The Best TV Shows That Premiered at South by Southwest 2022

This year’s South by Southwest Film Festival included so many great film and television premieres that it was difficult to narrow down our favorites. We’ve already rounded up our film picks from the festival, but the TV Episodic Premieres that took place during SXSW were some of the best that I’ve seen. The SXSW TV shows deserve their own round-up.

These are some of the best television shows that premiered at SXSW 2022, plus, where and when to stream them.

Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart

Streaming on HBO Max on March 31

This five-part series by researcher and six-time #1 New York Times bestselling author Dr. Brené Brown is inspired by her most recent book, Atlas of the Heart. I was uncertain on how the show would portray the 87 emotions that are discussed in the book. To my surprise, Brown interacts with a live audience while going through topics and film clips. Completely in her comfort zone, she teaches the audience about a set of emotions and why we need to understand them as humans. The first episode focuses on some of the most difficult feelings including anguish, wonder, and awe.

Atlanta: Season 3

Premiering on FX on March 24

Donald Glover’s top-rated show about young rappers trying to make a name for themselves in the city of Atlanta is back for its third season. The premiere of the first episode served as South By’s closing night screening with Glover was in attendance. The penultimate season (the fourth will be Atlanta’s final) picks back up on the story of Earn (Glover), the show’s fictional rapper Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry), and Darius (Lakeith Stanfield) heading to Europe for Paper Boi’s tour. Directed by Hiro Murai, Episode one is a standalone story in the series that follows a young boy that gets sent to a foster home. Not a part of the Atlanta story exactly, “Three Slaps” is a powerful beginning to the series that’s always looking to go one step further. Episodes one and two will premiere on FX on March 24.

The Girl from Plainville

Streaming on Hulu on March 29

Based on the true story of Michelle Carter’s infamous “texting suicide case” and her conviction of involuntary manslaughter of her boyfriend Conrad Roy III, this new Hulu drama series stars Elle Fanning (The Great) as the 17-year-old Massachusetts high-schooler. The eight-episode dramatic miniseries explores Carter’s relationship with Roy (played by Colton Ryan) and the events that led to his death. Created by Liz Hannah and Patrick Macmanus, this intense series was inspired by the Esquire article of the same name by Jesse Barron, who is also a producer on the show.

WeCrashed

Now streaming on Apple TV+ 

Kind of a hot, over-the-top mess, but still entertaining, Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway star in this new drama based on WeWork founders Adam and Rebekah Neumann. Based on the podcast of the same name by Wondery, WeCrashed starts out exploring Adam’s failed attempts to sell his inventions (including kneepads for babies), how he meets Rebekah, and how the two (along with Miguel McKelvey) eventually create one of the world’s biggest startups. If you haven’t seen the 2021 film WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn, it’s also a good, basic explanation of the rise and fall of the couple. The new Hulu series is much more dramatized, but worth a watch.

Shining Girls

Streaming on Apple TV+ on April 29

A new sci-fi thriller starring Elizabeth Moss, this show is based on the novel The Shining Girls by South African author Lauren Beukes. Moss plays newspaper archivist Kirby Mazrachi. Her dreams of becoming a journalist are put on hold after she survives an attack that leaves her in a time-traveling reality. She learns that a recent murder is linked to her assault and teams up with reporter Dan Valazquez (Wagner Moura) to figure out what’s happening. Amy Brenneman, Phillipa Soo, and Jamie Bell also star in the eight-episode series.