This year was supposed to be the year that television nosedived into a creative slump. Worriers theorized that the darkest days of the pandemic had disrupted so many productions that there'd be nothing left worth watching by the time 2022 rolled around: Think of it as the entertainment equivalent of those half-stocked shelves at Target and Walmart.
Thankfully, that tragic prophecy did not come true. Excellent returning series included "Never Have I Ever," "Reservation Dogs," "Stranger Things" and the sendoffs of "Better Call Saul" and "Better Things." But for the sake of time and bandwidth, my top 10 list is limited to new series — and one small dedication to dance numbers. There was no better year to cut loose and celebrate the fact that we'd made it through the worst of times (fingers crossed) and that the good television didn't dry up with the rest of the supply chain.
'Our Flag Means Death' (HBO Max)
