We’ve spent the better part of December reflecting on all that TV had to offer in 2021, for better or much, much worse.
But with another January fast approaching — like, 12-hours-from-now fast — TVLine is turning its attention to 2022, which has its own robust lineup of new and intriguing series ahead.
In the list below, our editors each selected two shows they’re highly anticipating in the new year, hailing from broadcast, cable and streaming. Many of our 20 picks will be brand-new to the TV landscape in 2022, including HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon, Starz’s Courteney Cox-fronted horror-comedy Shining Vale and Disney+’s upcoming additions to the Marvel and Star Wars universes.
But a few returning gems — like Prime Video’s The Boys, or BBC America’s Killing Eve — made our list, too, as 2022 promises fresh episodes after much-too-long hiatuses. You’ll also see some repeat appearances from last year’s list, such as Peacock’s upcoming twist on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which didn’t debut in 2021 as we’d initially hoped — but hey, we’re still just as excited for them a whole year later.
NOTE: Not every show on our list has announced a precise premiere date just yet, but we’ve included the most up-to-date scheduling details for each project. Scroll through the list below to see the 20 series we’re most looking forward to in 2022, then drop a comment with the shows you can’t wait to watch next year.
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BEL-AIR (Peacock)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Peacock WHY IT EXCITES US: Having suffered through countless stale sitcom revivals over the past decade, we’re genuinely eager to see this iconic ’90s property reimagined as an hour-long drama — especially with Will Smith, original series creators Andy and Susan Borowitz, and OG EPs Quincy Jones and Benny Medina all on board as executive producers.
SERIES PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Feb. 13 (first two episodes, then weekly)
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THE BOYS (Prime Video)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video WHY IT EXCITES US: It’s been a long time since the series last dropped a new episode (in October 2020!), and after a season that delivered sharply prescient, absurdly funny and oftentimes bloody gruesome social commentary, we can’t wait to see if the show can once again step up its game. Another reason we’re pumped for Season 3: Jensen Ackles’ debut as Soldier Boy, a role that will no doubt be very different from his Supernatural character.
SEASON 3 PREMIERE DATE: 2022
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THE ENDGAME (NBC)
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC WHY IT EXCITES US: The Thomas Crown Affair meets Killing Eve meets The Blacklist, with the always-excellent Ryan Michelle Bathe dogging the always-captivating Morena Baccarin? Rethink that Avengers-evoking title, and we are all in.
SERIES PREMIERE DATE: Monday, Feb. 21 at 10/9c
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THE GILDED AGE (HBO)
Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO WHY IT EXCITES US: We’ve had a Downton Abbey-shaped hole in our hearts for the past six years, so series creator Julian Fellowes’ highly anticipated follow-up — a historical drama set in 1880s New York City — was always guaranteed a spot on our to-watch list. The fact that it stars Christine Baranski as a stuck-in-her-ways socialite (TV’s next Dowager Countess, perhaps?) is merely icing on the cake.
SERIES PREMIERE DATE: Monday, Jan. 24 at 9/8c
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HOUSE OF THE DRAGON (HBO)
Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO WHY IT EXCITES US: It’s been far too long since we were privy to Westeros’ drama and dragons, and the Game of Thrones prequel promises to offer up plenty of both. The fall of the House of Targaryen is a story rife with unbalanced, power-hungry leaders and scaly, fire-breathing beasts — and we can’t wait to figure out which of the two are scarier.
SERIES PREMIERE DATE: 2022
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HOW I MET YOUR FATHER (Hulu)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Hulu WHY IT EXCITES US: Because despite the bad rap How I Met Your Mother gets for its series finale, we haven’t forgotten just how good the first few seasons of the long-running CBS sitcom were. If this gender-flipped reimagining possesses half the charm and wit of its predecessor, while also avoiding some of the late-in-run storytelling mistakes the mothership made, it may very well turn out to be legen— wait for it!
SERIES PREMIERE DATE: Tuesday, Jan. 18 (first two episodes, then weekly)
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INVENTING ANNA (Netflix)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix WHY IT EXCITES US: We can’t wait to, ahem, delve into the already-iconic, real-life tale of how Anna Delvey faked being a German heiress and scammed New York’s elite for nearly four years. Plus, the Shondaland-produced limited series has assembled an exciting cast including Julia Garner (Ozark) as Delvey, Anna Chlumsky (Veep), Katie Lowes (Scandal) and Laverne Cox (Orange Is the New Black).
SERIES PREMIERE DATE: Friday, Feb. 11
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KILLING EVE (BBC America)
Image Credit: Courtesy of BBC America WHY IT EXCITES US: It’s been nearly two full years since we’ve seen Eve and Villanelle slip in and out of each other’s grasps on BBC America’s killer thriller, so we’re due for a reunion — and knowing that the upcoming Season 4 will be the final one just ups the stakes all the more. Plus, we’ve already seen some tantalizing first-look photos (did Villanelle find God?!) that reminded us how much we’ve missed these two. We don’t know if Villanelle will be killing Eve in the final episodes, or vice versa… but either way, we’ll be watching.
SEASON 4 PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Feb. 27 at 8/7c
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THE LORD OF THE RINGS (Prime Video)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Amazon Prime WHY IT EXCITES US: Um, because it’s The Lord of the Freaking Rings? Amazon is sparing no expense to take us back to Middle-earth, reportedly spending nearly a half-billion dollars on just the first season of the hotly anticipated J.R.R. Tolkien adaptation. And this series takes place during the Second Age, thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, so we’ll meet a host of new characters — along with some familiar immortal ones like the ethereal elf Galadriel. Amazon is really hoping this turns out to be their Game of Thrones, and we can’t wait to see how close they get.
