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.

8 of 11 photo by Netflix

38 #3: Hard Cell (Netflix)

English comedian Catherine Tate is perhaps best known to American audiences for her stint on Doctor Who or a recurring role in the final three seasons of NBC's The Office, but she has dozens of film and TV credits to her name—and numerous comedy awards and BAFTA nominations as a result. But she likely won't be adding any accolades for the first sitcom she created. A mockumentary set in a women's prison, Hard Cell finds her playing multiple characters in addition to writing and directing. Reviewers found it amateurish and dated.

“Early episodes are a tough watch, with every joke being heavily signposted and then mined to oblivion for all its worth. At times this become cringe comedy, minus the comedy.” —James Hibbs, Radio Times

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