The third season of HBO's Barry has come to an end, with another successful year for creator-star Bill Hader. Since the early days of Peak TV, many actors have risen to prominence by creating their own series, often shedding light on personal experiences or a new level of range and depth that audiences have yet to see.
From Lena Dunham to Phoebe Waller-Bridge to Issa Rae, this trend has proven to be a successful path to launching new creative voices while also programming authentic storytelling on television. Based on the following list of 2022 TV series with creator-performers at the helm, this trend has shown no signs of slowing down.
Vanessa Bayer: I Love That For You
Like Will Forte and Bill Hader, Vanessa Bayer has joined the list of former Saturday Night Live actors who went on to create their own programs. I Love That For You tells the story of the host of a QVC-esque shopping network program who lies that her childhood cancer has returned in order to avoid getting fired.
Co-created with Jeremy Beiler, I Love That For You draws on Bayer's own experiences of surviving leukemia as a child. The first season received mixed to positive reviews, though critics were quick to praise Bayer's acting as this is the first time audiences finally get the chance to see her in a leading role. I Love That For You finishes airing its first season on June 19th, 2022.
Will Forte: MacGruber - Season 1
Will Forte co-created the first season of Peacock's MacGruber, a highly anticipated television adaptation of his recurring SNL sketches and 2010 film. MacGruber itself is a parody of the classic action series MacGyver, which ran from 1985 until 1992.
MacGruber marks Will Forte's return to television following Fox's The Last Man On Earth, another series he co-created. The Last Man on Earth lasted four seasons and garnered several Emmy nominations, including acting and writing nods for Forte. With MacGruber, Forte continues to bring his comedic and storytelling talents to the small screen.
Robin Thede: A Black Lady Sketch Show - Season 3
The third season of Robin Thede's hit HBO comedy A Black Lady Sketch Show finished airing on May 13th, 2022. The series is executive produced by Issa Rae, who became famous for her writing her own show, the highly popular Insecure.
Since its premiere, A Black Lady Sketch Show has received consistent critical acclaim and gained popularity for the sketches "Bad Bitches Support Group" and "Courtroom Kiki." The show's first season also starred Quinta Brunson, who would go on to create her own successful series this year.
Amy Schumer: Life & Beth - Season 1
The critically acclaimed comedian and actress made a splash with her 2015 box office hit Trainwreck and her Comedy Central sketch series Inside Amy Schumer. However, Hulu's dark comedy Life & Beth, on which Schumer wrote and directed nearly every episode, shows an entirely new side to the artist.
In Life & Beth, Schumer stars as a woman who returns to Long Island following the death of her mother. The series also stars Michael Cera as Schumer's on-screen love interest, a character inspired by her real-life husband. Life & Beth veers into far darker territory than Schumer's previous work, including scenes in which Schumer opens up about dealing with trichotillomania. The series has been renewed for a second season.
Steve Martin: Only Murders In The Building - Season 2
Last fall, Steve Martin teamed up with Martin Short and Selena Gomez for the true-crime comedy hit Only Murders in the Building, streaming now on Hulu. The show was quickly renewed for a second season, which premieres at the end of June 2022.
Martin co-created Only Murders with John Hoffman, and the two wrote the pilot episode together. The first season received critical acclaim for its lead performances and for the clever tonal blend of comedy and mystery throughout the series. The second season promises a new murder mystery while reuniting the three lead performers.
Natasha Lyonne: Russian Doll - Season 2
Natasha Lyonne gained recognition for her performances in the LGBTQ+ cult classic But I'm a Cheerleader and the long-running Orange Is the New Black, but it was her Netflix dark comedy Russian Doll that saw Lyonne take on a leading role on television.
The highly anticipated second season of Russian Doll follows Nadia (Lyonne) who this season is sent back in time by the New York City subway. Lyonne writes, directs, and stars in the series, which has continued to amass praise from audiences and critics alike. Fans of Russian Doll have responded to Lyonne's dark existential twist on the half-hour comedy.
Pamela Adlon: Better Things - Season 5
The final season of Pamela Adlon's semi-autobiographical FX comedy series aired this past spring. One of the most critically acclaimed comedies of the year, Better Things has continued to receive unanimous praise from critics throughout its run.
Adlon's directorial storytelling creates a special cohesion to vignettes about life as a working actress and single mother. Even if the show has a lower profile than other series on this list, Better Things serves as a quintessential example of a television auteur using the episodic form to demonstrate her talents as an actress and creator.
Donald Glover - Season 3
After a four-year hiatus, Donald Glover's surrealist dark comedy Atlanta returned for a critically acclaimed season on FX. Glover wears several hats in the series, often writing and directing in addition to playing the protagonist Earn.
The third season of Atlanta differs from previous seasons in that the show often veered into even more abstract storytelling, with half of the season's episodes telling anthology stories that did not feature the show's main characters. These episodes have often been praised for finding unique premises to shed light on themes of racial inequality in America. The final season of Atlanta will be released this fall.
Bill Hader: Barry - Season 3
Bill Hader is yet another alum of Saturday Night Live to leave the show and create his own program, though Hader's series is perhaps the most successful example that is currently on the air. Barry tells the story of a war veteran turned assassin who decides to leave the crime world behind in order to pursue a career as an actor.
Hader expertly blends comedy and disturbing violence on the show, as Barry himself is unable to fully close that old chapter in his life, no matter how hard he tries. Hader's acting and writing are top-notch, but attention must also be paid to his strong direction, especially during this current season's extended car chase sequence in the episode "710N."
Quinta Brunson: Abbott Elementary - Season 1
The breakthrough writer-actress of the year is undoubtedly Quinta Brunson, whose network mockumentary series Abbott Elementary premiered on ABC this television season. The workplace comedy centers on hard-working teachers in a Philadelphia public school.
Brunson, an alumna of A Black Lady Sketch Show, is a force of nature who has managed to create lovable characters that harken back to hit network comedies of the 2000s while also imbuing her storytelling with profound social commentary about the flawed education system in the United States. Abbott Elementary will begin its second season in the fall, and until then, fans of the series can expect Brunson to be recognized by the Television Academy when the Emmy nominations are announced next month.