Honestly, the "January slump" is dead. Remember when the first month of the year was just a dumping ground for shows the networks didn't believe in? Those days are gone. Right now, we are drowning in high-budget fantasy, gritty noir, and some of the weirdest experimental comedies I’ve seen in years. If you’re looking for new TV shows to stream, you’ve basically got a full-time job ahead of you just keeping up.
It's a lot.
We’ve got Jon Bernthal and Tessa Thompson playing mind games on Netflix, a return to Westeros that feels surprisingly small-scale (in a good way), and a 10-year-old spy thriller finally waking up from its nap. Here is the reality of what’s actually worth the bandwidth this month.
The Big Heavy Hitters: Westeros and the 32nd Century
If you thought we were done with dragons and spaceships, you haven't been paying attention. HBO is doubling down on George R.R. Martin, but they’re doing something different this time.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (premiering Jan. 18 on HBO/Max) is the show for people who loved the early seasons of Game of Thrones—the parts where people actually talked to each other in muddy fields—rather than just the giant CGI battles. It follows Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Egg. It’s set about a century before the main series. No world-ending threats here. Just a knight trying to find his way. It’s refreshing.
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Then there’s the big pivot for Trekkies. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy landed on Paramount+ on January 15. Think of it as "Star Trek: The College Years," but with much higher stakes and Paul Giamatti as a villain. It’s set in the 32nd century, the same era as Discovery, and it's trying to capture that young-adult energy without being too "CW." Having Holly Hunter as the chancellor gives it an immediate weight that most YA sci-fi lacks.
The Mystery Obsession: His & Hers
Netflix dropped His & Hers on January 8, and the internet hasn’t stopped arguing about the ending yet.
Jon Bernthal and Tessa Thompson are electric. Truly. The story follows a small-town murder where everyone—including the people investigating it—is a suspect. It’s based on Alice Feeney’s novel, so you know there’s a twist coming that’ll make you want to throw your remote. It’s moody, it’s dark, and it’s probably the most "bingeable" thing on the list if you like psychological thrillers.
The Wait is Finally Over: The Night Manager Returns
Can we talk about the fact that it took ten years for The Night Manager to get a second season? Ten. Years.
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Tom Hiddleston’s Jonathan Pine is back as of January 1. He’s living under a new alias in Colombia now, trying to take down a new arms-dealing empire. The original was based on John le Carré’s book, but since there was no sequel novel, screenwriter David Farr is flying solo here. It still feels like a Bond movie with a bigger brain. If you missed the first season, you need to go back and watch it immediately. It’s high-glamour, high-stakes espionage that makes Slow Horses look like a documentary about a messy office.
A Weird Mix of New TV Shows to Stream Right Now
Not everything is a massive franchise. Some of the best stuff is the weird stuff hiding in the corners of the streaming apps.
- Wonder Man (Disney+, Jan 27): Marvel is finally getting meta. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays an actor trying to make it in Hollywood who ends up with superpowers. It’s a comedy. Ben Kingsley is back as Trevor Slattery. If you’re tired of the "save the universe" trope, this is the palate cleanser you need.
- The Beauty (FX/Hulu, Jan 21): This Ryan Murphy joint is... a lot. It’s a horror series about a virus that makes people beautiful but eventually kills them. It’s got Bella Hadid in it. It’s stylish, gross, and exactly what you expect from a Murphy production.
- Shrinking Season 3 (Apple TV+, Jan 28): Okay, it’s not "new-new," but it’s a returning powerhouse. Jason Segel and Harrison Ford are the best duo on TV right now. The mix of grief and "raw-dogging" therapy is still hitting all the right emotional notes.
- Best Medicine (Fox/Hulu): This is a US remake of Doc Martin starring Josh Charles. He plays a surgeon with a blood phobia who has to move to a small town. It’s a "cranky doctor" procedural, but Charles sells the hell out of the social awkwardness.
What People Usually Get Wrong About New Releases
There’s this idea that you have to watch everything the second it drops or you'll be "spoiled." Honestly? Most of these shows benefit from a slow burn.
Take Industry (Season 4 just started on HBO). If you try to power through that show in one sitting, your heart rate will never return to normal. It’s a high-stress finance drama that requires breaks. The same goes for A Thousand Blows on Hulu/Disney+. It’s a Victorian-era boxing drama from the creator of Peaky Blinders. It’s brutal. It’s bloody. It’s excellent. But it’s not a "background noise" show.
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How to Actually Navigate This Mess
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of new TV shows to stream, don't just scroll the Netflix home page for forty minutes. You’ll end up watching a documentary about a guy who stole a plane or something.
- Prioritize by Mood: If you want to feel smart and slightly depressed, go with Industry or His & Hers. If you want to escape reality entirely, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is your best bet.
- Check the "Expiring" Lists: Sometimes the best "new" thing is an old thing that’s leaving. The X-Files just hit Pluto TV, and it’s a perfect winter rewatch.
- Don't Sleep on Apple TV+: People forget they have a subscription, but Hijack Season 2 is coming on January 14. Idris Elba on a plane (or whatever is being hijacked this time) is always a good use of two hours.
The landscape is changing fast. We’re seeing more "live" experiments, like Netflix bringing back Star Search with Anthony Anderson. It's weird, but it's where we're headed.
Next Steps for Your Watchlist:
Go into your settings and cancel the one streaming service you haven't opened in three weeks. You don't need all of them at once. Then, pick one "heavy" show (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms) and one "light" show (Shrinking) to balance out your week. If you’re a sci-fi fan, clear your schedule for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy on Thursday nights. The best way to enjoy this era of "Peak TV" is to be picky. Don't let the algorithm tell you what to like.