Your essential and updated guide to the best new telly coming your way throughout 2022 across your favourite channels.
By Ally Sinyard, Writer
That feeling when your favourite show ends – like, forever ever – is quietly devastating. It leaves a hole in your weekday evening that you can only attempt to fill by flicking through the channels until you give up and rewatch something.
Luckily, there’s a lot A LOT of excellent new telly coming your way in 2022. In fact, there’s even a whole new channel to look forward to. Well, we say “old” – after five years tucked away on BBC iPlayer and a late night slot on BBC One, BBC Three is finally returning in February as a broadcast channel. With it, it brings some tantalising new shows, including the highly anticipated adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Conversations With Friends.
So get a load of what’s to come and you’ll soon forget all about that show you’re missing. What was it called again?
1. The Tourist
In this new thriller from Harry and Jack Williams, the writers of The Missing, Jamie Dornan (The Fall) plays a British man who finds himself being chased through the Australian outback by a huge tank truck. He later wakes up in hospital, unhurt, but with no idea who he is.
The Tourist release date
The Tourist will air on BBC One HD (CH 101/108) from Saturday 1 January, with the first episode being shown at TBCpm.
2. The Teacher
In this dark psychological thriller, TV queen Sheridan Smith plays a teacher accused of a drunken sexual encounter with a schoolboy. But she has no memory of what actually happened...
The Teacher release date
The Teacher will be available to watch on Channel 5 HD (CH 105) with a transmission date TBC.
3. The Drop
Nine up-and-coming streetwear creatives compete for a life-changing prize in this brand new competition series hosted by Clara Amfo. Grammy Award-winning Miguel leads the panel as head judge, joined by designer Marc Jacques Burton and pro skater Blondey.
The Drop release date
The Drop will be available to watch on BBC Three HD with a transmission date TBC.
4. The Island
Not quite the Bear Grylls kind. Four comedians compete to make the very best “dream” desert island in this new comedy game show presented by Tom Allen.
The Island release date
The Island is coming to Dave/HD (CH 127/227) this spring.
5. Crossfire
Keeley Hawes’ dream holiday in the Canary Islands turns into a living nightmare as gunmen, out for revenge, suddenly open fire in her hotel resort. Josette Simon (Small Axe), Anneika Rose (Line of Duty) and Lee Ingleby (The A Word) also star in this nail-biting thriller.
Crossfire release date
Crossfire will be available to watch on BBC One HD (CH 101/108) with a transmission date TBC.
6. The Responder
In this hotly anticipated BBC drama written by an ex-police officer, Martin Freeman adopts a convincing Scouse accent to play Chris – an urgent response officer working six nights on the beat while his personal life crumbles around him and he finds himself morally compromised.
The Responder release date
The Responder will be available to watch on BBC One HD (CH 101/108) with a transmission date TBC.
7. Tell Me Everything
This provocative coming-of-age drama captures the lives of teens growing up in the 2020s with a cast of rising stars. Their characters battle mental health struggles and personal demons to carve out their own identities in the constant presence of tech and social media.
Tell Me Everything release date
Tell Me Everything will be available to watch on ITV2/HD (CH 115/176) with a transmission date TBC.
8. Sherwood
Set in the Nottinghamshire mining village where writer James Graham (Brexit: The Uncivil War) grew up, this gripping crime drama follows the aftermath of two shocking murders in an already fractured community. Its stunning all-star cast includes David Morrisey, Robert Glenister, Joanne Froggatt and Lesley Manville.
Sherwood release date
Sherwood will be available to watch on BBC One HD (CH 101/108) with a transmission date TBC.
9. Reacher
At ease, Tom Cruise. Titans’ Alan Ritchson takes over the title role as US Army vet Jack Reacher in a new TV adaption of the Lee Child bestsellers. He can open a beer with his bicep, don’t you know?
Reacher release date
Reacher will be available to watch on Amazon Prime Video from Friday 4 February.
10. The Green Planet
Sir David Attenborough and BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit prepare to send our jaws to the floor once more with a landmark new series all about plants – and how we are totally dependent on them. So we've got Blue Planet, Green Planet – when can we expect Sir Attenborough to tackle the Red Planet?
