Disney+ and Hulu have churned out several original series in 2022. Some have been great while others have been less than stellar. I was able to review nearly 20 of them this year and I saw some great television and some not-so-great television. I’m going to rank the Top 10 Original Series I was able to review on Disney+ and Hulu in 2022.

10. THE SANTA CLAUSES

The return of Tim Allen to the Santa suit is not something I thought was needed in 2022, but I’m very glad that it happened. This series provided a better appearance for Scott Calvin than “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause.” It was a fun, lighthearted series that helped get me in the Christmas spirit.

9. WILLOW

The return of the sorcerer from the 1980s movie from LucasFilm has brought a fun return to the fantasy genre. This series can’t compete with someone looking for the more adult themes of “House of Dragon” or “Rings of Power,” but, for fans of the original film, it’s done a wonderful job of capturing the spirit and advancing the storyline.

8. OBI-WAN KENOBI

“Star Wars” properties have been hit or miss for years, and while there’s some obvious flaws with this series, “Obi-Wan Kenobi” was a wonderful return to form after the failure of “The Book of Boba Fett.” Ewan MacGregor was always a favorite part of the prequel trilogy and seeing him return to the titular role and still pull it off effortlessly was a lot of fun. The writing wasn’t the best, but nostalgia did a lot to carry this series into my top 10.

7. MIKE

This unauthorized dramatization of Mike Tyson’s life, loosely based on his one-man show, was an interesting undertaking that I didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I did. He doesn’t hide from his controversial past, but acknowledges it and that’s what makes so many believe in his redemption story. The episode featuring his rape trial is a very difficult watch, but this series still captures the attention, even if Tyson, himself, was opposed to its creation.

6. THE DROPOUT

The story of controversial billionaire Elizabeth Holmes and how she bilked people whose lives were literally on the line is amazingly well done and shows the range of Amanda Seyfried as an actress. I was not expecting to be so enraptured by this story as I was. You really feel for Holmes at the beginning and then come around to really despise her at the end. Given how her story ended with her being sentenced for her crimes, it’s amazing how this series told the story of her rise and fall.

5. THE OLD MAN

Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow both manage to steal the show in this series about a pair of ex-government agents who are now on opposite sides of a battle. Both bring such a commanding presence that it’s impossible not to be rooting for each of them to get the upper hand on the other. This is an incredibly well-told story with two incredible leads carrying all of the suspense.

4. UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN

This limited series tackles a murder in Utah and how it led to some major issues for the Mormon Church. Andrew Garfield shines as a devout Mormon detective who has his very faith shaken by the facts he uncovers while investigating the murder of a young woman and her baby. We see how warped some men’s minds can become when they believe they are on a righteous path and the troubles it brought to their families and those who were near them. It’s a powerful series.

3. MOON KNIGHT

The Marvel TV series took a turn away from what many fans had known with this series. In 2021, Marvel tackled known heroes and villains like Wanda Maximoff, Vision, Falcon, The Winter Soldier, Loki and Hawkeye. In 2022, they branched out and introduced Moon Knight. It was an incredibly well told series that introduced a new hero and got several comic book fans excited about the potential of a Midnight Sons storyline down the road. The final episode felt a bit rushed, but it was still the best Marvel series this year for me.

2. ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING

The wonderful show about podcasters who get caught up in murder investigations returned for a second season and continued to steal the show. Steve Martin and Martin Short have long played well off of each other and Selena Gomez proved she could hang with two comedy legends. It clearly set up another murder investigation for season three and I can’t wait to see it.

1. ANDOR

The best series I had the privilege to review this year was “Andor.” This series blew every other Disney “Star Wars” effort out of the water, with the exception of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” Tony Gilroy’s epic first season provided the best dialogue ever seen in “Star Wars.” Plus, the street level aspect of this series finally made the Empire feel menacing again for the first time since the original trilogy.

Those are my top 10 series that I was able to review for 2022. Which ones did you like? Which ones did you hate? What’s in your top 10?

Jeremy Brown

Jeremy has been a big Disney fan since he was a kid growing up during the Disney Renaissance. One day he hopes to go to every Disney Park in the world.

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