While we're excited to see the return of some of our favourite series in the next few months, there's nothing quite like getting hooked on a brand-new series – and the new year is set to be full of brilliant original shows. From the latest Russell T. Davies miniseries to the adaptation of a French favourite - to all of the top new shows coming to Netflix, Disney+ and more, here are our recommendations for shows coming out in 2022…
MORE: 31 cancelled Netflix shows that need to be brought back
The Gilded Age – HBO/Sky, From 24 January
From Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, this historical drama takes place during the late 19th century and follows Marian Brook, the orphaned daughter of a Union general, who moves into the New York City home of her thoroughly old moneyed aunts Agnes van Rhijn and Ada Brook.
MORE: Everything you need to know about Downton Abbey creator's sumptuous new series
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window - Netflix, Available now
Ready for a little bit of psychological thriller satire? Kristen Bell stars as Anna, a heartbroken woman who sees the light at the end of the tunnel when a handsome neighbour and his adorable daughter move in across the street. That is until she witnesses a gruesome murder... Or did she?
In from the Cold - Netflix, Available now
The synopsis reads: "A single mother's life in suburban New Jersey is turned upside down when the FBI arrests her and forces her to make a choice: confront her long-buried past as a highly trained, bio-engineered Russian agent, and become an asset against Russia's underworld drug trade, and shadow war on U.S. elections—or put her family and the new life she has built at risk."
The Afterparty – Apple TV+, Available now
Starring Dave Franco, Tiffany Haddish and Ilana Glazer, this genre-defying series is based on a murder mystery at a high school reunion, where each episode looks at a different character's account of the evening in question, all through the lens of popular film genres and unique visuals to match the storyteller’s perspective. Sounds cool, right?
WATCH APPLE TV+ HERE
Pam and Tommy – Disney+, 2 February
This series will focus on Baywatch star Pamela Anderson and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee's dramatic relationship. As per the official synopsis from Hulu: "The eight-episode comedic limited series tells the true story of the release of the first-ever viral video in history — the sex tape of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee."
MORE: Here's how you can watch Lily James' scandalous new series Pam & Tommy in the UK
Inventing Anna - Netflix, 11 February
The nine-part drama from Shondaland tells the shocking but true story of a fraudster who managed to con wealthy New Yorkers out of millions of pounds by posing as a German heiress. The series is partly inspired by the New York Magazine article How Anna Delvey Tricked New York's Party People by Jessica Pressler, which chronicles how Anna Delvey - real name Anna Sorokin - managed to pull off one of the biggest scams in recent history. We feel confident in saying this one is going to be big.
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Severance – Apple TV+, 18 February
The upcoming Apple series follows Mark Scout, who works for Lumon Industries, where employees must undergo a 'severance procedure' to divide their memories between work and their personal lives. The synopsis reads: "This daring experiment in ‘work-life balance’ is called into question as Mark finds himself at the centre of an unravelling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and of himself."
The Dropout – Disney+, 3 March
Starring Amanda Seyfried, this series follows Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes as she made billions starting a technology company based entirely on lies. Based on the fascinating podcast of the same name, we'd recommend having a listen if you can't wait for the show to come out!
House of the Dragon – HBO/Sky/NOW
Game of Thrones fans can finally find some closure from season eight… by falling in love with an entirely new set of characters. Set 300 years before the events of A Song of Ice and Fire, the story follows House Targaryen at the height of their power. Starring Matt Smith and Olivia Cooke, we couldn't be more excited to return to the world of Westeros.
WATCH: Are you excited to return to George RR Martin's world?
WATCH NOW HERE
The Responder – BBC - Available now
Starring Martin Freeman, the upcoming series which is written by an ex-police officer Tony Schumacher, shows the Sherlock actor in the role of Chris, a "crisis-stricken, morally compromised, unconventional" urgent response officer tackling a series of night shifts on the beat in Liverpool.
MOOD – BBC
Fleabag 2.0? Starting out as a one-woman play, the new series following wannabe singer and rapper Sasha who, after being kicked out of her family home, gets involved in social media influencing. Told in part by songs, we think musical lovers will enjoy this one.
Heartstopper – Netflix
The story follows Charlie and Nick, who meet at an all-boys school and soon discover a romance blossoming between them. The synopsis reads: "Over the series Charlie and Nick fall head over heels for each other. Along the way they realise there is a strong community of allies and friends around them, helping them to access their authentic selves, but also teaching them there is no ‘right way’ to come out."
Chloe – BBC/Amazon Prime Video
This six-part series follows The Crown star Erin Doherty as Becky, a carer for her mother who is obsessed with social media princess Chloe Fairbourne. Following Chloe's sudden death, Becky assumes the new identity of Sasha, and infiltrates the enviable lives of Chloe's closest friends to investigate her death.
WATCH AMAZON PRIME VIDEO HERE
The Ipcress Files – ITV
Based on Len Deighton's best-selling novel of the same name, The Ipcress File follows Harry Palmer, a British army sergeant in post-war Berlin. As the synopsis from ITV reads: "In this newly partitioned city, a sharp working-class young man with sophisticated tastes can make a lot of money. Wholesaler, retailer, fixer, smuggler, Harry's varied interests bring him into contact with everything and everyone – until the law catches up and it all comes crashing to a halt."
