What are you going to be watching in January? We round up everything coming to streaming services this month, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, Neon and TVNZ+.
The biggies
The Last of Us (on Neon from January 16)
Don’t do it. Don’t touch it. Leave it alone. The Last of Us, a video game that arrived on the Playstation 4 in the middle of 2013, is an untouchable piece of media, a ruthless post-apocalyptic zombie assault on the synapses. But it’s so much more than a survival horror game: underpinning it is a story of redemption, an examination of father-daughter relationships, and a look whether you can ever repair the wounds of the past. That ending – wow, that ending – still hits me nearly 10 years on. So why make a TV show out of it? Adaptations of popular video games are notoriously bad, but this HBO series has many things going for it, including the game’s creator Neil Druckmann and Chernobyl’s master crafter Craig Mazin at the helm, and two leads – Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey – that really do seem to be capturing the essence of Joel and Ellie. Is this the one that breaks out of the video game mould? I’m crafting shivs in preparation. / Chris Schulz
The Lying Life of Adults (on Netflix from January 4)
As Elena Ferrante-heads await the final season of the HBO series My Brilliant Friend, here comes Netflix with an adaptation of the Italian author’s 2019 novel. Set (again) in Naples – this time in the early 1990s – The Lying Life of Adults is a coming-of-age story about a misfit teen from an affluent family whose search for her estranged aunt takes her into the working-class parts of the city. Valeria Golino, familiar to viewers of a certain vintage from her roles in Rain Man and the Hot Shots comedies, plays Aunt Vittoria; newcomer Giordana Marengo is the tomboy-ish protagonist Giovanna. Along with lots of lovely views of the Amalfi Coast, Gen-Xers can expect a healthy dose of ’90s fashion nostalgia from this six-parter. / Catherine McGregor
Poker Face (on TVNZ+ from January 26)
Since Russian Doll, one of the most inventive series of the streaming era, anything new from that show’s co-creator and star Natasha Lyonne is worth checking out. But a Natasha Lyonne series created by Rian Johnson (Knives Out)? That’s appointment viewing. Poker Face is a real throwback: a case-of-the-week mystery comedy-drama, inspired by the classic detective show Columbo, featuring a slate of guest stars including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Stephanie Hsu, Nick Nolte and Chloe Sevigny. January 26 can’t come soon enough. / Sam Brooks
Crossfire (on TVNZ+ from January 2)
Keeley Hawes (Line of Duty, Bodyguard) continues her long run of characters having a terrible time in this new British thriller from the team behind Apple Tree Yard and The Responder. Hawes plays a woman on holiday in Spain with family and friends when her resort is attacked by gunmen, and she has to do everything she can to escape. She also has secrets to protect and numerous hotel corridors to run through, so she has a lot on her plate. This is anything but a relaxing holiday watch, but fans of Hawes won’t be disappointed. / Tara Ward
The notables
That 90s Show (on Netflix from January 19)
Firstly, some terrible news: we are now further from the 90s than That 70s Show was from the 70s. But before you turn into dust, you might have time to tune into this reboot/sequel series, which focuses on Leia Forman, the daughter of Eric Forman and Donna Pincotti, and her teenage friends in the year 1995. The Forman grandparents, Red and Kitty, return from the original series, and the OG cast members are slated to make appearances in some capacity as well. / SB
Cunk on Earth (on Netflix from January 31)
