The best LGBTQ+ TV shows of 2022 – to make sure you didn’t miss a second
It’s been a great year for LGBTQ+ representation on our TV screens. While not our favourites will make it into 2023 (we’ll be eternally annoyed by First Kill‘s cancellation), there’s still a lot of great titles to keep you entertained.
Here, in no particular order, is a list of our highlights:
Heartstopper – Netflix
“Based on the graphic novels of the same name by series creator Alice Oseman, Heartstopper follows high school sweetie Charlie (Joe Locke), who develops a crush on jock classmate Nick (Kit Connor). The series always chooses heart-stopping romance over trauma, a welcome tone for teen coming-out stories.”
Queer as Folk – Peacock
“Set in New Orleans, Queer as Folk (2022) follows a diverse group of friends who find their lives transformed in the aftermath of a shooting at a queer nightclub called the Babylon. The group struggles with vulnerability, addiction, grief, and relationships.”
Legendary – HBO Max
“Divas battle on voguing teams called “houses,” with the chance to win a cash prize in ballsy fashion and dance challenges to ultimately achieve “Legendary” status.”
A League of Their Own – Amazon Prime
“The series, set in 1943, is about the formation of the Rockford Peaches, a women’s team in the nascent All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. While her husband is away at war, Carson Shaw leaves her small town life to pursue her dream of playing professional baseball.”
Elite – Netflix
The series is set in Las Encinas, a fictional elite high school in Spain, and revolves around the turbulent relationships of a group of teenagers. Features a lot of drama and, well, sex.
First Kill – Netflix
“In First Kill, when it’s time for teenage vampire Juliette to make her first kill so she can take her place among a powerful vampire family, she sets her sights on a new girl in town named Calliope. But much to Juliette’s surprise, Calliope is a vampire hunter, from a family of celebrated slayers. Both find that the other won’t be so easy to kill and, unfortunately, way too easy to fall for.”
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans – Shudder
“Hosted by The Boulet Brothers, this spin-off series of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula stars monster drag artists from the show’s previous seasons returning to the competition for a chance to win a $100,000 grand prize and the title of Dragula’s first Titan.”
The Sandman – Netflix
“In 1916, Morpheus, the king of dreams and one of the seven Endless, is captured in an occult ritual. After being held captive for 105 years, he escapes and sets out to restore order to his kingdom of the Dreaming.”
Sex Education – Netflix
“Sex Education is a British comedy-drama streaming television series created by Laurie Nunn for Netflix. It follows the lives of the students, staff and parents of the fictional Moordale Secondary School as they contend with various personal dilemmas, often related to sexual intimacy.” Its third season features its regular roster of now-household names and adds Shitt’s Creek’s Dan Levy to the stellar ensemble.
Gentlemen Jack – BBC/HBO Max
Gentleman Jack is a historical drama television series created by Sally Wainwright. Set in the 1830s in Yorkshire, it stars Suranne Jones as landowner and industrialist Anne Lister. The series is based on the collected diaries of Lister, which contain over four million words and are written largely in secret code, documenting a lifetime of lesbian relationships.
Severance – Apple TV+
“When a mysterious colleague appears outside of work, it begins a journey to discover the truth about their jobs. Mark, an employee of Lumon Industries, leads a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives.”
Euphoria – HBO Max/ NOW TV
“An American adaptation of the Israeli show of the same name, “Euphoria” follows the troubled life of 17-year-old Rue, a drug addict fresh from rehab with no plans to stay clean. Circling in Rue’s orbit are Jules, a transgender girl searching for where she belongs; Nate, a jock whose anger issues mask sexual insecurities; Chris, a football star who finds the adjustment from high school to college harder than expected; Cassie, whose sexual history continues to dog her; and Kat, a body-conscious teen exploring her sexuality.”
The Sex Lives of College Girls – HBO Max
“Kimberly, Bela, Leighton, and Whitney are freshman at the fictional Essex College in Vermont, and together they need to survive four years of school, with all the ups, downs, and drama that entails.”
Young Royals – Netflix
“Young Royals is a Swedish teen drama romance streaming television series on Netflix. Set at the fictional elite boarding school Hillerska, the plot primarily follows the fictional Prince Wilhelm of Sweden (Edvin Ryding), his romance with fellow male student Simon Eriksson (Omar Rudberg), and the drama it results in.”
Los Espookys – HBO
“Created by Julio Torres, Ana Fabrega, and Fred Armisen, Los Espookys is a Spanish-language (with English subtitles) comedy following a group of friends who turn their love for horror into a peculiar business, providing horror to those who need it, in a dreamy Latin American country where the strange and eerie are just part of daily life.”
Legends of Tomorrow – The CW
“Time-traveling rogue Rip Hunter must recruit a ragtag team of heroes and villains to help prevent an apocalypse that could impact not only Earth, but all of time. When heroes alone are not enough – the world needs legends.”
Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire – AMC+
In 2022, immortal vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac begins retelling his life story to journalist Daniel Molloy. In 1910, successful New Orleans brothel owner Louis is befriended by the mysterious and handsome Frenchman, Lestat de Lioncourt. Louis, burdened by his troubled younger brother Paul’s disapproval and the limitations put upon him as a black man, struggles with his increasing attraction to the flamboyant and rakish Lestat.”
The Owl House – Disney
“Accidentally sent to the world of the Boiling Isles before a trip to summer camp, a teenage human named Luz longs to become a witch, with the rebellious Eda and pint-sized demon King at her aid.”
Hacks – HBO Max
“Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas stand-up comedy diva, needs to re-invent her aging act to avoid losing her residency at the Palmetto Casino. Ava is a young comedy writer who is unable to find work due to an insensitive tweet and her reputation for being self-centered and arrogant.”
Half Bad – Netflix
“Half Bad is a drama series based on the fantasy novel trilogy by Sally Green, which tells the story of a witch who must defy the odds to discover who he truly is.”
What We Do In The Shadows – FX/Hulu
“Four vampire roommates live together in Staten Island: Nandor the Relentless, the self-appointed leader of the house; Laszlo and Nadja, a married couple; and Colin Robinson, an energy vampire who works in an office and drains humans of their energy by boring or irritating them.”