Viewers who enjoy trying out new shows instead of constantly re-watching their favorites will have a lot to choose from next year. Other than the return of already established shows, 2022 will also see the premiere of many new series on both TV and on streaming services.
Some of them are new creative series while others are based in an already established world or inspired by a popular book series. Whatever the case, especially for fans of the fantasy and sci-fi genres, deciding what to watch next will be difficult. However, some 2022 shows are even more anticipated than others.
7 The Witcher: Blood Origin
When the first season of The Witcher premiered on Netflix in December 2019, it became a huge hit. So much so that any subsequent work from the same world is heavily anticipated by the fans. And even though the upcoming spin-off series The Witcher: Blood Origin won't likely feature Henry Cavill's Geralt of Rivia, it still has a lot to offer to the fans of the series.
It will be set in an elven world 1,200 years before the events of The Witcher, showing how the first-ever Witcher was created and how the Conjunction of the Spheres brought monsters into the world.
6 Half Bad
The topic of magic and witches and wizards is still highly popular but not every world can be as idyllic as Harry Potter. Inspired by the book trilogy by Sally Green, Half Bad tells the story of a young boy, Nathan, who's the son of the evilest wizard, and almost everybody fears him and mistreats him because of it.
It's unclear when the series will premiere, but it will be streaming on Netflix. Green's books don't spare its heroes and offer a captivating story, so if Half Bad translates well onto TV, it could be a new fantasy hit.
5 House Of The Dragon
Easily one of the most anticipated TV shows of the next year, House of the Dragon will bring the audience back to Westeros and the world of George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire saga. But just like with The Witcher: Blood Origin, the series will focus on the past, this time only going back 200 years. As its title suggests, it will focus on the House of Targaryen, which is good news for all fans of this royal dynasty.
House of the Dragon has a promising cast, as it stars Matt Smith and Paddy Considine as the Targaryen brothers Daemon and Viserys, respectively. While its exact story remains a mystery at the moment, it will no doubt feature a conflict between the two brothers, one who is king and the other one who isn't. The show will be available on HBO Max.
4 The Rising
Dying is bad enough, but even more so when somebody ends up murdered. The Rising will tell the story of a young woman, Neve Kelly, who discovers after her death that she now has special supernatural abilities and goes on to investigate her own demise.
The attractive premise is enough to make The Rising an interesting show for all fans of the supernatural who enjoy stories about younger heroes. The show stars Clara Rugaard, the first season will have eight episodes and it will premiere on Sky One and NOW TV.
3 The Midwich Cuckoos
All fans of horror and sci-fi will be well familiar with the work of John Wyndham. The British writer created some of the most iconic novels of the 20th century, such as Day of the Triffids and The Midwich Cuckoos, and his work has been adapted multiple times. The Midwich Cuckoos will now get a new version and if it's just as intense and scary as the novel, the series will have a lot to offer.
It shows what happens when the citizens of Midwich fall unconscious one evening, and when they wake up, a lot of women discover they're pregnant. Needless to say, their children are far from ordinary. The story has the potential to attract the audience, regardless of whether they read the book or will be able to compare the new adaptation with the previous versions.
2 The Time Traveler's Wife
Another adaptation of a successful novel that has been filmed before is a romantic sci-fi tale. It focuses on a couple who love each other, but their marriage is complicated by the fact that the man uncontrollably travels in time.
Those interested in learning more about the story before the show premieres can read Audrey Niffenegger's novel or watch the 2009 movie adaptation with Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams. The Time Traveler's Wife manages to combine both romance and time travel, and is ultimately a touching story that doesn't guarantee a one-hundred-percent happy ending.
1 The Lord Of The Rings
Unsurprisingly, the most anticipated series by many that might compete with House of the Dragon is the new TV adaptation of the legendary trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. The book series by J. R. R. Tolkien set the tone for epic fantasy, and without it, it's more than possible there would be no Game of Thrones.
The first season of the Amazon series cost an incredible $327 million, and it will once again journey into the past as the story will take place thousands of years before the events of the trilogy. Unlike with other shows, The Lord of the Rings already has a premiere set - the 2nd of September 2022.