The past few years have brought an influx of popular television content to audiences' screens. Because of the vast catalogs of films and TV shows on streaming services and the accessibility of television, 2022 has brought many great series that viewers may have missed.
Being influenced by social media and the popularity of shows like Euphoria, Stranger Things, and the MCU's TV series, less talked about shows can fly under the radar for many people. While some shows don't get as many viewers or have such vocal, passionate fanbases, it does not mean they are not well-written, well-acted, and enjoyable to watch.
8 Shining Vale Is A Quirky Ghost Story
A StarzPlay original, Shining Vale is a horror comedy that follows a couple who move to Shining Vale with their two kids in an attempt to save their relationship. Courtney Cox stars as Pat Phelps, an erotic fiction writer and recovering alcoholic who struggles to write until she meets Rosemary, the ghost of a woman who died in Pat's new home.
Featuring great performances from Cox, Greg Kinnear, Gus Birney, and the rest of the cast and showcasing many references to classic horror movies, Shining Vale is a wild ride of a horror comedy. In May 2022, it was confirmed that the show is returning for a second season.
7 First Kill Brings Vampires Into A Romeo And Juliet Narrative
Based on the short story by V.E. Schwab, First Kill is a fantasy series about a forbidden romance between Juliette Fairmont, a young vampire, and Calliope Burns, a monster hunter. The two girls get caught up in their feuding families' long history and struggle to balance their feelings with their origins.
Not only does First Kill feature a main LGBTQ+ couple, but it champions diversity in its portrayal of other main characters who are Black and in the LGBTQ+ community. The Netflix series has garnered a niche but passionate fanbase, especially on social media, who have been campaigning for a second season renewal.
6 Motherland: Fort Salem Airs Its Final Season
Motherland: Fort Salem is a sci-fi fantasy series that's set in a matriarchal world where witches are conscripted into the U.S. army. Fort Salem focuses on one unit of three witches - Raelle, Abigail, and Tally - who discover their powers, train to become stronger, and grow to question authority.
Fort Salem is an interesting spin on typical portrayals of witches and magic as a witch's power comes from her voice and the ability to call upon other witches, layering their vocals over each other. Fort Salem has been praised by fans for its rich world-building, original concept, and central queer relationship. Season three is currently airing on Freeform and Hulu.
5 Conversations With Friends Brought Another Sally Rooney Story To The Small Screen
When Sally Rooney's Normal People came to audiences' screens in 2020, viewers fell in love with the storytelling and the complex couple, Marianne and Connell. If fans enjoyed the relationship drama in Normal People, they may find themselves hooked on Conversations with Friends, an adaptation of another of Rooney's novels.
Starring Joe Alwyn, Jemima Kirke, Sasha Lane, and Alison Oliver, Conversations with Friends is an exploration of infidelity, love, and monogamy. Despite the series receiving some mixed reviews, the essence of Rooney's novel remains in the characters, their development, and their relationships. The series is incredibly compelling.
4 Gentleman Jack Returns For A Second Season
BBC and HBO historical drama Gentleman Jack returned for a second season in 2022. Based on the decoded diaries of the "first modern lesbian," Anne Lister, the series follows Lister's life as a landowner in Shibden and her complex romance with Ann Walker.
After Walker and Lister took the sacrament together in the first season, season two focuses on them coming to terms with what their life is now like together. Despite Gentleman Jack being set in the mid-1800s, it tackles many modern issues relating to gay marriage and mental health struggles.
3 Reacher Brings Jack Reacher To The Small Screen
The Jack Reacher novels have been brought to the big screen with two films, and the titular character was portrayed by Tom Cruise. However, these movies received mixed reviews and fans of the novels longed for a faithful adaptation. Luckily for them, 2022 brought along Amazon Prime's Reacher.
Reacher stars Alan Ritchson as Reacher, a former military police officer who sets out to investigate corruption in the police force and the world of politics. The series received positive reviews, was the most-streamed TV series on its week of release, and remained largely faithful to the first novel in the series, Killing Floor.
2 The Wilds Gets Even Wilder In Season 2
The Wilds premiered on Amazon Prime in December 2020 and was met with positive reviews. This led to a quick renewal for season two, which was released in May 2022. The show follows a group of teenage girls after a plane crash, who have to band together to survive on an island.
However, The Wilds revealed that the crash was staged and they are unwilling participants in a social experiment. Season two bought in a cast of male teenagers who are living a similar experiment to the girls. While some viewers disliked the addition of the boy's island, it brought new conflicts and drama to The Wilds and helped grip audiences.
1 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Brings Beloved Characters Back
Star Trek is a huge media franchise that contains many television shows, movies, and animated series. For fans of the franchise, new shows that help the universe to grow even larger can be exciting. For those out of the loop, however, it can be difficult to know where to start. Strange New Worlds, streaming on Paramount+, follows the crew of the Enterprise on their journeys before the events of the original series.
Strange New Worlds has been well received by audiences and features many beloved characters. Spock was played by Ethan Peck, Uhura was played by Celia Rose Gooding, and Anson Mount takes on the role of Captain Pike. While previous knowledge of the franchise is beneficial, the show can be enjoyed by those new to Star Trek.