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Spring 2022 TV Preview: 20 Series That Will Shape the Next Few Months

New and returning favorites across HBO, Hulu, Apple TV+, and Disney+ are just a handful of the shows that should dominate the TV discussion in the weeks to come.

By Steve Greene, Kristen Lopez

March 5, 2022 2:00 pm

Spring TV Preview 2022

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It’s verging on the point of passé to keep emphasizing it, but a seasonal TV preview is as good a time as any to say the thing that grows more apparent with each passing day: There are a ton of programs vying for people’s attention these days.

Into that complicated mix comes another massive collection of TV premieres slated between now and the dawn of summer. As the film world’s Oscar onslaught draws to a conclusion, attention then turns to another awards season. Many of the series in this roundup of notable spring releases will find themselves right in the heart of Emmy contention, with networks and streaming services timing new and returning shows to arrive right at the tail end of eligibility.

So to help plot out what the coming weeks will bring, we’ve assembled 20 shows that should go a long way to shaping how the TV conversation will play out over that time. This isn’t an exhaustive list (we’ve got monthly previews to help with that), but it does run the gamut of past sure things to hopeful sensations of the near future. For each wild card or returning favorite, we’ve included the premiere dates of each, in order to help better fill your calendar as we head into the heart of spring.

A few of these still don’t have concrete release dates announced yet, but all of them should be available for folks to watch before the summer months arrive. Until then, let the anticipation build.

Libby Hill, Tambay Obenson, and Ben Travers also contributed to this list.

“DMZ” (March 17, HBO)

To the growing list of shows that seem to be channeling our anxieties about possible imminent futures, add this graphic novel adaptation set agains the backdrop of a second U.S. Civil War. Rosario Dawson stars as a medic racing through the remains of New York City, in search of her missing son. In order to be reunited with him, she’ll have to contend with the emergent rival gangs that have sprung up in the area in the wake of the growing conflict, including one headed up by the ruthless Parco Delgado (Benjamin Bratt). Episodes from the season, directed by Ava DuVernay and Ernest Dickerson, will premiere at SXSW in the coming weeks. —Steve Greene
“Halo” (March 24, Paramount+)

Image Credit: Paramount+

Many prequels, sequels, spinoffs, novels, comic books, live-action, and animated series adaptations later, the cultural impact of “Halo” is quite out of this world. This TV adaptation of the flagship Xbox video game builds on the experiences of Master Chief John-117, one of a group of super-soldiers fighting an alien threat known as the Covenant, and his artificial intelligence companion, Cortana. Paramount+ hopes it can capitalize on continued enthusiasm for the franchise with this new series that stars Pablo Schreiber and Jen Taylor as Master Chief and Cortana. They are joined by Natascha McElhone, Yerin Ha, Charlie Murphy, Shabana Azmi, Bokeem Woodbine, Kate Kennedy, Natasha Culzac, and Bentley Calu in a 10-episode series that’s already been renewed for a Season 2. Past attempts at growing this into a crossover franchise hit have been made, some more successful than others, but none seems to have had any real mainstream or critical traction beyond “Halo” diehards. Maybe this one will. —Tambay Obenson
“Pachinko” (March 25, Apple TV+)

Image Credit: Apple TV+

Adapted from Min Jin Lee’s New York Times best-selling novel of the same name, Apple TV+ series “Pachinko” is a multigenerational saga spanning Korea, Japan, and America, a story scarred by love and loss, peace and war. With Soo Hugh serving as creator, showrunner, and writer of the series, directing duties split between acclaimed directors Justin Chon and Kogonada, a deep cast led by Oscar-winning actress Yuh-Jung Youn, and the streamer’s deep pockets, the series should be a sure thing. And as fervently as fans of the book are hoping for a worthy adaptation of the exquisite source material, “Pachinko” will serve as an interesting proving ground for Apple TV+ itself. This is an opportunity for the streamer to take its collective drama program to the next level. “Ted Lasso” and “Mythic Quest” have each set a high bar to match and while “Severance” straddles the line between comedy and drama, it should be a great transition point to see if Apple TV+’s drama projects are ready to take center stage. —Libby Hill
“Moon Knight” (March 30, Disney+)

