Can you believe we’re almost entering a new year? That means saying goodbye to 2025 and welcoming 2026! And what better way to start the year than by diving into a new series that deserves a TV marathon?
January is shaping up to be an exciting month for television and streaming enthusiasts, with options for all tastes. While there will be great television series making their debut, January 2026 stands out for being packed with new seasons of popular shows that are finally returning.
Among this month’s most anticipated programming are new installments of fan favorites. Such is the case with the acclaimed medical series The Pitt, which is back for its second season, and the thriller Hijack, starring the renowned Idris Elba, which also returns with much more action. Last but not least, we’ll see the first part of the fourth season of Netflix’s hit romantic series Bridgerton.
On HBO, meanwhile, the highly anticipated prequel to Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, will be a must-see for subscribers.
To start the new year off on the right foot, we bring you a guide to the best series on Netflix, Apple TV, and other platforms. If you’re looking for drama, action, crime, and romance, we’ve got you covered.
El Tiempo de las Moscas (The Time of the Flies)
Netflix | Season premiere
Release date: Thursday, January 1
Genre: Crime drama with dark humor and suspense
The Argentine miniseries El Tiempo de las Moscas tells the story of Inés (Carla Peterson) and La Manca (Nancy Dupláa), two women who strike up a friendship in prison and, after their release, are forced to face the mistakes of the past, the fears of the future, and the traps of the ruling classes.
“Former housewife Inés is released after fifteen years in prison for murdering her ex-husband’s mistress. Once free, she teams up with the only friend she made in prison, La Manca, and they start a joint business: she takes care of fumigations and her partner investigates as a private detective. Like a suburban version of Thelma and Louise, Inés and La Manca face complicated situations, with the desire to reinvent themselves. Until, unexpectedly, one of Inés’ clients offers her the chance to return to crime in exchange for a lot of money. After accepting the job, Inés and La Manca sense that they have been set up and must become detectives in their own lives,” according to the synopsis.
Full of humor, mystery, and psychological thriller, El Tiempo de las Moscas is about the possibility of starting over after a serious transgression or conviction, and the difficulty of escaping the past and social judgment. The screenplay, written by Gabriela Larralde and Nicolás Diodovich, is based on Claudia Piñeiro’s novels Tuya and El Tiempo de las Moscas, combining the plots of both literary works.
Synden (Land of Sin)
Netflix | Season premiere
Release date: Friday, January 2
Genre: Swedish Crime Mystery
After a teenager goes missing, a detective with personal ties to the case joins an investigation that uncovers ironclad loyalties and family feuds. Created and directed by Peter Grönlund (Goliath), this Swedish crime miniseries stars Krista Kosonen, Mohammed Nour Oklah, and Peter Gantman.
The official synopsis says the following:
“When teenager Silas is found dead at a farmhouse on the Bjäre peninsula – the perpetually angry, odd but highly intelligent investigator Dani (Kosonen) is teamed up with newly graduated police colleague Malik (Nour Oklah) to investigate the case. The investigation leads Dani and Malik into a patriarchal rat-hole on the Scanian countryside and they soon find themselves at the center of a dark family feud that has been going on for generations. Dani, who has a personal connection to the victim Silas, is drawn deep into the investigation and the families it centers around. The Patriarch Elis (Gantman) gives Dani a deadline to solve the case before taking matters into his own hands within the family.”
About the five-episode series, Grönlund has stated: “This is not your average crime show. The world we enter here is darker, more fragile — a place where shame, love and violence share the same pulse. We pushed beyond formula and style to portray the people at the edge, their fears, loyalties and survival instincts — a raw, cinematic journey into the psychology that drives them, and the secrets they carry like a second skin.”
The Pitt
HBO Max | Season: 2
Release date: Thursday, January 8
Genre: Medical drama
A second season of HBO Max’s The Pitt is already on the way. Strong ratings led to the quick renewal of the show, which won five Emmy Awards — including Outstanding Drama Series — in September 2025.
