These 4 Reality Shows Were So Good, I Even Stopped Scrolling On My Phone

Editors' Picks: TV Guide already ranked the Best Shows of 2022, but as the year comes to a close, individual editors share their personal favorites for your enjoyment — and to argue about over the internet. Happy New Year, and happy watching!

It's that time of year when critics, amateurs, and everyone's mother starts sharing their TV recommendations for the year, so naturally I love to chime in with my two cents. While I love a critically acclaimed, Emmy-nominated series just as much as the next, you've heard everything to hear about those. Shows like Better Call Saul, Yellowjackets, and The White Lotus were all on my 2023 watchlist, and I checked them off with gusto. But my secret pleasure that I'm not even calling "guilty" is the entertainment gold that is reality TV. 

Writers' rooms would pay for some of the storylines that come from setting up a camera in front of people just being people, and knowing it's totally unscripted (sort of) is the main reason I love to watch — it's exciting and unpredictable! I usually reward myself after a long day of working on a laptop screen by turning on a big screen while scrolling on my small screen, but these shows had me setting down my phone to actually pay attention to what was playing on the TV. 

Love on the Spectrum (Netflix)

This show was a pleasant and heartwarming surprise in a sea of reality TV pollution. Netflix did an impeccable job capturing relationships between adults on the autism spectrum, each set up with a blind date in hope of finding a significant other to share their life with. The series documented each individual's journey in a wholesome way without it feeling like an exploitation, and I reached the end of the series feeling better off for having watched. Five stars.

The Mole (Netflix)

Netflix's reincarnated version of the original ABC show had me saying "just one more episode," with blurry eyes at 2:00 a.m. on a Tuesday night. I also found myself using the term "Mole Behavior" in everyday sentences. The reality competition series has players completing challenges together to add money to the winner's pot, but only one person will walk away with the prize. The catch? One of the contestants is "the Mole" who's trying to sabotage the missions. What really makes this series fun is the human nature that comes out as the contestants must navigate between working together while being cutthroat and greedy with their own interest at heart. Watching the escape rooms, puzzles, and physical feats in the challenges made me want to apply to be a contestant for the next season. ("I could do that," I said while eating ice cream from my couch.) It also made me want to be friends with Greg IRL. 

Love Island UK (ITV)

I tell everyone I know about this show, because too many people are sleeping on it. It's the best reality dating show I've seen, and I've seen a lot. The show's premise begins with contestants choosing a partner solely based on looks, and then has them go through a series of recouplings throughout the season as they try to win the hearts of their fellow islanders and the public to keep from being dumped from the island. Every year there are a few breakout stars and fan favorites who emerge from the show, like this year's self-appointed "Turkish Delight" Ekin-Su, and Davide the Italian Stallion. Maybe it's the banter (*flirts in Cockney*), maybe it's the drama every time a new bombshell enters the villa, or maybe it's the bored, extremely hot singles stranded in an underwhelming communal resort in Mallorca with a whole lotta sun and very little clothing. Whatever it is, this show keeps me coming back for more summer after summer. Did I mention there are over 60 episodes of this stuff in one season?

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Bravo)

This OG goodie is still some of the finest entertainment in the Bravo universe right now, and maybe the world. It's in its 12th season, so definitely not for the faint of heart. But this is the show that's brought us classic moments over the years like Yolanda Hadid telling Gigi to eat a handful of almonds, and an iconic "woman yelling at a cat" meme (real ones know this is Season 2 Taylor Armstrong), not to mention the infamous baby shower bunny gift, boat fights, and multiple broken wine glasses. Just when we thought RHOBH had died, Kathy Hilton entered the chat and revived the show simply by being her completely fabulous, out-of-touch self. Season 12's drama continued with the embattled Erika Jayne diamond earrings scandal, Lisa Rinna thinking she was back on a soap opera, and Kathy allegedly losing her sh-- in an Aspen nightclub. The woman just wanted to dance in a damn conga line!

Check out TV Guide's official ranking of the Best Shows of 2022, as well as the Best Episodes and Best Performances.