Over the past several years, Amazon Prime Video has established quite a name for itself as one of the streaming platforms that viewers can count on to produce a great deal of content. What’s more, Amazon has also shown that they are not going to limit themselves to one particular genre or niche but instead are going to produce a wide variety of series in many different genres and formats.
Fortunately for those who are always on the hunt for some new exciting and thought-provoking series to watch, Amazon Prime Video has a number of new and returning shows slated for 2022.
Reacher – February 4
The crime thriller is one of the most enduringly popular genres, and there are many great thriller TV shows available. Amazon has decided to get into this particular game in a very big way with the 2022 release of its new series, Reacher, which focuses on the title character’s involvement in a criminal conspiracy after he’s falsely accused of a crime. Alan Ritchson brings a powerful energy to the character, and so far the series has shown itself very faithful to the original series of novels.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 4 – February 18
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is one of the most charming shows to have appeared on Prime Video. Much of that can be attributed to the main cast, including Rachel Brosnahan as the title character, a Jewish housewife who discovers that she is very talented at stand-up comedy. The series has excelled at blending together its comedic and dramatic elements, allowing the viewer to get invested in this character and her trials and triumphs, even as it also shines a light on American life and culture during the postwar years.
Upload Season 2 – March 11
Like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Upload manages to combine several different genres. On the one hand, it is very much a comedy, but it also has some dramatic elements layered in, as the various characters contend with the many complexities and problems posed by a world in which human beings can upload their consciousness into a virtual afterlife.
However, where it really succeeds is as science fiction, asking the tough questions about the afterlife and just how much human beings should want to control what happens to them after death.
The Boys Season 3 – June 3
The Boys is arguably one of the best series to have emerged on Amazon Prime, and it’s easy to see why many would think that. Unlike many other series, which focus on the superheroes and their abilities, this one tells the stories of a group of vigilantes who are specifically opposed to those who have been corrupted by their superpowers. The first two seasons have successfully asked some tough questions about the nature of heroism, and it seems likely that this will continue in the third season, slated to appear in the summer of 2022.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – September 2
The Lord of the Rings movies are still widely regarded as some of the best movies of the 2000s, and now Amazon is poised to return viewers to the sweeping, immersive world of Middle-earth. This series will focus on the Second Age and, as the title suggests, Sauron and the forging of the Rings of Power will be a center part of the story, as will the Elves and their relationships with men. Given its enormous budget and the amount of publicity Amazon is already giving the series, it is sure to make a splash when it emerges later this year.
The Wheel of Time Season 2 – TBA
Along with The Lord of the Rings, Amazon’s The Wheel of Time is sure to be seen as one of the bigger TV events of the year. The first season already showed that the series knows what to do with its many great characters, and it seems likely that the second season will continue to do the same. In addition to introducing many new characters, several of whom show an extraordinary amount of bravery in the face of overwhelming odds, it will also need to answer some of the outstanding questions that were raised by the first season’s powerful finale.
The Lake – TBA
Even though Amazon has made quite a name for itself with its dramas and thrillers and fantasy series, it is also well-known for having many comedies in its lineup. In addition to its existing catalog, it is now slated to have a Canadian-produced series, The Lake.
Though plot details for the series are somewhat sparse, it will focus on a man’s attempt to reconnect with the daughter that he gave up for adoption, even as his plans to do so are disrupted by elements beyond his control.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith – TBA
Mr. & Mrs. Smith is one of Brad Pitt’s best movies, and there’s no denying that there is phenomenal chemistry between him and Angelina Jolie. Given that this is something of a golden age of reboots, it was probably inevitable that this 2005 movie would also receive that treatment. That is indeed the case, and this new version, which is set to star Donald Glover, is slated to premiere sometime during the next year (though who will star opposite Glover has yet to be revealed).
The Rig – TBA
In addition to the fantasy series that Amazon has greenlit, the studio has also ordered the production of a supernatural horror show entitled The Rig. Though plot details are a bit sparse as of yet, it will apparently focus on a group of men on an oil rig in the North Sea who have to contend with a dangerous fog that cuts off communications and forces them to deal with forces that they cannot fully comprehend and which may bring about their deaths.
The Terminal List – TBA
Chris Pratt has many great roles under his belt. Time and again, he has shown that he can excel at whatever genre of movie or TV in which he finds himself. He has also shown that he is a very bankable star, and he is sure to bring his own particular brand of charisma to The Terminal List, a thriller that focuses on his character’s struggles to make sense of his past while also fighting against those who want to destroy him.