Philomena Cunk is one of Britain’s best comedy exports. The character, created by comedian Diane Morgan and satirist Charlie Brooker (of Black Mirror fame), skewers the type of TV presenter who walks slowly towards the camera, explaining things they have barely any qualifications to explain. Morgan’s comedy is drier than decade-old sandpaper and sharper than a butcher’s knife come Christmas, and over the past decade she’s directed Cunk’s questionable abilities at topics including Christmas, Shakespeare and British history. Cunk on Earth, the character’s Netflix debut, sees her taking on world history, interviewing experts and generally making a twat of herself. / SB
The Rig (on Amazon Prime Video from January 6)
Big, dumb action TV shows have been MIA lately, but The Rig is making up for that by being bigger and dumber than most. You can probably guess the plot from the title: an oil rig off the coast of Scotland is enveloped by fog, hit by earthquakes and cut off from the rest of the world. It’s the kind of show where lots of people run frantically around control rooms, the ocean scenery looks greenscreened at all times, scaffolding falls into the sea regularly, and actors are forced to mutter lines like: “If we punch the earth long enough, eventually it’s going to punch back.” But it’s also from some of the team that delivered the excellent dob-in-a-cop Netflix drama Line of Duty, so clearly they know what they’re doing with this nonsense. / Chris Schulz
Extraordinary (on Disney+ from January 25)
Another superhero series? Yes, but don’t keep scrolling! This one comes from the producers of Killing Eve, and seems more Fleabag than Ant-Man. In the world of Extraordinary, everybody gets a power on their 18th birthday, but at 25, Jen (Máiréad Tyers) has still yet to get her power, whether it’s super-strength, flight, or some other cool mutant power. Frustrated at being the only normal in a world of supernormals (and therefore abnormal in herself), she goes on a hunt to discover her power. / SB
The movies
Top Gun: Maverick (on Neon from January 24)
Did anybody need a Top Gun: Maverick sequel? Maybe just Tom Cruise. But did anybody want it? If the $1.5 billion at the box office, the near universal critical acclaim, and the award nominations are any indicator, then yes they absolutely did. I can’t guarantee that a streaming platform is the best place to watch this blockbuster, but if you missed this long-awaited follow-up to the gayest piece of 80s military propaganda (a surprisingly high bar to clear), then you now have access to it from your very own lounge. / SB
If These Walls Could Sing (on Disney+ from January 6)
This Disney documentary marks the directorial debut of Mary McCartney (daughter of Beatle Paul) and honours Abbey Road, the music studio made famous by the Beatles. Featuring archival footage, never-heard-before session tapes and interviews with the likes of Paul McCartney, Ringo Star, Elton John and Noel Gallagher, If These Walls Could Sing takes us behind the famous doors and into the history of the world’s most famous – and longest running – studio. Fun fact: in the 1970s, financial troubles meant Abbey Road was nearly turned into a car park, only to be saved by the Star Wars movie soundtrack. Turns out there’s plenty more to Abbey Road than just that famous pedestrian crossing. / TW
Lizzo: Live in Concert (on Neon from January 1)
It’s a Lizzo concert! What more do you need for your New Year’s Eve hangover? Nothing. Enjoy 2023, y’all. / SB
The rest
Netflix
January 1
Kaleidoscope
Lady Voyeur
The Way of the Househusband: Season 2
F9: The Fast Saga
January 4
The Lying Life of Adults
How I Became a Gangster
Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street
The Hills: Season 1-2
January 5
Ginny & Georgia: Season 2
Woman of the Dead
Copenhagen Cowboy
January 6
The Ultimatum: France: Season 1: Part 2
Pressure Cooker
The Pale Blue Eye
Mumbai Mafia: Police vs The Underworld
January 10
Andrew Santino: Cheeseburger
The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker
January 11
Sexify: Season 2
Noise
January 12
The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House
Vikings: Valhalla: Season 2
Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight: Season 2
January 13
Sky Rojo: Season 3
Trial by Fire
Dog Gone
Break Point
January 15
The Internship
January 18
Bosch and Rockit
January 19
