What to watch this Christmas: Top TV shows of 2022, from Severance to 1899
That we’re living in a golden age of TV has become something of a truism, but even against that backdrop 2022 has been an excellent year for new shows. Here are just a few of our favourites, from top comedies to steampunk science fiction and crime noir.
Bad Sisters – Apple TV
The latest show from guaranteed hit-maker Sharon Horgan is a blacker than black comedy about four Irish women dead set on murdering the obnoxious, abusive husband of their sister. There’s real chemistry between the five sisters, while the husband is so oily and toxic you’ll genuinely cheer the sisters on as they plot his bloody murder. Part whodunnit, part morality tale, this fabulously shot series is the comedy of the year.
The Bear – Disney+
Following the trevails of a top chef who returns to his family’s Chicago sandwich restaurant following the death of his brother, The Bear is the slickest, most heartbreaking series of 2022. Led by the brilliant Jeremy Allen White as protagonist Carmen, the series tackles addiction, mental illness and family bonds, all while capturing the frenetic energy of a busy kitchen. Compulsive and brilliant.
White Lotus season 2 – Now TV
The first season of White Lotus arrived like a bolt from the blue, delivering the most wonderfully dark comedy series of the year and introducing Jennifer Coolidge to a new generation. Miraculously the second season is every bit its equal, moving the action from Hawaii to Sicily for its dissection of gender politics and class. While lacking the anchoring presence of Murray Bartlett’s hotel manager Armond, the ensemble cast are uniformly excellent, making this a must-see show.
1899 – Netflix
Set on a vast luxury steamship, all is not as it seems in this twisty drama from the German production team behind sleeper hit Dark. Another ensemble piece, 1899 begins when the ship receives a distress call from a missing vessel, interrupting their journey from the old world to America. Each passenger harbours a dark secret, and increasingly bizarre occurrences become harder and harder to explain – and what’s with the late-60s rock music that closes each episode? With incredible production values, restrained writing and excellent performances throughout, this is prestige TV at its best.
Better Call Saul season 6 – Netflix
Wrapping up the story of hapless lawyer Jimmy McGill, AKA Saul Goodman, Better Call Saul sees its antihero finally catch up to the events of Breaking Bad, for which this show was a prequel. That Better Call Saul ended up being better than Breaking Bad is pretty incredible, but more unbelievable is the fact that something this sparse, surreal and patient got commissioned in the first place. Happy to take up minutes luxuriating in a perfectly-lit shot of a peeling concrete wall, this is art house TV masquerading as an international blockbuster.
Severance – Apple TV
My favourite show of the year, Severance is quite simply one of the best science fiction series ever made. It follows a group of employees for a mysterious tech firm who have agreed to “sever” their working lives from their time out of the office, meaning their working selves have no memory of anything that happens when they leave the building and vice versa. This procedure essentially condemns the working “half” of the person to a lifetime of continuous servitude, making smart observations about our relationship with work and the uncaring nature of big companies. Finding a drab beauty in the office experience, I could spend the entire runtime of this series appreciating the 70s-inspired sets, never mind watching the captivating performances or best-in-class writing.