The Green Planet release date
The Green Planet is coming to BBC One HD (CH 101/108) this January.
11. Wednesday
Tim Burton directs this coming-of-age comedy series about the high school years of Wednesday Addams (You’s Jenny Ortega). And if you’re dying to know, Morticia is played by Catherine Zeta-Jones and Gomez by Narcos’ Luis Guzman.
Wednesday release date
Wednesday will be available to watch on Netflix with a transmission date TBC.
12. Red Rose
During an idle summer after their GCSEs, a group of teenagers in Bolton discover a sinister app called Red Rose, which tasks them with completing increasingly dangerous challenges.
Red Rose release date
Red Rose will be available to watch on BBC Three HD with a transmission date TBC.
13. Marriage
Sean Bean (Time) and Nicola Walker (Unforgotten) play a married couple navigating the emotional risks and rewards of their 30-year relationship in this intense drama from the BAFTA-winning writer of Mum and Him & Her. It’s going to be emotional.
Marriage release date
Marriage will be available to watch on BBC One HD (CH 101/108) with a transmission date TBC.
14. Inventing Anna
In 2019, a woman named Anna Sorokin was jailed for posing as a wealthy Germany heiress to con people and businesses out of over $275,000. Shonda Rhimes – who else? – has adapted this astonishing true story into a juicy Netflix drama, with Julia Garner (Ozark) in the lead role.
Inventing Anna release date
Inventing Anna will be available to watch on Netflix from Friday 11 February.
15. Hungry For It
Stacey Dooley, Big Zuu and personal chef Kaylay Greer put ten amateur cooks through their paces in this delicious new slice of foodie reality TV.
Hungry For It release date
Hungry For It will be available to watch on BBC Three HD with a transmission date TBC.
16. I Hate You
Pick-pocketing the police. Jogging to jazz. Meeting men who think humans came from bears. All of this awaits chaotic best friends Charlie (Sex Education’s Tanya Reynolds) and Becca (newcomer Melissa Saint) in a new sitcom from Friday Night Dinner’s Robert Popper.
I Hate You release date
I Hate You will be available to watch on Channel 4 HD (CH 104/141) with a transmission date TBC.
17. Stitch, Please!
RuPaul's Drag Race UK star Blu Hydrangea hosts this energetic new fashion show, where each episode sees two contestants given just 12 hours to create an iconic outfit.
Stitch, Please! Release date
Stitch, Please! will be available to watch on BBC Three HD with a transmission date TBC.
18. Black Ops
BAFTA-winning writer/actress Gbemisola Ikumelo (Famalam), actor/producer Akemnji Ndifornyen (The Queen's Gambit) and writing duo Joe Tucker and Lloyd Woolf (Witless) have teamed up to create this new comedy thriller about Black undercover cops.
Black Ops release date
Black Ops will be available to watch on BBC One HD (CH 101/108) with a transmission date TBC.
19. The Sandman
Neil Gaiman's acclaimed comic book series is finally arriving on the small screen to tell the tale of Morpheus/Dream (The Boat That Rocked’s Tom Sturridge), the living embodiment of dreams and ruler of the Dreaming. The spectacular cast also includes Gwendoline Christie (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who), Charles Dance (Game Of Thrones) and Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Killing Eve).
The Sandman release date
The Sandman will be available to watch on Netflix with a transmission date TBC.
20. Nurses On The Ward
What’s it really like to be a nurse in 2021? We follow the hard-working staff at Portsmouth's Queen Alexandra Hospital in this new factual series from the producers of Hospital.
Nurses On The Ward release date
Nurses On The Ward will be available to watch on W/HD (CH 125/221) with a transmission date TBC.
21. The Boys: Diabolical
If you love Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys as much as we do, you’ll be delighted to know that they’re expanding the universe with an eight-episode animated anthology series in 2022.
The Boys: Diabolical release date
The Boys: Diabolical will be available to watch on Amazon Prime Video with a transmission date TBC.
22. Brain In Gear
After a successful 2019 debut as one of BBC’s Comedy Shorts and a BAFTA nomination, Famalam’s Gbemisola Ikumelo (see Black Ops, above, too) takes her flat-share comedy about a woman and her two tenants (who are actually the voices in her head) to a full series.
