A TV series is so much more than a glorified form of entertainment; it’s a daily snippet of an alternate reality, where your heroes in whose stories you get so invested, episode by episode, can be anyone at all. Some of the protagonists come from real life, like the story of Mamie Till-Mobley in the upcoming series Women Of The Movement, and the likes of her give us the inspiration to take matters into our own hands. There are also the antagonist stories that also come from real life, like the ones of Anna Delvey and Elizabeth Holmes. We do love to immerse ourselves in those dark and intriguing secrets just to get away from our own heads. Then there are the alternate universes of Lord Of The Rings and Game Of Thrones in which we might not want to live but enjoy so much watching. A snippet of a faraway galaxy or the life of your hometown, it really doesn’t matter; what matters the most is that it is a sweet escape and a moment to rewind.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt if some of the most beloved actors act out those stories, and this year’s upcoming series will be as star-studded as a Western horseback rider’s show attire. From Ethan Hawke to Ralph Fiennes and Tim Roth in the male flanks to Zendaya, Amanda Seyfriend, and Cate Blanchett in the female corner, this year’s series are looking more promising than ever. And with their talent and their expertise, those alternate worlds will be even more believable and immersive that we are sure as day of.
Now, what exactly are the shows to be excited about this year? Well, to get a definite answer, just check our most anticipated series of 2022 list a bit further down. Some of them are entirely new ones debuting for the first time, others are giving us continued joy with more seasons, but all of them seem to be very worthy of our time. Once you’re done checking the list, vote for the upcoming series you are the antsiest to see, mark their premiere dates in your calendar and tell your friends all about these crackerjack shows!
#1 Women Of The Movement
Women Of The Movement, an upcoming historical limited series, will follow the story of an educator and activist, Mamie Till-Mobley (Adrienne Warren). In 1955, Mamie’s son Emmett was viciously murdered for an ‘inappropriate interaction’ with a white cashier. Her fight to ensure he’s not forgotten and that justice is rightfully served ultimately sparks the civil rights movement. This is a story that should’ve been shown to the public long ago, and we are glad that it’s finally on our screens.
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65points
#2 As We See It
As We See It is set to follow the lives of three roommates who try to navigate life, love, and careers. So, what’s the catch? Well, our heroes are on the autism spectrum, both on-screen and in real life, as the newcomer actor trio are all on the range. Now that should be a fair depiction and, hopefully, one that’ll further erase any stigmas associated with autism. A unique show to get excited for!
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58points
#3 Inventing Anna
A shocking real story adapted to screens by Shonda Rhimes? Yes, please! Inventing Anna is based on the story of Anna Delvey, a total fake who managed to wiggle her way right into New York’s high society, living lavishly without a penny to her name and eating her life away in the most exclusive restaurants. Up until two high-profile exposes, after which she’s found very guilty of larceny. And you know what’s even better? Anna Delvey is played by Julia Garner (Ozark), and with her talent, we are sure that Anna will be a character to remember.
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55points
#4 The Gilded Age
Missed Downton Abbey? Well, no problem, here’s the newest creation by Julian Fellows that is channeling the same aristocracy vibes. This time, though, the series is set in 1880 New York, and the main conflict is between the old money and the new. The cast of The Gilded Age is completely different from Downton Abbey, but it’s a good thing as we’ll get to see Cynthia Nixon in the role of an upper-crust dame. We are pretty sure that The Gilded Age is bound to be just as lavish, as splendid, and as intriguing as Fellows’ latter creation!
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52points
#5 The Afterparty
We love ourselves a good murder mystery, especially one that meshes with comedy, and The Afterparty promises to deliver just that. A murder has happened during a high school reunion afterparty, and the cast (Tiffany Hadish, Dave Franco, Ike Barinholtz, just to name a few) are set to solve it. What’s even more exciting is that each episode will be told from a different character’s perspective, so you’ll know that the actors will all have their time to shine!
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50points
#6 The Dropout
We have our fair share of series based on real stories this year, and The Dropout adds to the list. Based on The Dropout podcast by Rebecca Jarvis, the series follows a grim fake-it-till-you-make-it story of Elizabeth Holmes (Amanda Seyfried), who claimed to have invented a blood testing technology to revolutionize healthcare. But, before the rich and powerful investors figure out that it is all just a hoax, Holmes declares herself to be the youngest self-made billionaire ever. Of course, with such a premise, you know that The Dropout will serve us a considerable amount of dubious ethics, dark secrets, and vicious intrigue.
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49points
#7 The Lord Of The Rings TV Series
Probably the most expensive series ever, with the first season rounding at about half a billion dollars, Lord Of The Rings is sure getting our hopes up! In fact, it is a prequel to the movies that we all hoped to see on our screens one day. The as of yet unnamed series is set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, just a few thousand years before the events that we saw in the big-screen trilogy. Of course, there’s the re-emergence of evil to be fought off, so you know it will be a quite eventful endeavor.
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48points
#8 Peacemaker
James Gunn, the director of the Suicide Squad movie, was so enamored with John Cena’s character Peacemaker that he made a spin-off dedicated to this hero-verging-on-villain. Ironically, Peacemaker’s motto is to kill any man for peace, and it is the perfect conflict to base the series and the character arc on. Cena’s personage was also dubbed the biggest douche ever, so you know that besides thrilling action, the series will deliver in the humor department, too.
