The Worst New TV Shows of 2022

– December 15, 2022

What were the biggest television duds of the past year? In the gallery on this page we rank the lowest-scoring first-year primetime TV series (including limited series and specials) debuting in the United States between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022. Shows are ranked by Metascore (an average of grades from top professional critics on a 0-100 scale) prior to rounding based on scores from December 13, 2022 and must have at least 4 reviews from professional critics to qualify.

6 of 11 photo by Heidi Gutman/Peacock

42 #5: The Calling (Peacock)

Debuting just last month, David E. Kelley's newest crime drama is an adaptation of the novel The Missing File by Dror A. Mishani. In it, Unorthodox's Jeff Wilbusch plays an NYPD detective named Avraham Avraham who believes his spirituality gives him an edge in cracking cases. But not even the presence of veteran director Barry Levinson could elevate what critics instantly deemed a dull and shallow series.

“Much of [Avraham's] expert findings rely less on intuition than on an ability to detect the groaningly obvious ... [David E. Kelley's] trademark precision and knack for character seems to have evaporated. 'The Calling' boasts a good idea for a central figure — but that’s about all it’s got. ” —Daniel D'Addario, Variety

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