The 10 Best TV Shows of 2022 - The Boston Globe (2023)

2. "America and the Holocaust"

This powerful and haunting three-part documentary series answers all the questions about what we did and didn't do in this country, and why, as Hitler and his followers murdered Europe's Jews before and during World War II. It answers in detail and with historical context and without the simple simplifications that we have become accustomed to in the age of social networks. But the pain, and what makes the latest from Ken Burns, Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein a punch in the stomach, is this.It's about the present as well as the past.🇧🇷 The parallels are striking, especially with anti-Semitism now being spoken loudly and spray-painted in synagogues across America, with the approval of politicians and celebrities, as hate descends on us. The correlations spanning nearly 100 years highlight the wide gap between American myth and reality and confirm the need for this essential work.(PBS)

3. "Someone Somewhere"

You can't get much further from out-of-the-box TV series than this hot vehicle into the life of singer and performer Bridget Everett. Like other good middle-aged shows like Better Things, it's a TV autofiction, starring Everett as a middle-aged woman grieving the loss of her sister and trying to find her kind of person in an uptight small town in Kansas. . Everett is a stunning presence, especially whenShe sings at open mics, and also Jeff Hiller as his complicated and supportive new best friend. Together, they bring Will and Grace into the real world, bringing home a universal message: home is where love is found.(HBO)

4. "Damage"

The saddest episode of The Office? Here is a riveting sci-fi drama that 100% captures the creepy and haunting atmosphere of 2022. It is beautifully acted, Adam Scott employs his deadliest emotions as a grieving widower, and the set design and cinematography are precise, elegant, and spectacular. Set in a cold-hearted company whose employees can split their brains at work and at home, the story sees Scott and his colleagues, an excellent cast including Britt Lower, John Turturro and Zach Cherry, performing frustrating computing tasks. and nonsense and are curious about his after-school life. The program raises big questions: how vulnerable are we to exploitative employers? At what point does emotional isolation go from supportive to dangerous? - but it's the intriguing story that will captivate you.(AppleTV+)

5. "Blackbird"

Another Apple TV+ winner, this six-episode story, adapted by Dennis Lehane from the memoir In with the Devil, is a terrifying "Minhunter-esque" journey into the twisted mind of a murderer. It's also a closer look at another man, a crafty ladies' man trapped by drugs and guns, played by Taron Egerton, who is just beginning to develop a conscience. He has a chance at parole if he's willing to travel to the heart of darkness and lure Paul's serial killer, Walter Hauser, into a confession. Ultimately, the show belongs to Hauser, who is withyour childish singing voice and civil war hoes, is surprisingly bright. It's the kind of performance that should win any award. (AppleTV+)

6. "The Bear"

Compensation wasn't the only powerful display of stress at work this year. And "Somebody Somewhere" wasn't the only compelling story of grief. "The Bear," starring Jeremy Allen White as executive chef Carmy Berzatto, tackles both as the grieving Carmy takes over his late brother's Chicago restaurant and tries to elevate the business and drain his emotions toward addiction. to work. Created by Christopher Storer of “Ramy,” the drama captures what a pressure cooker a restaurant can be when the doors open, and is fueled by masterful, constantly moving cinematography that transforms a crowded kitchen and its endless stacks of dishes into a... world transformed from his own. The set is particularly good.Ayo Edebirias Carmy's new hire. In short, “O Urso” is [the cook's kiss].(Hulu)

7. "This is going to hurt."

Yes, more stress at work, this time in a hospital that sometimes feels like a war zone. I'm not sure many have seen this British medical drama only available on AMC+ and that's a shame. An excellent adaptation of former physician Adam Kay's memoir, it follows his painful experiences of being overworked in the crowded OB/GYN ward of a hospital. the show is ondying withdrawalof a broken system and destroyed the lives of patients, nurses and doctors. Like Kay, The Hour and A Very English Scandal's Ben Whishaw she is phenomenal, missing his joy, his private life, his dream and, tragically, his professional excellence, but never his sharp wit. 🇧🇷 Whishaw stays true to his character's sneer and temper, refusing to make him likable behind it all (as we often see on network TV). Congrats also to Ambika Mod for being your tormented intern.(AMC+)

