The 20 Best New TV Shows of 2022 So Far

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – July 1, 2022

Which newcomers on the small screen have impressed reviewers the most during the first half of the year? In the gallery on this page, we rank the highest-scoring first-year TV shows (including limited series and specials) debuting between January 1, 2022 and June 30, 2022. Only shows with at least 7 reviews from professional critics are included.

1 of 21 photo by Marvel Studios

78 #19 (tie): Ms. Marvel: Season 1

Kamala Khan (newcomer Iman Vellani) may feel like an outsider as a nerdy Muslim American teen growing up in New Jersey, but in many ways she's not all that different than her peers: She likes gaming and she loves Marvel comics, especially Captain Marvel. But what happens when Kamala suddenly gets shape-altering superpowers of her own? Filmed in Thailand and the U.S., the six-episode Ms. Marvel introduces the first Muslim superhero to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and she will move on to the big screen next year with a role in The Marvels. Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys for Life) direct the series along with Meera Menon and Emmy- and Oscar-winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

“Between Vellani’s compelling performance and the visual flair of Adil & Bilall, Ms. Marvel is frankly just a lot of fun, if only because it’s been a harsh and glum few years, and it’s a joy to watch a young hero take such pleasure in her newfound abilities.” —Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence

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