The best television shows of 2022: ‘This is Going to Hurt,’ ‘Andor’ and ‘The Bear’ are among them

With dozens of series dropping their entire seasons on one day, you could easily spend a weekend hunkered in with characters – and plotlines – that should keep you from doing anything around the house for days.

So it was with the best of 2022. Shows which didn’t graze the social media radar were still compelling television. Or, as they might say in “The Offer,” just when we thought we were out, they pulled us back in.

While we could pull an Emmys and make individual lists for series, limited series, movies and specials, we’ve mashed them together and come up with the Top 10 TV Shows of 2022:

1. This is Going to Hurt (AMC+) – While you may not have heard of this (or weren’t listening when we first started raving), this is an amazing British television series that goes behind the scenes at a hospital and shows just how unyielding the profession can be. Ben Whishaw stars as a doctor trying to help couples through pregnancy – for better or worse. He often hates his job, but can’t seem to pull away. His performance makes this a telling look at the medical industry and the people who populate it.

2. The Bear (Hulu) – Jeremy Allen White takes us into the kitchen of a Chicago sandwich shop and shows just how chaotic the world of deli meat and condiments can be. An acclaimed chef, his Carmine “Carmy” Berzatto just wants his family business to survive. Never mind he could be more content in a four-star restaurant somewhere else in the city. When he sees how the Original Beef of Chicagoland is run, he decides to change the way the work is done. It’s an uphill battle – one that leads to a resolution that should surprise everyone, most of all Carmy. White is the chef’s kiss in this series.

3. Abbott Elementary (ABC) – Quinta Brunson schools other executives with this charming comedy about a struggling Pennsylvania elementary school and its employees. As the show’s star, writer and producer, she creates characters that pop, situations that sizzle and moments that smart. Even better? She gives Sheryl Lee Ralph the valedictory moment she deserves.

4. Andor (Disney+) – Want to know how to do a “Star Wars” prequel? Ask Tony Gilroy, who makes this “Rogue One” series a real surprise. Turning the clock back five years, he shows how Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) makes his mark and aligns with “Rogue One.” The series’ special effects are better than any in a sci-fi series; the writing is top shelf.

5. Reservation Dogs (FX) – We loved this during its first season, we adore it in its second. Telling the story of four friends who live on a reservation, “Dogs” celebrates small town life in a way that few series can. While Devery Jacobs, Pauline Alexis and Lane Factor are good, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai stand out as Bear, the 17-year-old who’s trying to make it on his own. When he becomes part of a roofing crew, we see a lifetime of pain pour out and become the blueprint for reality. Co-creator Sterlin Harjo deserves the kind of contracts that networks like to throw Taylor Sheridan’s way.

6. The White Lotus (HBO) – A vacation in Hawaii was nothing compared to a week in Sicily. In Mike White’s follow-up to the superb first season, he takes Jennifer Coolidge along for the ride and introduces prostitutes, gangsters, lying spouses and a “Godfather” museum of sorts. When he shuffles the deck, White comes up aces, particularly with Coolidge who serves as the connector between seasons.The White Lotus may gain a reputation as a result of its body count but it’s the getaway you’re glad you experienced in the comfort of your own home.

7. Hacks (HBO Max) – There’s no second-season slump for Deborah Vance or Jean Smart, the woman who plays her. Heading out on a comedy tour (complete with bus and road manager), she sees a different world and a lot of antiques she just has to have. Although her assistant, Ava (Hannah Einbinder) should have been fired after stunts she pulled, she’s along for the ride and struggling to deal with the blocks Deborah puts in her way. Smart is at the top of her game. Given strong support and stronger writing, she’s unbeatable. This could be the “Mary Tyler Moore” show for the 21st century.

8. Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) – Steve Martin and Martin Short show there’s plenty of life in old-school comedy. There’s also a neat way of packaging it. With Selena Gomez by their side, this is one of those rare mystery shows the whole family will want to watch. With plenty of HOA drama to spread around, this could last a long, long time.

9. The Survivor (HBO) – Ben Foster got one of those “once-in-a-lifetime” roles as a concentration camp survivor who never forgets what kept him alive while others around him died. Directed by Barry Levinson, the film finds a new way into the story and a keen way of tapping Foster’s chameleonic ways.

10. What We Do in the Shadows (FX) – You’ve got to admit, this is one of those series folks will look at 20 years from now and say, “What were they thinking?” Living in their own chaotic world, the Staten Island vampires conjure a vampire nightclub and attract a blue-chip crowd of customers. Even better, Young Colin Robinson goes through the stages of adolescence and entertains at the night club. It’s a goofy, goofy show that fights for every laugh it gets.

Also worth noting: “The Patient,” which let Steve Carell and Domhnall Gleeson demonstrate the virtues of working with just another actor; “Better Call Saul,” which ended its run in high style; “Reboot,” which showed us the people who really make sitcoms; “Pam and Tommy,” which stretched the boundaries of reality television; “The Offer,” which prompted us to take another look at “The Godfather”; and “The Dropout,” which finally gave Amanda Seyfried the kind of work she deserves.