Characters finding out that they are secretly in control of some untapped transcendent power is a staple of superhero stories. Marvel’s latest TV effort looks to take that idea and merge it with Egyptian mythology in this first outing of a character that’s been in the comics rotation since its introduction in the mid 1970s. Oscar Isaac stars as an unassuming everyman who discovers he’s just one dissociated identity of a skilled fighter, part of a list that also includes Moon Knight, an earthly vessel for a timeless power. Among those filling out the cast list for this series — which boasts both Mohamed Diab and the duo of Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead as directors — are Ethan Hawke, F. Murray Abraham, “Ramy” co-star May Calamawy, and the late Gaspard Ulliel. —SG
“Tokyo Vice” (April 7, HBO Max)

Image Credit: HBO Max

Seven years after his last feature film (“Blackhat”) and more than a decade since his previous project (the one-and-done HBO horse-racing drama, “Luck”), Michael Mann is back in the director’s chair. “Tokyo Vice” is loosely based on Jake Adelstein’s 2009 memoir, chronicling the American reporter’s years of work on the Tokyo Metropolitan Police beat, and was filmed on location in Japan’s capital. Little else is known about the plot, but the series stars Ken Watanabe, Rinko Kikuchi, Rachel Keller, and… Ansel Elgort. Following “Luck’s” behind-the-scenes concerns (three horses died during production), the last thing HBO or Mann would want for their follow-up collaboration is more controversy, but “West Side Story’s” critical success (and commercial under-performance) has done little to quiet outrage surrounding accusations of sexual assault and harassment around Elgort. How audiences respond to his presence here — in the lead role, playing a version of Adelstein — may be another offscreen influence on the project’s future. With eight episodes in the can and headed to HBO Max, let’s see how this plays out. —Ben Travers
“61st Street” (April 10, AMC)

Image Credit: George Burns/AMC

That it stars the versatile Emmy winner Courtney B. Vance, in a rare opportunity to lead a television series on a prominent network, should be enough to get any discerning viewer’s attention. The six-part miniseries coming to AMC on April 10, “61st Street” is a chronicling of the underbelly of the infamous Chicago criminal justice system, following police officers, detectives, prosecutors, and families over the course of an investigation into a drug bust that leaves a law enforcement officer dead and a promising young track star’s dreams in limbo, all while testing a corrupt police department’s code of silence. The series depicts the behind-the-scenes workings of an institution that’s racist and rotten almost to the core, aside from the usual cop with a conscience whose reluctance to become part of the good ol’ boys club threatens to upset the applecart. With shades of the Central Park Five story, vulnerable young Black men are manipulated into confessions, and standard operating procedure is circumvented in the name of closing a case as quickly as possible. All the politics that typically influences these scenarios come to bear, and families are disrupted as a result. At a time when slogans like “Defund the Police,” and questions about the amount of power police officers wield and who exactly they serve are posed, challenging the status quo, “61st Street’s” arrival couldn’t be more timely. Vance leads an ensemble cast that includes Emmy nominee Aunjanue Ellis, Mark O’Brien, Holt McCallany, Tosin Cole, Andrene Ward-Hammond, and Bentley Green. The series hails from BAFTA-winner Peter Moffat, J. David Shanks and Michael B. Jorda’s Outlier Society. —TO
“Roar” (April 15, Apple TV+)

Image Credit: Lachlan Moore

In October 2020, as the pandemic continued to spread and America prepared for a do-or-die presidential election, Netflix stoked the world’s ire by retroactively canceling its award-winning ensemble comedy, “GLOW.” What was intended to be Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch’s fourth and final season was not to be, but rather than give in to disappointment, the writing duo got back to work and created a new series: “Roar,” an episodic anthology that, per its official synopsis, “offers an insightful, poignant, and sometimes hilarious portrait of what it means to be a woman today.” The eight-episode first season tells a full story in each half-hour entry, featuring lead actors Cynthia Erivo, Nicole Kidman (who’s also an executive producer), Merritt Wever, Issa Rae, as well as “GLOW” alums Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin. We may never know the intended fates of Zoya the Destroya and Liberty Belle, but the “GLOW” team is back together, making the world a bit better, one episode at a time. —BT
“The First Lady” (April 17, Showtime)

