What’s On Next: Your 2022 TV Preview

Culture
What’s On Next: Your 2022 TV Preview
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A new year is on the horizon, and 2022 might just be the moment when the ongoing TV revolution goes into overdrive. There have never been so many exciting options for viewers, ranging from high school musical dramas to Tolkein fantasy epics – and we’ve rounded up the most highly anticipated among them, so that you can set your sights on the best entertainment from around the world in ’22. All series dates are to be confirmed unless otherwise stated.

By Victoria Luxford

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What’s On Next: Your 2022 TV Preview.
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House of the Dragon – Less than three years after the monumental power struggles of Westeros concluded, the world of Game of Thrones returns with a prequel series. House Targaryan is the focus of the show’s plot, but instead of following Mother of Dragons Daenerys, the plot will tell the tale of her ancestors who lived more than a century before the events of the original show. Starring Paddy McGuinness (Peaky Blinders), Matt Smith (Doctor Who) and Olivia Cooke (Ready Player One), it looks to repeat the success of the show that gripped the world for nine years with its twists and turns that became weekly watercooler moments.

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What’s On Next: Your 2022 TV Preview.
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Sophia: Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary – An eye-catching book adaptation about a real-life story, this television show in the works is based on journalist Anita Anand’s biography of Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, a Sikh woman born into privilege, and a goddaughter to Britain’s Queen Victoria. The book also charts her transition from establishment fixture to revolutionary, following a trip to India that she took against the wishes of the British government. This striking life story is being dramatised by Anjli Mohindra (Bodyguard, Vigil) and is an exciting dive into a side of history not often covered in the mainstream.

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What’s On Next: Your 2022 TV Preview.
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Obi-Wan Kenobi – The Star Wars legend gets his own TV show! Disney+ brings back Ewan McGregor as the famous Jedi Knight, and focuses on the years between Star Wars Episode III and IV, where Obi-Wan watches over the young Luke Skywalker on Tatooine. It also sees the return of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, returning to a role he last played onscreen in 2005. There’s no denying that 2022 is all about big names coming to the small screen, and this one will top many people’s streaming queues.

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What’s On Next: Your 2022 TV Preview.
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Rebelde – Mexican telenovela Rebelde Way, which rose to popularity in the 2000s, is getting a modern Netflix reboot that shows ties to its inspiration while still taking the story in a fresh direction. It follows a group of high school students who band together to perform in a Battle of the Bands, playing huge pop hits from the past and present. Expect elements of High School Musical and Glee in this updated spin on a millennial favourite.

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What’s On Next: Your 2022 TV Preview.
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Moon Knight – Oscar Isaac is the actor of the moment, recently appearing in Dune, The Card Counter and critically adored show Scenes from a Marriage. Next year, he joins the Marvel Universe as Moon Knight, a man with multiple personalities who is drawn into a war with the gods. Little is known about the series, other than that Isaac will be joined by a cast including Ethan Hawke and Egyptian-Palestinian star May Calamawy. However, with such a big name attached, we can be assured it will have huge ramifications for the world of the Avengers!

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What’s On Next: Your 2022 TV Preview.
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The Lord of the Rings – Debuting in September is Amazon’s attempt at small-screen domination: a billion-dollar TV version of The Lord of the Rings! It will be different to the celebrated trilogy of films that Peter Jackson brought to cinemas, based on events thousands of years before J.R.R. Tolkein’s novels and standing as a prequel to both that trilogy and The Hobbit. A large ensemble cast leads this sure-to-be-epic adventure that will redefine what blockbuster television is all about.

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What’s On Next: Your 2022 TV Preview.
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The Journalist – A Japanese drama that depicts the cut-and-thrust world of modern media through the eyes of Anna Matsuda (Ryoko Yonekura), dubbed the maverick of news media. Dodging the corruption and conventions of modern newsrooms, she follows her firm beliefs and sharp instincts to uncover corruption in society. A hard-hitting drama arriving in January, its subject matter strikes at the heart of how valuable honest new reporting is in a society. Expect shocks, excitement and intrigue!

