It’s been an excellent year for television, with some top-class entertainment released in 2022. But the addition of streamers to the traditional TV channels means the amount of choice can be a bit bewildering, so here’s my top ten TV programmes of the year. They are a mixture of drama, documentary, history and personal stories and if you’ve had your fill of festive season quiz shows, all of these are still available to watch
10 Anxious People, Netflix, January
Hidden gem of a six-episode series exploring the relationship between eight people who are taken hostage in a Swedish apartment by a would-be bank robber. It’s presented as a comedy drama, but like any good piece of fiction, it explores the human condition.
9 Why Ships Crash, BBC, January
The story of how the mega-container ship Ever Given got stuck in a bank of the Suez Canal, crashing the world’s supply chain already under pressure from Covid. The reasons for the crash were complex but ultimately it boiled down to something common to many traffic accidents – bad weather. In this case high wind and too much speed.
8 Cold Case Collins, RTE, August
A ‘decade of centenary’ offering from RTE, this puts a CSI spin on the killing of the National Army chief of staff, Michael Collins in 1922. Former state pathologist Marie Cassidy leads the review which concludes by dismissing some of the outlandish conspiracy theories around his death as impossible.
7 Sr, Netflix, December
Robert Downey Jr’s moving tribute to his father, also Robert, a movie maker and Parkinson’s sufferer who is nearing the end of his life. It’s filmed in the style of Sr’s art-house movies and explores the love of life, of art and between a father and son.
6 The Bear, Disney Plus, October
Intense, captivating and original, Bear is a kitchen-based drama buzzing with the intensity of chefs, money, redemption and family dynamics.
5 Skandal: Bringing Down Wirecard, Netflix, September
The true story of an astonishing business fraud which fooled everyone except some short-sellers and a journalist at the Financial Times. Wirecard, a German based digital payments company, was a phenomenon until it was unmasked as a deep fake, with a helping of Russian intelligence operatives.
4 Sherwood, BBC, June
Based on a real-life murder in a pit village in the north of England where the scars of the miners’ strike remain decades after the rancour and confrontation. It’s crime drama at its finest. Sherwood fizzes with superb writing and quality acting.
3 Pistol, Disney Plus, May
The dramatised story of the Sex Pistol in 1970s London. Directed by Danny Boyle, the series is based on the book ‘Lonely Boy’ by the band’s guitarist Steve Jones. Pistol is an important reminder of a time when being offended was one of the challenges life threw at you, while the power and sheer effrontery of the music is extraordinary.
2 The Irish Civil War, RTE, December
Landmark, three-hour retelling of the nine-month civil war which claimed the lives of thousands and split Irish nationalism in two. Produced by RTE in association with University College Cork to mark a century after disagreement about the Treaty with Britain led to brother fighting brother.
1 The Responder, BBC, January
Martin Freeman plays Chris Carson, a police officer in Liverpool whose life is slowly falling apart. He’s angry and depressed. He’s a good cop who wants to help people but he’s a bit corrupt as well and his best friend is a drug dealer. It’s written by former police officer Tony Schumacher, a Liverpudlian who said serving as a cop nearly destroyed him.