Inside Man – BBC
The four-part miniseries, created by Sherlock and Dracula screenwriter Steven Moffat, follows a prisoner on death row in the US, a Vicar in a quiet English town, and a maths teacher trapped in a cellar, as they cross paths in the most unexpected way. Intrigued? So are we!
MORE: Inside Man: everything you need to know about David Tennant's new drama
Conversations with Friends – BBC
Loved Normal People? This is one for you. From the brilliant Sally Rooney, the official synopsis for the hit show reads: "Conversations with Friends follows Frances, a 21-year-old college student, as she navigates a series of relationships that force her to confront her own vulnerabilities for the first time." Starring Joe Alwyn and Jemima Kirke, we have high expectations for this one.
Ms Marvel – Disney+
Who's ready for more MCU TV shows? This upcoming series follows Kamala Khan—a 16-year-old Pakistani American. Obsessed with the Avengers, particularly Captain Marvel, Kamala finds herself following in her hero's footsteps after gaining powers of her very own.
WATCH DISNEY+ HERE
The Undeclared War – Channel 4/Peacock
Starring Mark Rylance, the new series is set in 2024 in the run up to the British general election as a leading team of analysts buried in the heart of GCHQ secretly work to ward off a cyber-attack on the country’s electoral system.
Call My Agent – Amazon Prime Video
The French series following a group of agents and their famous clientele was an international hit, and now a UK-version is finally set to be released in 2022. Penned by W1A writer John Morton and starring the likes of Helena Bonham-Carter and Kelly Macdonald, we're excited to see if the adaptation lives up to the original.
The Lord of the Rings – Amazon Prime Video, 22 September
The most expensive TV series ever produced, it is fair to say that critics and fans alike are buzzing to see if the new LOTR series is worth all the fuss. The series is set thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings and sees a group of characters confront evil in Middle Earth. Who are we kidding? We cannot WAIT.
Marriage – BBC
Starring Sean Bean and Nicola Walker, the four-part drama will look at the couple’s 30-year marriage, with the synopsis reading: “Marriage… is an up-close portrait of a marriage - sometimes funny, sometimes moving, always revealing.
MORE: Unforgotten star Nicola Walker teams up with Sean Bean for new drama - and it looks amazing
"Marriage sees married couple Ian and Emma negotiate the ups and downs of their 30-year marriage. We see them dealing with the insecurities, the ambiguities, the hopes and the fears that are part of all marriages, as the drama explores the risks and the gifts of a long-term intimate relationship."
This Sceptred Isle – Sky/NOW
Kenneth Branagh has transformed into Boris Johnson is this upcoming drama which will look at the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. The synopsis reads: "The five-part drama will chart the events surrounding the UK prime minister, the government, and the country in the face of the first wave of the global pandemic."
The Time Traveler's Wife – HBO/Sky
Adapted from Audrey Niffenegger by Doctor Who's Steven Moffatt, the upcoming series (starring Rose Leslie and Theo James) looks at a couple, Clare and Henry, whose relationship is out of sync due to the fact that Henry has the ability to time travel.
Speaking to Deadline about the show, Steven said: "I read… The Time Traveler’s Wife many years ago, and I fell in love with it. In fact, I wrote a Doctor Who episode called ‘The Girl In The Fireplace’ as a direct response to it. When, in her next novel, Audrey had a character watching that very episode, I realised she was probably on to me. All these years later, the chance to adapt the novel itself, is a dream come true."
This is Going to Hurt – BBC
The series will follow Adam, a doctor who we find winding his way through the ranks of hospital hierarchy – junior enough to suffer the crippling hours, but senior enough to face a constant barrage of terrifying responsibilities. Played by Paddington's very own Ben Whishaw, we can't wait to tune into this one, hospital gore and all!
Paper Girls – Amazon Prime Video
Based on the bestselling graphic novels, Paper Girls follows four teens who become unwittingly caught in a conflict between warring factions of time-travellers while trying to deliver papers in their route. This 1980s-based series is perfect for any Stranger Things fans!
Moon Knight – Disney+
Let's go Oscar Isaac fans! The new series sees the Dune star as Marc Knight, a complex vigilante who suffers from dissociative identity disorder. The synopsis reads: "The multiple identities who live inside him find themselves thrust into a deadly war of the gods against the backdrop of modern and ancient Egypt."
She-Hulk – Disney+
Anyone who watched Orphan Black knows that Tatiana Maslany is one to watch, and we couldn't be more excited to see her join the Marvel universe as Jennifer Walters AKA She-Hulk. In the show, Jennifer is a lawyer who specialises in superhuman-oriented legal cases. It'll also see the return of Mark Ruffalo as fan favourite Bruce Banner.
The Reckoning – BBC
Starring Steve Coogan, the series will be based on the life of Jimmy Savile, a TV personality who was posthumously accused of over six decades-worth of sexual assaults.
