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There were 600 original scripted shows airing on broadcast, cable and streaming in 2022 alone. That it was already hard enough to list the 50 best shows of last year is a luxury problem. We’re living through the greatest era of television content ever, and that’s fantastic, but it makes listing very challenging. It’s likely that we excluded at least five of your favorite shows ever. We apologize.
We had to start with parameters. We agreed that any show that had episodes airing after Dec. 31, 1999, was eligible for consideration, even if that show first premiered in the 20th century. That meant, for example, that The Sopranos was eligible, but only for the five seasons that aired from 2000 on. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was eligible, but it lost three and a half seasons. You get the idea.
The next parameter was harder to set and entailed more bickering. We decided that while the volume of available international television has expanded exponentially in the streaming era, it’s hard to feel like we’ve seen a representative output of, say, the Korean TV industry. To avoid claiming authority based on such a limited sample, we decided to restrict the list to English-language options. (That said, we collectively urge everybody to watch HBO’s My Brilliant Friend.)
Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): America to Me, Arrested Development, Bob’s Burgers, The Good Wife, The Great British Bake-Off, Happy Valley, Harley Quinn, It’s a Sin, Justified, The Office (U.S.), Sense8, Somebody Somewhere, This Country, Up, Watchmen
The list of 50 was as follows:
- 'Sex and the City' (HBO, 1998-2004)
- 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' (Nickelodeon, 2005-2008)
- 'South Side' (Comedy Central and Max, 2019-2022)
- 'Vida' (Starz, 2018-2020)
- 'The Underground Railroad' (Amazon Prime, 2021)
- 'The Crown' (Netflix, 2016-present)
- 'The Leftovers' (HBO, 2014-2017)
- 'Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown' (CNN, 2013-2018)
- 'Station Eleven' (HBO Max, 2021)
- 'Beef' (Netflix, 2023)
- 'Insecure' (HBO, 2016-2021)
- 'The Deuce' (HBO, 2017-2019)
- 'Band of Brothers' (HBO, 2001)
- 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' (The CW, 2015-2018)
- 'The Shield' (FX, 2002-2008)
- 'Chernobyl' (HBO, 2019)
- 'Jane the Virgin' (The CW, 2014-2019)
- 'Orange Is the New Black' (Netflix, 2013-2019)
- 'Veep' (HBO, 2012-2019)
- 'Fleabag' (BBC Three and Amazon Prime Video, 2016-2019)
- 'Game of Thrones' (HBO, 2011-2019)
- 'Broad City' (Comedy Central, 2014-2019)
- 'How To With John Wilson' (HBO, 2020-2023)
- 'Parks and Recreation' (NBC, 2009-2015)
- 'Battlestar Galactica' (Sci-Fi/Syfy, 2003-2009)
- 'Review' (Comedy Central, 2014-2017)
- 'I May Destroy You' (BBC One and HBO, 2020)
- 'Survivor' (CBS, 2000-present)
- 'Better Things' (FX, 2016-2022)
- 'Deadwood' (HBO, 2004-2006)
- 'Peep Show' (2003-2015, Channel 4)
- 'Rectify' (SundanceTV, 2013-2016)
- 'Friday Night Lights' (NBC and The 101 Network, 2006-2011)
- 'Halt and Catch Fire' (AMC, 2014-2017)
- 'Breaking Bad' (AMC, 2008-2013)
- 'Atlanta' (FX, 2016-2022)
- 'Enlightened' (HBO, 2011-2013)
- '30 for 30' (ESPN, 2009-present)
- 'The Americans' (FX, 2013-2018)
- 'The Daily Show' (Comedy Central, 1996-present)
- 'BoJack Horseman' (Netflix, 2014-2020)
- 'Freaks and Geeks' (NBC, 1999-2000)
- 'Girls' (HBO, 2012-2017)
- 'Better Call Saul' (AMC, 2015-2022)
- 'Reservation Dogs' (FX/Hulu, 2021-2023)
- 'The Wire' (HBO, 2002-2008)
- '30 Rock' (NBC, 2006-2013)
- 'Succession' (HBO, 2018-2023)
- 'The Sopranos' (HBO, 1999-2007)
- 'Mad Men' (AMC, 2007-2015)
There definitely seems to be some recency bias in the shows that were picked, and I certainly don't agree with the placement on most of the shows on the list; but I think it goes without saying these are all strong shows.
The shows I was personally happy to see get a shout out were South Side, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Atlanta. Though I was not surprised to see Atlanta get recognized, I was surprised to see the other three get the recognition they deserve.
I had the same thought about: Peep Show, Halt and Catch Fire, and Better Things.
Of these I've watched 8 completely:
6 others I've started and gave up on part way through:
Of the rest, half of them I've never even heard of.
I guess I don't have good taste in TV?
When it comes to taste in entertainment, there is very little that can be considered objective. I, myself, know several of these shows by reputation as being great but have no interest in watching them. (For example, I've heard Peep Show is phenomenal, but I do not enjoy cringe humor; and I've never been able to get into Game of Thrones.)
Based on what you've watched in the past, I might recommend South Side or Insecure off the list. They're both classic sitcoms with South Side reminding me a lot of Parks and Rec (it is not a mockumentary, though). Insecure feels more like the evolution of spiritual sequel to Girlfriends. Insecure is a little further from your previously watched list than South Side, but they're both pretty solid sitcoms.
I have also heard recommendations for Fleabag and Broad City as comedies but I haven't seen enough of them to confirm if they'd work for you.
In terms of prestige dramas, I've heard great things about I May Destroy You but I have not watched it since I'm not personally huge on dramas.