In 2022, it has been very enjoyable to be allowed to leave the house again after all those lockdowns. But let’s face it, the number of must-watch TV shows that have been released this year has also made staying in a great temptation. The year 2022 has already brought us an abundance of amazing television, from returning programs that have raised the stakes and added more twists to brand-new outstanding shows that are taking us to completely new worlds.
The box has once again hooked us with compelling dramas and uplifting comedies that showcase beloved characters and blockbuster-level production qualities making them the must-watch TV shows across both streaming services and traditional terrestrial.
Must-watch TV Shows of 2022 So Far!
- Stranger Things: Season 4
We didn’t return to Hawkins for three years, but boy, the wait was worthwhile. The gang attempts to stop cruel serial killer Vecna while being more alienated than ever in Stranger Things’ largest and deadliest season to date.
With the release of Volume 2, the Duffer brothers’ nostalgic supernatural thriller series surpassed viewing records for Netflix, reigniting the world’s love for Kate Bush and creating a new metal idol in Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) (no doubt helped by those incredibly long, but undoubtedly earned episode runtimes). Season 4 of Stranger Things is pure blockbuster must-watch TV show, thrilling, emotional, and cleverly links together the events of previous seasons while setting us up for an epic fifth and ending a trip to the Upside Down.
The hitman everyone loves is back. The soldier-turned-assassin-turned-want wannabe-actor reached all kinds of rock bottoms in the third season of Bill Hader’s darkest of comedies as he continues to escape accepting responsibility for his actions. Barry is forced to take even greater measures to keep his secret hidden now that his father figure and former acting coach Gene Cousineau (a flawless Henry Winkler) is aware of it, provoking the wrath of his old manager Fuches (Stephen Root), and alienating girlfriend Sally (Sarah Goldberg), who is currently shown running her own series.
The comedy is more delightfully straight and surreal, the action is more intricate and thrilling, and the dark moments are taken to the next level. They’re darker than ever, boy. Hader has validated his directorial skills with this season, which makes the news that he will be directing every episode of the fourth season all the more thrilling.
- This is Going to Hurt
This Is Going To Hurt, which is based on Adam Kay’s best-selling memoir of the same name, immerses the audience in the tumultuous life of a young doctor working in the NHS’s overcrowded and underfunded Obstetrics and Gynecology department. As Kay himself, Ben Whishaw delivers a performance of his career-best, capturing the charm, humor, and cruelty demanded of the role and mastering the art of breaking the fourth wall. This is a must-watch show in 2022.
Rory Fleck Byrne also offers good support as lover Harry, both of whom are frequently in the firing line when Adam’s overwhelm hits breaking point. Newcomer Ambika Mod impresses as new junior colleague Shruti. A terrific, tragically humorous drama that raises the bar for material adapted for the screen and provides a striking picture of the experiences of UK healthcare workers.
- Sherwood
This enormously ambitious six-part BBC1 drama, written by James Graham (Quiz), explores the scandalous use of “spy cops” — police officers sent as undercover infiltrators into “radical” communities where they often stayed for years, forging relationships with people who had no idea who they were. Part riveting crime drama, part intensely moving reflection on the devastating impact of the 1984 miners’ strike on working-class communities.
This extraordinary effort feels like the spiritual successor of classic series by people like Alan Bleasdale, Dennis Potter, and Jimmy McGovern because it features a Rolls Royce ensemble of legendary British actors (David Morrissey, Lesley Manville, and Adeel Akhtar!). It just makes this one of the must-watch TV shows of 2022.
- Peaky Blinders: Season 6
The story of the Brummie gangsters with the razors in their flat caps written by Steven Knight has been nothing short of a phenomenon. The BBC drama, which transformed a group of working-class criminals from Small Heath into the Rolling Stones of organized crime, competed head-to-head with anything the United States could produce.
After Helen McCrory’s tragic passing, the series slows down and has a somber, introspective tone in its final season. But by the time Tommy’s damnation or redemption hung in the balance in the final episodes, with all the vigor and swagger we’ve come to anticipate, we were once again reminded that Knight’s whisky-soaked, bullet-scored drama is among the most compelling and operatic things on television and is one of the must-watch TV shows of 2022.
Also Read:
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Stranger Things Season 4 Review – Bigger and Gruesome than Ever!