The term “Love” is a universal emotion that is felt and expressed, not heard and portrayed. It is not experienced in the same way by two people because it comes differently in its essence.
Because of that, romance has had a huge part in the performing arts ever since theaters came into being. We enjoy watching the timeline of two people getting to experience romance in their own ways.
While romance movies are amazing, romantic TV series take the cake when it comes to audience enjoyment because we get to see a love story play out more realistically and at a slower pace than movies. From sultry to thoughtful and everything in between, TV series serve it all on a golden platter.
So, to help you find your next binge-watching series, we’ve narrowed down the 10 best romantic TV series of 2022 that’ll make you experience a rollercoaster of emotions.
List of the 10 best romantic TV series of 2022
Now that we know all about what romantic dramas really stand for and provide to us in the form of entertainment, without further ado, according to The News Titan, the list of the TV series are presented in a table below:
TV Series name | Release Date | Ratings |
Heartstopper | April 22, 2022 | IMDb rating: 8.7/10 Rotten Tomatoes rating: 100% |
Twenty-five Twenty-one | February 12, 2022 | IMDb rating: 8.6/10 Rotten Tomatoes rating: 96% |
Love on the Spectrum U.S. | May 18, 2022 | IMDb rating: 8.2/10 Rotten Tomatoes rating: 100% |
First Love | November 24, 2022 | IMDb rating: 8.3/10 MyDramaList rating: 8.6/10 |
Business Proposal | February 28, 2022 | IMDb rating: 8.1/10 Rotten Tomatoes rating: 92% |
From Scratch | October 21, 2022 | IMDb rating: 7.9/10 Rotten Tomatoes rating: 92% |
Heartbreak High | September 14, 2022 | IMDb rating: 7.7/10 Rotten Tomatoes rating: 100% |
The summer I turned pretty | June 17, 2022 | IMDb rating: 7.4/10 Rotten Tomatoes rating: 91% |
Bridgerton | December 25, 2022 | IMDb rating: 7.4/10 Rotten Tomatoes rating: 82% |
Uncoupled | July 29, 2022 | IMDb rating: 7/10 Rotten Tomatoes rating: 73% |
1. Heartstopper
Director: Euros Lyn
Cast:
- Joe Locke
- Kit Connor
- William Gao
- Yasmin Finney
- Corrina Brown
- Kizzy Edgell
Heartstopper is an adaptation of the webcomic and novel, Heartstopper written by Alice Oseman. It is one of the most renowned British coming-of-age TV series to ever be released.
It is a series produced by the production company See-Saw Films. So far, the series has one season with eight episodes and each has an average running time of 26-33 minutes. All 8 episodes were released on 22 April in 2022 on Netflix, they bought the rights to stream the movie in 2021.
The movie primarily follows the life of Joe Locke, starring as Charlie Spring, who is a gay schoolboy studying at Truham Grammar High School. In the new form of his school, he is assigned to sit next to Kit Connor, starring as Nick Nelson, a rugby player. Charlie ends up developing feelings for Nick, even though he’s unsure of Nick’s sexuality.
Throughout the series, we get to see Charlie go through countless obstacles and develop his relationship with Nick. It is a very inspiring and sweet drama series that reminds people of how hard it is to be a person with a different sexuality.
2. Twenty-five Twenty-one
Director: Jung Ji-Hyun
Cast:
- Kim Tae-ri
- Nam Joo-hyuk
- Bona
- Choi Hyun-wook
- Lee Joo-myung
- Choi Myung-bin
Twenty-five Twenty-one is a South Korean romance and coming of age drama TV series. It is a series produced by the production company, Hwa & Dam Pictures. It premiered originally on tvN network on February 12 in 2022.
There is only one season of the series with sixteen episodes, each with an average running time of 70-75 minutes. The episodes started airing on February 12 on tvN and streaming on Netflix. It ended airing with the last episode being released on April 3 in 2022.
The series became a huge commercial success and became one of the biggest and highest rated Korean dramas of all time. The drama’s huge success is attributed with its setting in the 1990’s related story.
The movie starts with a story in 1998 where Na Hee-do, played by Kim Tae-Ri, is a fencing member and student of the Seonjung Girls’ High School. But their team is disbanded due to an IMF crisis which forces her to transfer to Taeyang High School. She pursues her passion and ends up getting into the National Fencing Team.
On the other hand, Baek Yi-Jin, played by Nam Joo-hyuk, ends up in a grave family crisis. His family goes from being one of the richest in the town to literally being in rags. They end up separating and going their own ways due to the financial crisis and Baek Yi-Jin is forced to do multiple part time jobs.
Eventually, he ends up becoming a sports reporter through which he meets Na Hee-do. In present time, Kim Min-Chae, played by Choi Myung-bin, is the daughter of Na Hee-do. In a blind rage, she quits ballet and runs away from home to her Grandmother’s house where she comes across her mother’s diary. The story is then narrated as Min-Chae reads the diary.
