The Skinny's Best TV Shows of 2022

1. Severance

Among the offerings exclusive to Apple’s streaming platform this year, Dan Erickson’s Severance surely sits atop the pile. An intriguing pivot from director Ben Stiller, this retrofuturist workplace thriller plays like Charlie Kaufman’s take on Black Mirror. The premise, score and visual palette work in lockstep with its stellar cast to produce a compelling – if chilling – satire of corporate culture. Streaming on Apple TV [George Sully]

2. The Bear

"The most stressful show of the year," was the buzz when The Bear premiered. Yet carve beneath its kitchen nightmare veneer and something more complex emerges: a show about what happens when the worst has already happened, when all is left are broken shards and scorch marks. Deliriously pacey and darkly funny, The Bear serves grief as a side of meat: bloody, braised, and horrible with alchemical potential. Streaming on Disney+ [Anahit Behrooz]

3. Derry Girls S3

Perfectly balancing belly laughs and gut punches, Lisa McGee’s Derry Girls went out on truly excellent form. Set around the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, the moving extra-long series finale is an all-timer TV show conclusion, though it’s a shame the time-jumping final minute crams in a cringe-inducing callback cameo instead of actually ending with the beloved characters who’ve meant so much. Streaming on All4 [Josh Slater-Williams]

4. Andor

If Andor proves one thing, it’s that Tony Gilroy must be every bit as persuasive as the characters he writes, having somehow convinced Disney to turn its most merchandise-able IP into a dark, dense show about fascism. There’s no Baby Yoda and no superstar cameos, just a powerful, prescient story about letting love radicalise you into doing what’s right. Streaming on Disney+ [Ross McIndoe]

5. The Rehearsal

There’s lots of ways to overcome our fears, but staging an elaborate dramatisation of them is not the way to do it. Deadpan comedian Nathan Fielder has graduated to HBO with a bizarre social experiment that pushes his comic persona further and further down a rabbit hole of neurosis. Agonisingly funny and as dry as they come, Fielder is a master of his comedic brand. Streaming on NOW [Rory Doherty]

6. Only Murders in the Building S2

How can a show about murder investigations be (one of) the cosiest and most charming on television? Largely due to its leads: Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short. Season two occasionally felt a little more narratively woolly than its predecessor, but the character beats made up for that and we were led by the nose through another funny, engrossing mystery. Streaming on Disney+ [Ben Nicholson]

7. Slow Horses S1 & S2

OK, James Bond is suave, but could he look cool wearing a dirty mac while simultaneously eating a greasy Chinese takeaway and farting? Gary Oldman’s foul-mouthed performance as Jackson Lamb, the head of MI6’s reject spy unit dubbed the Slow Horses, isn’t the only reason to watch this enjoyably old-fashioned spy show. Lamb’s band of sad sack spooks are all hilariously cynical, while the show's twisty plot machinations tie together with satisfying aplomb. Streaming on Apple TV [Jamie Dunn]

8. Better Call Saul S6

Following up Breaking Bad was no easy task, but Vince Gilligan’s prequel series Better Call Saul has surprised us all by being just as good (if not better) than its source. By turns slow burn and explosive, Bob Odenkirk’s final outing as the silver-tongued lawyer sticks the landing with guile and panache – having sustained an impressive high quality throughout its six seasons. Streaming on Netflix [GS]

9. A League of Their Own

The expansion and adaptation of the classic 1992 film – itself based on the story of the short-lived Rockford Peaches – celebrates queer sports history and women’s athleticism without papering over the casual racism, sexism and homophobia of the WWII era. Impeccably designed and exuberantly directed, one of the year’s strongest ensemble casts create a dozen fully-fleshed histories to cheer on across the bases. Streaming on Prime Video [Carmen Paddock]

10. Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared

Adapted from the mind-bending web series, Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared – with an enhanced production value and a more adolescent sitcom structure – features bespoke puppetry and fully animated musical sequences. Episodes exploring the maddening mundanity of work or the aimlessness of travel delight with snappy humour, before quickly spiralling into unpredictable, existential terror. Improbably, it also manages to reach Jim Henson-esque levels of colourful whimsy. Streaming on All4 [Lewis Robertson]