2022 was another productive year for television. Major franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars premiered multiple new series, bringing longtime fans back to their favorite worlds and also cultivating new viewers. The Rogue One: A Star Wars Story prequel Andor was so buzzworthy that Disney put it on broadcast TV. Not to be outdone, the MCU came along and introduced a diverse group of heroes with series like Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

But it was also a year where broadcast and cable reminded TV fans that they still have something to offer. HBO continued its tradition of big, splashy hits with its own prequel House of the Dragon and HBO Max's pirate saga Our Flag Means Death. NBC and The CW swung for the fences with series that broke the small-screen mold. With so much to be excited about, CBR's editors came together to discuss the top 10 TV shows of 2022 -- and the handful of series that didn't get as much attention as they deserved.

RELATED: 2022 Was a Bad Year for Netflix’s LGBTQ Shows - Here’s What Needs To Change in 2023

Honorable Mentions

Guillermo del Toro introducing his Cabinet of Curiosities from a vintage desk

Diane Darcy: Comprised of only eight episodes, the first season of Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities was a horror anthology like no other. Apart from honoring predecessors like The Twilight Zone and Night Gallery, each episode explored a different subgenre of horror. Stories like "Pickman's Model," "Dreams in the Witch House" and "The Murmuring" all dipped their toes in gothic horror. Others like "The Autopsy" and "The Viewing" were masterpieces in body horror. There were even stories like "The Outside" that thrive on satirical horror. Whatever one's preferences were, del Toro delivered by having something for everyone, thus making Cabinet of Curiosities recommended viewing for all horror fans.

Though the Justice Society of America made their official debut in Black Adam, it was actually in The CW's Stargirl where the team thrived. Starring Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl, the superhero drama explored the legacy of the Justice Society through the lens of high school heroes. A new team comprised of Courtney, Yolanda Montez, Rick Tyler and Beth Chapel faced off against the dangerous threat of the Injustice Society and an even deadlier villain, Eclipso. Though the series was canceled after only three seasons, it remains the best live-action adaptation of the Justice Society.

Tom Calen: The White Lotus Season 2 saw Jennifer Coolidge's Tanya return to the luxury hotel chain, though she opted for Sicily instead of Hawaii this time. Coolidge was joined by an amazing cast including Michael Imperioli, Audrey Plaza, F. Murray Abraham and breakout star Sabrina Impacciatore. Once again, murder and infidelity were at the story’s core, with some surprising twists that proved fatal for one key player.

RELATED: Bridgerton Season 3 First Look Teases Lady Whistledown's Next Pamphlet

Ordinary Joe Music Joe James Wolk

Brittany Frederick: Ordinary Joe was a one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-lifetime series. The NBC drama wasn't the first to experiment with multiple timelines, but it did what every other show has forgotten -- it showed how they worked together as well as apart. The writing by Russel Friend, Garrett Lerner and their staff was very nuanced, contemplative and unafraid to dream. The consistently undervalued James Wolk deserved an Emmy Award for portraying three distinct yet equally beautiful versions of Joe Kimbreau, and got to show off his singing talents besides.

Lissete Lanuza Sáenz: Period dramas are hard, and period romances are almost impossible, but Bridgerton built off a great ensemble and delivered sizzling chemistry and entertaining twists and turns in its sophomore season. It wasn't exactly like the book, and at times it felt like too much, but it was still impossible to look away. And the good news for fans? There’s still more to come!

Madeline Matsumoto-Duyan: The Marvel Cinematic Universe had plenty of ups and downs in 2022, but Moon Knight definitely set the bar high. Introducing a whole new cast of characters and new lore to an established franchise is no easy feat, but every week viewers were sucked into Steven Grant’s journey into Egyptian mythology and the mysteries of his own mind. Oscar Isaac’s dual performance was a tour de force and fans can’t wait to see where Moon Knight goes next.

RELATED: Stargirl Was Set to Launch an Infinity Inc. Spinoff

10. Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan walking with young Leia on Mapuzo.

The first of two live-action Star Wars series to premiere on Disney+ in 2022, Obi-Wan Kenobi had the unenviable task of revisiting a fan-favorite character whose story many believed was complete. Ewan McGregor helped fill in some of the years between Kenobi's decision to hide out on Tatooine at the end of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and his re-emergence 19 years later in Episode IV - A New Hope.

The series began with Kenobi closed off from the Force and ended with a display of power previously unseen from the Jedi Master. Hayden Christensen's return as Darth Vader was handled with skill, honoring both prequel and original trilogy canon. Though McGregor and Christensen were excellent, Vivien Lyra Blair's portrayal of Leia Organa was one of the series' highlights. The adolescent actor managed to capture the spunk and sass of Leia in a way that would have made Carrie Fisher proud. - Tom Calen

RELATED: Obi-Wan Kenobi's Reunion Brought Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor to Tears

9. Our Flag Means Death

The Revenge's crew looking up at the sky - Our Flag Means Death

Comedy sometimes has it harder than drama, in that it has to do much more – it has to be funny, yes, but it also has to be heartfelt and emotional. Our Flag Means Death excelled at all of those, and it did so without ever falling into the trap of being mean for the sake of laughs. Instead, the show about pirates ironically felt like a comfort show in the vein of Ted Lasso.