The synopsis reads: "The story will trace Savile through his early years in the dance halls of northern England, his career with the BBC, to his twilight years when, in failing health and with his fame in decline, he sought to dispel the growing rumours about his life and the legacy he would leave behind."
Bel-Air – Peacock/TBC in UK
After a fan made trailer on a dramatic version of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air caught Will Smith's attention, a TV show is now set to be released following a young Will Smith, played by Jabari Banks, who moves from Philadelphia to Bel-Air. According to Collider, the show will look at personal and socioeconomic conflicts in the dramatic retelling of the story.
Obi Wan Kenobi – Disney+
Disney is certainly keeping details of this Star Wars original series tightly under wraps, but we do know some things. We know that Ewan McGregor will be returning as Obi Wan, and we know that Hayden Christensen will be reprising his role as Darth Vader. We also know that we cannot wait.
Everything I Know About Love – BBC
Based on Dolly Alderton's bestselling memoir, the new seven-part series will look about life in your 20s as best pals Maggie and Birdy go through the trials and tribulations of young adult life in a 2012 London house share.
Pistol – Disney+
Based on Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones’ 2018 memoir, Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol, the series is set to be a seriously watchable new perspective on one of rock’s greatest ever stories.
The Last of Us – HBO/Sky
Starring Pedro Pascal, this hugely popular game turned TV show follows Joe and Ellie in a post-pandemic America as they are forced to endure horrendous situations and ruthless fellow survivors.
SAS: Rogue Heroes – BBC
With a seriously impressive cast including Jack O'Connell and Connor Swindells and penned by Peaky Blinders creator Stephen Knight, the official synopsis reads: "Cairo, 1941. David Stirling - an eccentric young officer, hospitalised after a training exercise went wrong - is bored. Convinced that traditional commando units don’t work, he creates a radical plan that flies in the face of all accepted rules of modern warfare.
MORE: Line of Duty actor to star in new drama from Peaky Blinders creator – and it looks amazing
"He fights for permission to recruit the toughest, boldest and brightest soldiers for a small undercover unit that will create mayhem behind enemy lines. More rebels than soldiers, Stirling’s team are every bit as complicated, flawed and reckless as they are astonishingly brave and heroic."
The Staircase – HBO/Sky
Colin Firth will appear as real-life novelist Michael Peterson, who was accused of killing his wife Kathleen Peterson at their home in North Carolina in 2001. True-crime fanatics will be familiar with the story as not only has it been covered by a number of podcasts, but it was also the subject of the hugely popular Netflix series, also named The Staircase.
Then Barbara Met Alan – BBC
Written by Jack Thorne and Genevieve Barr, this true-story follows Barbara Lisicki and Alan Holdsworth, two disabled cabaret performers who met at a gig in 1989 and would go on to become the driving force behind DAN - the Direct Action Network, whose protests pushed the campaign for disabled rights into the spotlight.
Queenie – Channel 4
Based on the bestselling novel of the same name, the story follows Queenie, a journalist at a national newspaper who struggles after breaking up with her boyfriend and frequently being forced to compare herself to her white, middle-class peers. The synopsis reads: "She finds herself somewhat lost and searching for comfort in all the wrong places, including the beds and backseats of several undeserving men who do a great job of occupying her brain space, but a bad one of affirming her self-worth."
Riches – ITV
Succession fans might want to check this one out! The upcoming new drama follows the exploits of the super-successful and wealthy Richards family, but after Stephen Richards suffers a sudden medical emergency, the family’s world comes crashing down.
Julia – HBO/Sky
Sarah Lancashire is set to star as cookbook author and chef Julia Child in the new series that will look at her amazing life as well as her hugely popular show, The French Chef. Speaking about the show, head of original content for HBO Max told Variety: "We are so happy to help bring the incomparable Julia Child back to the small screen, when we need her more than ever.
"This show’s look into her life, marriage, and trailblazing career as she transformed the way we talk about food is an absolute delight. Our incredible cast and formidable creative team are a recipe for success, and we couldn’t be more excited."
The Summer I Turned Pretty – Amazon Prime Video
Fancy a YA? The Summer I Turned Pretty is a multigenerational drama that hinges on a love triangle between one girl and two brothers, along with the ever-evolving relationship between mothers and their children, and the enduring power of strong female friendship. Penned by All the Boys I've Loved Before author Jenny Han, we have high hopes for this one!
Nolly - ITV
After his smash hit success of It's a Sin in 2021, Russell T Davies is back with a new miniseries for ITV. This time, he is delving into the real-life story of Noele Gordon, a famous soap star who was unceremoniously written out of the show Crossroads after 18 years. So what really happened? We can't wait to find out.
Anatomy of a Scandal – Netflix
Based on the bestselling novel Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan, the series is about "sexual consent and privilege set in London". The 2017 book tells the story of Westminster politician James who is accused of rape by a woman with whom he has been having an affair. His wife, Sophie, despite being hurt by the affair, is convinced her husband is innocent. Criminal barrister, Kate is convinced otherwise.
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