The Best 2022 TV Shows With An African American Cast

If you love great TV and you love seeing Black stories front and center, 2022 was an absolute feast.
From sharp-witted workplace comedies to glossy reboots and gritty dramas, series with predominantly African American casts weren’t just “good representation” they were some of the best shows on television, period.

These series gave us complicated heroes, messy families, ambitious dreamers, and deeply human stories that went far beyond stereotypes.
Whether you wanted to laugh at a chaotic school staff meeting, cry over a friend group falling apart, or gasp at a courtroom twist, there was a Black-led show for every mood in 2022.

Below is a curated look at some of the best 2022 TV shows with an African American cast the ones critics praised, fans binged, and social media could not shut up about.
Think of it as your quick-start guide to catching up on the shows everyone was tweeting about while you were still doom-scrolling.

How This List Was Put Together

“Best” is always a little subjective, so this roundup focuses on 2022 TV shows that:

• Feature a predominantly African American ensemble or a clearly Black-led cast
• Released a season, reboot, or series premiere in 2022
• Generated strong buzz through awards, critical acclaim, or fan hype
• Offered something fresh in story, style, or perspective

With that in mind, let’s dive into the standouts that helped define Black television in 2022.

1. Abbott Elementary: The Heart of Network TV

If there was a single show that took over 2022, it was Abbott Elementary.
Created by and starring Quinta Brunson, this mockumentary-style comedy follows a group of teachers working at an underfunded public elementary school in Philadelphia.
The cast including Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, and William Stanford Davis delivers some of the most grounded, lovable characters on TV.

On the surface, Abbott is a workplace comedy. Underneath, it’s a quiet love letter to Black educators, Black neighborhoods, and the everyday heroes who keep schools running with duct tape, donated supplies, and pure stubborn hope.
The show makes you laugh at ridiculous staff-room politics one second and get emotional over a student victory the next.

Why It Stands Out

• Balances sharp comedy with sincere, emotional storytelling
• Centers Black teachers without turning them into clichés or caricatures
• Feels timeless, yet very now especially if you’ve ever set foot in a public school

Whether you’re into mockumentary comedies like The Office or you just want a feel-good show with a predominantly African American cast, Abbott Elementary is required viewing.

2. Bel-Air: A Dramatic Spin on a Classic

Remember the goofy, colorful 90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?
Now imagine that premise filtered through a prestige drama lens that’s Bel-Air.
Set in modern-day Los Angeles, the series follows Will as he moves from West Philadelphia to live with his wealthy relatives in Bel-Air after a life-changing incident back home.

Jabari Banks leads a powerful ensemble including Adrian Holmes, Cassandra Freeman, Olly Sholotan, Coco Jones, and Akira Akbar.
Instead of leaning on nostalgia, the show digs into class tensions, colorism, culture clashes, and the pressure of being “the one who made it” in a wealthy Black family.

Why It Stands Out

• Turns a beloved sitcom into a grounded, high-stakes drama
• Explores Black wealth, privilege, and identity with nuance
• Gives classic characters like Hilary, Carlton, and Uncle Phil new complexity

If you like your family drama with designer wardrobes, complicated secrets, and social commentary, Bel-Air more than earns its place on your 2022 watchlist.

3. Atlanta (Season 3): Surreal, Smart, and Unapologetically Weird

Donald Glover’s Atlanta had already cemented itself as one of the most innovative shows on television.
Season 3, which aired in 2022, doubled down on its surreal, genre-bending style.
With leads Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, Lakeith Stanfield, and Zazie Beetz, the series follows Earn, Paper Boi, Darius, and Van as they tour Europe while the show itself freely jumps between character-driven episodes and standalone stories.

Atlanta doesn’t spoon-feed anything. One episode might feel like a horror movie about race; the next might be a quiet, existential character study.
The cast almost entirely Black in its core ensemble carries heavy themes about fame, Afro-diasporic identity, capitalism, and cultural appropriation with a deadpan sense of humor.

Why It Stands Out

• Fearless storytelling that plays with structure, tone, and genre
• Award-caliber performances that mix comedy and drama in the same breath
• A unique look at Black American identity abroad as well as at home

If you’re tired of predictable TV, Atlanta is the kind of show that reminds you what the medium is capable of.