Sometimes good things happen, and there are plenty of storytelling avenues to be found in telling uplifting, happy stories about good people who accept each other and want the best for each other. And though the show wasn’t without some drama, in the end fans were more likely to smile throughout it than laugh or get upset, and that felt like a win. - Lissete Lanuza Sáenz

RELATED: Our Flag Means Death Has a Chance to Be Even Better in Season 2

8. Stranger Things

The cast of Stranger Things 4, including Dustin, Max, Steve and Lucas, looking concerned

A show like Stranger Things has, at this point, a very high bar to clear. It doesn’t just have to outdo other shows, it has to outdo its previous season. That and battle not just against monsters but expectations -- especially after such a long break between Seasons 3 and 4. The fourth season of the Netflix show somehow managed to deliver in every respect, with bigger fights, longer episodes and kids turned teenagers who felt both realistic in their triumphs and their struggles.

The show also delivered on some big moments of payoff, including the romantic connection fans had been waiting for since Season 1 and the Hopper/El reunion that perfectly capped off what is set to be the penultimate season of the show. Whether Stranger Things can end on a high note is yet to be determined, but Season 4 did the job of pushing the storytelling forward and setting the stage for a grand finale. - Lissete Lanuza Sáenz

RELATED: Netflix's Password Sharing Crackdown Starts in 2023

7. Ms. Marvel

Could Ms. Marvel Combine Two Superhero Groups?

While the MCU’s Phase Four has been largely characterized by its exploration of grief and the multiverse, Ms. Marvel brought the franchise back down to Earth and embraced the fun of superheroes. As a massive superhero fan herself, Kamala Khan was a character that any Marvel fan could relate to, but the series also took care to showcase everything that made her unique. It did not shy away from the challenges she faced as a Muslim Pakistani-American, but it never lost sight of the light either. Ms. Marvel also firmly grounded Kamala’s story in her family and her culture, lovingly intertwining it with her origin as a superhero.

With its creative visuals and catchy soundtrack, Ms. Marvel brought a chaotic, youthful energy to the MCU that managed to feel both familiar and fresh. At the center of it all was star Iman Vellani, whose portrayal truly felt like Kamala leapt off the pages of her comic book. Bolstered by a talented supporting cast, Ms. Marvel was one of the best superhero origin stories ever put to screen and certainly not an MCU project to skip. - Madeline Matsumoto-Duyan

RELATED: Ms. Marvel Was the Best New Hero of the MCU's Phase 4

6. The Sandman

Lord Morpheus/Dream, played by Tom Sturridge, wearing an all-black outfit for the show The Sandman.

Neil Gaiman is a well-known English author who has written numerous popular novels, short stories, comics and scripts for film, television and audio dramas. Some of his well-known works include Coraline, Good Omens, Neverwhere and American Gods. He has even written episodes for the popular British sci-fi series Doctor Who. However, of all of Gaiman's work, his iconic comic book series The Sandman is one that Hollywood has been looking to adapt for years. After being made into a successful audio drama, The Sandman finally found its place on television in 2022 as a Netflix series.

Starring Tom Sturridge as Morpheus/Dream, the series opened with the Ruler of The Dreaming being captured by an English occultist named Roderick Burgess and spending an entire century as his prisoner. After setting himself free, Morpheus was tasked with restoring order to both his realm and the Waking World. His travels led him to encounter his siblings Death and Desire, an occult detective named Johanna Constantine and even meeting with Lucifer in Hell. With an ensemble cast that included Charles Dance, Stephen Fry, David Thewlis, Jenna Coleman, Gwendoline Christie and more, Netflix's The Sandman was a largely faithful adaptation of the source material with modern sensibilities. - Diane Darcy

RELATED: The Sandman Deleted Scene Explains Death's Empathy for Humanity

5. Wednesday

Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams with the whole team of outcasts in Wednesday.

The Addams Family has been a popular franchise for almost a century due to the satirical nature of the kooky family. One of the more popular characters is their macabre daughter Wednesday Addams. This is largely due to how the character has been portrayed in other media, by Lisa Loring in the 1960s television series and by Christina Ricci in the 1990s films. Both actors defined Wednesday for their respective generations, which left future actors with massive shoes to fill. Fortunately for the current generation, newcomer Jenna Ortega was up to the task.

