Look, let’s be real: Pandemic notwithstanding, we’re not going to the movies like we used to. A lot of the kinds of dramas we used to buy tickets for have migrated to TV and expanded in scope, and as a result, TV’s gotten…pretty good. This year’s slate of new movies is enticing, but we’ll probably be fine if we sit at home and catch up on new seasons of Euphoria, Outlander, Atlanta, and Bridgerton, instead.
Those returning shows are all known quantities, and popular for good reasons, but it’s fun to catch the next big thing before it hits. In that spirit, we’ve rounded up some of the most promising shows debuting in 2022, whether because they have appealing premises and stars, come from impressive behind-the-scenes talent, or are generally buzzy enough to inspire curiosity. Not all of them are guaranteed to hit, but at least a handful of them will undoubtedly become this year’s answer to Succession or Schitt’s Creek.
(Streaming networks are particularly reluctant to offer up release dates too far in advance, so the shows that are expected this year but that don’t have firm spots are arranged together at the end.)