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Movies & TV

31st Dec 2021

The 14 most-anticipated new TV shows of 2022

Rory Cashin

Great news for subscribers to Netflix, Prime Video, NOW and Disney+!

2022 will see a host of incredible shows returning to our TVs, including The Boys Season 3, The Flight Attendant Season 2, Westworld Season 4, Barry Season 3, Ozark Season 4, Stranger Things Season 4, Peaky Blinders Season 6, and The Crown Season 5…

But this list is all about the brand new arrivals, giving us all the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the latest zeitgeist’y shows.

And now here they are, in alphabetical order, starting with…

DMZ

Release: Date unknown but likely to arrive on NOW

Rosario Dawson headlines this alternative history dystopian HBO drama, playing a medic on the demilitarised island of Manhattan, who is trying to find her lost son during the Second American Civil War.

Ava DuVernay (Selma, The 13th) executive produces the show, and also directs some of the episodes.

Gaslit

Release: Date unknown but will arrive on StarzPlay

Julia Roberts, Sean Penn, Dan Stevens and Betty Gilpin star in this drama which tells some of the untold stories surrounding the Watergate scandal.

The miniseries is directed by Matt Ross (Captain Fantastic) and executive produced by Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot, Homecoming).

Halo

Release: Early 2022 on Paramount+ (Sky and NOW in Ireland)

The looooooooooooong-in-the-making adaptation of the gargantuan video games series is finally almost here.

Pablo Schreiber (Den of Thieves, Skyscraper) is playing the legendary John Spartan, a warrior at the centre of a battle between humans and aliens in the 26th century.

House of the Dragon

Release: Date unknown but will arrive on NOW

After multiple starts, stops and cancellations, the first proper Game of Thrones spin-off is upon us.

Set 200 years before the events of HBO’s previous dragon-fest, this series will focus on the end of House Targaryen, leading to the civil war – better known as the Dance of the Dragons.

Inventing Anna

Release: 11 February on Netflix

After the massive success of Bridgerton, that show’s creator Shonda Rhimes is hoping to strike gold again with this new mini-series, telling the true story of Anna Delvey (Julia Garner), a con-artist who hoodwinked some of the biggest names within the New York socialite scene.

The Last of Us

Release: Date unknown but will arrive on NOW

The writer of HBO’s hit series Chernobyl is teaming up with the creator of the much-loved video game franchise in order to faithfully adapt the story of smuggler Joel (Pedro Pascal) as he tries to safely transport young girl Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across a post-apocalyptic America.

The Lord of the Rings

Release: 2 September on Prime Video

The most expensive show in TV history should see a tsunami of new subscribers to the Prime Video library.

Taking place thousands of years before the events of the movies, it will focus on a group of characters as they battle an emergence of evil from Middle Earth.

Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

Release: Date unknown but will arrive on Netflix

Creator Ryan Murphy continues his love affair with Netflix, following up his previous hits Ratched, The Politician, The Boys in the Band, The Prom and Halston with this telling of infamous serial killer Dahmer (Evan Peters), told from the perspective of his victims.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Release: Date unknown but will arrive on Disney+

Following on from The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, this will be the next small-screen, live-action outing set within the Star Wars universe.

Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen and Joel Edgerton have been confirmed to be returning to their roles from the prequel movies, with the action taking place a decade after The Revenge of the Sith.

Pam & Tommy

Release: 2 February on Disney+

Lily James, Sebastian Stan, Seth Rogen and Nick Offerman star in this miniseries from the director of I, Tonya, telling the story of the marriage between the mega-famous couple during the fallout of the release of the unauthorised sex tape they recorded privately while on their honeymoon.

Peacemaker

Release: 13 January on HBO, likely to arrive on NOW in Ireland soon after

A fan favourite following his big screen debut in The Suicide Squad, John Cena returns as Christopher Smith aka Peacemaker, a man who will go to any lengths to ensure that peace is maintained.

Even if those lengths are particularly violent.

James Gunn returns as writer for the entire series, and director for the majority of the episodes, too.

The Sandman

Release: Date unknown but will arrive on Netflix

Long considered to be completely unfilmable, an all-star cast fill out this adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s epic fantasy series, telling the story of the King of Dreams (Tom Sturridge) who escapes capture following 105 years of magical imprisonment, arriving in the modern day to restore his kingdom.

Secret Invasion

Release: Date unknown but will arrive on Disney+

While the MCU will have at least four entries arriving throughout 2022 (including She-Hulk, Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel), it is Secret Invasion that has our attention the most.

Samuel L. Jackon, Ben Mendelsohn, Olivia Colman, Emilia Clarke, Cobie Smulders and more will appear in this adaptation of the huge comic book story, in which it is discovered that the shape-shifting Skrulls have successfully infiltrated practically every aspect of life on Earth.

The Staircase

Release: Date unknown but likely to arrive on NOW

The incredible, jaw-dropping true-story murder-mystery documentary (currently available to watch on Netflix) will get an all-star retelling.

Crime novelist Michael Peterson (Colin Firth) is accused of murdering his wife Kathleen (Toni Collette), but all manner of evidence muddies up the investigation.

The White House Plumbers

Release: Date unknown but likely to arrive on NOW

From one of the creative minds behind Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiam and Veep, we get yet another look at the Watergate scandal, this time starring Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux as two Nixon supporters who are forced to turn on him.

Domhnall Gleeson, Lena Headey and Kathleen Turner fill out the impressive cast list.

Clips via Paramount Plus, HBO Max, Netflix

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