This was a huge year for the television industry. With the release of the series finale of Ozark, the long-awaiting fourth season of Stranger Things, Umbrella Academy Season 3, the finale of Better Call Saul, and many more, 2022 was not only successful and full of profits for production companies but also generated quite the buzz among fans.
However, besides the returning shows, many streaming services and networks debuted new series that absolutely took off. Our friends at IMDb have helped narrow down some of the best new shows 2022 has to offer.
'Severance' (Apple TV+)
Severance is the Emmy-nominated and widely-acclaimed AppleTV+ sci-fi thriller series starring Adam Scott. The show follows Mark (Scott), an employee of Lumon Industries who agrees to take part in a new program entitled “Severance” in which his non-work memories are separated from his work memories.
The concept is bizarre and even chilling, and viewers are obsessed with this show. Severance has earned critical acclaim and was renewed for a second season in April 2022.
'Pachinko' (Apple TV+)
Pachinko is another AppleTV+ drama series based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee. The series and book focus on one Korean family through multiple generations, starting in the early 1900s.
Sunja, the prized daughter of the family, has an unplanned pregnancy that threatens the reputation of the family. She is saved by a young tubercular minister who offers to marry her and bring her to Japan. The series continues from there. Pachinko was renewed for a second season in April 2022.
'Heartstopper' (Netflix)
Based on the webcomic of the same name, Heartstopper was released on Netflix in 2022. The show centers around Charlie Spring, a shy and quiet openly gay student at Truham Boys Grammar School who develops feelings for Nick Nelson, the star and seemingly-straight rugby champion (or as Charlie says in the show, “rugby lad”).
Heartstopper has garnered a huge online fanbase, and the two stars have amassed millions of followers within months of the show being released. Season 1 is currently streaming on Netflix and has been renewed for 2 more seasons, which will begin production in September 2022. Fans can read the original webcomic (which the series follows accurately) online for free.
'Peacemaker' (HBOMax)
Peacemaker is a television series on HBOMax about Peacemaker, who was featured in the new The Suicide Squad film. The series takes place after the events of The Suicide Squad and focuses on the killer Peacemaker and his character.
Played by John Cena, the show is a fun watch. Peacemaker was so popular that the season finale broke the record for the highest single-day viewership of an HBOMax original episode.
'Ms. Marvel' (Disney+)
Ms. Marvel is a new Disney+/Marvel show centered around their first Muslim lead character. It focuses on 16-year-old Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American who loves video games, art, and the Avengers (Captain Marvel in particular).
She struggles to fit in until she gains her own superpowers and must take on the responsibilities of being a real superhero. The series is heartwarming, funny, and action-packed — it wouldn’t be a Marvel production without that, would it?
'Obi-Wan Kenobi' (Disney+)
Ewan McGregor returns in one of his most famous roles as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Obi-Wan Kenobi, a limited Star Wars spin-off series. Picking up after Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, fans find Obi-Wan deep into hiding on the planet Tatooine.
Kenobi must set out to rescue a young Princess Leia who had been captured by the Jedi-hunting Inquisitors led by Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) in an attempt to snuff Kenobi out. The show was well-received, and fans of Star Wars enjoyed seeing McGregor return to such an iconic role.
'House of the Dragon' (HBOMax)
Westeros is back! House of the Dragon is the newest show set in the universe of Game of Thrones and takes place around 170 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen. The show portrays the very beginning of the end of House Targaryen (which, no pun intended, goes up in flames as a result of a Targaryen Civil War).
The “Dance of the Dragons” plays out live on television every Sunday night and consists of 10 episodes in total (still currently airing). House of the Dragon was renewed for season 2 only 5 days after its premiere.
'The Sandman' (Netflix)
The Sandman is the latest Neil Gaiman book-to-screen adaptation. The show is about Dream/Morpheus, the Sandman, and the personification of dreams. He is one of the Endless, undying, and all-powerful beings. After being captured in an occult ritual for over 100 years, Dream is set free and must restore his realm, The Dreaming.
It doesn’t help that some dreams and nightmares that he’s created are now roaming the world and wreaking havoc. The show was a huge success and is the British fantasy series viewers have needed.
'The Dropout' (Hulu)
The Dropout is an Hulu original series starring Amanda Seyfried, based on the ABC Audio podcast of the same name. The show follows the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and her company Theranos which turned out to be completely fraudulent.
The show gained a fair amount of traction and received good reviews since its release. The Dropout was also nominated for 6 Primetime Emmy Awards.
'The Staircase' (HBOMax)
The Staircase is a true-crime miniseries based on the 2004 docuseries of the same name. The series follows Michael Peterson (Colin Firth), a writer who is convicted of killing his wife Kathleen Peterson (Toni Collette).
As the investigation continues, the entire family is thrown into an intense legal battle while a French documentary team takes interest in the case. The show is a short but thrilling must-watch for any true-crime junkies.