2022 has been a significant year for blockbuster television, with both fan favourites and newcomers delighting audiences. 

From medieval fantasy to tales that took place a long time ago in a galaxy far away, continue reading to discover five of the most unmissable TV shows that have come out this year.

1. House of the Dragon, HBO 

House of the Dragon is the hotly anticipated prequel to Game of Thrones, one of the most well-known shows in TV history. 

The series tells the story of the Targaryen dynasty in Westeros 100 years before the events depicted in Game of Thrones. As an audience, we follow the delicately poised politics of the lands as King Viserys Targaryen prepares for the birth of his second child, after only so far having a daughter, Rhaenyra, to name his heir.

Of course, just as in Game of Thrones, we’re treated to tense scenes of royal court governance, tantalising combat and skirmishes, and the fantastic relationships between characters with varying motivations that make for the highest possible standard of drama. 

An HBO show, House of the Dragon is available to watch on Sky or stream on Now TV. 

2. Reacher, Amazon Prime 

Based on the Lee Child books, the stories of veteran military police investigator Jack Reacher are some of the most loved in the world. These tales have already been told on the big screen with Tom Cruise playing the role of Reacher, and a new telling of his exploits is now available to stream.

Starring Alan Ritchson in the leading role, the Reacher series follows the eponymous hero having entered civilian life after an illustrious career. But rather than being able to relax and leave his past behind him, Reacher finds himself embroiled in a murder scandal which he is falsely accused of having committed.

Over the course of eight episodes, Reacher must solve the crimes he is accused of through any means necessary.

This gritty show was so successful and popular that it has already been signed on for a second series. 

3. Bad Sisters, Apple TV+ 

In this brilliant, tongue-in-cheek dark comedy, Bad Sisters plots the story of the Garvey sisters – Eva, Ursula, Bibi, Becka, and Grace – a family of five women bound by the tragedy of the premature death of their parents.

The show revolves around the mysterious death of John Paul, Grace’s abusive husband, and the question of how involved the rest of the sisters are in his untimely demise.

Throughout the series, we’re transported between two timelines: one before John Paul’s death, and another after.

In the retrospective timeline, the sisters actively plot John Paul’s murder after his abusive treatment of Grace.

Meanwhile, in the latter, a failing life insurance agent attempts to prove their guilt to avoid paying out on a policy on John Paul and save his business.

This funny, witty, and, at times, incredibly dark show is available on Apple TV+ and is well worth watching.

4. Sherwood, BBC iPlayer 

The BBC’s brilliant detective show, Sherwood, has been one of the most fascinating and well-written pieces of television released this year. 

Boasting a star-studded cast including David Morrissey, Robert Glenister, Lesley Manville, and Joanne Froggatt, this mystery series by James Graham explores the story of two killings in a Nottinghamshire mining village.

Filled with intrigue and tension,Sherwood follows DCI Ian St. Clair (David Morrissey) as he attempts to solve this pair of murders that have inflicted an already fractured community struggling to hold together.

Originally aired in June on BBC One, all six episodes are available to stream on iPlayer. 

5. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Disney+

Fans of Star Wars have been spoiled over the past few years, with many spin-offs of their favourite franchise having been produced for viewing on Disney+. No doubt many of them were keenly ready to watch the six episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi, a miniseries dedicated to the character first brought to life by Alec Guinness in 1977 and reprised by Ewan McGregor in Episodes I to III of the films.

In this series, McGregor returns to the role in a story set just after the end of Episode III.

The events depicted take place 10 years after Kenobi defeated his former apprentice and close friend, Anakin Skywalker, who has turned to the dark side as Sith lord Darth Vader. Now, Kenobi is hiding from his past in a cave on Tatooine.

While the former Jedi master has lost his connection to the Force and experiences nightmares of the events that have just befallen him, other agents are at work in hope of finding and killing him once and for all.

A brilliantly written show, this series once again seeks to bridge the gap between Episode III and IV of the films, and does so in wonderfully entertaining style.