With the rise of streaming services, each year we see more and more new shows released vying for our attention, time and love. While many will fade away into obscurity, just as many will have us eagerly anticipating a second season.

Here are our Top 5 picks for the Best New TV Series of 2022.

– Ashley Hobley

5.) The Afterparty

There was a sense of excitement each week when I started an episode of The After Party. It wasn’t just to see what clues were being dropped about who Xavier’s murderer was or learning more about each of the suspects. Each episode tackled the retelling of the night before the murder in a completely new genre, one week a rom-com, the next a musical, the next a psychological thriller, and yet it all felt like one cohesive story that by the time you learn the murderer’s identity, you can’t help but marvel at.

– Ashley Hobley

4.) Abbott Elementary

Sweet Baby Jesus and the grown one too, Abbott Elementary was a delightful addition to the pantheon of workplace sitcoms. A mockumentary focused on the trials and tribulations of teachers, the show has a joyous feel to it with characters striving to do their best for their kids. With a hilarious cast and light but clever episodes, this is a show you can easily watch with the whole family.

– Ashley Hobley

3.) Players

A faux-doco series about a League of Legends e-sports team sounds silly on paper. But, Players was one of the funniest and best new shows of 2022. It hooks you in with the gags and makes you care about the characters by the show’s final few episodes. Even if you don’t know or care about League of Legends, you’ll get a good laugh and learn to love spending time with “Creamcheese” and the crew. 

– Dylan Blight

2.) House of the Dragon

The last couple of Game of Thrones seasons were divisive, to say the least, so when talk of multiple spin-offs was announced, the reaction seemed to be, “I don’t care anymore.” But when you come back with a show such as House of the Dragon to remind everyone why they were obsessed with the world of GoT in the first place, you make one hell of an entrance and one of the best new shows of 2022.

– Dylan Blight

1.) Andor

The Disney+ Star Wars series’ quality is all over the place. Even if they’re all well-watched, none of them are fantastic shows. The Mandalorian is at its best when straying from the nostalgia berries and treating its original characters with more respect. This isn’t something Andor struggled with — the Star Wars series, one of the best new series of 2022, is well-written and acted, and everyone knows they’re making quality television, not just playing with toys. 

– Dylan Blight

Dylan Blight and Ashley Hobley compiled this Top 5 list. The TV shows nominated must release between November 15th 2021 – November 15th 2022 and have been released in Australia via network TV, VOD or a streaming platform.