Brain In Gear release date
Brain In Gear will be available to watch on BBC Two HD (CH 102) with a transmission date TBC.
23. Man, Woman, Dog
If you like dogs, you won't need much persuading to watch this touching factual series about how the lives of dogs and humans intertwine.
Man, Woman, Dog release date
Man, Woman, Dog will be available to watch on Nat Geo WILD/HD (CH 264/265) with a transmission date TBC.
24. MOOD
Based on Nicôle Lecky’s one-woman Royal Court show, this frank and heartfelt drama follows Sasha (Lecky), an aspiring singer who gets kicked out of her family home and drawn into the world of sex work and social media influencing. We expect this to be HUGE.
MOOD release date
MOOD will be available to watch on BBC Three HD with a transmission date TBC.
25. SAS: Rogue Heroes
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight helms this major new series starring Jack O’Connell (Unbroken), Connor Swindells (Sex Education) and Alfie Allen (John Wick). It tells the fascinating true story of how the world's greatest Special Forces service – the SAS – was formed during the Second World War.
SAS: Rogue Heroes release date
SAS: Rogue Heroes will be available to watch on BBC One HD (CH 101/108) with a transmission date TBC.
26. Our House
What would you do if you came home one day to find strangers moving into your house? This unsettling new thriller, adapted from Louise Candlish’s bestselling novel and starring Tuppence Middleton (Downton Abbey) and Martin Compston (Line Of Duty), holds the key to that question.
Our House release date
Our House is coming to ITV HD (CH 103) this spring.
27. Love In The Flesh
Hailed as the BBC’s answer to Love Island, this Zara McDermott-fronted series sees couples who have only met online determine if they can really make it work IRL.
Love In The Flesh release date
Love In The Flesh will be available to watch on BBC Three HD with a transmission date TBC.
28. Riches
Already drawing comparisons to Succession, this witty family drama follows the wealthy and successful Richards family and the future of their multimillion pound cosmetics business in what is described as a “love letter to Black London”.
Riches release date
Riches will be available to watch on ITV HD (CH 103) with a transmission date TBC.
29. Inside Man
Steven Moffat. David Tennant. Stanley Tucci?? You had us at the casting of this new thriller, to be honest. But the premise – which sees the lives of a US death row prisoner, a vicar in an English town and a maths teacher trapped in a cellar somehow intertwine – makes it all the more intriguing.
The Inside Man release date
The Inside Man will be available to watch on BBC One HD (CH 101/108) with a transmission date TBC.
30. Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win
What’s better than a £1 million jackpot? A never-ending jackpot, that’s what! Yes, rub your eyes. Ant and Dec present an astonishing new game show that features the world’s first ever limitless jackpot.
Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win release date
Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win is coming to ITV in January.
31. Rules Of The Game
In this timely drama about sexual politics in the workplace, Maxine Peake plays Sam, the manager of a family-run company who arrives at work one day to find a dead body in reception. Rahkee Thakrar (Sex Education), Alison Steadman (Gavin & Stacey) and Susan Wokoma (Chewing Gum) also star.
Rules Of The Game release date
Rules Of The Game will be available to watch on BBC One HD (CH 101/108) with a transmission date TBC.
32. The Chris & Rosie Ramsey Show
The Sh**ged, Married, Annoyed podcasters and real-life couple have landed their very own late-night talk show! Joined each week by another celebrity couple, Chris and Rosie will bring their own brand of honest and hilarious humour to BBC Two.
The Chris & Rosie Ramsey Show release date
The Chris & Rosie Ramsey Show will be available to watch on BBC Two HD (CH 102) with a transmission date TBC.
33. Newark, Newark
No, not New York, New York; the Nottinghamshire market town of Newark-on-Trent. Matthew Horne (Gavin & Stacey) and Morgana Robinson (The Windsors) star in this working-class family sitcom based on writer Nathan Foad’s own experience of adolescence while his mum worked in the local chippie.
Newark, Newark release date
Newark, Newark will be available to watch on GOLD HD (CH 124) with a transmission date TBC.