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What’s On Next: Your 2022 TV Preview.
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The Sandman – Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman is an adored cult comic, and attempts have been made to make a film since the 1990s. However, the book’s epic tales of supernatural beings from Heaven and Hell deserves a broader canvas, and so the story has been made into an ambitious limited series. Tom Sturridge (Velvet Buzzsaw) takes the lead as Morpheus aka Dream, the Lord of Dreams, and Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones) plays Lucifer. Gaiman’s fan base spans the globe, and one can bet this will cap the viewing wish list for all of them.

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What’s On Next: Your 2022 TV Preview.
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The Tourist – Jamie Dornan plays a man suffering from amnesia following an accident, who must piece together his mysterious past. An Australian, British and American co-production, it also features Hugo Weaving (The Matrix) and is rumoured to be one of the most exciting dramas coming our way next year. Dornan has put in some incredible performances on the small screen already, and this looks to add to the celebrated star’s already glittering CV.

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What’s On Next: Your 2022 TV Preview.
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Frasier – After 18 years, Seattle psychiatrist Dr Frasier Crane is once again listening! Sitcom Frasier went off the air in 2004, but has since become a ‘comfort show’ for many around the world who may not even have been around to tune in during its first run. This popularity has led to a revival of the show, with all living cast members having expressed their willingness to return, and rumours swirling that it may be set in a new city. Time will tell as to whether the reboot can recapture the original magic, but with other big shows from the ‘90s making a comeback (and thriving), there’s every possibility.

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What’s On Next: Your 2022 TV Preview.
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1899 – This turn-of-the-century drama may have been made in Germany, but it is truly a pan-European effort. Set aboard a migrant ship heading from London to New York, a mysterious passenger turns their journey of hope into a fight for survival. Featuring a multilingual cast and many different perspectives, the show promises to be a supernatural tale with elements of real-life issues. With the creators having also been responsible for the thriller series Dark, this looks to follow in that unnerving tradition.

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What’s On Next: Your 2022 TV Preview.
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Bel-Air – Well, this is the story all about how a ‘90s favourite got turned upside down! In 2019, a short film entitled Bel-Air was created by Morgan Cooper, imagining a grittier, more dramatic version of the Will Smith sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The star himself saw it, loved it, and subsequently worked with network NBC to turn it into a series! With two seasons planned, a cast of newcomers are taking over the familiar roles, led by Jabari Banks who will be playing the part of Will. The original broke barriers for TV sitcoms, but can a more serious take do the same? It certainly worked for modern hits Sabrina and Riverdale, so this could become the latest in a streak of successful dramatic reboots.

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What’s On Next: Your 2022 TV Preview.
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The Villainess – 2017 South Korean movie The Villainess was a huge hit when it came to cinemas, and now the team behind Fear the Walking Dead are bringing a TV series to Amazon! It follows an adopted Korean woman who grew up in America, and whose connection to her birth country leads her on a dark and deadly path. With the film’s director, Jeong Byeong-Gil, working on the first episode, expect a huge amount of action and a different style to anything on the TV landscape at the moment!

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What’s On Next: Your 2022 TV Preview.
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Halo – 21 years after the console game created a revolution, an adaptation of the sci-fi war franchise Halo is being realised! Centred around a future battle between humanity and the Covenant, an alien army, it stars Natascha McElhone (The Truman Show) and Pablo Schreiber (American Gods), and will be executive produced by none other than Steven Spielberg! Halo was, for years, seen as an ‘impossible’ project given the vastness of the universe and the popularity of the game. However, modern special effects and the ambition of recent TV projects makes this a distinct possibility. Can Schreiber bring the immensely popular character Master Chief to life? Find out soon!

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What’s On Next: Your 2022 TV Preview

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