4. P-Valley (Season 2): Southern Grit and Glitter

Starz’s P-Valley returned in 2022 with a second season that raised the stakes emotionally, politically, and visually.
Set in the fictional Mississippi Delta town of Chucalissa, the show centers the dancers and staff at The Pynk, a strip club that becomes ground zero for clashes over land, money, desire, and power.

The ensemble including Nicco Annan, Brandee Evans, Shannon Thornton, and Elarica Johnson offers some of the richest character work on TV.
P-Valley is unapologetically Southern, unapologetically Black, and deeply invested in the inner lives of people often ignored or judged from the outside.

Why It Stands Out

• Layers social issues (race, poverty, politics, queerness) into juicy, addictive drama
• Showcases complex Black women and queer Black characters with care and respect
• Has some of the most stylish direction and music cues of any 2022 series

Come for the dance routines and neon lights; stay for the raw, emotional storytelling that will absolutely wreck you.

5. Rap Sh!t: Friendship, Fame, and Going Viral

From Insecure creator Issa Rae came Rap Sh!t, a 2022 HBO Max comedy about two estranged high school friends in Miami Shawna and Mia who team up to form a rap duo.
Aida Osman and KaMillion lead a largely Black cast, capturing the hustle, humor, and headache of trying to “make it” in the age of viral fame.

The show cleverly uses social media feeds, livestreams, and DMs as part of the narrative, making it feel like you’re watching a story unfold in real time on your phone.
At its core, though, Rap Sh!t is about Black women building something together, balancing big dreams with bills, kids, and complicated love lives.

Why It Stands Out

• Fresh, modern storytelling that mirrors how we actually consume media
• Honest look at the music industry, especially for Black women
• Fun, messy, and full of bops you’ll find stuck in your head

If you miss the mix of chaos and heart that made Insecure special, Rap Sh!t is its rowdier, music-obsessed cousin.

6. Grand Crew: Black Friendship, Wine, and Growing Up

NBC’s Grand Crew quietly became one of the warmest hangout comedies on network TV.
Centered on a group of young Black professionals who meet up at a wine bar in Los Angeles, the show stars Echo Kellum, Nicole Byer, Justin Cunningham, Carl Tart, Aaron Jennings, and Grasie Mercedes.

Each episode blends sitcom-level jokes with real-life adult anxieties: career changes, dating fatigue, family pressure, and the constant question, “Are we doing this whole adulthood thing right?”
The vibe is easygoing and fun, but the characters’ emotional arcs sneak up on you.

Why It Stands Out

• Presents Black friendship and joy without centering trauma
• Offers a cozy, rewatchable feel as comforting as a favorite bar
• Shows different versions of Black success and vulnerability

If you’ve ever debriefed life over a glass of something after work, Grand Crew will feel like sitting with your own group chat in sitcom form.

7. Reasonable Doubt: A Legal Drama with Edge

Hulu’s Reasonable Doubt introduced viewers to Jax Stewart, a brilliant Los Angeles defense attorney who doesn’t play by anyone’s rules in court or in her personal life.
Played by Emayatzy Corinealdi, Jax leads a cast anchored by Black talent in a slick, addictive legal drama created by Raamla Mohamed and executive produced in part by Kerry Washington.

The show mixes case-of-the-week intrigue with ongoing mysteries and messy relationships.
Jax is allowed to be sharp, flawed, sexy, and sometimes selfish in other words, human.
The series leans into moral gray areas, asking what “justice” really looks like when the system itself isn’t built fairly.

Why It Stands Out

• Presents a complex Black woman lead who is not simplified into “strong” or “perfect”
• Blends soapy twists with real questions about race and the legal system
• Brings a fresh energy to the lawyer-show genre

If you love prestige legal dramas but want one that actually centers Black characters and Black communities, Reasonable Doubt should be near the top of your queue.

8. The Best Man: The Final Chapters A Reunion Done Right

For fans of classic Black cinema, 2022’s limited series The Best Man: The Final Chapters was a gift.
Reuniting the original ensemble from the beloved film franchise including Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Nia Long, Sanaa Lathan, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Harold Perrineau, and Melissa De Sousa the series picks up with the same friend group years later.

Instead of just playing the hits, the show explores midlife: divorce, parenthood, grief, career reinvention, and the challenge of growing as individuals without growing apart.
The mostly African American cast brings decades of chemistry to a story that lets Black adults be complicated, romantic, funny, and vulnerable.

