The Ultimate Guide to What to Watch on Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, HBO Max, and More in January 2026

December was light in terms of TV releases (aside from the Stranger Things of it all), so it's only fitting that there's almost too much to keep track of in January. Big premieres include The Pitt Season 2, the Game of Thrones prequel series A Knight of Seven Kingdoms, and the first part of Bridgerton's fourth season, and the list of shows to keep your eye on doesn't end there.

New shows include the intriguing Jon Bernthal-Tessa Thompson limited series His & Hers, the Ryan Murphy-created horror series The Beauty, and the young adult Star Trek series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Returning for new seasons this month are HBO's finance drama Industry, the hit reality competition The Traitors, and Season 2 of The Night Manager, which comes almost 10 years after Season 1. And if absolutely none of that interests you, at least you can watch last year's TV shows get honored at the Golden Globes.

Our guide to the best TV and streaming movies in January is divided into three sections: the best shows to watch this month, the best shows to watch by streaming service, and a calendar of TV highlights. Whatever you're looking for, you'll find it below.

More: 

• The most anticipated shows coming this winter
• All the renewed and canceled shows in January
• The complete guide to winter TV

The best shows to watch in January 

His & Hers (Jan. 8, Netflix)

His & Hers stars Jon Bernthal and Tessa Thompson, which is an extremely exciting pair and probably more than enough information to interest you. But if you somehow still need to know a little more, the Georgia-set psychological thriller follows withdrawn news anchor Anna (Thompson), who begins searching for answers after hearing about a local murder. Jack (Bernthal), the detective assigned to the case, becomes suspicious of her involvement, prompting him to look into Anna as he simultaneously investigates the crime. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

The Pitt Season 2 (Jan. 8, HBO Max)

Happy Fourth of July! The Pitt is returning for its second season, which will follow Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) and the staff at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center throughout another (probably) hellish shift — which, yes, will take place on America's birthday. Both Dana (Katherine LaNasa) and Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball) are back, new doctors are entering the mix, and Robby has a motorcycle. No, seriously, HBO Max released Season 2's opening scene and Robby is literally driving a motorcycle. We can only hope that purchase came at the suggestion of his therapist. -Allison Picurro [Trailer] [Review] [Everything to know about The Pitt Season 2]

A Thousand Blows Season 2 (Jan. 9, Hulu)

As Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight's Victorian crime drama returns for a second season, there have been some interesting developments with the cast that indirectly relate to A Thousand Blows. Stars Erin Doherty (who plays Mary Carr, the leader of the all-female gang Forty Elephants) and Stephen Graham (as Henry "Sugar" Goodson, who's not only the business leader of East London's bare-knuckle boxing underground, he's also an in-ring participant) won Emmys for the sensational limited series Adolescence. If Adolescence was your introduction to the talents of Erin Doherty, wait 'til you see what she does here. -Liam Mathews [Trailer] 

Industry Season 4 (Jan. 11, HBO)

After a better-than-ever third season that saw Industry get a long-deserved boost in popularity, we finally know when HBO's finance drama will return to resolve all the chaos it put into motion the last time it graced our TV screens. While the press release announcing the premiere date mentioned a "high stakes, globetrotting cat-and-mouse game" that involves both Harper (Myha'la) and Yasmin (Marisa Abela), new characters played by Max Minghella, Kiernan Shipka, and Kal Penn seem primed to shake things up, as new characters on Industry are wont to do. -Allison Picurro [Trailer] [Review]

The Night Manager Season 2 (Jan. 11, Prime Video)

The Night Manager Season 1 was an AMC and BBC co-production that aired as a limited series in the winter of 2016. Now, nearly 10 full years later, it's back for a second season as a Prime Video exclusive. The world has changed so much since Season 1. Brexit hadn't happened yet. Olivia Colman hadn't won an Oscar and an Emmy. Tom Hiddleston hadn't even dated Taylor Swift! But espionage still needs to happen, and Hiddleston's Jonathan Pine is now working as a low-level MI6 agent when a chance encounter throws him back into the mix with the conspiracy he and Angela Burr (Colman) unraveled years ago. His new target is Colombian businessman Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva), and the fate of a nation rests on Pine's shoulders. The first season was based on a novel by legendary author John le Carré, but the second and in-the-works third are all-new. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

Primal Season 3 (Jan. 11, Adult Swim)

Something is not right with Spear, the grunting, temperamental caveman and mostly silent protagonist of Primal. Genndy Tartakovsky's award-winning animated series has been resurrected for a surprise Season 3 — a surprise because Spear shouldn't be here — sending its unlikely hero on an adventure that Adult Swim claims culminates in "an emotional and explosive reunion." I wonder who that could be with? What Primal lacks in dialogue it more than makes up for in its visual storytelling, easily making it one of TV's best shows, animated or otherwise. -Tim Surette [Teaser]

