Although it may be hard to believe, we are practically in the last month of the year. Without a doubt, this 2022 has been a fleeting journey full of great television releases. If you’re wondering what surprises the holiday season has in store for us, read on. There are still important series to premiere before 2022 gives way to 2023.
Here we leave you a guide to the most outstanding titles:
Three Pines
Amazon Prime Video | Season 1 | Release date: Friday, December 02, 2022
Amazon Prime has some exciting shows coming before the end of the year, and Three Pines is one of them. It is a mystery series, starring the charismatic Alfred Molina, who brings to life the iconic Chief Inspector Armand Gamache.
According to the official synopsis of the first season: The show follows the intrepid Gamache as he investigates and unravels a series of murders that take place in Three Pines, a seemingly “sublime” town in Quebec. There, the inspector will uncover unsuspected secrets, and in turn will have to confront his own ghosts; the story also focuses on the dark corruption within the local police force.
In the trailer for Three Pines, it is clear that things are never as they seem in these supposedly “sublime” and “idyllic” towns.
The Canadian detective Armand Gamache has his origins in the beloved and successful novels of Louise Penny, which take place in the titular town of the series, Three Pines. Fun fact: The Washington Post named Armand Gamache as the most beloved fictional detective in a 2021 reader survey. This puts him ahead of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.
In addition to actor Alfred Molina, the cast includes Rossif Sutherland, Marie-Josée Bélanger, Ali Hand, Max Laferriere, Patricia Summersett and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers.
Three Pines will arrive exclusively on Amazon Prime and is scheduled to premiere the first two episodes on December 02, 2022. Subsequently, the streaming service will air two episodes weekly, with the season concluding by the end of December.
George & Tammy
Show Time | Season 1 | Release date: Sunday, December 04, 2022
George & Tammy is a limited series created by Abe Sylvia and directed by John Hillcoat.
The country music show stars Oscar winner Jessica Chastain and Oscar nominee Michael Shannon. Chastain plays Tammy Wynette, “the first lady of country music”, while Shannon brings her husband George Jones to life.
Geoge & Tammy tells the story of “country music power couple Tammy Wynette and George Jones, whose complicated but enduring relationship inspired some of the most iconic music of all time”. The show is based on the book The Three of Us: Growing up with Tammy and George, written by the couple’s daughter, Georgette Jones.
In addition to Shannon and Chastain, the cast also includes Steve Zahn, Kelly McCormack, Walton Goggins, Pat Healy, David Wilson Barnes and Katy Mixon.
Of note is the fact that the six-episode drama was previously set to air on Paramount Network. Instead, the premiere episode will air simultaneously on Showtime and Paramount Network on December 4. The remaining episodes will air on Showtime.
Doom Patrol
HBO Max | Season 4 | Release date: Thursday, December 08, 2022
Doom Patrol is undoubtedly one of DC Comics’ most peculiar series. So far, it has received great ratings and critical acclaim and it was officially renewed for a fourth season shortly after the premiere of the third installment in September 2021.
The fiction is set after the events of the program Titans and follows a group of unlikely heroes who have mutated under tragic circumstances. In this regard, director Jeremy Carver has explained that the series does not focus on conventional superheroes. Doom Patrol revolves around people who have been severely injured, emotionally and physically, whom society has long rejected.
The show’s trailer promises chaos, irreverence, and craziness to boot. As usual, the team will be involved in numerous conflicts, and this time the DC superheroes will have an adventure through time.
The fourth season begins with the team unexpectedly traveling to the future to encounter an unwanted surprise. The strange heroes will have to make a difficult decision: do they protect their own happiness or save the fate of the world?
The first part of the fourth season will premiere on December 8, 2022 and episodes will air weekly until January 5, 2023. The final episodes of the season are scheduled to air late next year.
It is important to stress that, Doom Patrol is not an appropriate show for children. The series is rated TV-MA, which means it contains foul language, violence and sexual situations.