Max’s medical drama series focuses on the staff at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center (Pennsylvania). Beyond the clinical action, the series addresses the emotional and psychological toll on healthcare workers, exploring themes such as vocation, system collapse, and moral dilemmas.
The second season of The Pitt picks up the story ten months after the end of the first season. Executive producer R. Scott Gemmill explained that the second season will take place over the Fourth of July weekend, during a one-day shift, in which all types of emergency patients will likely be treated. According to the information available to us so far, the plot will focus on the return of Dr. Frank Langdon after his rehabilitation and the management of Dr. Michael Robinavitch’s mental health.
The cast for the second season will include the series’ regulars: Noah Wyle, Patrick Ball, Supriya Ganesh, Fiona Dourif, Taylor Dearden, Isa Briones, Gerran Howell, Shabana Azeez, and Katherine LaNasa.
Recurring guest stars Shawn Hatosy, Alexandra Metz, and Ken Kirby have also confirmed their participation in the second season.
Hijack
Apple TV | Season: 2
Release date: Wednesday, January 14
Genre: Action drama
Written and created for television by George Kay and Jim Field Smith, Hijack was one of the best shows of 2023. So, the prospect of returning to corporate negotiations lawyer Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) in action is incredibly exciting. This time, the action drama moves from an airplane to the Berlin subway.
The first season of Hijack followed Sam as he negotiated with the hijackers of his plane during a seven-hour flight from Dubai to London. In the second season, Sam finds himself on a subway train when the passengers are taken hostage. As in the first installment, Sam is forced to negotiate with the hijackers to get to the bottom of the crisis.
Alongside Elba, Christine Adams, Max Beesley, and Archie Panjabi return. Newcomers to the series include Christian Näthe, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Lisa Vicari, Toby Jones, Karima McAdams, and Christiane Paul.
The second season of Hijack will premiere on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, with a new episode airing each week until the season finale on March 4. It should be noted that while the first season consisted of seven episodes, the second season has eight.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
HBO/HBO Max | Season Premiere
Release date: Sunday, January 18
Genre: Fantasy Action
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a prequel to Game of Thrones set approximately 100 years before the events of the original series.
HBO’s upcoming prequel follows two of author George R.R. Martin’s most beloved literary characters: Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), also known as “Dunk,” and his young squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell).
Here is the official description of the season:
“A century before the events of “Game of Thrones,” two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros… a young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends.”
Broadly speaking, the first season, consisting of only six half-hour episodes, follows Dunk’s adventures as he meets Egg and they attempt to enter a jousting tournament, despite lacking the name and resources to do so.
With a lighter approach, and focusing on low-born characters like Dunk, the series deviates somewhat from the tone of Thrones and its first spin-off, House of the Dragon.
Bridgerton
Netflix | Season: 4
Release date: Thursday, January 29
Genre: Period drama and romance
Each season of Bridgerton chronicles the romance of one sibling in the family. The first installment followed the love story of Daphne and Simon; the second told the saga of enemies-turned-lovers Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma; and the third covered the dramatic relationship between Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington. And now, here we are once again, with a new season just around the corner and emotions running high.
The fourth installment of Bridgerton chronicles the love life of Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), the second eldest son of the family. Benedict is the quietest of all his brothers and, of course, is in no hurry to start a relationship. That is, of course, until true love knocks on his door.
Here is the official description of the new season:
“The fourth season of Bridgerton turns its focus to bohemian second son Benedict (Luke Thompson). Despite his elder and younger brothers both being happily married, Benedict is loath to settle down — until he meets a captivating Lady in Silver at his mother’s masquerade ball.”
These new episodes adapt An Offer from a Gentleman, the third novel in Julia Quinn’s series, and promise to satisfy the lusty appetites of all fans of the Bridgerton universe.
The first four episodes of the fourth season of Bridgerton will premiere on Netflix on Thursday, January 29, 2026. The season will be divided into two parts, with the remaining four episodes premiering on Thursday, February 26. It’s fair to say that the story is quite similar to that of Cinderella.