Newsday from New York, New York • B20

Twenty twenty-two was a great year for TV but also a great year for too much TV. Where (oh where) to begin? At least these shows made the choices easier. my list for the best series in a year that overflowed with excellence. 1. CALL (AMC) wrapped five seasons with a reminder (or affirma- tion) that change is possible while character necessar- ily destiny.

But what made this last season so resonant was that deeper exploration of fate and human agency in an indif- ferent universe or a divine one, rough-hewed as that divinity might seem at times. 2. Arriving late in 2022, this Tony Gilroy trilogy) prequel to (2016) and the original (1977) reprised Diego rebel spy from the film. Along with a first-rate cast and creative team, Gilroy both re-imagined and reordered the original themes, and did so thrillingly, while his steampunk masterpiece explored questions of power, and freedom, in ways the George Lucas rootstock only seemed to scratch at. 3.

WHITE (HBO) The second season improved upon the first, while the shock ending set up a whole new for the third. Like the first, it worked flaw- lessly on all the obvious levels eye candy, comedy, sex romp but a deeper, darker theme clarified them. This was about the lies we tell ourselves, until, forced by circumstances (or the truth), they can be told no more. 4. (FX) The finale, Was All a was a genuinely hilari- ous sendup (within a sendup) of the old Was All a TV trope, leaving fans with the real possibility that the whole series took place inside (LaKeith Stanfield) fevered, or pot-addled, brain.

Maybe it did (or but, in the mean- time, some of the non-dream episodes notably Wyeth. were even funnier. 5. (Hulu) As part of that long tradition of movies Hudsucker and TV shows con about corporate moonshine, added something new or some- one new. Amanda Seyfried was so good as Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes that it felt as though finally met the real person face to face the distaste of the encounter only sharpened.

6. TREK: STRANGE NEW The Star Trek cinematic universe spent decades seeking new spinoffs and franchises, to boldly go where the rest of TV has since gone (you know reboots!) But at long last, here was the spinoff (from that felt like the embodi- ment of that famous line, to paraphrase: After all our watch- ing, arrived back where we started from and knew the show for the first time. With Anson Mount as Capt. Chris Pike a proto Jim Kirk, New mostly just reaffirmed our love for the original. 7.

OWN THIS (HBO) Reuniting the three collabora- tors from George Pelecanos, Ed Burns and David Simon who adapted the non- fiction book by former Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton this brilliant series was about the corrupt Baltimore Police Depart- Gun Trace Task Force, but chiefly about how corruption flourishes when no one bothers to act as watchdog. As such, was a timely reminder of the importance and vitality of U.S. newspaper journalism. 8. (ABC) This mockumentary about teachers who battle bureau- crats and burnout while still finding something funny (and relatable) in the fray has seemed more sure-footed (or flat-out funnier) than the first season.

Meanwhile, its funda- mental optimism a rare quality anywhere this past TV season remains intact. HONORABLE MENTION: Murders in the (Hulu); (Starz) Jennifer Coolidge and Francesco Zecca in Season 2 of White and Donald Glover, left, in which wrapped up its run. MARIAH CAREY: LIVE AT THE TOKYO DOME (8 p.m., Carey performs and other classic hits in a 1996 concert in Japan, her first show in that country. IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE (8 p.m., TCM) (Comedy, 1947) Ahome- less man(VictorMoore) shares aNew York mansion withaveteran (Don DeFore) and others who needa wintertimeplace tostay. NFL FOOTBALL (8 p.m., Clinging to their playoff hopes, the Jets take on the Jacksonville Jaguars at MetLife Stadium.

The game will also be streamed on Prime Video. THE ORNAMENT OF THE WORLD (9 p.m., Retracing an 800-year period in medieval Spain when Muslims, Christians and Jews coexisted in a manner that led to the creation of great works of art, literature, architecture and music. THE BRINK OF DISASTER: MIAMI SINKING (9:01 p.m., Discovery) The coastal metropolis of Miami faces a triple threat of crumbling limestone bedrock, ferocious superstorms and relent- less rising oceans. DAYTIME TODAY (7 a.m., Nonprofit Color a Positive Thought Charity helps the underserved of Connecticut; Philadelphia Boys Choir performs GOOD MORNING AMERICA (7 a.m., The cast of Piano Debbie Gibson performs. KELLY RYAN (9 a.m., Kelly and Holiday Flashback DREW BARRYMORE (9:30 a.m., John Stamos, Kaitlyn Dever (repeat) SHERRI SHEPHERD (10 a.m., 3 p.m., Katie Lee Biegel (repeat) TAMRON HALL (10 a.m., Jemele Hill (repeat) THE VIEW (11 a.m., Gabrielle Union, Sam Worthington (repeat) JENNIFER HUDSON (11 a.m., 5 p.m., Tabitha Brown (repeat) GMA3 (1 p.m., Tamara Tunie, Ginger Zee THE TALK (2 p.m., Chelsea Handler, Max Thieriot (repeat) RACHAEL RAY (2 p.m., Helping shelter pets (repeat) KELLY CLARKSON (3 p.m., Morris Chestnut, Nia Long (repeat) NIGHT COLBERT (11:35 p.m., White, Green- land! Stephen Cold-Bear is Lost in Space (repeat) FALLON (11:35 p.m., Adam Sandler, Greta Gerwig, Dane Cook, BabyFace Ray, Keke Palmer (repeat) KIMMEL (11:35 p.m., DonCheadle (repeat) MEYERS (12:35 a.m., Jesse Eisenberg, Meghann Fahy (repeat) CORDEN (12:35 a.m., Noah Centineo, Max Thieriot (repeat) newsday.com/tvnews ONTVVerne Gay verne.gay@newsday.com AO KO UR A BO FA BI LO VI Debbie Gibson performs on Mariah Carey in at the Tokyo at 8 p.m.

on Ch. 13. Looking back at the top TV shows of 2022 tvtalk JEFF BACHNER FX UY LE A.