TV in 2022: The Crown, Bridgerton and Derry Girls return to small screens

With winter well and truly here, do we need a reason to curl up on the sofa and indulge in a spot of binge-watching on TV?

The choices can seem a little bewildering so here is a mini guide to some of the forthcoming series arriving on our screens in 2022. From the latest instalments of huge Netflix dramas to a final series of a fan favourite, and brand new thrillers, there is something for everyone. Here’s everything you need to know about the shows tipped to be big hits…

THE RESPONDER

Martin Freeman leads this new BBC show, which is a unique take on the crime drama genre. It focuses on morally compromised urgent response officer Chris, who is tackling a series of night shifts on the beat in Liverpool.

Crisis-stricken, he’s struggling both personally and professionally – and then he faces a fresh challenge, as he’s forced to take on a new rookie partner Rachel (Adelayo Adedayo). Based on the real experiences of the writer, ex-police officer Tony Schumacher, it promises to be a darkly funny and intense watch.

DERRY GIRLS SERIES 3

The Channel 4 sitcom – set during the Troubles – has so much heart, as well as brilliantly written characters. But – sob – creator Lisa McGee has confirmed the next series will be the last.

Series two had an emotional ending; James (Dylan Llewellyn) decided to stay in Derry with pals Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), Clare (Nicola Coughlan), Orla (Louisa Harland), and Michelle (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell). And we have a feeling there will be plenty of bittersweet moments in the final episodes, as the teens slowly become adults, and Northern Ireland enters a new more hopeful time.

BRIDGERTON SERIES 2

Coughlan also stars in this Netflix period drama, which is based on a series of romance novels by Julia Quinn, and became a big hit in 2020. We’ve had time now to get over the heartbreak that Rege-Jean Page – who played Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings – will not be returning for the latest season. What we can look forward to is stunning costumes, another catchy soundtrack, and more of a focus on one of the Bridgerton brothers, Anthony (Jonathan Bailey).

You will likely remember the shocking news story this four-part ITV drama is based on. Back in 2002, John Darwin went missing whilst canoeing off the coast of Seaton Carew in Cleveland – but it turned out he had faked his own death to claim life insurance and avoid bankruptcy, and his wife Anne was complicit. With Eddie Marsan and Monica Dolan playing John and Anne, you just know it’s going to be good.

THE CROWN SERIES 5

The end of 2022 will see the long-awaited continuation of Netflix hit, The Crown. There’s a whole new cast portraying the royal family, to reflect the years moving on – including Imelda Staunton as the Queen and Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret. It’s predicted the fifth series will cover the events of the late nineties. And there is more good news for viewers: writer Peter Morgan has confirmed there will be a sixth – and final – series.

THE RIG

This new Amazon series features Line of Duty star Martin Compston. It’s a six-part thriller set on an oil rig stationed in the North Sea off the Scottish coast. When the crew is faced with serious danger – fog, tremors, and a loss of all communication with shore – they have to try and work out what’s happening – and who can they really trust on board? It’s going to be gripping viewing…