The 2022 television year has already produced acclaimed new series like “Severance” and “The Staircase,” alongside the return of critical darlings like “Better Call Saul” and “Barry.” With four months left in the calendar year, what do the streaming giants and cable networks have yet to debut? We collected the 40 most exciting shows that either have release dates scheduled between now and New Year’s Eve or could theoretically drop into the holiday season instead of waiting for 2023. There are a few returning favorites, including “The White Lotus” and another season of “Atlanta” (yes, already), but it’s mostly a list filled with potential, dominated by new series with high-profile pedigrees. Get your calendars out.
In Chronological Order
“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” (Prime Video)
In November 2017, Amazon bought the television rights to J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved fantasy universe for a stunning $250 million, immediately committing to five seasons of television telling stories set within it, making “The Lord of the Rings” the most expensive TV show of all time … before even airing an episode. Filming for the first season took place in New Zealand in 2020 and 2021 (with a pandemic break) and it’s already set to dominate the pop culture conversation with a two-part premiere that’s right around the corner. With an almost entirely unknown ensemble outside of Morfydd Clark (so good in “Saint Maud”), and two episodes directed by J.A. Bayona, it’s time to chase the ring again.
Premiere Date: September 2 – Brian Tallerico
“Tell Me Lies” (Hulu)
“Tell Me Lies” follows a tumultuous but intoxicating relationship as it unfolds over the course of 8 years. When Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White) meet at college, they are at that formative age when seemingly mundane choices lead the way to irrevocable consequences. Meaghan Oppenheimer serves as executive producer & showrunner, and Catherine Missal, Spencer House, Sonia Mena, Branden Cook, Benjamin Wadsworth, Alicia Crowder co-star.
Premiere Date: September 7 – RP
“Wedding Season” (Hulu)
A rom-com action thriller that takes place during wedding season? Yep, the genre-busting series tells the story of two 20-somethings (Rosa Salazar and Gavin Drea) who fall for each other at a wedding and begin an affair, despite Katie already having a fiancé. Sudden murders make things worse, and soon, the pair go on the run, all while trying to prove their innocence. The series was created and written by screenwriter Oliver Lyttelton (“Cheaters”), near and dear to us as one of The Playlist’s original Four Horsepeople.
Premiere Date: September 8 – RP
“American Gigolo” (Showtime)
People have been trying to adapt the hit 1980 Paul Schrader film about a high-priced male escort who gets involved with a politician’s wife (and a murder). After failed efforts with Jerry Bruckheimer and Neil Labute, the project moved to David Hollander (“Ray Donovan”), who set out to write, direct, and showrun the ten-episode drama before allegations forced him off the project. Who’s stepping into the stylish suits of Richard Gere? None other than the perfectly cast Jon Bernthal. Gretchen Mol, Leland Orser, Rosie O’Donnell, and Lizzie Brochere co-star in this fascinating project.
Premiere Date: September 11 – BT.
“The Handmaid’s Tale” Season 5 (Hulu)
Adapted from the classic novel by Margaret Atwood, “The Handmaid’s Tale” is the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly the United States. In season five, June (Elisabeth Moss) faces consequences for killing Commander Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) while struggling to redefine her identity and purpose. Moss directs both the premiere and finale episodes in what looks to be a burgeoning filmmaking career.
Premiere Date: September 14 – RP
“Los Espookys” Season 2 (HBO)
Created by Fred Armisen, Ana Fabrega, and Julio Torres, the series follows a group of friends who turn their shared passion for horror into a peculiar business, providing horror to clients who need it, in a dreamy Latin American country where the strange and eerie are just a part of daily life. Fabrega, Torres, Cassandra Ciangherotti, Bernardo Velasco and Armisen all return for Season 2.
Premiere Date: September 16 – RP
“Andor” (Disney+)
A prequel series to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” this series centers on Alliance rebel Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) five years before the events of the film. Writer/director Tony Gilroy, the man credited with salvaging “Rogue One” with reshoots and post-production oversight, returns with a writers’ room that includes Stephen Schiff, Beau Willimon (“House of Cards”), and Dan Gilroy (“Nightcrawler”). The cast includes Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona, Fiona Shaw, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, Genevieve O’Reilly, and Forest Whitaker returns as Saw Gerrera. More surprises could be in store too.
Premiere Date: September 21 – RP
“Atlanta” Season 4 (FX)
It was just over 46 months between the second and third seasons of FX’s Emmy-winning “Atlanta.” It will be just under four months between the third and fourth. Yes, the gang from the Donald Gloverhit is already dropping a fourth and final season of 10 episodes, which was shot at the same time as chapter three. The third season got even weirder with some controversial standalone episodes—expect the final chapter to be similar in tone and execution. We’ll miss these guys too.
Premiere Date: September 21 – BT
“Star Wars: The Bad Batch” Season 2 (Disney+)
“The Bad Batch” follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”) as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Executive produced by Dave Filoni, season two promises more action, more drama,
Premiere Date: September 28 – RP
“Ramy” Season 3 (Hulu)
Ramy Youssef stars in what is arguably Hulu’s best show, a program that skipped the 2021 season due to the pandemic and is finally dropping its highly anticipated third season in a few weeks. Youssef stars as a fictional version of himself in a show that unpacks what it means to be a young American-Muslim man in America in the 2020s. It’s a challenging, funny, smart show that deserves a bigger audience.
Premiere Date: September 30 – BT