Image Credit: Jackson Lee Davis/Showtime

In our current desire to look back at the past, the presidency is becoming a 2022 TV star, with at least two other shows focused on the events of Watergate. There’s also Susanne Bier’s “The First Lady,” an anthology series that eschews the man at the head of the Oval Office to look at the women beside him. The first season of “The First Lady” will look at three: Betty Ford (Michelle Pfeiffer) and her struggles with alcoholism, Eleanor Roosevelt (Gillian Anderson) and her relationship with another woman, and Michelle Obama (Viola Davis) as she deals with everything we know about within the last decade. On the surface, the show looks like a mastery of makeup and costumes, particularly for the likes of Aaron Eckhart and O-T Fagbenle who play Presidents Gerald Ford and Barack Obama, respectively. But the show looks to finally take the women who lived within the White House, emphasizing their individual struggles and how they, in turn, became as powerful as their husbands. Future seasons could open the doors towards looking at other White House wives who maybe don’t have the name recognition of this trio. (Did you know Helen Taft was the first First Lady to own and drive a car, smoked cigarettes, and lobbied for safety standards in the workplace?) —Kristen Lopez
“Better Call Saul” Season 6 (April 18, AMC)

Image Credit: Greg Lewis/AMC/Sony Pictures Television

The slow slide into Saul Goodman’s melancholy future has become an 18-wheeler on a downslope with its brakes cut. Bob Odenkirk, thankfully recovered from last year’s on-set heart attack, returns for the first half of the last batch of episodes centered on the (increasingly) former Jimmy McGill and his slip into being the Albuquerque area’s go-to criminal defense lawyer. The “Breaking Bad” alums are back too, with Mike (Jonathan Banks) and Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) returning alongside the ever-threatening Lalo (Tony Dalton). Will Kim (Rhea Seehorn) make it out of this season unscathed? Will we get to see a glimpse of Saul’s post-Cinnabon future? Will there be a montage of Saul setting up his Constitution-themed strip mall office? There’s another batch of episodes debuting in July, so all answers should be revealed in due time. —SG
“Barry” Season 3 (April 24, HBO)

Image Credit: Merrick Morton/HBO

This is not a drill. This is real. “Barry” — Bill Hader’s Emmy-winning black comedy about a hitman who tries to give up an anonymous life of killing for a fulfilling career in the spotlight — is finally set to return. The last new episode aired back in May 2019, making it nearly three years between seasons by the time the third entry hits this spring. The good news is the gang’s all here: Gene (Henry Winkler) is in mourning, Sally (Sarah Goldberg) is working on her first TV show, Fuches (Stephen Root) is in hiding, and NoHo Hank is leading the Chechen mob! Barry, following his violent regression at the monastery, has a long way to go before he can leave his path behind him. Rarely has a dark road looked so inviting. Let’s go! —BT
“The Man Who Fell to Earth” (April 24, Showtime)

Image Credit: Aimee Spinks/Showtime

Chiwetel Ejiofor stars in a serial reimagining of the 1976 Nicolas Roeg sci-fi film “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” which was based on Walter Tevis’ 1963 novel of the same name. That previous version starred legendary musician David Bowie in his debut film role as an alien who travels to earth in search of a resource (water) to try and save his dying planet. Developed by Alex Kurtzman along with Jenny Lumet, this will mark the first serial adaptation of the fantastical novel which also spawned a 1987 film adaptation that was to serve as a backdoor pilot for a series that never came to be. Here, Ejiofor plays an alien whose name is Faraday, and not necessarily a version of Tevis’ protagonist who is known in the source material as Thomas Jerome Newton. That alone could be an indication that Kurtzman and Lumet aren’t necessarily going for a literal translation of the novel whose themes are numerous and open to interpretation. A story about an alien who happens to be Black, landing (very likely) somewhere in North America, where skin color remains political and divisive, could offer plenty in social commentary. One thing that’s certain is that it has a solid cast. Ejiofor is joined by the likes of Naomie Harris, Clarke Peters, Jimmi Simpson, and Rob Delaney. —TO
“Gaslit” (April 24, Starz)

