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What to Watch on Netflix in January
【Title/标题】
The 7 Most Anticipated Shows on Netflix in January
【Source/来源】
Media Outlet/媒体：IndieWire
Written by/作者：Ben Travers
【Background Music/背景音乐】
Is It New Years Yet- Sabrina Carpenter
【Transcript/文稿】
New year, same ol’ Netflix — kind of. Things are always changing at the world’s most dominant streaming service, and aside from the obvious shifts in strategy — like, say, acquiring Warner Bros. — it can be hard to say exactly when an experiment becomes standard practice. So let’s take a look at Netflix’s January slate and see what it tells us about where the company stands heading into 2026 (outside of the whole WB thing).
The biggest new release will be “Bridgerton” Season 4, which is once again being split into two parts that will premiere in separate months. Part 1 drops January 29, while Part 2 won’t be released until February 26. While less than a month apart, Netflix is still betting the space between each half-season will result in maintaining subscribers for an extra month while reducing subscriber churn overall. By now, the practice is old hat, but that doesn’t mean it’s a best practice.
Another curious premiere arrives with “Star Search,” the new iteration of the old ’80s series, and one of Netflix’s first attempts at episodic appointment TV. Sure, the streamer has dabbled in event releases for a while now, but those are usually one-off stand-up specials or sporting events. With “Star Search,” new episodes will be released every Tuesday and Wednesday at 9 p.m., and subscribers will be encouraged to tune in at that specific time (rather than waiting to binge) so they can participate in the live voting that helps choose each winner. “For the first time ever, viewers can participate in real time,” states Tudum. If it works, it certainly won’t be the last time, and we may see more appointment viewing on Netflix (home of the binge!) throughout the year.
Then there’s Netflix’s acquired shows, which in January include two former TNT dramas: “Falling Skies” and “Southland.” Netflix has licensed plenty of series that first aired (or streamed) on other networks. It’s been standard practice since the beginning. But what’s interesting about these two titles in particular is that they share a few commonalities with one of streaming’s bigger surprise hits in 2025: Among the Top 10 most-watched series, per Nielsen, there were expected titles like “Bluey” (No. 1), “Grey’s Anatomy” (No. 2), “Squid Game” (No. 3), “Wednesday” (No. 6), and “Bob’s Burgers” (No. 8). But slipping into the Top 10 is the formerly forgotten network drama, “Animal Kingdom” (No. 9).
Netflix has been turning more and more of these minor network hits into huge streaming wins, thanks to their accessibility and high episode counts. While “Bridgerton” seasons may only be eight episodes long, “Animal Kingdom” made 75 episodes in just six seasons. “Falling Skies” made 52 over five seasons, and “Southland” totaled 43 in the same span — not staggering totals, by today’s standards, but that’s still quite a bit of TV to watch for new fans, and it likely cost a fraction of what “Bridgerton” does. Expect to “rediscover” more old shows in the months to come.
The 7 Most Anticipated Shows on Netflix in January
【Source/来源】
Media Outlet/媒体：IndieWire
Written by/作者：Ben Travers
【Background Music/背景音乐】
Is It New Years Yet- Sabrina Carpenter
【Transcript/文稿】
New year, same ol’ Netflix — kind of. Things are always changing at the world’s most dominant streaming service, and aside from the obvious shifts in strategy — like, say, acquiring Warner Bros. — it can be hard to say exactly when an experiment becomes standard practice. So let’s take a look at Netflix’s January slate and see what it tells us about where the company stands heading into 2026 (outside of the whole WB thing).
The biggest new release will be “Bridgerton” Season 4, which is once again being split into two parts that will premiere in separate months. Part 1 drops January 29, while Part 2 won’t be released until February 26. While less than a month apart, Netflix is still betting the space between each half-season will result in maintaining subscribers for an extra month while reducing subscriber churn overall. By now, the practice is old hat, but that doesn’t mean it’s a best practice.
Another curious premiere arrives with “Star Search,” the new iteration of the old ’80s series, and one of Netflix’s first attempts at episodic appointment TV. Sure, the streamer has dabbled in event releases for a while now, but those are usually one-off stand-up specials or sporting events. With “Star Search,” new episodes will be released every Tuesday and Wednesday at 9 p.m., and subscribers will be encouraged to tune in at that specific time (rather than waiting to binge) so they can participate in the live voting that helps choose each winner. “For the first time ever, viewers can participate in real time,” states Tudum. If it works, it certainly won’t be the last time, and we may see more appointment viewing on Netflix (home of the binge!) throughout the year.
