Best New Series 2022
If you perused the Best TV Series category before you came here, you’ll see a lot of familiar faces, as a number of the new shows we got in 2022 also happen to be some of the best overall. In fact, the top three here mirror the top three there, with HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon taking another win. But if palace intrigue, magic, and dragons aren’t your thing, the year also introduced us to some new superheroes, a rebel operative in space, and a talented young chef, among others, in a crop of exciting new shows that promise to become our next big obsession.
The order reflects Tomatometer scores (as of December 31, 2022) after adjustment from our ranking formula, which compensates for variation in the number of reviews when comparing movies or TV shows.
Adjusted Score: 90785%
Critics Consensus: Covering an era of tenuous peace with ferocious -- albeit abbreviated -- focus, House of the Dragon is an impressive prequel that exemplifies the court intrigue that distinguished its predecessor.
Adjusted Score: 96984%
Critics Consensus: A gritty adventure told from the ground perspective of the Empire's reign, Andor is an exceptionally mature and political entry into the Star Wars mythos -- and one of the best yet.
Adjusted Score: 77783%
Critics Consensus: Ms. Marvel is a genuinely fresh addition to the MCU -- both stylistically and substantively -- with Iman Vellani ably powering proceedings with her super-sized charisma.
Adjusted Score: 106937%
Critics Consensus: Like an expertly confected sandwich, The Bear assembles a perfect melange of ingredients and stacks them for optimal satisfaction -- and thankfully keeps the crust-iness for extra flavor.
Adjusted Score: 79091%
Critics Consensus: Whether she's fighting bad guys, defending a client, or managing her messy social life, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law passes the bar for bingeworthy viewing.
Adjusted Score: 105049%
Critics Consensus: An inclusive romance told with striking sensitivity, Heartstopper is so effortlessly charming that viewers won't dare skip a beat.
Adjusted Score: 105052%
Critics Consensus: Dark secrets are a family affair in Bad Sisters, a riotously funny murder mystery that makes fine use of its gifted ensemble while exemplifying creator and star Sharon Horgan's penchant for salty warmth.
Adjusted Score: 102770%
Critics Consensus: Fluidly animated and intelligently scripted, The Legend of Vox Machina is an addictive treat for fans of Dungeons & Dragons-style RPGs.
Adjusted Score: 107509%
Critics Consensus: Audacious, mysterious, and bringing fresh insight into the perils of corporate drudgery, Severance is the complete package.
Adjusted Score: 102274%
Critics Consensus: Frequently hilarious while possessing an absorbing sense of place, Mo is a thoughtful depiction of the immigrant experience that is light on its feet.
Adjusted Score: 102572%
Critics Consensus: Zahn McClarnon is riveting as a coiled cop in Dark Winds, a solid procedural that derives much of its texture from an underrepresented cultural milieu.
Adjusted Score: 102175%
Critics Consensus: Marrying state of the art visual effects with equally immersive narration by David Attenborough, Prehistoric Planet wondrously brings viewers back to the age of dinosaurs.
Adjusted Score: 101678%
Critics Consensus: The Kids in the Hall have become seasoned comedy veterans without missing a beat, delivering a fresh set of sketches that will delight longtime fans.
Adjusted Score: 101976%
Critics Consensus: Led by a captivating Bridget Everett, Somebody Somewhere explores the human condition with tenderness, grace, and warmth.
Adjusted Score: 102762%
Critics Consensus: Strange New Worlds treks across familiar territory to refreshing effect, its episodic structure and soulful cast recapturing the sense of boundless discovery that defined the franchise's roots.
Adjusted Score: 101679%
Critics Consensus: The Serpent Queen dramatizes one of history's most infamous monarchs with a deft, sardonic touch, with Samantha Morton's commanding star turn likely to swallow viewers' attention whole.
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Adjusted Score: 103052%
Critics Consensus: With a playful tone and an expansive sweep that allows Anne Rice's gothic opus to mull like a chalice of blood, Interview with the Vampire puts a stake through concerns that this story couldn't be successfully resurrected.
Adjusted Score: 102049%
Critics Consensus: The Old Man is just as intrepid and spiky -- and derivative -- as younger action heroes, with Jeff Bridges lending invaluable gravitas to this bone-crunching thriller.
Adjusted Score: 102148%
Critics Consensus: Intricate yet intimate, Pachinko is a sweeping epic that captures the arc of history as well as the enduring bonds of family.
Synopsis: In 1970s Los Angeles, an earnest young feminist joins forces with a low-rent publisher to create the first erotic magazine...
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