3. Love on the Spectrum U.S.
Director:
Cast:
- Dani Bowman
- Kaelynn Partlow
- Abbey Lutes
- Steve Spitz
- James B. Jones
- Subodh Garg
Love on the Spectrum U.S is an American version of the original Australian reality TV show, Love on the Spectrum. It is a dating show series produced by Northern Pictures. It is one of the best tv series to watch with your girlfriend.
So far, the dating show series has one season with six episodes each with an average running time of 39-45 times. It is available for streaming on Netflix.
The dating show series is unique because it follows the journey of people on the autistic spectrum as they struggle to find love being people with special needs. They do so with the help of an autism coach and expert named Jennifer Cook who was diagnosed to be on the autistic spectrum at the age of 35.
We get to see people like Dani Bowman, an animation artist and entrepreneur of her own animation company, Danimation Entertainment founded at the age of 14. She looks for a partner who shares her love for animation and education earnestly and wants to be with her.
We also get to see Abbey Lutes, an animal loving TikTok star who makes knitted hats, 63 year old Steve Spitz who is not on social media and not tech-savvy at all, James B. Jones who is a Renaissance Faire enthusiast looking for his one and only true damsel, and many more.
4. First Love
Director: Yuri Kanchiku
Cast:
- Hikari Mitsushima
- Takeru Satoh
- Rikako Yagi
- Taisei Kido
- Kaho
- Minami
First Love is a Japanese romance drama which became known for being an unforgettable love story. It was first released on November 24, 2022 on Netflix.
The romantic drama series has one season with nine episodes, each with an average running time of 49-65 minutes. It shows us the story of an unforgettable first love story which is later rekindled.
The love story follows the story of a man and a woman who fall in love as youngsters in the 1990’s and grow up together in the 2000’s. Yae Noguchi wants to become a flight attendant i.e, stewardess but is met by an accident which makes her unable to turn her dreams into reality. On the other hand, Harumichi Namiki becomes a pilot for the Japanese Air Self Defense Force. But he quickly realizes the job isn’t for him and he quits his position as pilot to go further in life.
Yae Noguchi and Harumichi Namiki end up meeting each other again as adults after the struggles in their life and they slowly start rekindling the fire of their past young and fierce love story.
5. Business Proposal
Director: Park Seon-ho
Cast:
- Ahn Hyo-seop
- Kim Se-jeong
- Kim Min-kyu
- Seol In-Ah
- Song Won-Seok
- Lee Deok-hwa
Business Proposal is a Korean romance drama adaptation of the manga, The Office Blind Date written by HaeHwa and illustrated by Narak. It aired on SBS TV every Monday and Tuesday from February 28 to April 5 in 2022. It is a series produced by Kakao Entertainment and Kross Pictures.
It is also available for streaming on Netflix and started releasing at the same time as it aired on TV. It is a series with only one season so far including 12 episodes, each with a running time of 61 minutes exactly.
The series follows the story of a cash-strapped and hard working young lady, Shin Ha-ri, played by Kim Se-jeong. She agrees to go on a blind date disguised as her best friend, Jin Young-Seo, whose father had arranged the blind date, to scare away the prospect date in return for cash. But it unfortunately turns out that the prospective blind date is Kang Tae-Moo, played by Ahn Hyo-seop, CEO of Go Food, the company in which Shin Ha-Ri works as a food researcher.
Things start going awry as Kang Tae-Moo pressured by his grandfather, Kang Da-goo, the chairman of Go Food decides to marry Shin Ha-Ri, who he thinks to be Jin Young-Seo. She tries her utmost to scare him away but he doesn’t budge at all, but stands firm with his decision to marry her.
On the other hand, Jin Young-Seo, played by Seol In-Ha, moves out of her father’s house to escape his demands of making her attend blind dates. She ends up meeting Cha Sung-Hoon, played by Kim Min-kyu, who is the secretary of Kang Tae-Moo in Go Food. She is infatuated with him at first sight and in a comical situation involving a cockroach scare, Young-Seo and Sung-Hoon find out that they’re neighbors. Sung-Hoon tries his best to avoid the infatuated Young-Seo who betrayed his boss.
6. From Scratch
Director: Atticia and Tembe Locke
Cast:
- Zoe Saldaña
- Eugenio Mastrandrea
- Danielle Deadwyler
- Judith Scott
- Kellita Smith
- Lucia Sardo
From Scratch is an American romantic TV series adaptation based on the memoir, From Scratch: A memoir of Love, Sicily and Finding Home written by Tembe Locke. It is a joint venture production of This One & That One, 3 Arts Entertainment, Cinestar, and Hello Sunshine.
It is a romance drama series with one season including eight episodes each with an average running time of 49-58 minutes. The movie exclusively premiered on Netflix on October 21 in 2022.
