Between broadcast TV, streaming services, and cable, viewers have plenty of options from which to choose. To pique the public’s interest and adapt to its ever-changing preferences, producers must create innovative, sometimes provocative new shows and make sure that existing ones keep people watching.
In the 2022 TV season, a number of new shows and new seasons of older ones scored highly with both the average viewer and the professional critic. (These are the best new shows of 2022.)
To determine the best new seasons of television in 2022, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on audience and critical reception from Rotten Tomatoes. Television seasons were ranked based on a combination of Rotten Tomatoes audience score and Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score as of December 2022. In the case of a tie, the show with more audience reviews was ranked higher. Cast information also comes from Rotten Tomatoes.
The top-rated shows run the gamut from historical dramas like “The Serpent Queen,” a retelling of the life of Catherine de Medici of France, to such science fiction standbys as “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” and another installment in the Star Wars series, “Andor.” (Can you answer these real “Jeopardy!” clues about “Star Wars?”)
Click here to see the best new seasons of TV in 2022
Viewers gravitate to new, inventive concepts. But they also like updated versions of popular movies or TV series. Building on the success of the film of the same name, “A League of Their Own” emerged as a fan favorite. Set in World War II, the series tells the story of how women took to the baseball diamond as the men went off to war.
Measured by audience reviews, the most acclaimed series to debut was the LGBTQ-themed romance, “Heartstopper.” Set in a British boarding school, the coming-of-age tale centers on the relationship between two young boys discovering their sexuality.
Source: Courtesy of Paramount+
40. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (990 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (81 reviews)
> Starring: Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Babs Olusanmokun
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Source: Courtesy of Apple TV+
39. Severance (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (1,468 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (101 reviews)
> Starring: Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Patricia Arquette, Zach Cherry
Source: Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video
38. Paper Girls (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (558 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (65 reviews)
> Starring: Camryn Jones, Riley Lai Nelet, Sofia Rosinsky, Fina Strazza
Source: Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video
37. A League Of Their Own (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (2,267 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (87 reviews)
> Starring: Abbi Jacobson, Chanté Adams, D’Arcy Carden, Roberta Colindrez
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Source: Courtesy of Disney Media Distribution
36. Andor (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (4,913 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (579 reviews)
> Starring: Diego Luna, Stellan Skarsgård, Genevieve O’Reilly, Forest Whitaker
Source: Courtesy of Amazon Studios
35. The Boys (Season 3)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (2,196 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (146 reviews)
> Starring: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty
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Source: Courtesy of FX Network
34. Better Things (Season 5)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (29 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (23 reviews)
> Starring: Pamela Adlon, Celia Imrie, Mikey Madison, Hannah Alligood
Source: Bryan Bedder / Getty Images
33. The Rehearsal (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (130 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (54 reviews)
> Starring: Nathan Fielder, Anna Lamadrid, Isaac Lamb, Gigi Burgdorf
Source: Courtesy of Epix
32. From (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (271 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (23 reviews)
> Starring: Harold Perrineau, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Eion Bailey, Hannah Cheramy
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Source: Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video
31. Reacher (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (1,233 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (73 reviews)
> Starring: Alan Ritchson, Willa Fitzgerald, Malcolm Goodwin, Marc Bendavid
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
30. Peacemaker (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (2,161 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (88 reviews)
> Starring: John Cena, Steve Agee, Jennifer Holland, Danielle Brooks
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Source: Courtesy of Amazon Studios
29. Undone (Season 2)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (50 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (24 reviews)
> Starring: Rosa Salazar, Angelique Cabral, Bob Odenkirk, Constance Marie
Source: Courtesy of AMC Networks
28. Dark Winds (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (184 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (31 reviews)
> Starring: Zahn McClarnon, Kiowa Gordon, Jessica Matten, Deanna Allison
Source: Courtesy of Apple TV+
27. Slow Horses (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (282 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (58 reviews)
> Starring: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas
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Source: Courtesy of Apple TV+
26. Pachinko (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (342 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (59 reviews)
> Starring: Yuh-Jung Youn, Lee Min-Ho, Minha Kim, Soji Arai
Source: Courtesy of HBO Max
25. Julia (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (104 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (44 reviews)
> Starring: Sarah Lancashire, David Hyde Pierce, Brittany Bradford, Bebe Neuwirth
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Source: Courtesy of AMC Networks
24. This Is Going To Hurt (Limited Series)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (70 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (41 reviews)
> Starring: Ben Whishaw, Ambika Mod, Michele Austin, Alex Jennings