Hijack Season 2 (Jan. 14, Apple TV)

Apple TV's Hijack was supposed to be a one-and-done limited series. Then it became a hit, and you know what happens when limited series become hits! But there are some valid reasons for its shocking return, as Season 2 asks one major question on everyone's minds: Besides planes, what else can be hijacked? This season's answer is a train, as Idris Elba's Sam Nelson is stuck on a Berlin underground train when it's 'jacked, putting hundreds of lives at risk. Expect plenty of twists. We're on board. -Tim Surette [Teaser]

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (Jan. 15, Paramount+)

You asked for it: A young adult Star Trek show filled with fledgling cadets coming of age and hooking up with each other while learning the ins and outs of Starfleet. OK, most longtime fans of Star Trek didn't ask for this, but as Paramount looks for ways to extend the life of one of its most valuable franchises, a "How do you do, fellow kids?" spin-off was inevitable. Still, we're cautiously optimistic (or hopefully delusional). Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is set toward the end of the Star Trek timeline, in the 32nd century — around when Star Trek: Discovery was set — and follows the first Starfleet cadets in nearly a century following a cataclysmic event. Holly Hunter plays a Starfleet chancellor, and Robert Picardo reprises his role as the Doctor. -Tim Surette [Trailer] [Review] [Everything we know about Star Trek: Starfleet Academy]

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (Jan. 18, HBO)

The new Game of Thrones prequel is about an unlikely duo: Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). Taking place a century before the events of Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms follows the pair's adventures as they wander Westeros. (For context, House of the Dragon takes place two hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones, so you can think of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms as being sandwiched in between.) The length of the show is a departure from those of other titles in the franchise: Season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms consists of six episodes, with each one being roughly half an hour. -Kat Moon [Trailer] [Everything to know about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms]

Bridgerton Season 4 (Part 1 on Jan. 29, Part 2 on Feb. 26, Netflix)

Everything changes for Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) when he meets Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) at his mother's (Ruth Gemmell) masquerade ball. There's a catch, though. Sophie, who has spent much of her life working as a maid, went to the ball in disguise. Her romance with Benedict unfolds as he searches for the identity of the "Lady in Silver" in Season 4 of Bridgerton, which is based on Julia Quinn's novel An Offer from a Gentleman. Like the third season of the hit period drama, Bridgerton Season 4 will be released in two parts of four episodes each. -Kat Moon [Teaser] [Everything to know about Bridgerton Season 4]

What's on Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Prime Video, and more in January

Netflix's best new shows and movies in January

Netflix is kicking off 2026 with shows and movies featuring duos we can't look away from. First up is the new mystery series His & Hers starring Jon Bernthal and Tessa Thompson, where Bernthal plays a detective who crosses paths with a news anchor, played by Thompson, during an investigation. Their stories become intertwined the more they dig into the truth behind a local murder. Later in the month, the romance film People We Meet on Vacation, based on Emily Henry's novel of the same name, introduces us to best friends Poppy and Alex, played by Emily Bader and Tom Blyth, respectively, whose relationship changes over the course of their post-college years. And of course, January 2026 would not be complete without the next installation of Bridgerton. Season 4 of the Regency-era drama follows Benedict Bridgerton as he meets a mysterious "Lady in Silver" at the masquerade ball of the season. Here's our list of the best shows and movies on Netflix in January, plus everything coming to and leaving Netflix in January.

More on Netflix:

• The best shows on Netflix right now
• The best movies on Netflix right now

HBO Max's best new shows and movies in January

The only correct way to kick off 2026 is with a packed TV schedule. Luckily, HBO Max has you covered: Returning for new seasons at the beginning of the month are The Pitt and Industry, while the Game of Thrones prequel series (no, sorry, not House of the Dragon) A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres mid-month. On the movies side, the HBO Max-A24 partnership continues to flourish as a pair of awards season contenders hit the service: Rose Byrne's If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, which centers on an exhausted mom whose life is blowing up around her, and Dwayne Johnson's The Smashing Machine, a biopic about former amateur wrestler and MMA fighter Mark Kerr. Here's our list of the best shows and movies on HBO Max in January, plus everything coming to HBO Max in January.

More on HBO Max:

• The best movies on HBO Max right now
• The best shows on HBO Max right now
• HBO Max review: Everything to know about the streaming service

Hulu's best new shows and movies in January

January is a relatively quiet month for new releases on Hulu — there's no new limited series adaptation of a true crime story, which is one of the streaming service's signature formats — but there's still plenty of good stuff to watch on the soon-to-be-subsumed-into-Disney+ streamer. Hulu is still the streaming home of broadcast shows from ABC and Fox, and new seasons of returning favorites like The Rookie and Will Trent (both Jan. 7), The Masked Singer (Jan. 8), and American Idol (Jan. 27) are all coming online. There are also some great library movies getting added on New Year's Day, like Heat, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and four theatrical Predator films, which join Hulu's original Predator movies to complete the collection. Here's our list of the best shows and movies on Hulu in January, plus everything coming to Hulu in January.

