TVIf 2020 was the year in which productions were paused and disinfected, then2022 was the year in which you were buried under an unprecedented load ofpostponed top entertainment. The dragons from ‘Game of Thrones’ made theircomeback, as did Tolkien’s rings. Adil and Bilall brought a new twist to theMarvel Universe, and Ben Stiller blasted your way into an ominous sci-fithriller about work-life balance. Didn’t you get any of that but dug intoyourself hoping that you would catch up once someone put the best series in atotally biased year-end overview? Then you’re in luck. Today: part one of the22 best international series of 2022.
22. ‘Our Flag Means Death’ (Streamz)
Inspired by the true story of Stede Bonnet, an unadventurous aristocrat whoovernight decides to become a pirate and gets involved with the most fearedcorsair of all: Blackbeard. In this madcap HBO series, David Jenkins quicklyditches historical accuracy and trades it for mischievous, boundary-pushingfeel-good starring Taika Waititi as Blackbeard.
21. ‘Queer as Folk’ (TV Vlaanderen)
Unfortunately already canceled after one season, this reboot of thegroundbreaking British series from 1999, which already got an American remakein 2000, already started a promising third round. All the more so as theseries shifted focus from the gay scene to the much wider LGBTQ+ community andfocused on the devastating consequences of a hate crime in a queer nightclub.A fiction that is still too often reality.
20. ‘The Sandman’ (Netflix)
Forget Tim Burton’s ‘Wednesday’, the only goth series that made an impressionthis year was ‘The Sandman’. This dark fantasy drama based on the DC comics ofthe same name by Neil Gaiman left even most of the Marvel shows this yeardreaming of multiple sequel seasons starring Tom Sturridge as the deep-voicedDream.
19. ‘Night Sky’ (Prime Video)
An elderly couple who can apparently travel to a ‘galaxy far, far away’ via asecret passage in their garden house? This Amazon Original is not devoid ofsome miraculous, endearing moments and starring Sissy Spacek and JK Simmons isthe ultimate proof that a TV series starring two cracking oldies can be justas captivating as shows dominated by young violence.
18. ‘Mrs. Marvel’ (Disney+)
Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah had to make a cross this year about their film’Batgirl’, with ‘Ms. Marvel’ they were still able to leave their mark on thesuperhero genre. Although opinions about Kamala Khan’s elastic fists – or lackthereof – are divided, the two have conjured up an authentic superhero storyfor which the not always original Disney can thank them.
17. ‘Pam & Tommy’ (Disney+)
It was from 1996 that there was still so much to do about the sex tape ofPamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. And while it’s not exactly proper to hang aseries on what we would label “revenge porn” these days, we can’t help butnotice that actress Lily James went through an amazing metamorphosis and givesthe “Baywatch” star a realness. which is beyond her living Barbie doll image.
16. ‘Chloe’ (Prime Video)
What if your social media obsession with a recently deceased old acquaintancegoes so far that one day you take over her entire life? ‘Chloe’ draws you intoa voyeuristic thriller in which ‘The Crown’ actress Erin Doherty assumes a newidentity to investigate the death of her recently deceased acquaintance whilereaping the benefits of her perfect life.
15. ‘The Bear’ (Disney+)
Fans of fine cuisine who want to sharpen all their senses and don’t mindraising their blood pressure, have come to the right place at ‘The Bear’. Inthis series, a young master chef descends on barren Chicago to revive hisfamily’s loss-making sandwich bar. Colorful characters who bump into eachother ‘The Sopranos’-wise, but also share victories together? Check!
14. ‘Tokyo Vice’ (Streamz)
Based on the memoir of the same name by American journalist Jake Adelstein,this HBO Max thriller series stars actor Ansel Elgort as a budding crimereporter as he traverses neon-hued Tokyo to uncover police corruption. Grayand mind-stimulatingly good. The first episode will be directed by executiveproducer Michael Mann himself.
13. ‘The Rings of Power’ (Prime Video)
It was nail-biting to see what Amazon would do with JRR Tolkien’s belovedsaga, but the most expensive series ever made (nearly $500 million, please)didn’t disappoint. Despite the fact that the makers – with the permission ofthe heirs – took a lot of creative liberties with the source material, thewhole thing looks phenomenal and we can only hope that the rest of the seriesmaintains the same level.
12. ‘Irma Vep’ (Streamz)
In 1996 Olivier Assayas made a satirical film that poked fun at the difficultshooting period of the French cult film series ‘Les Vampires’ from 1916.Twenty-six years later, the director is back with a remake of that remake inthe form of an eight-part tragicomic HBO series that takes a new look behindthe scenes of today’s entertainment industry and French filmmakers on theverge of a nervous breakdown.