Best TV shows arriving in 2022

2022 seems like it’s going to be an outstanding year for good old-fashioned series binging. Keeping with the spin-off trend seen in recent years, next year will be treating us couch potatoes to a string of fantastical and adventurous cinematic experiences.

Here are our top picks for the best upcoming TV shows of 2022…

Lord of the Rings

Both the Lord of the Rings books and films have become household names, taking on an almost saintly status in the modern zeitgeist. Will the upcoming show be able to join their divine ranks? We certainly can’t wait to find out!

The upcoming fantasy series takes place millennia before the events of The Hobbit and LOTR saga.

For the die-hard fans out there, we’re talking about the Age of Númenor (aka the Second Age), 3441 years before the formation of the Fellowship of the Ring.

Other than that, we don’t know much about the new show other than its IMDb description that says we will follow “an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-Earth”.

Sounds pretty exciting to us!

House of the Dragon

We were just starting to recover from the feverish spectacle that was Game of Thrones when HBO announced its imminent prequel, namely The House of Dragons.

As you’ve might have guessed, the show will centre around House Targaryen, the house of Daenerys Stormborn (aka Khaleesi), famed and feared for their ability to converse with and control dragons.

The upcoming series is set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones. Notable cast members include Matt Smith (The Crown) as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Paddy Considine (Informer) as King Viserys Targaryen, Olivia Cooke (Ready Player One) as Alicent Hightower, and Rhys Ifans (The Boat That Rocked) as Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

That’s right, 2022 will sprout yet another spinoff of a colossal franchise. Obi-Wan Kenobi is set eight years after the Revenge of the Sith and will follow the story of the legendary Jedi Master who trained Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) and set Luke Skywalker on his path to glory.

While we know basically next to nothing about the upcoming Star Wars series, we are ecstatic to know that Ewan McGregor will be reprising his role as the Jedi hero, together with Hayden Christensen returning as Vader.

Around the World in 80 days

It has been almost two decades since we last saw Steve Coogan and Jackie Chan’s rendition of Around the World in 80 Days, based on the classic 1873 adventure novel by Jules Verne of the same name.

This upcoming limited series will see the charismatic David Tennant (Doctor Who) play as explorer Phineas Fog, with Ibrahim Koma playing the loyal valet Passepartout, and Leonie Bench playing journalist, Abigail Fortescue.

This eight-episode series will tell the story of this unconventional trio as they try to circumnavigate the earth in 80 days, which is quite the feat considering it takes place in 1873.

Read more: The best movies for geeks coming in 2022

Feature image: HBO