Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images)

Warning: Although we’ve done our best to avoid spoiling anything major, please note this list does include a few specific references to several of the listed shows that some might consider spoiler-y. The segment for The Great contains major reveals, so skip it if you haven't watched the latest season. (We'll give you a heads-up when we get there.)

Everything was coming up mystery in 2023, judging by our picks for Ars Technica's annual list of the best TV shows of the year. There's just something about the basic framework that seems to lend itself to television. Showrunners and studios have clearly concluded that genre mashups with a mystery at the center is a reliable winning formula, whether it's combined with science fiction ( Silo , Bodies , Pluto ), horror ( Fall of the House of Usher ), or comedy ( Only Murders in the Building, The Afterparty ). And there's clearly still plenty of room in the market for the classic police procedural ( Dark Winds , Poker Face , Justified: City Primeval ). Even many shows we loved that were not overt nods to the genre still had some kind of mystery at their core ( Yellowjackets , Mrs. Davis) , so one could argue it's almost a universal narrative framework.

Streaming platforms continue to lead, with Netflix, Apple TV+, and FX/Hulu dominating this year's list. But there are signs that the never-ending feast of new fare we've enjoyed for several years now might be leveling off a bit, as the Hollywood strikes took their toll and the inevitable reshuffling and consolidation continues. That would be great news for budgets strained by subscribing to multiple platforms, less so for those who have savored the explosion of sheer creativity during what might be remembered as a Golden Age of narrative storytelling on TV.

Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images)

Warning: Although we’ve done our best to avoid spoiling anything too major, please note this list does include a few specific references to several of the listed shows.

It's been another banner year for television, in which streaming continued to dominate with a vengeance, giving us spy thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, comedy, tormented superheroes, gritty inner-city drama, and feel-good dramedy. In fact, this is the first year without a single major network series on the Ars year-end list.

Who knows how long this cornucopia of creative goodness will last? Nearly every major streamer, including Netflix, reported at least some losses in 2022, and the outlook for next year is cloudy at best . Budgets are getting slashed, streamers are consolidating, and promising shows are being canceled left and right as streaming services adapt to the changing market environment. For now, at least, we are still reaping the benefits of past years' investments. Our top TV picks for 2022 are listed below, in no particular order. Be sure to weigh in with your own favorite 2022 shows in the comments.