December 26, 2022
The COVID-boom of great TV shows carried over into 2022, with a plethora of riveting prestige TV as well as under the radar hits that kept us glued to our flat screens, or iPads, or laptops — whatever — all year long.
At PhillyVoice, we have never been shy about giving recommendations, which is why a bunch of writers on our team have volunteered their personal Top 5 lists of shows below.
If we can help you discover one piece of entertainment that you didn't know about, we'll consider this a success.
5. "Severance" (Apple TV+)
4. "Industry" (HBO)
3. "We Own This City" (HBO)
2. "Better Call Saul" (AMC)
1. "The Bear" (Hulu)
Honorable mention: "The Good Fight," "House of the Dragon," "Hacks," "Atlanta," "Barry," "The Great," "The White Lotus," "The Rehearsal," "Euphoria," "Welcome to Wrexham," "For All Mankind," "Only Murders in the Building"
Do I have way too many shows listed as honorable mentions? Probably. But there was so much good TV this year and my family can attest to me spending way too much time obsessing over it. Some points on my top five shows:
I was late to "Severance," but the season finale might be one of the best episodes of television I have ever watched.
I don't understand how "Industry" isn't one of the most talked about shows of the year. It was SO damn good. Probably the No. 1 recommendation from my list.
"We Own This City" is basically the spiritual sequel to "The Wire." If you liked being immersed in the streets of Baltimore, this limited series is for you. Best single performance of the year IMO goes to Jon Bernthal as Wayne Jenkins.
"Better Call Saul" stuck the landing. It was pitch perfect. It was emotionally devastating. It's better than "Breaking Bad."
The best thing I watched all year was "The Bear." It was one of the most honest shows I have ever seen. Can't wait for the next season.
5. "House of the Dragon" (HBO)
4. "Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities" (Netflix)
3. "What We Do in the Shadows" (FX)
2. "Severance" (Apple TV+)
1. "Yellowjackets" (Showtime)
Honorable mention: "Euphoria," "Werewolf by Night," "Bob's Burgers"
I'll take any new adventure in Westeros that I can get. Heavy on dynastic incest and those fire-breathing creatures in all their glory, the first season of "House of the Dragon" sets the stage for another epic for HBO.
"Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities" is bit of "American Horror Story" mixed with "Black Mirror" and topped off with the perfect sprinkle from the fantasy horror extraordinaire himself. An anthology series with new tales in each of its eight episodes, these stories will make you squirm and twitch as you grapple with your own inner fears. If you're a fan of del Toro's films, it's a must watch.
"What We Do in the Shadows" is the funniest show on television and endlessly rewatchable. Matt Berry's deadpan line delivery as as the vampire Lazlo Cravensworth is award worthy in nearly every episode.
Echoing what Evan said about "Severance," my anxiety was through the roof for the ending of this season. When watching it, I actually thought it was a limited series, not something that would be ongoing, giving me even more "WTF?" vibes as its finale went on. It's a viewing experience I won't soon, if ever, forget.
I haven't been so engrossed in the mystery of a series' first season like "Yellowjackets" since my first watch of "Lost" way back when. I've watched the season four times. A '90s high school dramedy taking heavy influence from "Lord of the Flies" and "Lost" itself, the series' second season release in March is the most anticipated event on my entertainment calendar.
5. "Obi-Wan Kenobi" (Disney+)
4. "She-Hulk" (Disney+)
3. "Moon Knight" (Disney+)
2. "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" (HBO Max)
1. "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners" (Netflix)
I don't think "Obi-Wan Kenobi" as a whole is the greatest piece of Star Wars media around, but it gave me exactly what I wanted: Just a bit more Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan) and Hayden Christensen (Anakin/Darth Vader) character interactions.
There was never going to be much room for the series to maneuver, because the original trilogy has to happen, but it scratched an itch and sometimes that's all you really need.
I found myself really tiring out on Marvel post-"Endgame," but "She-Hulk" did stand out as a genuine try to break away from the typical formula. I think it worked well as a legal comedy, and it also brought Daredevil back. I like Daredevil.
"Moon Knight" is more by-the-book by comparison, but I thought Oscar Isaac's performances as the different personalities was aces alongside the rest of the main cast, too.
Adrien Brody as Pat Riley and Jason Segel as Paul Westhead was some excellent casting and I was gripped by the way "Winning Time" retold the building of the Showtime Lakers the whole way through, even though some of the actual Lakers have taken issue with their portrayals.
"Cyberpunk: Edgerunners" falls into the rare and emotionally taxing category of "That was excellent. I never want to watch this again." You get 10 concise, character-driven episodes that hit you with an emotional gut punch because Night City is a harsh, unforgiving place that eventually claims everyone that inhabits it. Again, it's great, but definitely not for the faint of heart. And maybe not the squeamish either.
