8 Period Dramas We Can’t Wait to See on TV in 2022
New year, new TV shows. And for fans of costume, historical, and period dramas, 2022 is shaping up to be a very good 12 months. From the second season of Bridgerton to a new show from the creator of Downton Abbey, there’s no shortage of exciting stuff coming to TV screens this year.
Here are eight upcoming period drama and historical TV shows to watch in 2022:
‘Women of the Movement’ premieres Jan. 6
ABC’s limited series Women of the Movement tells the story of Mamie Till-Mobley, the mother of Emmett Till, who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955 after he supposedly whistled at a white woman. His murder became a rallying point for the civil rights movement, and Till-Mobley became a prominent activist in the fight for racial justice. She’s played by Adrienne Warren in the new series; Cedric Joe portrays her son.
Women of the Movement premieres Thursday, Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
‘The Gilded Age’ is a new period drama from the creator of ‘Downton Abbey’
The second Downton Abbey movie arrives in theaters in March 2022, but before then, fans can sink their teeth into The Gilded Age, the new HBO series from Downton creator Julian Fellowes. Set in the late 19th century, it focuses on the conflict between snobbish, old-money New Yorkers and the nouveau riche who are challenging the city’s established social order. The ensemble cast includes Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Carrie Coon, Denée Benton, and Louisa Jacobson.
The Gilded Age premieres Jan. 24 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.
‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ returns to Prime Video in February 2022
Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) steps into the swinging ‘60s when The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 4 premieres Feb. 18 on Prime Video. In the new season, Midge finds a new gig that offers her complete creative freedom. But her commitment to the craft of comedy drives a wedge between her and her friends and family.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 4 premieres Feb. 18 on Prime Video.
‘Vikings’ spinoff ‘Vikings: Valhalla’ is coming to Netflix
Those who prefer their period dramas on the grittier side will want to check out the Vikings spinoff Vikings: Valhalla. The Netflix series, which is set 100 years after the events of the earlier show, chronicles the heroic adventures of three famous Vikings: legendary explorer Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett), his headstrong sister Freydis Eriksdotter (Frida Gustavsson), and the ambitious Nordic prince Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter).
Vikings: Valhalla releases Feb. 25 on Netflix.
‘Outlander’ Season 6 premieres in March 2022
Droughtlander comes to an end on March 6, when the sixth season of the steamy romance series premieres on Starz. The new episodes see Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) confronting new challenges that threaten the stability of their home on Fraser’s Ridge. Meanwhile, the Revolutionary War is looming and the Fraser family must prepare for the coming conflict.
Outlander Season 6 premieres Sunday, March 6 at 9 p.m. ET on Starz.
‘Call the Midwife’ Season 11 and ‘Sanditon’ Season 2 also premiere in March on PBS
Unsurprisingly, PBS has a full slate of period dramas on tap for 2022. March 20 brings the premiere of Call the Midwife Season 11. Plus, Sanditon, which was inspired by an unfinished Jane Austen novel, returns for a second season after getting a surprise renewal in May 2021.
Meanwhile, PBS kicks off 2022 with a new adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days starring David Tennant as Victorian adventurer Phileas Fogg (premieres Jan. 2) and the second season of All Creatures Great and Small (premieres Jan. 9). The second season of the Freudian mystery series Vienna Blood also premieres Jan. 9.
‘Bridgerton’ Season 2 drops March 25
Bridgerton Season 1 was a mega-hit for Netflix. The streamer is undoubtedly hoping fans are just as enamored with the show’s second season, which drops March 25. This time around, the focus shifts to Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and his romance with Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley).
Bridgerton Season 2 releases March 25 on Netflix.
More period dramas to look forward to in 2022
A number of other historical and period dramas are in the works for 2022, though they don’t yet have release dates.
A reboot of the 1992 comedy A League of Their Own is coming to Prime Video. The new show offers a fresh look at the women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which was founded in 1943.
Julia Roberts stars in Gaslit, a Starz drama about Watergate that tells the stories of lesser-known figures involved in the scandal. Roberts plays Martha Mitchell, the wife of Nixon’s attorney general John Mitchell (Sean Penn).
Pachinko, an adaptation of Min Jin Lee’s historical novel of the same name, is coming to AppleTV+. It’s an intergenerational saga about a Korean family that immigrates to Japan in the early 20th century.
U.K. audiences will get to see Peaky Blinders Season 6 sometime in early 2022 on BBC. There’s no word yet on when the final season of the Shelby family saga will land on Netflix, but U.S. fans can likely expect to see the new episodes sometime next year.
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