That 90’s Show
Women at War
Khallat+
Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre
January 20
Fauda: Season 4
Sahmaran
Bake Squad: Season 2
Bling Empire: New York
Represent
Shanty Town
Devotion
Mission Majnu
January 23
Narvik
January 25
Against the Ropes
January 26
Daniel Spellbound: Season 2
Record of Ragnarok: Season 2
January 27
Lockwood and Co
Kings of Jo’Burg: Season 2
The Snow Girl
You People
January 30
Daniel Spellbound: Season 2
Princess Power
January 31
Cunk on Earth
Pamela, a Love Story
Neon
January 1
We Baby Bears
Lizzo: Live in Concert
We Bare Bears The Movie
January 2
Teen Mom OG: Season 9
Romantic Getaway
The Smurfs
The Smurfs 2
January 3
The Astronauts
Redeeming Love
January 4
Spongebob Squarepants: Season 12A
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
January 5
The Shawshank Redemption
January 6
Bump: Season 3
Easy A
January 7
Uncle Grandpa: Season 5
The Duel
January 8
The Duke
January 9
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
January 13
The Casagrandes: Season 2
Black Sheep
January 14
Minions: The Rise of Gru
January 16
The Last of Us
January 17
Your Honour: Season 2
January 18
Ghost in the Shell
January 19
Butterbean’s Cafe: Season 2
January 20
We’re Here: Season 2
January 22
Summer Camp: Season 1-5
Ascension
January 24
Top Gun: Maverick
January 25
Person of Interesting: Season 1-5
January 26
Lego Mixels: Season 1
Beverly Hills Cop
Beverly Hills Cop 2
Beverly Hills Cop 3
January 28
The Phantom of the Open
January 29
The Forgiven
TVNZ+
January 1
Rise of the Billionaires
Normal People
Fighter Pilot: The Real Top Gun
Ghostbusters (1984)
Ghostbusters 2
28 Days
The Eight Hundred
Woman at War
The Kleptocrats
The Men Who Stole the World
Kidnapped for Christ
Beers of Joy
Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story
Dying for a Crown
I’ll Be Watching
The Murder Pact
Surviving the Outback
The Seahunter
Dr Jackie
X-Rated: YC
Emergence
Game of Bros
The Machine
The Capote Tapes
The Beatles and Indie
Hollywood Bulldogs
January 2
Crossfire
Tess of the D’Ubervilles
January 3
StartUp
300 Years of French and Saunders
January 4
Uncovered: Killed by Hate
Bride Wars
Knight and Day
Marley and Me
January 6
‘Kura: Season 3
January 8
Mistresses: Season 1-8
January 9
The Dry
Happy Valley: Season 1-2
Ad Astra
The Big Short
Heat
Birdman
Noah
The Internship
Fantastic Mr Fox
January 10
The Bachelor Australia
The Calling
January 11
Banana
Cucumber
Uncovered: The Cult of Yahweh Ben Yahweh
January 12
The Grudge
The Grudge 2
Mr Magorium’s Wonder Emporium
The Blair Witch Project
January 14
90210: Season 1-10
Street Kings
The Fountain
A Time to Kill
Bboys ont he Side
Empire Records
JFK
January 15
7.7 Billion People and Counting
Feast to Save the Planet
January 16
The Fades
January 17
Suits: Season 1-10
January 18
Murder and Justice: The Case of Martha Moxley
January 20
Trigonometry
January 21
Broken
January 23
Fight for First: Excel Esports
January 24
The Bachelor US
I Hate You
January 25
The Game
January 26
Poker Face
January 29
Thirteen
January 31
Alone
Disney+
January 4
Star Wars: The Bad Batch: Season 2
January 6
If These Walls Could Sing
January 9
Koala Man
January 11
Chasing Waves
January 25
Extraordinary
Amazon Prime Video
January 3
Last Seen Alive
January 6
The Rig
Infinite Storm
January 13
Hunters: Season 2
The Test: Season 2
January 15
The Story of Us
Love, Once and Always
A Dash of Love
Date with Love
All Things Valentine
The Perfect Bride
Matching Hearts
Love at First Glance
Love to the Rescue
Home By Spring
January 16
Mayor of Kingstown: Season 2
January 20
The Legend of Vox Machina: Season 2
Everything Everywhere All At Once
January 27
Shotgun Wedding
Alan Partridge – Stratagem
Apple TV+
January 13
Servant
Super League: The War for Football
January 20
Truth be Told
January 27
Shrinking
AMC+
January 5
Kevin Can F**K Himself: Season 2
The Walking Dead: Origins
Acorn TV
January 2
The Good Karma Hospital: Series 4
January 9
Shetland: Series 6
January 16
The Paradise: Series 2
January 30
Vera: Series 11
Shudder
January 19
Sorry About the Demon
January 26
The Lair