The romance drama follows the story of Amy Wheeler, an American student who is burdened by her father’s expectations and her own passion for art. She arrives in Italy to pursue an art programme, with a heavy heart. But everything changes when she meets a Sicilian chef, Lino in Florence who she falls in love with. They end up building a life together in Los Angeles but tragedy strikes their happy life and they have to overcome it together.
7. Heartbreak High
Director: Hannah Carroll Chapman
Cast:
- Ayesha Madon
- James Majoos
- Chloe Hayden
- Asher Yasbincek
- Thomas Weatherall
- Will McDonald
Heartbreak High is an Australian romance comedy drama series produced and available exclusively on Netflix. It is a re-produced version of the 1994 series released and screened on Network Ten.
It is a series with one season so far including eight episodes each with an average running time of 45-52 minutes. It is a series produced by Fremantle Australia and NewBe.
It follows the journey of the students and teachers of Hartley High when a detailed map of the sexual exploits of some select students surfaces and becomes the center of attention. It is discovered as a heavily gratified piece of the wall of the school.
Due to this accident, all of the students whose names were found on the map are forced to attend a sexual education course named Sexual Literacy Tutorial which is abbreviated as the SLT’s and pronounced as “Sluts” by the students.
Afterwards, the map’s creator, Amerie Wadia takes all the blame for co-author, Harper McLean and becomes a social outcast. Harper stopped talking to Amerie after they suffered a tragedy at a music festival they attended.
8. The summer I turned pretty
Director: Jenny Han
Cast:
- Lola Tung
- Rachel Blanchard
- Christopher Briney
- Gavin Casalegno
- Jackie Chung
- Sean Kaufman
The summer I turned pretty is an American romantic coming of age TV series. It is an adaptation of the trilogy written by Jenny Han, The summer I turned pretty.
It is available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video where it was released on June 17 in 2022. It is a series with one season including seven episodes each with an average running time of 39-52 minutes. It is a joint venture production of Sunswept Entertainment, Jenny Kissed Me, Big Red Bus, Wiip, and of course, Amazon Studios.
It follows the story of the Conklin’s family, who go over to Cousin’s Island with Isabel or Belly’s friend, Susannah Fisher’s family for an annual summer vacation. Belly has had a crush on Conrad, one of the Fisher brothers since she was 12 but he insists that he only sees her as his little sister. But eventually, she finds herself in a complicated love triangle with Jeremiah and Conrad, both the Fisher brothers.
9. Bridgerton
Director: Chris Van Dusen
Cast:
- Adjoa Andoh
- Jonathan Bailey
- Nicola Coughlan
- Simone Ashley
- Ruby Barker
- Sabrina Bartlett
Bridgerton is an American historical romance drama series adaptation of the novel series, Bridgerton written by Julia Quinn. It is a series produced exclusively for Netflix.
The series is a joint venture production of Shondaland and CVD Productions. It has two seasons so far, each of them including 8 episodes with an average running time of 57-72 minutes. The series marks the first scripted show produced by Shondaland for Netflix.
The historical romance drama series follows the eponymous family with the name of Bridgerton, which is set in the competitive era of London’s regency world. It follows the setting of the 1813 social season where the marriageable youth of nobility and gentry are launched into the regency laden society.
The series is packed full of enigma, romance, suspense and lots of historically accurate depictions which leave us on tenterhooks. It is a widely loved series on Netflix and it became the most watched English series of all time on Netflix during the premiere of its first season. It was also given the title of the most watched United States TV show on screen for 3 weeks as reported by Nielsen Media Research.
10. Uncoupled
Director: Andrew Fleming
Cast:
- Neil Patrick Harris
- Tuc Watkins
- Tisha Campbell
- Marcia Gay Harden
- Emerson Brooks
- Brooks Ashmanskas
Uncoupled is an American romantic comedy television series exclusively streaming on Netflix. It is joint venture production of Darren Star Productions, Jeffrey Richman Productions, MTV Entertainment Studios and, Jax Media.
The romance comedy drama series has one season so far including eight episodes, each with an average running time of 27-31 minutes. It is set in the location of Manhattan.
The series follows the story of freshly single gay Manhattanite man, Michael Lawson who just got dumped by his boyfriend of 17 years, Colin McKenna. He tries to adjust back into single life in his late 40s and soon discovers that the gay dating era has evolved immensely over the period of his time with his long term partner. Upon realization, Michael makes up his mind to not be single forever and decides to take rapid action by taking the advice of his friends.
Conclusion
Romance TV series are one of the best binge watching forms of entertainment media to exist because it gets rid of boredom. It allows us to get an insight into the romantic lives of couples. It shows us that love is not by any means an easy commitment and experience.
It makes us go through a rollercoaster of emotions as we watch our favorite actors portray characters struggling in their love lives. We get to relate to them and learn something new every time.
So what are you waiting for? Dive into the world of romantic TV shows and give yourself a dose of wholesome love stories. Turn on your TV and choose one of the 10 best romantic TV series of 2022 to binge watch with some snacks and a broad mind!