National Treasure: Edge of History
Disney+ | Season 1 | Release date: Wednesday, December 14, 2022
National Treasure: Edge of History is a spin-off of action, adventure and history that picks up the famous film franchise released in 2004. More than 15 years later, the National Treasure team changes format and make its way to the small screen with a ten-episode series.
National Treasure: Edge of History will pay homage to its roots. The producers’ intention is to continue the same concept of the original films, chasing exciting treasure and unraveling dark mysteries. The new Disney Plus series features a new cast and some familiar faces.
Lisette Olivera takes the lead in the adventure as Jess Morales/Valenzuela, a 22-year-old who embarks on a cross-country journey to learn more about her family.
The first two episodes of the show will air on Disney+ on December 14, 2022. Thereafter, episodes will premiere weekly on the service.
Emily in Paris
Netflix | Season 3 | Release date: Wednesday, December 21, 2022
The romantic comedy Emily in Paris follows the story of a young American woman who decides to move to France following an important job offer. After the success of the second season, the Netflix series starring Lily Collins has been renewed for third and fourth seasons.
In the second season, we saw Emily in a complicated love triangle. For those who do not clearly remember the end of the second installment, Emily decided that she wanted to stay in Paris and declare her love to Gabriel. However, the problem is precipitated when Gabriel decides to resume his relationship with Camille, which leads to a rather awkward situation in the season finale.
Officially, this is what is known about the plot of the third season so far: “One year after moving from Chicago to Paris for her dream job, Emily finds herself at a crucial crossroads in every aspect of her life. Faced with two very different paths, Emily will have to decide exactly where her loyalties lie, at work and in her romantic life”.
Apparently, the Emily in Paris show is here to stay, this new installment promises more love triangles, more drama, more laughs, and more fashion.
As for the cast, producer and star Lily Collins will reprise her role as Emily Cooper. Joining her will be series regulars Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Lucas Bravo, Ashley Park, Camille Razat, Samuel Arnold, Bruno Gouery, William Abadie and Lucien Laviscount; the show creator and director Darren Star also returns to direct the third season.
Alice in Borderland
Netflix | Season 2 | Release date: Thursday, December 22, 2022
Alice in Borderland is a Japanese sci-fi thriller series based on the popular manga of the same name by Haro Aso. This unpredictable program depicts an alternate Tokyo with parallel dimensions. In this reality, people are challenged to a series of dangerous and deadly games.
Since its launch in December 2020, the series has reaped great success in Japan, Germany, France, Portugal, Austria, Greece, among other places. Very soon, Netflix commissioned a new season. According to figures from the streaming service, around 18 million households watched the first season of this show in 28 days.
So far, there are few details about the plot of the second season of Alice in Borderland. However, it has been rumored that the program will give continuity to the events that took place previously. Apparently, the remaining players will compete in a new round of games, and this time they will be challenged to fulfill the “face card” missions.
About the new season, Director Shinsuke Sato commented “I will draw a mysterious world that no one has ever seen and an unexpected development with uncompromising images”.
Christmas recommendations
If you’re the kind of person who loves a Christmas series marathon, here are the best options that have been released in recent years.
Home for Christmas
Home for Christmas (Hjem til jul) is Netflix’s first Norwegian series and is set in Oslo and Røros. The show consists of six 30-minute segments and is directed by Anna Gutto and Per-Olav Sørensen. Home for Christmas has been called “Norway’s answer to Bridget Jones”.
Dash & Lily
Dash & Lily is a romantic comedy inspired by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan’s Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares series of novels. The 8-episode show follows the Christmas romance between cynical Dash and optimistic Lily. Once again the idea that opposites attract prevails.
Merry Happy Whatever
It is a Netflix original comedy starring Dennis Quaid. The series follows Don Quinn (Quaid), a family man busy with his duties and the holiday season. Everything gets complicated, when his youngest daughter, decides to bring her boyfriend home.
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a fantasy miniseries based on the 1843 novel of the same name by Charles Dickens.
In Steven Knight’s gothic adaptation of the classic, Ebenezer Scrooge experiences a dark night of the soul, past, present and future. It aired on BBC One in December 2019.