The TV world is filled with many successes and many duds.
That especially rings true for the Science Fiction/Fantasy genres, as they are very easy to mess up.
Luckily, 2022 brought us a lot of high-quality entertainment under the umbrella!
From HBO to Netflix, there were a bunch of different Networks that aired these high-quality series.
Check out what made our list below!
House of the Dragon (HBO)
The first Game of Thrones spin-off to see the light of day started slow, but our patience was rewarded in the second half of the season.
A deep-dive into the downfall of House Targaryen made for a more focused narrative than the original series.
The casting was on point, and we don’t think any other show comes close to it in terms of production values.
The second season should be even better now that the Dance of the Dragons is underway.
Wednesday (Netflix)
We weren’t expecting much from Wednesday. I mean, it was difficult to fathom anyone could do it better after Christina Ricci owned the character in The Addams Family movies of the ’90s. We were wrong.
Jenna Ortega makes Wednesday darkly shine as a teen with her brooding stare and deadpan snarky responses. When asked how she’s getting along with her new, perky roommate, Wednesday replies, “She’s been smothering me with hospitality. I hope to return the favor. In her sleep.”
Part mystery/horror and part charming coming-of-age teen drama, Wednesday captured our hearts in glass jars for all eight episodes and left us begging for more.
Waiting for Netflix to honor the series with a second season is torture, and that’s just how Wednesday would want it.
The Winchesters (The CW)
They say that the third time’s the charm, and there’s a reason why The Winchesters was the only Supernatural spin-off to go to series after two previously failed attempts.
It has all the heart, soul, and mythology of the original series while telling new stories with already-established and new characters.
Despite going off book and telling John and Mary’s story differently, the storylines tie into what fans already know while expanding the legacy.
While there is still the second half of the first season to air in the new year, it’s never too late to hope that The Winchesters’ journey will be long.
His Dark Materials (HBO)
HBO and BBC teamed up to provide us with a faithful adaptation of Philip Pullman’s genre-redefining YA fantasy epic.
The third and final season of His Dark Materials hit all the beats. It brought the multiverse to magnificent life, with spectacular CGI and dazzling performances — particularly from Ruth Wilson, Dafne Keen, Amir Wilson, and Simone Kirby.
It tackled some heavy issues, including death, the nature of the soul, and the divinity of true love.
It’s difficult to say goodbye to this rich and magical world, but watching it executed so perfectly was worth it.
Vampire Academy (Peacock)
Vampire shows are back.
Based on the popular book series by Richelle Meade and produced by Julie Plec and Marguerite MacIntyre of The Vampire Diaries, Vampire Academy is the sole reason to get a Peacock subscription.
Unlike the books, which are solely from the main character Rose’s point of view, the show focuses on all the characters, letting Lissa and even Mason shine.
This world of royal vampires and how they function is fascinating, progressive, and groundbreaking. It needs a season 2!
Resident Alien (SyFy)
Alan Tyduk hits the right notes of absurdity as an oblivious alien who improbably manages to integrate into a small town in Colorado. The show is endearingly hokey, rich in character, and features a marshmellowshly portrait of small-town life with plenty of scenery porn in the background.
The show also features a sizeable Native American cast and delves into those but doesn’t resort to being pedantic.
It’s also harder to find a richer group of scene stealers, whether a true alien believer in Deputy Liz Baker (Elizabeth Bowen) or a former Olympian battling the type of true-to-life depression that comes from being past their prime (Alice Wetterlund).
Most importantly, the show is never limited by its science fiction roots. It aims to entertain on a deeper level.
For All Mankind (Apple TV+)
Apple TV+’s For All Mankind has shown how innovative and accepting our world could be in this history-adjacent show about the dawn of the space age.
In this timeline, our heroes raced to and settled on Mars.
It’s never easygoing, and tragedy struck multiple times during For All Mankind Season 4, but taking chances requires great risk. This show dangles the rewards of such daring behavior before our eyes.
Every year takes us places we’ve only dreamed of going, and Season 5 already promises to bring us more of the best on TV.
Raised by Wolves (HBO Max)
Raised by Wolves gave us a stellar second season, but its mistreatment by HBO Max ruined the fun for everyone.
Along with fellow science fiction series Westworld, Raised by Wolves got removed from HBO Max’s service.
The series painted a beautiful but flawed picture of androids raising children.
Raised many questions on Religion vs. Science and respectfully approached both sides of the argument.
The Peripheral (Prime Video)
The Peripheral brought the whole multiverse obsession onto the small screen.
The show hits the ground running with intrigue and doesn’t let up on the action and plot progression.
Following Flynne throughout the first season was an excellent ride due in part to the performance from (the consistently brilliant) Chloë Grace Moretz.
Hopefully, Amazon will provide us with a second season of The Peripheral because the Peripheral Season Finale left us wanting more.
Alice in Borderland (Netflix)
Before the world of Squid Game, another death-game series premiered on Netflix: Alice in Borderland.
Starring Japanese stars Yamazaki Kento and Tsuchiya Tao as the leads Arisu and Usagi, the series came back for an epic second season.
For the second season, the players are faced with even more challenging games: the twelve face-cards.”
Will Arisu, Usagi, Kuina, Ann, and Chishiya survive? Season two followed the source Manga, and reached the end of the story, so it is potentially the final season.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+)
Paramount+’s Star Trek is a franchise juggernaut with FIVE series airing in 2022. Strange New Worlds is the newest addition, arguably hotly anticipated, and unquestionably the most universally lauded.
Spinning off the adventures of Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, where Michael Burnham’s crew fell under the command of Captain Pike, the pre-Kirk Enterprise is full of the novel takes on OG TOS characters and altogether new characters with serious potential to be the new standard of a classic.
With Anson Mount (and his stylin’ hair) filling out the captain’s chair with a hefty dose of “Dad” charm and Rebecca Romijn bringing back the glamor with the firm and steady Una, the premiere season reintroduces the episodic style of Trek, many fans had missed, mixing it up with comedy, drama, and moral quandaries.
Strange New Worlds delivers a stellar anthology of tales, daring us to go boldly once again.
So Fanatics, what do you think?
Did we miss any of your favorites on our list?
Let us know in the comments below!
Michael Stack is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
