What a year it’s been for television. 2022 has seen a host of incredible new and returning shows land on streaming services, with Netflix firmly at the forefront of the streaming world.
The platform boasts an incredible global viewership, aided by several flagship shows that continue to break records upon their release. From Stranger Things to The Crown, viewers can’t get enough of the explosive content that Netflix continually puts out year on year.
So if you’re looking forward to a good old streaming binge over the Christmas period, but are in the mood for something not-so festive, you’re in luck. Here, we have compiled our top 10 Netflix shows from 2022 that are available to stream now for your viewing pleasure.
READ MORE: The new films and shows out on Netflix this Christmas weekend
Stranger Things
The critically acclaimed Stranger Things has proved one of Netflix’s biggest hits throughout its four-season run. It follows a group of friends who come together to fight mysterious supernatural entities from a dark parallel dimension underneath their fictional hometown of Hawkins, Indiana.
With its fourth season – released in two parts in May and July this year – Stranger Things became the second Netflix show to reach more than one billion hours viewed within its first 28 days on the platform, and went on to become the most viewed English-language Netflix series ever. Its final two episodes were so popular, Netflix’s servers briefly crashed due to the volume of fans trying to stream the show all at the same time.
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Ozark
Ozark follows mild-mannered financial advisor Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) and his family as they relocate to the Missouri Ozarks to launder money for a Mexican drug cartel. What follows is the Byrde family’s slow descent into criminality as they get sucked deeper into the criminal underworld, in a similar vain to Breaking Bad’s Walter White.
Ozark wrapped up with its fourth and final season earlier this year, as fans bid farewell to the Byrde family. Overall, the show has received a whopping 45 Emmy nominations and four wins, with particular praise given to the performances and direction.
The Crown
Netflix’s flagship royal drama returned for its fifth season earlier this year, as fans joined the Royal Family through one of their most turbulent periods. Scandals, divorces, fires, the Windsor’s experienced it all in the latest series of The Crown, which proved yet another roaring success for Netflix.
But the show also attracted major controversies this year. Production was halted in September following the Queen’s death, with some commentators later slamming it for airing too soon after the monarch’s passing.
Some critics also felt the show needed to be more clearly marked as a work of fiction, with even a former prime minister speaking out against the series. Regardless of its criticisms, The Crown has been a smash-hit, with season five topping Netflix’s global top 10 with almost 200m hours watched in its first two weeks on the platform.
Bridgerton
This romantic period drama follows the siblings of a noble and powerful family as they navigate London’s high society in search of love and happiness alongside friends and rivals alike. In just two seasons, Bridgerton has cemented itself as a favourite amongst Netflix viewers.
Its second season broke the record for the most watched English-language television series on the platform when it was released in March, before Stranger Things knocked it off the top spot just a few months later. Within a month of season two’s launch on the platform, Bridgerton had already been renewed for a third and fourth season.
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
True crime shows have been all the rage in recent years. Ever since Making a Murderer launched in 2015, streaming services have been dropping countless true crime documentaries and dramas year after year.
But in 2022, there was one true crime show in particular that really struck a chord with fans. Following the gruesome exploits of American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, Monster caused a stir as viewers became acquainted with one of the world’s most twisted figures.
The Jeffrey Dahmer Story soared straight to Netflix’s global top 10 when it was released in September, where it stayed for three weeks before spending a further two weeks in the number two spot. Over the course of those five weeks, the series was watched for an incredible 893m hours, and later became the third Netflix show to exceed 1bn hours viewed.
Cobra Kai
More than 30 years since Mr. Miyagi taught young Daniel LaRusso how to paint a fence, the karate kid returned to screens in the original sequel series Cobra Kai. The show recentres its narrative from the point-of-view of Daniel’s old rival, Johnny Lawrence, and begins with his decision to reopen the Cobra Kai karate dojo.
After streaming on YouTube for its first two seasons, Cobra Kai moved to Netflix, where it has stayed for a further three well-received seasons. The show currently holds an overall Certified Fresh 95 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and its fourth season entered Netflix’s top 10 in 83 countries.
All of Us Are Dead
South Korea has become known as exporter of some amazing content in recent years. Following Bong Joon-ho's Oscar-winning 2019 drama Parasite, and Netflix’s hit 2021 series Squid Game, the East Asian country impressed viewers yet again earlier this year with All of Us Are Dead.
The series takes place in a high school in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, as the trapped students are caught in a bloody fight for survival, doing all they can to avoid joining the undead. The show spent 11 weeks in Netflix’s global top 10 when it was released in January, and was renewed for a second season in June.
Harry & Meghan
If you haven’t heard about Harry & Meghan, then you must have spent the last few weeks living under a rock. The limited series – which presents a behind-the-scenes look into the lives of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – hit the headlines around the world, as viewers finally heard the Sussex’s version of the events that have caused controversy for the Royal Family in recent years.
Containing bombshell revelations about life in the spotlight, Harry & Meghan gave the royal couple the opportunity to tell their truth about living under intense media and public scrutiny. Over six episodes, the series gives a fascinating and at times troubling insight into life in the institution of the British Royal Family.
Inventing Anna
Starring American actress Julia Garner – who won three Emmys for her role in Ozark – Inventing Anna recounts the amazing true story of Russian-born fraudster Anna Sorokin. Living under the assumed name Anna Delvey, the con artist managed to swindle New York City’s upper echelon into believing she was a German heiress with access to a vast fortune.
Between 2013 and 2017, Sorokin used her fake persona to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, goods and services before she was arrested and convicted for her crimes. Inventing Anna spent three weeks as Netflix’s most-watched show around the world when it was released in February, when it was watched for more than 400m hours.
Manifest
Manifest follows the passengers of Montego Air Flight 828, which experienced a brief period of severe turbulence when flying to the US from Jamaica. When it landed in New York, the passengers and crew found out that more than five years have passed while they were in the air, and all on board have long been presumed dead.
Originally airing in the US on NBC, the show was cancelled following its third season, but not before Netflix added it to the platform where it immediately topped the viewing charts. It proved such a hit for the streaming giant that the show was soon renewed for a fourth season, the first 10 episodes of which dropped in November
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