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Source: Courtesy of FX Network
23. What We Do In The Shadows (Season 4)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (223 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (28 reviews)
> Starring: Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillen
Source: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
22. The Last Days Of Ptolemy Grey (Limited Series)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 98% (48 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (41 reviews)
> Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Cynthia Kaye McWilliams, Damon Gupton
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Source: Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video
21. The Kids In The Hall (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (50 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (27 reviews)
> Starring: Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney
Source: Courtesy of Starz
20. The Serpent Queen (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (198 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (23 reviews)
> Starring: Samantha Morton, Amrita Acharia, Barry Atsma, Enzo Cilenti
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Source: Courtesy of HBO Max
19. Our Flag Means Death (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (841 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (38 reviews)
> Starring: Rhys Darby, Taika Waititi, Nathan Foad, Samson Kayo
Source: Courtesy of Amazon Studios
18. As We See It (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97% (63 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (30 reviews)
> Starring: Rick Glassman, Albert Rutecki, Sue Ann Pien, Sosie Bacon
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
17. Derry Girls (Season 3)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (102 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (23 reviews)
> Starring: Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Louisa Harland, Ian McElhinney, Kathy Kiera Clarke
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Source: Courtesy of FX Network
16. Welcome To Wrexham (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97% (237 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (30 reviews)
> Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
15. Barry (Season 3)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (299 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (91 reviews)
> Starring: Bill Hader, Stephen Root, Henry Winkler, Sarah Goldberg
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Source: Courtesy of Disney+
14. Only Murders In The Building (Season 2)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (1,193 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (110 reviews)
> Starring: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Aaron Dominguez
Source: Courtesy of FX Network
13. Reservation Dogs (Season 2)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (114 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (29 reviews)
> Starring: D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Devery Jacobs, Paulina Jewel Alexis, Lane Factor
Source: Courtesy of DC Universe
12. Harley Quinn (Season 3)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (114 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (23 reviews)
> Starring: Kaley Cuoco, Lake Bell, Alan Tudyk, Jim Rash
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Source: Courtesy of HBO Max
11. Hacks (Season 2)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (161 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (51 reviews)
> Starring: Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Rose Abdoo
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
10. Mo (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (252 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (33 reviews)
> Starring: Mo Amer, Teresa Ruiz, Farah Bsieso, Omar Elba
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Source: Courtesy of Endemol Worldwide Distribution
9. Peaky Blinders (Season 6)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (682 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (26 reviews)
> Starring: Cillian Murphy, Natasha O’Keeffe, Paul Anderson, Sophie Rundle
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
8. Gentleman Jack (Season 2)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (82 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (21 reviews)
> Starring: Suranne Jones, Sophie Rundle, Lydia Leonard, Gemma Whelan
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
7. Somebody Somewhere (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (104 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (27 reviews)
> Starring: Bridget Everett, Jeff Hiller, Mary Catherine Garrison, Danny McCarthy
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Source: Courtesy of FX Network
6. The Bear (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (920 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (72 reviews)
> Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Abby Elliott
Source: Courtesy of Apple TV+
5. Black Bird (Limited Series)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (514 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (78 reviews)
> Starring: Taron Egerton, Ray Liotta, Greg Kinnear, Sepideh Moafi
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Source: Courtesy of American Movie Classics
4. Better Call Saul (Season 6)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (1,508 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (177 reviews)
> Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Michael Mando, Patrick Fabian
Source: Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video
3. The Legend Of Vox Machina (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (1,308 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (38 reviews)
> Starring: Laura Bailey, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Liam O’Brien
Source: Rodin Eckenroth / Getty Images
2. High School (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (95 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (21 reviews)
> Starring: Railey Gilliland, Seazynn Gilliland, Cobie Smulders, Kyle Bornheimer
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Source: Courtesy of Netflix
1. Heartstopper (Season 1)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (3,838 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (55 reviews)
> Starring: Kit Connor, Joe Locke, William Gao, Yasmin Finney
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