Image Credit: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle

The center of the “podcast adaptation”/”dramatization of 20th century presidencies” 2022 TV Trend Venn diagram, this Starz series tells the story of Martha Mitchell, one of the standout figures in Season 1 of the Slate podcast “Slow Burn.” “Mr. Robot” vet Robbie Pickering adapts that Leon Neyfakh-hosted show for this six-episode limited series directed by “Captain Fantastic” and Gavin Belson himself, Matt Ross. Julia Roberts stars as Mitchell, whose work to uncover the truth behind the Watergate break-in thrust both her and her Attorney General husband John Mitchell (Sean Penn) into the international spotlight. Dan Stevens, Betty Gilpin, Shea Whigham, and Darby Camp each help fill out the roster of notable Watergate names and the people in their orbit whose names may have receded over the decades of headline shuffles since. —SG
“We Own This City” (April 25, HBO)

Image Credit: Paul Schiraldi/HBO

Another deep dive into the inner workings of an American city’s police unit, “We Own This City” is based on Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton’s book of the same name, which chronicles the rise of the Baltimore Police Department’s (BPD) Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF), and its eventual fall due to a collapse in ethics that included rampant corruption. Considered one of the biggest corruption scandals in Baltimore Police history, it shook the city, and became a national scandal — although criminality certainly wasn’t, and still isn’t, unique to the BPD. This series marks a return to familiar territory for David Simon and George Pelecanos, the tag-team that brought “The Wire” to HBO, so to say that it’s an anticipated series is an understatement. Jon Bernthal stars in the project as Sgt. Wayne Jenkins, former head of the GTTF, joined by Josh Charles and “The Wire” alum, Jamie Hector, who will both play fellow officers connected to the corruption. “Lovecraft Country” Wunmi Mosaku also co-stars as an attorney assigned to the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, investigating policing practices in Baltimore. —TO
“The Offer” (April 28, Paramount+)

Image Credit: Miller Mobley/Paramount+

Audiences today forget what a wild time the 1970s were for filmmaking. The old ways of production, distribution, and style were on the way out and something more haphazard, fresh, and rebellious was in. What better way to showcase that than by telling the story of the production of Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather?” “The Offer” shows how Coppola’s film came into being, complete with threats from the Mob, backbiting, and all the other good stuff you’d expect from a behind-the-scenes series like this. “The Offer” will be the first “Godfather”-centric production to come to fruition — Barry Levinson is developing a film focused on the same events starring Oscar Isaac and Jake Gyllenhaal — and the first trailer makes it look like a slick, gonzo examination of not just how the film was made but how it shook up Hollywood. Here’s hoping “The Offer” will compel more people to seek out not just “The Godfather,” but some other 1970s gems that debuted alongside it. —KL
“Shining Girls” (April 29, Apple TV+)

Image Credit: Courtesy of Apple TV+

Another day, another Apple TV+ literary adaptation with all the potential in the world. April holds the premiere of “Shining Girls,” based on the 2013 thriller from Lauren Beukes. While a simple Google search and/or Wikipedia glance would tell you the precise conceit of the novel, none of the streamer’s promotional materials have been quite as blatant in its description, so I’ll be vague in my descriptions. All of which is to say, the series revolves around Kirby Mazrachi (Moss), a woman who had her journalistic dreams disrupted by a traumatic assault, only to be drawn into the investigative world years later when a string of cold cases seem to have links to her own attack. Moss is joined by Wagner Moura, Jamie Bell, Philippa Soo, and Amy Brenneman, in the series the streamer describes as a “metaphyiscal thriller.” In addition to starring in “Shining Girls,” the “Handmaid’s Tale” star is serving as one of the show’s executive producers, as well as splitting directing duties for the season with Michelle MacLaren and Daina Reed. —LH
“Obi-Wan Kenobi” (May 25, Disney+)

