Play Hard

The 2022 TV shows we can’t wait for

From The Crown to Season 2 of Bridgerton, these are all of the hit TV shows we can't wait for in 2022.

Written by High Life North
Published 31.12.2021

Four Lives – BBC1  – 3rd January

Here comes another new true-crime drama coming to BBC1 in early January. The series centres on the four victims of serial killer Stephen Port played by Stephen Merchant of The Office and Extras fame. Sheridan Smith (The Moorside, Mrs Briggs) plays Sarah Sak, the mother of Anthony Walgate who along with families and friends worked hard to find out what happened to him and Port’s other victims Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor. Created by Jeff Pope and Neil Mckay who were also behind Appropriate Adult and The Moorside. This will surely be a difficult watch. however, if you’re a fan of true stories such as ITV’s recent dramas Des and The Pembrokeshire Murders then you will like this (real people, real stories, and real drama.)

Trigger Point – ITV

This is for all you Line of Duty fans missing your weekly fix of the hit BBC series. Vicky McClure returns to our screens in a suspense filled ITV drama, produced by Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio. Trigger Point focuses on counter-terrorism policing and the bomb disposal squad, who risk their lives day after day to keep the British public safe. McClure plays Lana Washington an experience bomb disposal operative, while Joel Nutkins played by Adrian Lester is her right hand man. When a terrorist campaign threatens the city of London, they must use all their skills in an urgent effort to find out who is behind the attacks before things escalate for the worse.

Peaky Blinders Season 6 – BBC 1

“On a gathering storm comes a tall handsome man in a dusty black coat with a red right hand”. Sung by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds this is part of the iconic opening titles to this hit TV series created by Steven Knight. Season 6 will be the last TV outing for the beloved period drama although there is talk of a feature-length movie. The Shelby family is synonymous with glamour and violence. Charismatic but deeply flawed. The Peaky Blinders prowl the dingy back streets of Birmingham leaving bloody chaos in their wake. Highly cunning gangster Tommy Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy, seeks to expand his family’s criminal organisation. Featuring a cast of characters including the late Helen McCrory as Aunt Polly and Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby. Season 6 begins with the gang left picking up the pieces after the failed assassination attempt on Sir Oswald Mosely (Sam Claflin). To make matters worse, there is the ever-looming shadow of the Second World War to contend with. I highly recommend you check the series out on  BBC iPlayer – you won’t be disappointed. (oh and look out for the brilliant Steven Graham who is a new addition to the cast).

Conversations With Friends – BBC Three

Irish author Sally Rooney wrote a novel called Normal People that was made into a fantastic BBC series. This new adaptation promises to be just as good. Conversations With Friends, based on the book of the same name, follows a group of young people living in Dublin and trying to make sense of the world. Frances played by Alison Oliver is a bright university student forced to confront her vulnerabilities for the first time. Her ex-girlfriend Bobbi played by Sasha Lane is outspoken and self-assured and even though they have broken up, they remain inseparable. When they perform poetry together they meet Melissa (Jemima Kirke) and her husband Nick (Joe Alwyn) a writer and reserved actor. While Melissa and Bobbi begin flirting, Nick and Frances embark on an intense affair that tests everyone’s trust.

This Is Going to Hurt – BBC One

This is one we are definitely looking forward to after reading comedian and former doctor Adam Kay’s award-winning memoir of the same name. Ben Whishaw (outstanding in the role of Q in Bond flick No Time To Die) plays Adam who is struggling through the ranks of the hospital hierarchy. He finds himself suffering long hours and bravely facing a barrage of terrifying responsibilities. Adam scribbles his thoughts and experiences in a secret diary that charts the endless days, sleepless nights, and missed weekends, one day hoping to tell the world the truth about life as a doctor. This tells the story of his experience working 97-hour weeks and the mental and physical toll people who work for the NHS go through every day. This drama will surely give us an insight into the NHS, one of the country’s most valuable assets.

The Responder  – BBC1

Another one from BBC1,  this is a six-part police drama set in Liverpool. The series is based on the real experiences of ex-police officer Tony Schumacher in his first-ever series for television. The Hobbit star Martin Freeman plays Chris, a police urgent response officer whose long, solitary night shifts are disrupted by his rookie fellow officer Rachel played by Adelayo Adedayo. Now his mundane job has become a lot more dangerous as Chris goes from one stressful call to another. Fellow cast members include Ian Hart and MyAnna Buring. The Responder looks like it will keep us on the edge of our seats, really looking forward to this one.

The Rig – Amazon Prime

An explosive new supernatural series with Line of Duty and Vigil star Martin Compston leading an all-star cast of acting talent. Set on an oil rig off the Scottish coast, we follow a team of workers as they try and return to the mainland when creepy fog descends upon them and a strange force takes over.  Cut off from the outside world without any communication, their limits are tested to the extreme as strange things happen and everyone is a suspect, as the crew fight to survive.

