics Consensus: Distinguished by the ineffable star power of Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, 1923 is another solid if unrelentingly grim addition to Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone universe.
Adjusted Score: 88471%
Critics Consensus: Five Days at Memorial is unflinching to the point of punishing, thoroughly recounting an absolute calamity while giving due to those who tried their best to stanch the tragic fallout.
Adjusted Score: 92943%
Critics Consensus: Folding together time-traveling wonder with a strong ensemble of youngsters who are as dimensional as origami, Paper Girls is an absolute blast to the future.
Adjusted Score: 93479%
Critics Consensus: Never has this charming coming of age series ever let down its fans, and this third season continues the winning streak by approaching the angst of teenage romance with frankness and charm.
Adjusted Score: 92968%
Critics Consensus: Beth proves there's still plenty of life left in Amy Schumer's artistic project, boasting the comedian's most nuanced performance yet.
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