What a long, strange trip it’s been for new Disney+ Star Wars series “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” What first began as a twinkle in Bob Iger’s eye in 2013 — the announced development of standalone spin-off films — almost became a film by Stephen Daldry and written by Hossein Amini in 2017. It was eventually reconsidered as a limited series, with Deborah Chow attached to direct, Joby Harold brought in to write, and Ewan McGregor confirmed to reprise his title role. And now, here we are, 2022 and things are finally paying off. Co-starring Hayden Christensen, who will also return as Anakin Skywalker, the adventure series will take place 10 years after the events of 2005’s “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith.” While there are people who will probably swear that this is one of the best series on TV, sight unseen, we’ll see if the general TV public can get psyched up for a project that’s been killing time in Disney’s “to-do” pile for nearly a decade. Something, something baby Yoda? —LH
“Candy” (Date TBA, Hulu)

Image Credit: Swan Gallet/WWD

“Candy” tells the story of two Texas housewives, Candy Montgomery (Jessica Biel) and Betty Gore (Melanie Lynskey), and the eventual death that rocks their 1980s neighborhood. (There are two Candy Montgomery projects debuting this year: the Elizabeth Olsen-starring “Love & Death” is going to HBO Max sometime later this year.) “Candy” is Hulu’s continuation of true crime limited series with women at the helm, following the likes of “The Dropout” and “The Girl From Plainville.” It will also be interesting to see how this show differentiates itself from “Love & Death,” especially if the two projects are released at all close to each other. As it stands it should be compelling to watch Biel and Lynskey in a series, especially with the latter on a high after her amazing performance on Showtime’s “Yellowjackets.” —KL
“Conversations with Friends” (Date TBA, Hulu)

Image Credit: Enda Bowe/Hulu

Following the breakout success of Hulu’s “Normal People,” it was only a matter of time before Sally Rooney’s debut novel got the TV treatment, as well. Less predictable: that the same creative team would bring them both to life. Director and executive producer Lenny Abrahamson (“Room”) reunites with writer and E.P. Alice Birch for a 12-episode limited series built in half-hour blocks. And while Rooney isn’t writing scripts this time, she’s still on board as an E.P. “Conversations with Friends” tells the story of Frances (Alison Oliver), a 21-year-old college student, and her friend Bobbi (Sasha Lane), as they befriend a married couple, Melissa (Jemima Kirke) and Nick (Joe Alwyn), who are nearly a decade older, perhaps wiser, and certainly better off than their up-and-coming new pals. Attraction and advancement lead to connections and complications, in another thoughtful romance set among the cobbled streets of Dublin. Sally, sweep us away. —BT
“Russian Doll” Season 2 (Date TBA, Netflix)

Image Credit: Netflix

When “Russian Doll” first appeared on the scene more than three years ago, it landed like a cattle prod to the butt. It made people sit up and take notice and could not have been more fun doing so. It’s dangerous to wade back into these waters without the element of surprise. And second seasons can be tricky, all the more so when a show’s first season tied up in as tidy a bow as Netflix’s “Russian Doll” did. And yet, this spring will usher in a new adventure for Nadia (Natasha Lyonne) and Alan (Charlie Barnett) even more complex than the mortality time loop that each found themselves in previously. Set four years after the events of Season 1, the characters stumble upon a time portal and experience an “ever-expanding, era-spanning, intergenerational adventure” (according to Netflix) and complications and chaos inevitably ensues. —LH
“The Staircase” (Date TBA, HBO Max)

Image Credit: HBO Max

In 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found at the bottom of a staircase in her family’s home. The events of her demise, and whether her husband Michael was responsible, became the subject of the Peabody Award-winning docuseries “The Staircase.” Now, in the grand tradition of documentaries being turned into narrative series, HBO Max is putting out the eight-episode dramatization of those events starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette as Michael and Kathleen. The series is being directed by “Christine” and “Simon Killer” filmmaker Antonio Campos. The cast assembled is fantastic, including Rosemarie DeWitt, Sophie Turner, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Parker Posey. —KL

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