Why It Stands Out

• Feels like a grown-up epilogue to a beloved Black film series
• Balances nostalgia with genuinely new character arcs
• Offers a rare, ensemble-driven look at Black middle-aged life

If you’ve grown up with this cast, watching The Final Chapters feels like catching up with old friends at a family reunion just with better wardrobe styling.

9. Why 2022 Was a Big Deal for Black-Led TV

Put all these shows together, and a clear picture emerges: 2022 was not just about “more representation.”
It was about better representation richer stories, more genres, and a wider range of Black experiences on screen.

You had:

• Network sitcoms like Abbott Elementary bringing Black educators to prime time
• Premium and streaming dramas like P-Valley and Bel-Air interrogating power, class, and identity
• Stylish experiments like Atlanta pushing the boundaries of TV form
• Legal thrillers, friend-group comedies, and reunion limited series all anchored by Black casts

The result? Viewers didn’t have to choose between “Black shows” and “great shows.”
In 2022, some of the best series full stop happened to be led by African American casts telling stories that felt specific, authentic, and universally resonant.

Experiences: What It’s Like to Watch These 2022 Shows Now

So what does it actually feel like to sit down and binge the best 2022 TV shows with an African American cast today?
Beyond the critic scores and social-media hype, there’s a very real, very personal experience waiting for you on the couch.

Picture this: you start with Abbott Elementary “just to see what the fuss is about.”
Ten minutes in, you’re laughing at a copy-machine disaster that feels way too real if you’ve ever worked in a school or a low-budget office.
By the end of the episode, you’ve somehow fallen in love with almost every character and you’re already hitting “Next Episode” because it feels like hanging out with a group of coworkers you actually like.

Then maybe you switch gears and fire up Bel-Air.
The tone immediately shifts: same basic premise as the original Fresh Prince, but now there’s a sense of danger, of consequence.
When Will walks into the Banks mansion for the first time, you’re not just thinking, “This is a cool house.”
You’re thinking about what it means to suddenly exist in a world of wealth when your heart is still back home.
If you’ve ever felt like you were “code-switching” between two lives, the show hits a nerve.

Later, you might queue up Atlanta and realize you need to be in the right mood.
This is not background TV.
It asks you to lean in, to catch the quiet jokes, the strange detours, the episodes that feel like parables.
Some installments you’ll finish and think, “I need a minute to process that.”
Others you’ll want to send to your friend with a simple, “Watch this, we need to talk.”

P-Valley and Reasonable Doubt pull you in a different way.
They’re great “group-watch” shows if you like to yell at the screen.
One minute you’re defending a character’s choices; the next, you’re dragging them in the group chat for doing something reckless.
The drama is delicious, but it’s grounded enough that you recognize pieces of people you know the friend who can’t leave a toxic relationship, the relative holding a secret, the coworker who seems fine until you understand what they’re carrying.

Then there are series like Grand Crew that become comfort TV.
You might not remember every plotline, but you remember how it feels: relaxed, playful, like you’re at your favorite bar with familiar faces.
When life is heavy, watching Black joy on screen uncomplicated, everyday joy is its own kind of self-care.

What makes watching these 2022 shows powerful, especially for Black viewers, is the layered recognition.
You see accents that sound like home, church scenes that feel accurate down to the side-eye, hair conversations that are clearly written by people who have actually waited six hours for a braiding appointment.
The details the soundtrack, the slang, the family dynamics aren’t explained for an outsider.
They’re simply there, trusted to be understood or at least respected.

For non-Black viewers, these shows can function as both entertainment and education not in a homework kind of way, but in the sense that you’re invited into worlds you might not know intimately.
You’re asked to sit with experiences that aren’t yours, laugh at jokes that weren’t written specifically for you, and root for characters whose lives look different from your own.
That’s how empathy quietly grows one binge-watch at a time.

Ultimately, binging the best 2022 TV shows with an African American cast feels like catching a wave at just the right time.
You’re experiencing an era where Black creators, actors, and storytellers are not only getting opportunities, but using them to build something bold, layered, and unforgettable.
Whether you’re in it for the jokes, the drama, the romance, or the pure aesthetic pleasure, these shows prove one thing very clearly: when you let Black casts lead, everyone wins.

So make a list, clear some evenings, and start pressing play.
The stories are waiting and they’re more than worth the watch.