As a side note: It did lead me to pick up the game and give it a try. It's OK.
5. "The Rehearsal" (HBO)
4. "Atlanta" (FX)
3. "Severance" (FX)
2. "The Bear" (FX)
1. "Better Call Saul" (AMC)
Can't say I watched as much TV this year as I do in a typical year, which is I guess what happens when you spend most of a year planning a wedding. But these are the five that stuck with me.
"Atlanta" evolved into a much more ambitious, genre-bending show than I could possibly have imagined — not many shows would be daring enough to spend their penultimate episode on a mockumentary bottle episode.
"The Rehearsal" is maybe the single most insane piece of content ever produced.
"Severance" had a killer concept that they nailed and absolutely stuck the landing for in the finale.
"The Bear" had a ton of heart and some really impressive individual performances.
And "Better Call Saul" somehow managed to prompt some debate over whether it is better than "Breaking Bad," which I don't think is the case, but it ultimately tells you just how good the spin-off series became over six seasons.
Maybe next year I'll get caught up on all 800 Disney/Marvel shows that drop every year. I sort of checked out on big budget action altogether this year, most notably with "House of the Dragon" (can't believe you guys were willing to return to the "Game of Thrones" universe), so I'd bet I'll swing back the other direction in 2023.
5. "Abbott Elementary" (ABC)
4. "The Dropout" (Hulu)
3. "Search Party" (HBO Max)
2. "Bad Sisters" (AppleTV+)
1. "Severance" (AppleTV+)
Honorable mention: "The White Lotus," "Hacks," "House of the Dragon," "Minx," "Better Call Saul," "Only Murders in the Building," "Grace and Frankie," "Made for Love," "The After Party," "The Good Fight," "Under the Banner of Heaven," "Never Have I Ever"
Was 2022 the year AppleTV+ became my new favorite streamer? After mostly forgetting it existed for three years running, I binged the delightful comedy mystery "The After Party" in January and then became utterly obsessed with my top two shows of the year, "Bad Sisters" and "Severance."
The former is a drama from the brilliant Sharon Horgan (watch "Catastrophe" right now if you haven't already) about five close sisters in Ireland, four of whom conspire to kill the fifth's horrible husband. It's a genuine mystery who murdered JP, the year's No. 1 villain, until the end, but what's even more absorbing is the love between the hilarious sisters, who've each been through a lot, but are always looking out for each other. "Severance," meanwhile, is a bleak satire of modern work culture that asks if workers need a literal lobotomy to meet corporate standards. The show mocks the hollow, nonsensical doublespeak and "perks" companies offer to distract employees from their miserable jobs, but it's also haunting and suspenseful, with the perfect cliffhanger finale.
Nothing made me laugh harder this year than the pride of Philadelphia, "Abbott Elementary," and the dearly departed "Search Party," which went out with a wild fifth season at the start of the year. And after largely avoiding the Theranos scandal, I was gripped by Amanda Seyfried's mesmerizing performance as Elizabeth Holmes in "The Dropout." If you've managed to stop imitating her voice, you're much stronger than me.
5. "House of the Dragon" (HBO Max)
4. "Abbott Elementary" (ABC)
3. "Derry Girls" (Netflix)
2. "Obi-Wan Kenobi" (Disney+)
1. "The White Lotus" (HBO Max)
Honorable mention: "Andor," "The Sex Lives of College Girls," "Cobra Kai," "The Crown," "The Book of Boba Fett," "Euphoria," "Dickinson," "Wolf Like Me," "Bridgerton," "Moon Knight," "Heartstopper," "Conversations with Friends," "Only Murders in the Building," "She-Hulk," "Never Have I Ever," "The Great"
I've watched a lot of TV this year ... like a lot. In fact, I've kept a Note in my phone keeping track of all the TV I've watched in 2022. After starting season three of "Emily in Paris" last night, that total has reached 50 seasons of TV this year. Can you blame me? There have been so many amazing new seasons and series on the countless streaming services and networks! I laughed, I cried and sometimes I did both while watching the same show (Here's looking at you final season of "Derry Girls"). I was introduced to new stories and got to revisit beloved classic characters in the Marvel and Star Wars universes. "The White Lotus," with its iconic theme song that endlessly rings through my brain, kept me up each week as I deep dove into theories online.
Overall, I had so much fun watching these shows and I can't wait to find out what amazing new shows I'll be binging in 2023. And just know it really pained me to choose only five, and any of those (many) honorable mentions easily could be interchanged with the list.
Follow Evan on Twitter:@evan_macy
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