‘Better Call Saul’ was the best thing on TV in 2022. And there are some surprises in the Top 10.

The best TV show of 2022, “Better Call Saul,” wrapped up six seasons with a stellar finale — and brought to an end a TV era that began almost 15 years ago with the premiere of “Breaking Bad.”

1. “Better Call Saul” (AMC)

I don’t want to give anything away here, but this show accomplished the nearly impossible. It gave us an ending we weren’t expecting but was totally satisfying. “Saul” is one of the most remarkable shows in TV history — a prequel/sequel to another great show, “Breaking Bad,” that was surprisingly engaging, intriguing and altogether entertaining as we watched Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) transform into Saul Goodman. It’s astonishing to think that his involvement in the “Breaking Bad” saga was just a chapter in his story — and not the most important chapter.

2. “The Gilded Age” (HBO)

Sort of an Americanized version of “Downton Abbey” (from the same creator/writer, Julian Fellowes), this was about as much fun as TV got in 2022. Set in the late 19th century, it’s a big soap opera — and I mean that in the best possible way. It was Old Money vs. New Money and Upstairs vs. Downstairs that edged close to actual history, including some actual historical figures, and the characters and cast were outstanding — including Christine Baranski, Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Denee Benton, Louisa Jacobsen, Cynthia Nixon and Utah native Claybourne Elder.

3. “House of the Dragon” (HBO)

Set about two centuries before the events in “Game of Thrones,” this prequel is focused almost exclusively on a single storyline — the battle among members of House Targaryen for the Iron Throne. And it’s a helluva story made that much more spectacular by the inclusion of multiple dragons. Keep in mind that everything that happens in Season 1, which takes place over about 20 years, is just the set-up for the upcoming war that pits Targaryen against Targaryen and dragon against dragon.

4. (tie) “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” (Paramount+) and “Star Wars: Andor” (Disney+)

Is “Strange New Worlds” the best “Trek” series ever? Just one season and 10 episodes in, it’s too early to say, but … could be! This is the most traditional “Trek” since “Enterprise” (2001-05) because, although there are continuing elements, but each episode is self-contained. And in those 10 episodes, we got action, adventure, comedy, horror and more. Plus, this series has maybe the best captain in “Trek” history — Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). And the effects are fabulous, better than any “Trek” movie to date.

And although I’ve been a “Star Wars” fan since seeing the first film on opening day 45 years ago (gasp!), the more “Star Wars” TV shows there are, the less interesting I find them. But “Andor” is the exception. A prequel series to a prequel movie sounds like a terrible idea, but this origin story of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) — the hero of the 2016 film “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” — is exciting, engaging, entertaining and gorgeous to look at.

5. “Hacks” (HBO Max)

Honestly, after giving us a spectacular first season, I didn’t think this series had anywhere left to go. I was wrong — this story built around the weird partnership/mentorship relationship between legendary comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and a young comedy writer, Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), was even better in Season 2. Smart is a legend; Einbinder keeps up with her; and the characters are two of the best on TV.

6. “Wednesday” (Netflix)

This series is creepy and it’s kooky, mysterious and spooky. One might even say it’s altogether ookie. And it is, quite simply, better than any of the “Addams Family” TV series or movies that have gone before. It’s not exactly an “Addams Family” series. It’s about teenage, misanthropic Wednesday (Jenna Ortega), who is sent to a boarding school for “outcasts” — witches, werewolves, sirens, vampires, etc. — and gets caught up in a monster/murder mystery. (Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), Gomez (Luis Guzman), Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez) and Uncle Fester (Fred Armisen) are only in it briefly.) It’s fun and wildly entertaining, and Thing (Victor Dorobantu), the animated severed hand, deserves some kind of acting award.

7. “Ghosts” (CBS)

TV should be fun to watch, and this is fun. Based on a Britcom of the same title (which is streaming on HBO Max), “Ghosts” is about a young woman, Samantha (Rose McIver), who inherits an old mansion and moves in with her husband, Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar), unaware that the place is haunted. Until, that is, Samantha has a near-death experience that leaves her able to see ghosts — a viking (Devan Chandler); a Native American (Román Zaragoza); a gay Revolutionary War veteran (Brandon Scott Jones); Sam’s uptight great-great-great-great-grandmother (Rebecca Wisocky); a jazz singer (Danielle Pinnock); a hippie (Sheila Carrasco); a pantsless Wall Street bro (Asher Grodman); and a scout leader (Richie Moriarty) with an arrow through his neck … among others. “Ghosts” is consistently amusing, sometimes hilarious, and surprisingly sweet.

8. “The White Lotus” (HBO)

I was intrigued but not altogether sure I even liked Season 1 of this show. But I fell completely in love with Season 2, which traveled to gorgeous Sicily and gave us multiple captivating characters in separate but often strangely interwoven plotlines. In this age of hundreds of shows, it’s an accomplishment to create something that had viewers wondering/obsessing over who was dead and who did the killing. And it’s a huge accomplishment to pay that off with a surprising ending that wasn’t pulled out of left field.

9. “Heartstopper” (Netflix)

This heartfelt British coming-of-age series is an absolute delight — charming, funny, angsty and, yes, heart-stopping. Charlie Spring (Joe Locke), a sweet, geeky, out gay teenager, falls for popular rugby star Nick Nelson (Kit Conner), and there are complications galore. Although this centers on a gay boy, there are lessons here for everyone about love, support, standing up for yourself, and being who you are — but it never feels like it’s preaching. It’s adorable, and it will leave you feeling joy.

10. “Home Economics” (ABC)

“Abbott Elementary” gets a lot more attention than this show, but “Abbott’s” second season has been a major disappointment while “Home Economics” keeps getting better. This comedy about adult siblings (Topher Grace, Caitlin McGee and Jimmy Tatro) and their spouses and children is genuinely funny — often laugh-out-loud hilarious — which is what a sitcom is supposed to be, right?

Honorable mentions

“Abbott Elementary” (ABC); “Alaska Daily” (ABC); “All Creatures Great and Small” (PBS); “Amazing Race” (CBS); “Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire” (AMC); “Atlanta” (FX); “Bad Sisters” (Apple TV+); “The Bear” (FX on Hulu); “The Conners” (ABC); “The Crown” (Netflix); “Dark Winds” (AMC); “The Dropout” (Hulu); “The Flight Attendant” (HBO Max); “For All Mankind” (Apple TV+); “Gaslit” (Starz); “The Good Fight” (Paramount+); “His Dark Materials” (HBO); “Julia” (HBO Max); “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon); “New Amsterdam” (NBC); “Only Murders In the Building” (Hulu); “Pachinko” (Apple TV+); “The Patient” (Hulu); “Queer as Folk” (Peacock); “The Real World Homecoming: New Orleans” (Paramount+); “Reboot” (Hulu); “Reservation Dogs” (FX on Hulu); “Severance” (Apple TV+); “Star Struck” (HBO Max); “Stranger Things” (Netflix) “This Is Us” (NBC); “Welcome to Wrexham” (FX); “What We Do In the Shadows” (FX); “The Wonder Years” (ABC); “Yellowstone” (Paramount Network). “Young Sheldon” (CBS).

Notes

• This list is, by necessity, drawn from the shows I actually watched in 2022. No one has time to view or review everything — there were more than 500 scripted series this year, plus sports, news, documentaries, reality shows …

• Limiting a list to 10 is nearly impossible. (OK, this list has 11 with a tie.) I considered swapping in almost all of the shows listed as honorable mentions.

• There are a whole lot of very entertaining shows that aren’t listed above. This is a golden age of TV.

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