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46points
#9 Pam & Tommy
Now, if the story of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s unauthorized sex tape leak isn’t juicy enough for you, wait until you hear about the cast of this biographical drama! Besides Lily James and Sebastian Stan in the leading roles, you’ll also get to see Nick Offerman and Seth Rogen as Uncle Mintie and Rand Gauthier - two porn industry veterans who stole the tape and mass-produced it to be sold online. And with those two, you just know that you’ll be snickering throughout the series.
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46points
#10 Pachinko
A tale of forbidden love that turns into a saga of heartbreak spanning half of the world - this is the story of the Pachinko series, based on a novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee. Created by Apple TV+, this series was filmed in South Korea, Japan, and the United States and the characters speak in all three languages. If not for its story, then for the aforementioned reasons, Pachinko just might become a genuine worldwide hit.
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43points
#11 Anatomy Of Scandal
Big Little Lies’ director David E. Kelley is bringing us an adaptation of a 2018 novel by Sarah Vaughan. Starring Michelle Dockery, Sienna Miller, and Rupert Friend, this anthology drama will follow the stories of British high society’s notoriety and the ripple effect a false accusation causes throughout the British elite. As the name suggests, it will be a quite scandalous watch, but that’s exactly what makes a series binge-worthy.
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43points
#12 Avatar: The Last Airbender
Finally, a live-action remake that we are actually excited about! Avatar: The Last Airbender will be based on the 2005 animated series, and we will once again get the chance to follow Aang and his friends on their quest to save the world. Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Leung, and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee are lending their talents to this project, and we are doubtful that a better cast could be assembled for a live-action remake of The Airbender series.
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43points
#13 Interview With The Vampire
Although we already saw the story of Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire come to life in the 1994 movie starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, the vampire fever is here to stay. And, with it, we will get to see another reincarnation of this glorious gothic novel - this time in the format of a TV series. AMC’s Interview With The Vampire is said to star Sam Reid as Lestat and Jacob Anderson as Louis. Need we say more?
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40points
#14 House Of The Dragon
Though the development of this Game Of Thrones prequel saw a shaky start with HBO almost deciding to call it quits, the Targaryen prevail, and we will, most definitely, see the House Of The Dragon series premiere this year. Set some two hundred years before the events depicted in GoT, House Of The Dragon centers around the story of the royal Targaryen family, and with that, we are sure that there will be plenty of dragons. Although the series cast is entirely different from its predecessor, hopefully, there will be a character equivalent to Jon Snow, as we are so ready to swoon over another hero.
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39points
#15 Halo
The Halo series, for which we’ve waited since 2013 when Steven Spielberg first mentioned the idea, will finally see the light of day this year. Based, of course, on the wildly popular first-person shooter game, the series will be a rich imagining of the future where humanity fights against aliens. Besides all the action, the Halo series also promises interesting character arcs and twisted plotlines, so we know that it won’t be just the gloriously gory action to look for.
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38points
#16 The Last Of Us
The Last Of Us, a dark and post-apocalyptic series, is based on the ground-breaking and morally challenging video game of the same name. Here, we will follow the tragedies and the highs of Joel (Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor of the zombie apocalypse, as he is tasked with escorting the teenage Ellie (Bella Ramsay, yes, the same pint-sized Lady Lyanna Mormont of GoT) across the decrepit United States. And if you’re worried that the gritty reality of the game won’t translate that well onto screens, don’t be - the executive producer of The Last Of Us is Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and Neil Druckmann, the creator of the game himself.
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38points
#17 Bel-Air
Bel-Air, produced by none other than the ‘90s series star Will Smith himself, is going to be a re-imagining and a stark dramatization of the original Fresh Prince of Bel-Air series. While the original show often didn’t have enough time to dig deeper into issues of the class divide, racial dynamics, and struggles in its short episodes, this new version promises to fix that mistake. So from the streets of Philadelphia to a lavish Californian mansion, we go once more!
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37points
#18 Moon Knight
Moon Knight will probably be the most star-studded addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and that’s something to be excited about. Here, Oscar Isaac plays the eponymous hero/CIA agent who, upon visiting an ancient digging site in Egypt, finds himself with the powers of moon god Khonshu. On the other side, there’s the yet-unnamed villain, who will be played by Ethan Hawke. And if these two are not the most promising dynamic duo, we don’t know who is.
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37points
#19 Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel, a miniseries created by Bisha K. Ali, centers around Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), who’s just your regular Pakistani-American teenager growing up in New Jersey. She, too, adores Captain Marvel and wishes to have superpowers just like his. Lo and behold, she suddenly finds that she does indeed have powers, particularly the ability to stretch her body in any shape that she wishes. And we think that it’ll be a great addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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34points
#20 She-Hulk
She-Hulk, the third Marvel Cinematic Universe expansion on our list, will follow the story of Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany). Walters, a lawyer specializing in superhuman law incidentally, can turn into this huge green superhuman herself. Of course, we’ll get to see Tim Roth’s villain The Abomination once more and check out Mark Ruffalo’s OG Hulk.
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34points