The Christmas break is all fun and games – and then January follows, and before you know it, the fun is over. It’s not the most thrilling time of year, but to stop you succumbing to the January blues, we’ve picked out a bunch of binge-worthy TV shows to lift your spirits.
Netflix, Prime Video and Disney Plus – three of the best streaming services – are rolling out a plethora of new releases and old favorites to the January streaming catalogs. Netflix is releasing the eighth season of its groundbreaking show Queer Eye, while Disney Plus is bringing season 11 of beloved classic Modern Family to viewers in the UK and Ireland, and Prime Video will debut two brand new shows.
So settle into the sofa, and start your new year with some laughs with our pick of seven gloriously entertaining shows.
Queer Eye, Season 8 (available on Netflix US/ UK January 24)
Since Netflix revived the early-noughties show back in 2018 it’s become a huge hit on the streaming service, and returns on January 24 with season 8. The Fab Five will return to New Orleans to continue doing what they do best – changing people’s lives with emotionally-charged transformations and their unique blend of expertise and charisma.
All members of the Fab Five – Jonathan Van Ness, Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski, and Tan France – are set to return. Back in November 2023, it was announced that season 8 will be the last featuring interior designer Berk.
Loudermilk, Seasons 1-3 (available on Netflix US/ UK now)
Comedy-drama Loudermilk was a hit when it first premiered in 2017, and Netflix is set to become its new home this January. Set in Seattle, the show follows Sam Loudermilk, a substance abuse counselor with a critical tongue for everyone inside and outside his support group. With a total of 30 30-minute episodes, it’s perfect fodder for your January viewing calendar.
This Is Us, Seasons 1-6 (available on Netflix US/ UK now)
This Is Us became an immediate modern classic with TV fans, and reunited us with the talents of Milo Ventimiglia, who was everyone’s favorite bad boy in Gilmore Girls. Airing from 2016-2022, the drama is set in different time frames, and follows the tribulations of family life through the eyes of four characters sharing the same birthday.
LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland (available on Prime Video Jan 19)
LOL started as an Italian comedy game show distributed by Amazon Prime Video, and now it’s getting a revamp, with Graham Norton set to host. The show brings 10 familiar comedy faces together as they compete to win a prize of 50,000 euros for charity, by using their comedic talents to make each other laugh without cracking up themselves.
Hazbin Hotel, Season 1 (available on Prime Video Jan 19)
It was only a matter of time before an adult animation with musical elements made its way to streaming. Hazbin Hotel started out as a YouTube video project produced entirely by freelance animators, and grabbed the attention of A24, which has picked it up for a first season on streaming. Created by Vivienne Medrano, the Amazon Prime Video original takes place in Hell (you heard that correctly), and features central character Charlie Morningstar, whose dream is to open a ‘Happy Hotel’ to rehouse sinners.
Modern Family, Season 11 (available on Disney Plus UK/ Ireland now)
The Emmy award-winning sitcom has established itself as a beloved comedy classic, and Disney Plus subscribers in the UK and Ireland can now stream its eleventh and final season. The mockumentary-style series follows the lives of three interrelated families enduring the trials and tribulations of family life.
Don’t Trust The B**** In Apartment 23 (available on Disney Plus UK/ Ireland Jan 10)
This sitcom, which first ran on ABC between 2012-2014, left Netflix in 2017, and now it’s about to make its return, this time on Disney Plus. Don’t Trust The B*** In Apartment 23 is a fun and undemanding watch, with only two seasons and 26 episodes. Jessica Jones star Krysten Ritter takes the lead as Chloe, and also stars Dreama Walker as June, who moves into Chloe’s apartment. Chloe’s party-girl attitude causes friction between her and June at first, but an unlikely friendship develops.
