In the modern world of entertainment, the feed of content can feel a little bit non-stop. There are always new things to watch, but a lot of the titles in this content flood are better than ever. Each month, we’re cutting through the streaming noise and helping you figure out what’s worth bingeing on release day and what you can save for some downtime later in the year. Here are the new seasons and series that we here at Variety Australia will be watching in January.
“Pluribus” — Mystery, Drama
The long-awaited new series from Vince Gilligan, the creator of “Breaking Bad”, has been turning heads over its eight-episode run. The series follows Carol, the last person on Earth who isn’t inexplicably, permanently, disturbingly cheery. In fact, she’s miserable — but somebody has to save the world from happiness, and it may as well be her.
Streaming on Apple TV now.
“IT: Welcome to Derry” — Horror, Drama
The young residents of Derry, Maine, just can’t catch a break, no matter what decade they live in. This eight-episode prequel series to “IT” and “IT: Chapter II” dives deep into the bloody history of the town, and the centuries-long origins of the demonic, shapeshifting clown that’s behind all the mayhem. Expect jumpscares, creepy vaudeville dancing and more than a few dead children. This one isn’t for the faint of heart.
Streaming on HBO Max now.
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“The Mighty Nein” — Animation, Fantasy
The second animated series from “Dungeons and Dragons” superstar crew Critical Role, “The Mighty Nein” follows a classic D&D crew of ragtag rogues, wizards and freaks, who just want to put their various traumatic pasts behind them and make some gold. But with a religious relic missing, killer wizards on their tail and a war breaking out between two kingdoms, it’s time for this group to give the whole hero thing a go.
Streaming on Prime Video now.
“Fallout” Season Two — Sci-Fi, Drama
The second season of Prime Video’s hit adaptation of the classic Fallout video game series will be released over the next few weeks. Lucy MacLean has left the comforts of the vault far behind her, and she’s teamed up with the gunslinging Ghoul to track her father across the nuclear wasteland into the ruins of New Vegas. With a civil war brewing and corporate schemes unfolding, the end of the world isn’t going to end quietly.
Streaming weekly on Prime Video now.
“Stranger Things” Season Five — Sci-Fi, Action
Netflix’s tentpole franchise came to a long-awaited end right when dawn broke on 2026. The ongoing final season of “Stranger Things” concluded for Aussie audiences with a finale releasing on New Year’s Day. Some loved it, some are still arguing over the ending, but we’re we’re all eventually tuning in to see how our heroes in Hawkins put a stop to Vecna before the Upside Down can take over for good.
Streaming on Netflix now.
“The Pitt” Season Two — Medical, Drama
HBO’s pulse-raising medical drama is back after an impressive 13 wins at the 2025 Emmy® Awards. Taking place on the front lines of a Pittsburgh hospital, the first season charted one shift, hour by hour, and the second season looks to do the same. In addition to saving lives on a shift during the Fourth of July (bet on firework-exploded hands), the Pitt team will also have to contend with internal politics as a new face makes an impact in the trauma ward.
Streaming on HBO Max weekly from Friday, January 9.
“The Night Manager” Season Two — Espionage, Drama
Tom Hiddleston is stepping back into the espionage world with the second season of Prime’s acclaimed spy series, “The Night Manager”. This time, Hiddleston’s Jonathan Pine is going after Colombian drug smugglers with ties to British intelligence, and must race to trust the right allies and take the right players off the board before a deep conspiracy threatens to destabilise a nation.
Streaming on Prime Video Sunday, January 11.
“Industry” Season Four — Business, Drama
The so-called Gen Z version of “Succession” is gearing up for a fourth season on HBO Max in January. At the top of the game in a life they were dreaming of in season one, Harper and Yasmin are thrust into a global game of cat-and-mouse when a fintech disruptor (headed up by Kit Harington as Sir Henry Muck) hits the London scene. With alliances becoming more and more tangled, the pressures of money and ambition threaten to push their friendship to dangerous new territory.
Streaming on HBO Max weekly from Monday, January 12.
“Hijack” Season Two — Thriller, Action
Idris Elba is starting to make a habit of ending up in hostage situations in a moving vehicle. Season one of this white knuckle, clock-ticking drama saw Elba as corporate negotiator Sam Nelson aboard a hijacked airline flight; now he’s wound up negotiating for the lives of his fellow passengers again — this time on a train to Berlin. It might be time for Mr Nelson to start driving, or to just give up on travel altogether.
Streaming on Apple TV weekly from Wednesday, January 14.
“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” — Fantasy, Drama
The third televised visit to Westeros will premiere in January. Unlike the world-reshaping events of “Game of Thrones” and the fiery, blood-soaked civil war unfolding in “House of the Dragon” — “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” is a much more personal story set right in the middle of the two series. Our new hero, Sir Duncan the Tall, just wants to be a good knight and honour his late mentor. Dragons have gone extinct, but he’ll have to contend with bratty Targaryens and boisterous Baratheons on his quest. Maybe his young squire, Egg, will be helpful. Or maybe he comes with troubles of his own.
Streaming on HBO Max weekly from Monday, January 19.
FX’s “The Beauty” — Mystery, Drama
In this new FX original series, FBI Agents Madsen (Evan Peters) and Bennett (Rebecca Hall) investigate a series of grisly supermodel deaths and an “STD that people will actually want”, they stumble across an international conspiracy that threatens the future of the entire human race. As they get closer to the truth, they end up in the crosshairs of the mysterious “The Corporation” (Ashton Kutcher), who will stop at nothing to protect his trillion-dollar empire.
Streaming on Disney+ weekly from Thursday, January 22.
Marvel’s “Wonder Man” — Superhero, Action
The latest small screen addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe might be its most mysterious yet. Wonder Man follows aspiring actor Simon Williams (Yahha Abdul-Mateen II), who meets veteran actor Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley) — still fixing his public image after his terrorism stint in Iron Man 3 — they’re both vying for a role in the remake of a film called ‘Wonder Man’ from a reclusive director. One problem, Simon’s got secret super powers that threaten to unravel his dreams before they can begin.
Streaming on Disney+ weekly from Wednesday, January 28.
“Shrinking” Season Three — Feel-Good, Comedy
Pairing Jason Segel with Harrison Ford in his first-ever major TV role was a big swing for Apple TV+, but after seven Emmy nominations and two seasons, it looks like a winning formula. The feel-good comedy returns at the tail end of January for a third season, no doubt following on from the heart-warming season two finale with more musings on grief and good old fashioned human-to-human connections.
Streaming on Apple TV weekly from Wednesday, January 28.