More on Hulu: 

• The best TV shows on Hulu right now
• The best movies on Hulu right now
• How much does Hulu cost? Plans, pricing, channels, and more

Amazon Prime Video's best new shows and movies in January

Prime Video, the Everything Store of streaming services, is starting the year off in typically eclectic fashion. Within a few days of each other, Prime is putting up second seasons of The Night Manager, a sophisticated British spy thriller starring Tom Hiddleston and Academy Award winner Olivia Colman, and Beast Games, a Squid Game-esque reality competition show hosted by four-time Creator of Year Streamy winner MrBeast. Prime Video contains multitudes — at least on the TV side; on the movie side, it's nothing but straight-to-streaming action comedies. This month's is The Wrecking Crew, starring Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista as estranged half-brothers who reunite to solve the mystery of their father's death. Plus there's Prime's usual mix of live sports (NBA on Prime and Thursday Night Football), new release and library movies, and originals. Here's our list of the best shows and movies on Amazon Prime Video in January, plus everything coming to Amazon Prime Video in January. 

More on Prime Video: 

• The best TV shows on Amazon Prime Video right now
• The best movies on Amazon Prime Video right now
• Amazon Prime Video pricing, channels, and deals

Peacock's new shows and movies in January

Peacock doesn't have a ton of new stuff in January 2026 — the streaming service is saving its energy for February, when it will host the Winter Olympics and the Super Bowl — but what it does have is pretty interesting. Peacock's biggest new release is Season 4 of The Traitors (Jan. 8), its Emmy-winning reality competition hosted by Alan Cumming. The random assortment of Traitors this season includes Porsha Williams, Donna Kelce, and Michael Rapaport. It's always a fun time. Then there's Ponies (Jan. 15), a Cold War spy thriller starring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson as American Embassy secretaries in Soviet Russia who become CIA operatives after their husbands die under mysterious circumstances. Here's our list of everything coming to Peacock in January.

More on Peacock:

• The best movies on Peacock right now
• The best shows on Peacock right now

Paramount+'s new shows and movies in January

You know how the saying goes: "New year, new you, new Star Trek show having its series premiere." OK, maybe I'm paraphrasing a little bit. But it's really not much of an exaggeration, as Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will be the sixth new Trek series in nine years when it makes its debut on Paramount+ on Jan. 15. That's going to start off what will be kind of a blockbuster weekend for Paramount+, since the Landman Season 2 finale is going down the following Sunday. There are two other notable premieres in January, as well. The Andrew Lincoln thriller series Coldwater premieres on Jan. 9, and Season 3 of School Spirits will hold its three-episode premiere near the end of the month. And January will be a particularly good time to be a subscriber if you enjoy awards season. Paramount+ Premium will stream the Golden Globes and its red carpet pre-show live on Jan. 11, and just off the end of this list, on Feb. 1, the streamer will also carry the 2026 Grammy Awards. Here's our list of everything coming to Paramount+ in January.

More on Paramount+:

• The best shows on Paramount+ right now
• How to get a Paramount+ free trial and deals

January TV calendar highlights

Thursday, Jan. 1
I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not (Documentary, CNN/HBO Max)

Sunday, Jan. 4
Best Medicine (Season 1, Fox/Hulu)

Wednesday, Jan. 7
Beast Games (Season 2, Prime Video)
Marcello Hernández: American Boy (Comedy Special, Netflix)
His & Hers (Limited Series, Netflix)
The Pitt (Season 2, HBO Max)
The Traitors (Season 4, Peacock)

Friday, Jan. 9
Coldwater (Limited Series, Paramount+)
People We Meet on Vacation (Film, Netflix)
A Thousand Blows (Season 2, Hulu)

Sunday, Jan. 11
83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards (Live Event, CBS/Paramount+)
Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal (Season 3, Adult Swim)
Industry (Season 4, HBO)
The Night Manager (Season 2, Prime Video)

Wednesday, Jan. 14
Hijack (Season 2, Apple TV)

Thursday, Jan. 15
Ponies (Season 1, Peacock)
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (Season 1, Paramount+)

Friday, Jan. 16
The Rip (Film, Netflix)

Sunday, Jan. 18
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (Season 1, HBO)

Wednesday, Jan. 21
The Beauty (Season 1, FX/Hulu)
Steal (Season 1, Prime Video)

Thursday, Jan. 22
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! (Limited Series, HBO)

Tuesday, Jan. 27
Wonder Man (Season 1, Disney+)

Wednesday, Jan. 28
Shrinking (Season 3, Apple TV)
The Wrecking Crew (Film, Prime Video)

Thursday, Jan. 29
Bridgerton (Season 4, Netflix)