Debuting in Netflix's Wednesday by Smallville creators Miles Millar and Alfred Gough, Jenna Ortega's Wednesday upheld the legacy of her predecessors while bringing something different to the role. Like Ricci's Wednesday, Ortega's iteration came with a sharp tongue and homicidal interests. She had no interest in integrating herself into a larger society. Where she differed from her predecessors was that she was shown to be empathetic towards others -- including those who tried to murder her like her classmate Rowan. The latter's mysterious death allowed Wednesday to exercise her sleuthing skills to uncover the truth about his murder, which surprisingly tied to her own ancestry. Including the gothic visuals of Tim Burton and a powerful score from Danny Elfman and Chris Bacon, Wednesday was easily one of the best shows of 2022. - Diane Darcy

RELATED: Wednesday is Not a Harry Potter or Percy Jackson Homage, Says Creator

4. House of the Dragon

Young Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower spending time together in House of the Dragon

2022 was a great year for fantasy franchises with the debut of shows like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and The Witcher: Blood Origin. The most anticipated fantasy show of the year was House of the Dragon, the critically acclaimed prequel to the hit HBO series Game of Thrones. Set 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen, House of the Dragon covered the events leading up to the Dance of the Dragons, as depicted in Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin.

Taking place during the peak of Targaryen rule, House of the Dragon followed Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen as she grappled with her future role as Queen of Westeros. Though Rhaenyra was fully committed to becoming a just ruler, many people in positions of power objected to her ascending the Iron Throne, effectively turning friends like Alicent Hightower and Ser Criston Cole into enemies. With an ensemble cast that included Matt Smith, Paddy Considine, Emma D'Arcy and Rhys Ifans, House of the Dragon succeeded at keeping viewers on the edge of their seats as various treacheries unfolded in true Game of Thrones fashion. - Diane Darcy

RELATED: House of the Dragon Actor Finds Method Acting to Be More Efficient

3. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

She-Hulk stands in a suit in a court room.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law attracted plenty of controversy when it premiered on Disney+. There were viewers who took a while to warm up to the idea of the MCU doing a full-blown sitcom plus a whole contingent of online trolls (who were put in their place by Charlie Cox among others). But that willingness to fly in the face of expectations was what made the show endearing. It was indeed a sitcom, and funnier than most, thanks to great comic performances -- often from actors whose comedic talents were underrated. Tatiana Maslany is known for her dramatic chops, but she was hilarious, charming and relatable as Jennifer Walters, right down to the novel Season 1 ending.

What made She-Hulk truly great, though, was the depth that Jessica Gao and her team imbued it with. Yes, this was a Marvel superhero series, but it also explored Jennifer's life and challenges outside of being She-Hulk. Most impressively, it explored her legal career and was able to show off her legal talents; her courtroom battle with Cox's Matt Murdock was one of the best parts of the season. The scripts also integrated important and/or timely topics like gender issues, social media and more -- without taking away from the super-action or the fun of the Marvel world. - Brittany Frederick

RELATED: Marvel May Have Just Killed a MAJOR She-Hulk Character

2. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Morfydd Clark as Galadriel in Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Even before its debut, Prime Video's The Rings of Power faced two immutable obstacles: narrow-minded viewers who couldn't accept strong women or people of color, and J.R.R. Tolkien absolutists who couldn't abide any changes to the lore. Despite the few-but-loud naysayers, Rings of Power was a triumph. Each episode featured awe-inspiring cinematic shots that honored both Tolkien's material and Peter Jackson's interpretation. The music on the series was as epic as the visuals, with Disa actor Sophia Nomvete's "A Plea to the Rocks" an atmospheric masterpiece.

The series' cast excelled at adding new dimensions to existing characters while also seamlessly incorporating new players. Season 1 featured two mysteries -- "Who is the Stranger?" and "Which character is Sauron?" -- that unfolded throughout the season, adding an element of surprise to a property nearing its 70th birthday. Hopefully, the second season will continue with confidence and not bend to the will of a negative minority. - Tom Calen

RELATED: Every Clue to Sauron's True Identity on The Rings of Power

1. Andor

Diego Luna as Cassian Andor in prison uniform from Andor on Disney Plus

Andor was the kind of show that had to be many different things to be successful, which made it all the more likely that it wouldn’t. It had to be Star Wars, but it also had to introduce something new to a franchise people had many expectations from. That the show didn’t just succeed, but that it was emotional and groundbreaking while still fitting within the context of the franchise, isn’t just a win -- it’s proof that there’s plenty of life in a galaxy far, far away.

Most of the strength of the show was in its relatability. Cassian Andor was no Jedi, and the people around him were not calculated leaders. They were mostly just people trying to fight back against injustice in whatever way they could. All of them might not have won, but if Andor taught fans something it’s the value of just trying hard, even in the face of insurmountable odds. - Lissete Lanuza Sáenz