Lauren’s Top 10 TV Shows of 2022

For me, watching TV is about getting lost. This past year, I’ve been thinking about the things that distract me, and what I’ve realized is that my favorite stories are the ones where I forget time is passing. They have narratives that pull me in and make me forget that there’s a clock or a meal to be made. 

Those stories are the ones that I always find have the most emotional resonance, and they’re the ones I want to turn to time and again to take me away. 

In 2022, I wanted my stories to take me to a world that was either slightly unlike my own or completely different. Naturally, I tend to turn to a lot of sci-fi and fantasy for that, but I found myself branching out a little more this year too. 

Here are my top 10 television shows of 2022, in no particular order. 

1. Motherland: Fort Salem (Freeform)

Motherland: Fort Salem is one of my favorite shows in recent years. It’s a master class in worldbuilding and character development that slowly introduces new villains to the audience.

The final season puts the unit in a new setting and gives several of them a chance to come into their own. I enjoyed seeing so many of the witches get a happy ending. 

However, it also feels unfinished. The final episodes give us so much that could be unpacked and expanded on, and it’s hard not to feel cheated. Yet, that does not take away from the fact that this show continued to be as gripping as it has been since the beginning.

The show deserves a second life in some form or another. 

2. Reginald the Vampire (Syfy)

One of the biggest surprises for me this year is Reginald the Vampire. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from the series, but it ends up being a well-paced season that sets the series up for something much bigger.

Throughout Reginald the Vampire Season 1, the show lays the groundwork for more than just a vampire transformation story. With each episode, we did a little deeper into Akron and the vampire community, and this culminates in a culture shift that is sure to rock a second season. 

3. The Sandman (Netflix)

The Sandman was one of my most highly anticipated shows of 2022.

This show beautifully recreates the comics and focuses on a cast of anthropomorphic personifications. During each episode, it’s clear that The Sandman wanted to do justice to this beloved comic book series, and it hit every major plot point perfectly.

There are gorgeously drawn sequences from the comics that translate to the screen with the appropriate amount of tension and flare. The show even makes what would normally be considered a bottle episode work so well that we don’t notice time is passing. 

The Sandman is definitely worth a watch and has set itself up for an epic Season 2. 

4. 4400 (The CW)

4400 is another show I was very excited to watch. Being a huge fan of the original series, I couldn’t wait to see how this iteration would update the concept to fit the 21st Century, especially given how storytelling for TV has evolved over the last decade.

It’s impressive how the show takes the source material and deepens the mystery so that viewers of the original series aren’t able to predict what will happen from episode to episode.

This new iteration also isn’t afraid to address some of the ways society had changed over the last 100 years, and the ensemble gives their all. 

5. Stranger Things (Netflix)

Series with younger casts tend to get stuck in a rut at times, but Stranger Things consistently creates narratives that address coming-of-age trials set in the unstable town of Hawkins. The fourth season digs deeper into some of what made the series great and gives us some closure between Eleven and Papa.

Given that Stranger Things Season 5 will be its last, it’s a good thing that the show isn’t afraid to make these big leaps in its story and take risks.

6. Inventing Anna (Netflix)

I’m really interested in identity, and how it plays out in certain circles. Inventing Anna is the docudrama that I didn’t know that I needed.

While I remembered the Anna Delvey story breaking and was aware of all the lives that this woman had touched and ruined, this series still had the ability to draw me in.

Despite knowing how things would end, Inventing Anna managed to keep me riveted from start to finish, wanting to know how this was all even possible.

7. The Flight Attendant (HBO Max)

As you can see from the rest of this list, The Flight Attendant leans a little more toward comedy than what I tend to watch. However, I absolutely love The Flight Attendant Season 1. I was so happy to see it get a second season because there were questions that needed to be answered.

While The Flight Attendant Season 1 is my favorite, I am glad we got to see a conclusion to Cassie’s story.

Watching Cassie break down and realize that maybe sobriety wasn’t as simple as making a decision and it is actual work, is the companion chapter that Season 1 needs to feel whole while still delivering some laughs. 

8. A League of Their Own (Amazon Prime)

A League of Their Own is another series that I’ve been anticipating for several years.

As a fan of the 1993 movie, I couldn’t wait to see how the story would expand to fit an entire series. The end result is an immersive and diverse world that addresses the themes of the original movie.

The world of the Rockford Peaches continues to be an enticing world with complex relationships, but by opening it up to the league at large, we end up with a much deeper story and become so much more invested in the characters. Here’s hoping this series gets a season 2. 

9. The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)

After The Umbrella Academy Season 2 cliffhanger, I was so excited to see what would happen. The Umbrella Academy Season 3 doesn’t disappoint, putting the Sparrows and the Umbrellas against each other.

It is a curious position to see the main characters in, and I enjoyed the alt-history take on the Hargreeves family and meeting more of the children that were born on that day.

It is also a refreshing change of pace to meet Reginald Hargreeves and see how he impacted his kids’ lives. While he definitely isn’t father-of-the-year, it adds some much-needed context to the sibling’s relationships.

10. Wednesday (Netflix)

One of the last shows that I really enjoyed this year is Wednesday. I grew up watching The Addams Family, and Wednesday has always been my favorite character.

Getting a chance to see her take center stage is delightful, and I really love how the series plays with her and Morticia’s relationship. While it’s easy to miss the rest of the family in the context of Nevermore, it’s also interesting to see what happens when Wednesday is left to her own devices. 

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What are your favorite television shows from 2022? Let us know in the comments below. 

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