Top-Rated Scripted Series of 2022
In 2022, HBO's "White Lotus" led the scripted field with a 94% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and an average of 8.1/10 on IMDb, becoming the highest-rated new U.S. drama of the year. The series also set a benchmark for streaming-era prestige TV by winning 10 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited Series, and drove a 12% increase in HBO Max subscriptions in its first month, according to internal company reports shared with investors. The show's per-episode production budget was estimated at $3 million, a level typical of premium cable limited series as reported by Forbes. Another top performer was Apple TV+'s "Severance," which scored 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and became Apple's most-discussed original series launch, helping the service reach over 25 million paid subscribers by year-end per Forbes data.
Among broadcast network scripted series, NBC's "This Is Us" remained the most consistent performer, averaging a 1.2 rating in the 18–49 demographic across its final season and earning 10 Emmy nominations. ABC's "Abbott Elementary" delivered the highest live-plus-same-day rating for a new comedy at 1.0, and its second season premiere drew 3.6 million viewers, making it the top-rated new sitcom on broadcast TV in 2022. Both series outperformed the broadcast network averages, which were 0.6 for dramas and 0.4 for comedies in the same demographic, according to Nielsen data as reported by Nielsen.
Leading Reality, Unscripted, and Docuseries
Netflix's "Squid Game" became the platform's most-watched series launch ever, with 1.65 billion hours viewed in its first 28 days, according to Netflix's internal engagement metrics shared with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Korean-language survival drama topped the Nielsen top 10 streaming originals chart for four consecutive weeks and drove a 20% increase in new Netflix sign-ups in the U.S. during its premiere month per SEC filings. In the reality space, HBO Max's "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" Season 4 premiere delivered 1.2 million same-day viewers, making it the most-watched premiere in the franchise's history and a top performer for the network's unscripted slate.
Discovery+'s "The Traitors" emerged as a breakout unscripted hit, averaging 1.1 million viewers per episode in its first U.S. season and earning a 92% Rotten Tomatoes critics score. The format, adapted from the Dutch series "De Verraders," was later picked up for a second season by NBC, reflecting strong advertiser demand for high-engagement reality formats. In the docuseries category, HBO's "The Staircase" and Hulu's "Dopesick" both ranked in the top