Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+: 10 of the best new shows to watch in January

Fool Me Once

Jan 1st, Netflix

Maya Stern is trying to process the murder of her husband, Joe. But she’s got a lot more to process when her nannycam captures her supposedly dead husband in the house. What follows is a twisty, turny mystery that will keep you guessing right up to the end. Michelle Keegan, Richard Armitage, Emmet J Scanlan and Joanna Lumley star in this Harlan Coben joint.

Class of 09

From Jan 3rd, Disney+

Brian Tyree Henry stars as Tayo, and Kate Mara is Poet, in this time-jumping cop series about a class of FBI rookies trying to do the right thing in a world where the moral lines are blurred and the choices we make have repercussions for our lives and legacies. The action takes place in three different times spanning several decades, and the storylines interweave and intersect as the agents deal with a changing world of criminal justice and the inexorable rise of AI.

James May: Our Man in India

From Jan 5th, Prime Video

He’s been our man in Italy and our man in Japan, and now James May sets off once again on another intrepid mission to explore an interesting county, without his Grand Tour companions Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond in tow. This time he’s in India, “probably the most colourful country in the world”, and going for the full immersive experience as he samples local food, tries out an ancient art – kite-flying – and even gets a small part in a regional TV series.

Echo

From Jan 9th, Disney+

Whoop-de-doo, another series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to add to the dozens already on my watch list. Better get out my atlas so I can know exactly where I am in the greater MCU continuity. Hang on – it seems I don’t have to brush up on the canon, as this series comes under the Marvel Spotlight banner, and is more “grounded” and “character-driven”, and less concerned with the bigger MCU picture. That’s a relief. The story revolves around Maya Lopez aka Echo, who we’ve already met in the Hawkeye TV series starring Jeremy Renner. Alaqua Cox plays the kick-ass Lopez, Marvel’s first deaf hero, with Vincent D’Onofrio as criminal kingpin Wilson Fisk.

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Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+: 10 of the best new shows to watch in May

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The Artful Dodger

Jan 17th, Disney+

What the Dickens is the Artful Dodger doing working as a surgeon in Australia? This new series takes the iconic character from Oliver Twist and gives him a follow-up story. Jack Dawkins aka Dodger has grown up and considers himself going straight, leaving his criminal past behind in Blighty to start a new life in the colony of Port Victory. Instead of picking pockets, Jack is using his nimble fingers to perform skilful medical procedures and save lives. But his growing status is threatened by a rival woman surgeon – the governor’s daughter, Lady Belle. And when Fagin manages to track his old protege down, Jack is tempted to back into a life of crime. Thomas Brodie-Sangster, the man with the most mischievous face on TV, is well cast as Jack, with David Thewlis as Fagin and Maia Mitchell as Lady Belle.

Cristóbal Balenciaga

From January 19th, Disney+

In the world of haute couture, Spanish designer Cristóbal Balenciaga was known as “The Master”, and this series tells the story of how the son of a fisherman and a seamstress set the fashion world ablaze with his innovative, exquisite creations. The series details how Balenciaga built up his fashion empire in the years between the two world wars, and made his debut on the Paris fashion scene, doing catwalk battles with the top French design houses. Alberto San Juan plays the legendary designer with no small amount of style and deportment.

LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland

From Jan 19th, Prime Video

Ten Irish comics walk into a TV studio, and have to perform a seemingly impossible task: keep a straight face while trying every trick in the jokebook to make their comedic companions break their holes laughing. Aisling Bea, Amy Huberman, Catherine Bohart, David McSavage, Deirdre O’Kane, Emma Doran, Jason Byrne, Martin Angolo, Paul Tylak and Tony Cantwell are the comedy stars pitting their wit against each other in the hope of winning a 50 grand prize for the charity of their choice. As if that comedic line-up isn’t daunting enough, the series is hosted by Graham Norton, who’s been known to make a few showbiz legends crack up on the red couch.

Kevin James: Irregardless

From Jan 23rd, Prime Video

The star of Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Grown Ups releases his latest stand-up show, and once again he pulls off the amazing feat of being both funny and family-friendly at the same time. In this follow-up to his critically acclaimed Netflix show Never Don’t Give Up, James covers the whole gamut of modern living, including marriage, parenting and the inexorable march of time. He also tackles a whole range of everyday life problems, such as how to distract your kids from playing video games, and answers some burning philosophical questions, such as how many Tater Tots can one man stuff into his mouth.

Expats

From Jan 26th, Prime Video

Following the success of Big Little Lies, Nicole Kidman heads up this intense limited drama series set among a privileged community of expatriates in Hong Kong. Margaret (Kidman), Hilary (Sarayu Blue) and Mercy (Ji-young Yoo) are three American women making new lives for themselves and in Hong Kong, but when tragedy strikes – the sudden disappearance of Margaret’s child – the rich tapestry of their lives begins to unravel, and bonds of friendship are replaced by blame and guilt. Lulu Wang directs the six-parter based on the novel The Expatriates by Janice YK Lee.

Masters of the Air

From Jan 26th, Apple TV+

Memphis Belle meets Band of Brothers in this new series revolving around the adventures of a squadron of young American pilots during the second World War. These fly-boys are part of the Bloody Hundredth – the 100th Bomb Group – tasked with running bombing raids over Nazi Germany. It’s executive produced by the same team that created Band of Brothers – Stephen Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman – and boasts an all-star cast headed by Elvis star Austin Butler, and co-starring Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, new Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa and Irish actor Barry Keoghan.