Curious Reads: The Best TV of 2022
Curious Reads: The Best TV of 2022
What TV show got you through the year?
Today is another free-for-all discussion of my “top of the fold” curious read. In the new year, commenting privileges will go behind a pay wall. If you believe in my mission of a more curious & empathetic Christianity, please consider subscribing for $21/year (normally $30/year).
Hello friends, Liz here.
Today’s TOP OF THE FOLD discussion is 2022’s top TV shows.
I was fascinated to discover the wide range of options covered, even by critics. So I’ve included a list of fancy-pants arty “out of the way” watches, according to the New Yorker, and a list of more mainstream “yep, I heard about that one” from Paste.
Yes, I’m a writer and yes, I’m obsessed with TV because it’s all stories, all the time.
#1
From the New Yorker: “Every Top Ten list is a reflection of a critic’s biases, and this one is shaped, I think, by distinctiveness: the shows that felt, if not always new, then at least like chimeras striving to be nothing more or less than themselves. The traditional knock against TV is that it’s made to be derivative—programs bleeding into one another, and episodes, too—but the following series, arranged in alphabetical order, kept the medium kicking and fresh, and kept me watching.”
From Paste: “The watchword for TV in 2022? ‘More.’ There were more TV shows, more streaming services, more ways to watch all of these series than ever before. Though more doesn’t always mean better, we were indeed graced with a goodly amount of worthwhile television this year. In our list below (nominated and voted for by Paste staff, TV editors, and writers), it’s worth noting how many comedies, half-hour shows, or series with generally shorter episodes / seasons ended up on the final list. That certainly says something about where our preferences lie, networks!”
Question
Do you agree/disagree with these lists? Which TV shows would be on your best-of-2022 list?
And, by the way, these lists are only meant to get us started. I also want to hear…
Which shows stood out to you? Which were under- or overrated? Which are your new go-tos? Which did you absolutely hate and why? Which shows surprised, challenged, or gave you nightmares?
It’s time for TV talk, folks! Chime in. :)
More Curious Reads
#2
The World Cup is in progress. (Here’s how to watch) Miraculously, the U.S. has made it further than expected in the rankings! Which is wild!
In other news, though, the Myanmar workers who made this year’s world cup jerseys for Adidas—which can sell to fans for $150—were paid only $3 per hour and many were fired for organizing protests to ask for higher wages to help them survive inflation. Protests are ongoing.
“The ability of workers to collectively stand together to ensure better conditions in their factories is a basic human right.” —NYT
#3
If we ever want to get to Mars, we’ll need to find a way to induce hibernation in a crew of humans. But how? Scientists are working on it. —Wired Magazine
#4
A complex take on Ruth Bell Graham, wife to Billy, famed evangelist. —Religion News Service
#5
The star of Home Alone is not really Kevin McCallister, but his mom, Kate.
“What I love about Kate McCallister is what I love about my own mom: She’d do anything for her kid, and she won’t take any of his shit.”—Catapult
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Just for Fun
“Whether you like them dunked in hot chocolate or roasted on an open fire, nothing will bring you holiday joy quite like these cute, furry little guys.”
Yep, God is releasing new peppermint-flavored Chipmunks just in time for the holidays. ;-)—the Onion
QUESTION: Do you agree/disagree with any suggestions in these lists? Which TV shows would be on your best-of-2022 list?
And, by the way, these lists are only meant to get us started. I also want to hear…
Which shows stood out to you? Which were under- or overrated? Which are your new go-tos? Which did you absolutely hate and why? Which shows surprised, challenged, or gave you nightmares?
It’s time for TV talk, folks! Chime in. :)
"The Righteous Gemstones" was high on my list this year. Just such a timely and hilarious and awful story. It's charismatic preachers + blackmail + family dysfunction + crime. In this category of dark comedies, we also watched every single episode of "What We Do in the Shadows."
I also really REALLY enjoy whodunits and mind-benders, so "Only Murders in the Building" and "The Afterparty" rank high, as does "Severance," which for me was a DROP EVERYTHING TO WATCH IT experience.
My fam and I LOVED watching "Ms. Marvel" and "The Mysterious Benedict Society" (think middle grade Wes Anderson + the best puzzle-solving middle grade storytelling) together.
In the realm of documentary TV, "The Big Brunch," Dan Levy's cooking show (!!) is now a top fave. I literally teared up in the last couple episodes, which my husband Jeremy found hilarious.
On our list still to watch, preferably via binge over the holidays:
Reservation Dogs,
Abbott Elementary,
Andor (we started it, haven't finished),
The Bear,
Nathan Fielder's The Rehearsal,
Season 2 of Westworld,
Star Trek's Strange New Worlds,
Derry Girls,
and Bad Sisters.
One I don't care about at all? Lord of the Rings. Sorry, been there, done that, and I'm not that into elves. Does anyone think it's a must-watch?