SERIES PREMIERE DATE: Friday, Sept. 2
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THE MIDNIGHT CLUB (Netflix)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Simon Pulse WHY IT EXCITES US: Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass) has delivered nonstop gold for the streaming giant thus far, so we’ll be first in line once this Christopher Pike adaptation drops; his 1994 novel about terminally ill teens is a moving story we can’t wait to see play out on screen. Plus, the series stars a few of our Flanagan favorites (Samantha Sloyan!) in addition to horror legend Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street). Sign us up!
SERIES PREMIERE DATE: 2022
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NAOMI (The CW)
Image Credit: Courtesy of The CW WHY IT EXCITES US: Kaci Walfall proved her likability as Delilah’s bestie Nicki on CBS’ The Equalizer. Now she’s applying that same winsomeness to her titular breakout role, a turn that will allow her to play a cool, bespectacled and confident Black teenager who comes to realize her hidden destiny and superhuman abilities. The fact that the Man of Steel helps lead Naomi to her truth is an added and exciting bonus.
SERIES PREMIERE DATE: Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 9/8c (where it will debut out of Superman & Lois Season 2)
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OBI-WAN KENOBI (Disney+)
Image Credit: Everett Collection WHY IT EXCITES US: We were already amped to see Ewan McGregor’s return as Obi-Wan during a volatile time for the Jedi. But our excitement hit nuclear levels with the confirmation that Hayden Christensen would reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker aka Darth Vader. We look forward to revisiting these iconic characters at a particularly interesting point in their stories, 10 years after the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
SERIES PREMIERE DATE: 2022
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PAM & TOMMY (Hulu)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Hulu WHY IT EXCITES US: The salacious story of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s leaked sex tape was heard ’round the world in 1995, and we can’t help but be re-drawn into their saga thanks to this show’s wild trailer. Lily James and Sebastian Stan certainly look the parts, and with a cast that also includes Seth Rogen and a long-locked Nick Offerman, we’re intrigued.
SERIES PREMIERE DATE: Wednesday, Feb. 2 (first three episodes, then weekly)
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POWER BOOK IV: FORCE (Starz)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Starz WHY IT EXCITES US: We’ve been jonesing for Joseph Sikora’s deeply disturbed yet eminently watchable killer Tommy Egan ever since he rode outta New York City in Power‘s series finale. (And that brief return in Book II only made us miss him more). So we can’t wait to watch him cancel Christmas in a new city (Chicago) with a new batch of miscreants (including Sons of Anarchy‘s Tommy Flanagan and R&B singer Jeremih) in the franchise’s latest spinoff.
SERIES PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Feb. 6 at 9/8c
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SECRET INVASION (Disney+)
Image Credit: Disney+ screenshot WHY IT EXCITES US: The Skrulls of it all promises to make this series very important in the larger scheme of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially if Nick Fury and Talos (played again by Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn, respectively) reveal along the way that certain movie characters weren’t quite who they appeared to be.
SERIES PREMIERE DATE: 2022
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SHE-HULK (Disney+)
Image Credit: Disney+ screenshot (2) WHY IT EXCITES US: The only words we need to say here are “Tatiana Maslany,” right? The Orphan Black vet is captivating in every role she inhabits, and we’re curious to see her take on Jennifer Walters, Bruce Banner’s not-as-angry-but-just-as-green cousin, as the Marvel universe continues to expand on the small screen. And speaking of Bruce Banner, Mark Ruffalo’s appearance as the Hulk in the series — however brief it might ultimately be — will be a welcome visit from the MCU’s early days.
SERIES PREMIERE DATE: 2022
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SHINING VALE (Starz)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Starz WHY IT EXCITES US: True, CBS’ delightful Ghosts has already set a high bar for series in which recently relocated couples see spooks from another realm. But we’re hoping Starz’s horror-comedy — starring Courteney Cox as a married woman who starts to encounter a demonic spirit in her new home — can clear that threshold: We know from Cox’s turns in the Scream films that she can sell campy scares; the ensemble is stacked with talents like Greg Kinnear, Mira Sorvino and Merrin Dungey; and co-creators Jeff Astrof and Sharon Horgan have respectively blessed us with Trial & Error and Catastrophe, two of the past decade’s sharpest and most enjoyable comedies.
SERIES PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, March 6 at 10/9c
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SUPERMAN & LOIS (The CW)
Image Credit: Courtesy of The CW WHY IT EXCITES US: The perfect balance of family drama and superhero blockbuster, this latest addition to the Arrowverse was among the biggest and best surprises of last season. And the show’s sophomore outing is already giving us plenty to look forward to, from the on-screen reunion of Teen Wolf’s Tyler Hoechlin and Ian Bohen to the long-awaited return of Jenna Dewan as Lois’ sister Lucy Lane.
SEASON 2 PREMIERE DATE: Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 8/7c
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THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE (HBO)
Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO WHY IT EXCITES US: A time-traveling romantic drama based on Audrey Niffenegger’s book, adapted by Doctor Who and Coupling vet Steven Moffat and directed by TV legend David Nutter? Count us in! And since so much of this story hinges on the romance between Clare and Henry, we’re also eager to see if stars Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones) and Theo James (Sanditon) can deliver the chemistry.
SERIES PREMIERE DATE: 2022
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WOMEN OF THE MOVEMENT (ABC)
Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC WHY IT EXCITES US: We shouldn’t have to wait until Black History Month to celebrate the brave individuals who helped ignite the civil rights movement and endeavored to make this nation a better place. This six-part limited series dares to unpack 14-year-old Emmett Till’s racist, heartbreaking and senseless murder and the way his courageous and beautiful mother, Mamie, demanded justice in 1955 Jim Crow America.
SERIES PREMIERE DATE: Thursday, Jan. 6 at 8/7c