34. The Gallows Pole
In his first drama for the BBC, Shane Meadows (This Is England) tells the true story of a gang of weavers and land workers in 18th Century Yorkshire – leading to the biggest fraud in British history. Meadows regulars Michael Socha and Thomas Turgoose star, alongside 1917’s George MacKay and The Souvenir’s Tom Burke.
The Gallows Pole release date
The Gallows Pole will be available to watch on BBC One HD (CH 101/108) with a transmission date TBC.
35. Trigger Point
Vicky McLure (Line Of Duty) clearly doesn’t care about your blood pressure. She joins Adrian Lester (Life) as they play bomb disposal operatives keeping London safe in Jed Mercurio’s incredibly tense new thriller.
Trigger Point release date
Trigger Point will be available to watch on ITV HD (CH 103) with a transmission date TBC.
36. Screw
If you liked No Offence, you’ll love this new ensemble prison drama from writer Rob Williams (Killing Eve). Derry Girls’ Jamie-Lee O’Donnell plays a young trainee screw – err, prison officer – who enters the C Wing of a busy men’s prison, headed up by Leigh (His Dark Materials’ Nina Sosanya).
Screw release date
Screw is coming to Channel 4 HD (CH 104/141) this spring.
37. Conversations With Friends
Have you emotionally recovered from Normal People yet? Us neither, but there’s no time! The next Sally Rooney adaptation is just around the corner, and it explores the complex relationship between two college students and a married couple, played by Jemima Kirke (Girls) and Joe Alwyn (The Favourite)
Conversations With Friends release date
Conversations With Friends will be available to watch on BBC Three HD with a transmission date TBC.
38. Suspect
Channel 4’s star-studded crime drama centres on detective Danny Frater (James Nesbitt) who identifies his estranged daughter’s body at the morgue. While her death is ruled as suicide, Danny believes it was anything but. Richard E Grant and Anne-Marie Duff also star.
Suspect release date
Suspect will be available to watch on Channel 4 HD (CH 104/141) with a transmission date TBC.
39. Everything I Know About Love
Dolly Alderton’s bestselling memoir heads to the small screen, with Emma Appleton (The Witcher) and Bel Powley (The Diary Of A Teenage Girl) starring as two childhood best friends navigating their twenties in a London house-share.
Everything I Know About Love release date
Everything I Know About Love will be available to watch on BBC One HD (CH 101/108) with a transmission date TBC.
40. The Curse
What do you get if you combine the weird and wonderful minds behind People Just Do Nothing and Murder In Successville? A 1980s-set crime comedy about some idiots who get involved in a gold heist, apparently. There may be mullets.
The Curse release date
The Curse is coming to Channel 4 HD (CH 104/141) this spring.
41. Vikings: Valhalla
After what feels like forever, this highly anticipated Vikings spin-off – set about 100 years after the end of the original series – is finally sailing onto Netflix.
Vikings: Valhalla release date
Vikings: Valhalla will be available to watch on Netflix from Friday 25 February.
42. PRU
In this four-part comedy series reminiscent of The Breakfast Club, we follow four lovably reckless teens as they navigate adolescence in their PRU (Pupil Referral Unit) – a school for excluded kids.
PRU release date
PRU will be available to watch on BBC Three HD with a transmission date TBC.
43. The Control Room
Gabe (Us’ Iain De Caestecker) is an emergency call handler for the Scottish Ambulance Service in Glasgow. One night, he receives a desperate call from a woman who appears to know him. Who is she? In his attempt to find out, Gabe makes a rash decision that could have devastating consequences.
The Control Room release date
The Control Room will be available to watch on BBC One HD (CH 101/108) with a transmission date TBC.
44. Billy Connelly Does…
Legendary Scottish stand-up Sir Billy Connolly looks back at over 50 years of his life as a star of the stage and screen. Expect plenty of bad behaviour in this exclusive five-part series.
Billy Connelly Does… release date
Billy Connell Does… will be available to watch on GOLD HD (CH 124) with a transmission date TBC.
45. The Lord Of The Rings
Amazon Prime Video's epic, ambitious new series takes place thousands of years before Peter Jackson’s beloved trilogy, as characters “both familiar and new” confront the “long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth”. While actual plot details and even the official title are closely guarded, we do know that Morfydd Clark (Saint Maud) will be playing a young Galadriel.