Bridgerton – Season 2 – Netflix

Bridgerton has become a period-set phenomenon and in 2021 quickly became one of Netflix’s most-viewed titles. Make sure you mark the 25th March 2022 in your diaries as we get ready to return to the rather raunchy exploits of the Featherington and Bridgerton families. Based on the series of novels by Julia Quinn and set in Regency-era England,  the first series followed Daphne Bridgerton played by Phoebe Dynevor, the eldest daughter of the powerful Bridgerton family hoping to find true love. She meets Simon Bassett, Duke of Hastings, played by Rege-Jean Page who is determined not to marry and plots with Daphne to secure his bachelor lifestyle and her a suitable marriage. Narrated by the brilliant Julie Andrews who voices the mysterious and scandalous columnist Lady Whistledown. Unlike the novels, the series is set in a more racially integrated London. An alternative history in which Queen Charlotte’s mixed-race heritage was not only well-established but was transformative for Black people and other people of colour in England.

Queenie – Channel 4

Queenie is a new eight-part series based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Candice Carty-Williams. It follows the story of a 25-year-old Jamaican journalist living in London whose life unravels when she takes a break from her boyfriend Tom. In the series we explore Queenie’s adventures and misadventures. Topics include the exploration of race, mental health, womanhood and the love of friends plus the chaos of family and community. At its heart, though, this is a story of a young Black woman trying to find her own way in life. With the author herself working on the adaptation, it will be good news for fans of the book.

Heartstopper – Netflix

If you have never read Alice Oseman’s excellent series of graphic novels then what are you doing, go pick up a copy right now because you won’t be disappointed. In this LGBTQ eight-part romantic drama we follow the story of Nick and Charlie two British teens at a grammar school who fall in love. It is a story that deals with issues such as mental illness, coming out and is also about love, life, and friendships. Netflix seems to be reinforcing its place as the leading destination for young adult entertainment and paving the way for these types of dramas. Given their success with series’ such as Sex Education, who can blame them.

Everything I Know About Love – BBC1

Based on Dolly Alderton’s bestselling memoir about friendship and romance, in which she shares her self-deprecating musings on love, friendship, relationships, and growing up as a millennial. Maggie played by Emma Appleton and Birdy played by Bel Powley are two young millennials in their 20s who are navigating the first phase of adulthood in a house share, until the unthinkable happens – Birdy gets a new boyfriend. Let’s hope the series does the book justice – a brave thought-provoking, funny unpicking of what it means to be in love.

Pam and Tommy – Disney +

Lily James and Sebastian Stan (The Falcon and The Winter Soldier) are practically unrecognisable as the iconic couple Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, telling the story of their whirlwind romance, the infamous sex tape, and how it began with the pair getting hitched 96 hours after meeting in 1995. It soon became the scandal of the year, so prepare to strap yourselves in this series as it looks like it’s gonna be a wild ride.

The Crown Season 5 – Netflix

It’s a changing of the guard for season 5 of the Netflix epic. Olivia Colman’s Queen Elizabeth II will be replaced by the great Imelda Staunton. Joining her is Elizabeth Debicki as the troubled Diana, Princess of Wales, Dominic West as Prince Charles along with Jonny Lee Miller as John Major and Bertie Carvel as Tony Blair. Not much is known about the focus of the plot at this time but we imagine the story will focus on the heart-breaking death of the Princess of Wales. The new series should be with us in November

House of the Dragon – Sky Atlantic

The final season of Game of Thrones disappointed many fans of the show, so there is some trepidation surrounding the new prequel series. Set 200 years before the events of the final season, it centres on the dragon-loving House Targaryen with Matt Smith playing Prince Daemon and Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra. Not much is known about the plot but we are expecting big-budget battle scenes, mythical beasts, and a few raunchy moments, which is what GOT is famous for.

The Lord of the Rings – Amazon Prime

With House of the Dragon to look forward to and the success of The Wheel of Time on Amazon Prime, it has never been a better time to be a fan of fantasy revivals. JRR Tolkien’s world of hobbits, wizards and elves comes to the small screen. The series will take place during the Second Age of Middle Earth and set thousands of years before The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings books. Details are being kept under strict lock and key, however, you can guarantee that Amazon has another hit on their hands which definably makes the wait even more exciting for fans like me.

Other stories by High Life North
A month in the life of Laura KIngston - editor of High Life North magazine
02.12.2023

A month in the life of our editor – November

High Life North
Bistro Greggs Fenwick Newcastle Pop Up Fine Dining Restaurant
29.11.2023

Bistro Greggs launches at Fenwick Newcastle

High Life North
Three Mile Gosforth
11.11.2023

Christmas is coming at Three Mile, Gosforth. Here are the dates for your diary

High Life North
Pizza Dough Co at Three Mile in Gosforth
08.11.2023

Pizza Dough Co at Three Mile in Gosforth is the family-friendly neighbourhood eatery with a new menu to check out

High Life North
Derwent Manor Hotel
04.11.2023

A Christmas market, baking with elves and NYE in a Tipi – the festive events at Derwent Manor Hotel this 2023

High Life North
Rest at the Nest County Durham Staycation Lodges
25.10.2023

Rest at the Nest – a perfect couple’s staycation in County Durham

High Life North

Check out our Wedding Special

READ MORE