2021 has been an incredible year for television, supplying endless entertainment in a time of uncertainty. The entertainment industry suffered a few setbacks this year, but 2022 already seems to be a promising year for television.
Some series will kick off the new year with a mid-season premiere, while others will have a bittersweet goodbye. 2022 also has an impressive line-up of brand new series set to air on television networks and streaming platforms throughout the upcoming year. From superheroes to zombie apocalypses to historical dramas, these series are sure to make next year a big one for television fans.
The Cleaning Lady - January 3, 2022
Like any compelling drama, The Cleaning Lady will be full of action and romance. Élodie Yung (Daredevil) stars as Thony De La Rosa, a woman who is forced to work as a cleaning lady in order to support her son after arriving in the United States. Thony hopes to get her son a much-needed medical treatment for his immunodeficiency disorder. Despite being a doctor herself, an expired visa stands in the way of her son acquiring proper medical care. After witnessing a brutal mob murder, Thony finds herself swept up with a different crowd, cleaning up the messes of some dangerous individuals.
This Is Us - January 4, 2022
The 2022 premiere of This Is Us is bittersweet for fans of the family-oriented drama. Its upcoming season will be its sixth and final season, which will tie up the stories of the Pearson clan. Since 2016, fans have watched the stories of Rebecca (Mandy Moore) and Jack's (Milo Ventimiglia) children Kevin (Justin Hartley), Kate (Chrissy Metz), and Randall (Sterling K. Brown), as they deal with past trauma and current issues the world now throws at them. This Is Us has earned a number of nominations and wins including a Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe Award.
Pivoting - January 9, 2022
FOX's newest comedy stars Ginnifer Goodwin, Maggie Q, and Eliza Coupe (Happy Endings) as three childhood friends who try to cope with the recent loss of their fourth friend. The three women aim to revamp their lives with a series of new choices and attitudes, hoping to live a full life before their time runs out.
Naomi - January 11, 2022
The CW has housed a number of DC superhero television series including Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, and Superman & Lois. The network will add Naomi to its list, inspired by the DC hero Naomi McDuffie. Emmy Award-winner and Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay developed the series for television and will serve as an executive producer.
Superman & Lois - January 11, 2022
Superman & Lois will premiere its second season in 2022. It will build on the successful reputation of its first season, featuring the returns of Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch as Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Superman & Lois will also feature the returns of Jordan Elsass as Jonathan Kent and Alex Garfin as Jordan Kent. Hoechlin's Teen Wolf co-star Ian Bohen has joined the season 2 cast as Lt. Mitch Anderson, who is seen bickering with Kent in the trailer. Jenna Dewan will also join the cast to reprise her role as Lucy Lane.
Snowpiercer - January 24, 2022
The series adapted from the Snowpiercer graphic novels will return for its third season in late January. Prior to its debut on the small-screen, Academy Award-winner Bong Joon-ho directed the 2013 film that starred Chris Evans, Tilda Winton, Song Kang-Ho, Octavia Spencer, and Jamie Bell. Joon-ho also serves as an executive producer on the TNT series that stars Daveed Diggs and Jennifer Connelly.
The Gilded Age - January 24, 2022
The HBO historical drama will place Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Carrie Coon, Taissa Farmiga, and several others in the United States during the Gilded Age. The series was created by Julian Fellowes, who also served as the creator of the beloved series Downton Abbey.
The Walking Dead - February 20, 2022
The Walking Dead will kick off the mid-point of its final season in late February. The zombie apocalyptic series first premiered in 2010 and has resulted in numerous spin-offs including the successful series, Fear the Walking Dead. Season 11 will feature very few faces from The Walking Dead's first season, but the series has added many cunning characters over the years, including Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Negan.
All American: Homecoming - February 21, 2022
All American: Homecoming is an upcoming spin-off of the CW hit, All American, which has aired on the network for 4 seasons. The new series will follow Simone Hicks in college as she navigates this new chapter of her life and the issues that come with it. Simone will be joined by Peyton Alex Smith who previously appeared on All American as baseball star Damon Sims. The two will be joined by a few other familiar faces from the original football series.
House of the Dragon
The highly anticipated Game of Thrones spin-off is set to premiere on HBO in 2022. The House of the Dragon prequel series will focus on the illustrious Targaryen family and the war that took place roughly 300 years before the events depicted in Game of Thrones. The series stars Paddy Considine, Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel), and Matt Smith (Doctor Who, The Crown).
The Last of Us
The upcoming HBO series The Last of Us doesn't have an exact release date, but that doesn't stop it from being one of the most anticipated television series of the year. It will feature Game of Thrones alum Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie, who are making their way across the post-apocalyptic United States. The series is adapted from the 2013 video game of the same title.
The First Lady
Viola Davis, Gillian Anderson, and Michelle Pfeiffer will star as three generations of First Ladies in the Showtime series. Davis will portray Michelle Obama while Anderson transforms herself into Eleanor Roosevelt. Pfeiffer will portray former First Lady Betty Ford. The First Lady will also star O.T. Fagbenle, Dakota Fanning, Kiefer Sutherland, Lily Rabe, Aaron Eckhart, Judy Greer, and Lexi Underwood.
Superheroes, zombies, family pains, and real-world problems will continue to be themes explored on television in 2022. While this list doesn't cover all the television series that will air in 2022, these titles are guaranteed to deliver tons of drama, laughs, and agonizing stand-bys before the next episode premieres the following week.