The 20 Best New TV Shows of 2022 So Far
Which newcomers on the small screen have impressed reviewers the most during the first half of the year? In the gallery on this page, we rank the highest-scoring first-year TV shows (including limited series and specials) debuting between January 1, 2022 and June 30, 2022. Only shows with at least 7 reviews from professional critics are included.
It's a genre that has produced hours of quality television, yet it is also one we wish didn't exist. Following in the footsteps of recent eye-opening docuseries like Leaving Neverland , Allen v. Farrow, and Surviving R. Kelly, W. Kamau Bell's four-part Showtime series examines the life of Bill Cosby through the lens of the present day, when numerous sexual assault charges have been leveled at the one-time comedy legend. Critics praised Bell's nuanced and comprehensive approach.
“The series is outstanding enough for how it contextualizes Cosby’s legacy, especially for Black America, and the charges against him, which Cosby denies. ... But [Bell] also has a sharp critic’s eye as a performer himself. ... It’s in bringing the two sides together that 'We Need to Talk About Cosby' does something too rare in cases like this. It holds Cosby’s achievements and his wrongs close, and it recognizes that there may be unresolvable dissonance between the two.” —James Poniewozik, The New York Times