The Lord Of The Rings release date
The Lord Of The Rings will air on Amazon Prime Video from Friday 2 September, with new episodes released each week.
46. Funny Woman
Gemma Arterton stars in this adaption of the hugely successful Nick Hornby book of the same name. Barbara (Arterton) dreams of leaving Blackpool behind for the bright lights of London, but the swinging capital is not all she expected. Also starring David Threlfall and Rupert Everett.
Funny Woman release date
Funny Woman will be available to watch on Sky Max/HD (CH 122/121) with a transmission date TBC.
47. Anyone Can Sing
Can anybody sing? That is the question facing six non-singers in this new Sky Arts show under the watchful eyes (and ears) of English National Opera’s world-class vocal coaches to see if they have what it takes in just three months.
Anyone Can Sing release date
Anyone Can Sing will be available to watch on Sky Arts/HD (CH 165/140) with a transmission date TBC.
48. Mother Teresa
This documentary about one of most complex figures in modern contemporary history is told by the people who knew her best. The astonishing story behind the revered yet controversial woman, also features personal letters where we hear from Mother Teresa in her own words.
Mother Terea release date
Mother Teresa will be available to watch on Sky Documentaries/HD (CH 278/277) in February.
49. Extinction
George (Pappa Essiedu) is trapped in a time loop, reliving 1 July 2019 over and over again. But even that has more to it than meets the eye, as he encounters The Lazarus Project, a group of agents who reset time to avoid global catastrophe. The hugely anticipated new project from Joe Barton (Giri/Haji).
Extinction release date
Extinction will be available to watch on Sky Max/HD (CH 122/121) in the spring.
50. The Midwich Cuckoos
Keeley Hawes and Max Beesley star in this reimagining of the John Wyndham science fiction classic. Midwich is a normal, quiet town where nothing happens... until one day the entire town falls unconscious. When everyone awakes, all the women of child-bearing age are inexplicably pregnant. But why? And who or what is responsible?
The Midwich Cuckoos release date
The Midwich Cuckoos will be available to watch on Sky Max/HD (CH 122/121) in the spring.
How to watch Amazon Prime Video with Virgin TV
Prime Video is available to all Virgin TV customers with a V6 box, powered by TiVo®, and a subscription to the service. Simply sign up to Amazon Prime Video via their website, and you can log in on the box. And because Prime Video is fully integrated into TiVo®, you can search without even going into the app. Just select Search & Discover from the Home menu and type in the name of the show or movie you’re after.
How to watch Netflix with Virgin TV
If you have a TiVo® box or Virgin TV V6 box, powered by TiVo®:
Press home on your remote
Select Apps & Games
Select All Apps
Select Netflix
If you’re already a Netflix subscriber, you can also access the app through Search & Discover or by pressing Red on channel 204. Just sign in with your existing login and start watching. And you’ll only have to log in the first time you use it.
If you’re new to Netflix, then you’ll need to subscribe to use the app. The easiest way to do this is by going to netflix.com/virginmedia. You can also subscribe using the Netflix app in Apps & Games.
Christmas has come early
This year we’re bringing Christmas early with gifts and giveaways, plus check out all your Christmas TV, movie and sport listings and tips on what to watch and play!
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ITV HD is subject to regional variation. ITV HD is not available where STV HD or UTV HD is available.
Catch Up TV: Catch Up TV content available for up to 7 days or up to 30 days after broadcast, depending on content.
On Demand: Content available to view depends on TV package. Time limits apply for viewing chargeable On Demand content – see virginmedia.com. Once purchased, all chargeable On Demand content must be viewed within 48 hours. Premium channels and upgrades must be kept for at least 30 days.
Amazon Prime Video: Amazon Prime subscription required at extra cost. 18+. Click here for T&Cs.
Netflix: Netflix subscription required at extra cost.
Image credits: Crossfire © Dancing Ledge Productions/Monica Lek
The Responder © 2021 Dancing Ledge Productions/Rekha Garton
Sherwood © House Productions/Matt Squire
The Green Planet © BBC/Sam Barker
Rules Of The Game © The Forge/Brian Sweeney