8. "Interview with the Vampire"

Anne Rice's 1976 gothic novel finally gets the sly existential adaptation it deserves. The Transport Series is a richly crafted vision of something we all think we want: immortality. It turns out to be a lonely and indifferent existence from which you will never escape, an existence filled with death and destruction for all but you and your kind. Created by HBO's Friday Night Lights writer-producer Rollin Jones and Perry Mason, and set in New Orleans, the show alters story details from the novel in a way that works spectacularly well, even if it may frustrate purists. . Louis, now black and gay, is moved by poignant emotions.Jacob Anderson, and her love story with the Frenchman Lestat (Sam Reid) is as passionate as it is destructive.(AMC)

9. "The Serpent Queen"

Television loves a queen, real ("The Crown") or made up ("House of the Dragon"), especially when she's struggling with court politics. This intrigue-filled drama reimagines the real life of Catherine de' Medici, the Italian noblewoman who became the notorious and ruthless queen of France in the 16th century. Her fierce struggle for relevance is both intriguing and endearing here, having been cruelly married at the age of 14 to Henry II, who isalready in love with an older woman🇧🇷 Ultimately, the show belongs to Samantha Morton, aalways noticeableActress whose controlled intensity is a marvel here. When she occasionally breaks the fourth wall, her incidents create an intimacy with the modern viewer, as if she knows the future will understand her more than her present.(Popa)

10. "Random"

I had so much fun watching this sassy, ​​culturally savvy, charming and intelligent comedy that it made me think of "GLOW". Set in the 1970s, it is a fast-paced fictional account of the creation of the first adult magazine for women, in which a feminist, Ophelia Lovibond's Joyce, and a pornography editor, Jake Johnson's Doug, join forces to make it come true The back and forth between the unlikely couple is fun -both are viable characters and caricatures– with Johnson particularly well as the underdog walking the line between sleazy and liberated. There's a lot of nudity on the show, including male organs, which you might expect from a story about losing shame for our bodies and our desires.(HBO max)

THE TEN SECONDS

Any other day, any one of them could have made it into my top 10.

"Fleishman's in Trouble"The changes of midlife are the subject of this post-divorce drama starring Jesse Eisenberg, Claire Danes and Lizzy Caplan. His changing perspectives are masterful.(Hulu)

"We own this city"Blatant police corruption, that's their job, courtesy of The Wire's David Simon and George Pelecanos. As a nihilistic sergeant, Jon Bernthal is terrifying.(HBO)

"The patient"Steve Carell's therapist is kidnapped by Domhnall Gleeson's patient, who turns out to be a serial killer looking for a cure. It's "In Treatment" set in hell.(Hulu)

"After Death Party"Set in a high school reunion where someone is killed, the smart and stylistically imaginative crime comedy has a similar structure to Rashomon. The cast, including Tiffany Haddish as a detective, is a lot of fun.(AppleTV+)

"Pam y Tommy"Lily James and Sebastian Stan throw themselves into the roles of Pam Anderson and Tommy Lee and they are riveting. The story reimagines the sextape saga that earned him a high five and his harsh public trial.(Hulu)

"Slow Horses"Gary Oldman distinguishes himself as the bright, scruffy, ill-tempered, hard-drinking leader of a group of downgraded MI5 agents. It's a spy thriller with a smile.(AppleTV+)

"Abbott Elementary School"Quinta Brunson's mockumentary Office is the network's first impressive series in a long time, and it's packed with hilarious characters. The chemistry of the group is attractive.(A B C)

"Dark Winds"Based on the books "Leaphorn & Chee" by Tony Hillerman, this impressive cinematic thriller is set on the Navajo Nation in 1971. As a tribal police officer investigating murders, Zahn McClarnon is captivating.(AMC)

"Start again"About the reboot of an old sitcom, this one features plenty of meta-humor and a strong cast led by Rachel Bloom and Paul Reiser. It's a nice tv show about tv shows.(Hulu)

"Drunken Single Woman"A drama set in the Boston area about a young woman coming to terms with sobriety and dealing with all the feelings she's trying to manage.(Free form)

Matthew Gilbert can be reached atmatthew.gilbert@globe.com🇧🇷 Follow him on Twitter@MatthewGilbert.