Then there’s Netflix’s acquired shows, which in January include two former TNT dramas: “Falling Skies” and “Southland.” Netflix has licensed plenty of series that first aired (or streamed) on other networks. It’s been standard practice since the beginning. But what’s interesting about these two titles in particular is that they share a few commonalities with one of streaming’s bigger surprise hits in 2025: Among the Top 10 most-watched series, per Nielsen, there were expected titles like “Bluey” (No. 1), “Grey’s Anatomy” (No. 2), “Squid Game” (No. 3), “Wednesday” (No. 6), and “Bob’s Burgers” (No. 8). But slipping into the Top 10 is the formerly forgotten network drama, “Animal Kingdom” (No. 9).
Netflix has been turning more and more of these minor network hits into huge streaming wins, thanks to their accessibility and high episode counts. While “Bridgerton” seasons may only be eight episodes long, “Animal Kingdom” made 75 episodes in just six seasons. “Falling Skies” made 52 over five seasons, and “Southland” totaled 43 in the same span — not staggering totals, by today’s standards, but that’s still quite a bit of TV to watch for new fans, and it likely cost a fraction of what “Bridgerton” does. Expect to “rediscover” more old shows in the months to come.
View all episodes
By Jayden读英语【Title/标题】
The 7 Most Anticipated Shows on Netflix in January
【Source/来源】
Media Outlet/媒体：IndieWire
Written by/作者：Ben Travers
【Background Music/背景音乐】
Is It New Years Yet- Sabrina Carpenter
【Transcript/文稿】
New year, same ol’ Netflix — kind of. Things are always changing at the world’s most dominant streaming service, and aside from the obvious shifts in strategy — like, say, acquiring Warner Bros. — it can be hard to say exactly when an experiment becomes standard practice. So let’s take a look at Netflix’s January slate and see what it tells us about where the company stands heading into 2026 (outside of the whole WB thing).
The biggest new release will be “Bridgerton” Season 4, which is once again being split into two parts that will premiere in separate months. Part 1 drops January 29, while Part 2 won’t be released until February 26. While less than a month apart, Netflix is still betting the space between each half-season will result in maintaining subscribers for an extra month while reducing subscriber churn overall. By now, the practice is old hat, but that doesn’t mean it’s a best practice.
Another curious premiere arrives with “Star Search,” the new iteration of the old ’80s series, and one of Netflix’s first attempts at episodic appointment TV. Sure, the streamer has dabbled in event releases for a while now, but those are usually one-off stand-up specials or sporting events. With “Star Search,” new episodes will be released every Tuesday and Wednesday at 9 p.m., and subscribers will be encouraged to tune in at that specific time (rather than waiting to binge) so they can participate in the live voting that helps choose each winner. “For the first time ever, viewers can participate in real time,” states Tudum. If it works, it certainly won’t be the last time, and we may see more appointment viewing on Netflix (home of the binge!) throughout the year.
Then there’s Netflix’s acquired shows, which in January include two former TNT dramas: “Falling Skies” and “Southland.” Netflix has licensed plenty of series that first aired (or streamed) on other networks. It’s been standard practice since the beginning. But what’s interesting about these two titles in particular is that they share a few commonalities with one of streaming’s bigger surprise hits in 2025: Among the Top 10 most-watched series, per Nielsen, there were expected titles like “Bluey” (No. 1), “Grey’s Anatomy” (No. 2), “Squid Game” (No. 3), “Wednesday” (No. 6), and “Bob’s Burgers” (No. 8). But slipping into the Top 10 is the formerly forgotten network drama, “Animal Kingdom” (No. 9).
Netflix has been turning more and more of these minor network hits into huge streaming wins, thanks to their accessibility and high episode counts. While “Bridgerton” seasons may only be eight episodes long, “Animal Kingdom” made 75 episodes in just six seasons. “Falling Skies” made 52 over five seasons, and “Southland” totaled 43 in the same span — not staggering totals, by today’s standards, but that’s still quite a bit of TV to watch for new fans, and it likely cost a fraction of what “Bridgerton” does. Expect to “rediscover” more old shows in the months to come.
The 7 Most Anticipated Shows on Netflix in January
【Source/来源】
Media Outlet/媒体：IndieWire
Written by/作者：Ben Travers
【Background Music/背景音乐】
Is It New Years Yet- Sabrina Carpenter
【Transcript/文稿】
New year, same ol’ Netflix — kind of. Things are always changing at the world’s most dominant streaming service, and aside from the obvious shifts in strategy — like, say, acquiring Warner Bros. — it can be hard to say exactly when an experiment becomes standard practice. So let’s take a look at Netflix’s January slate and see what it tells us about where the company stands heading into 2026 (outside of the whole WB thing).
The biggest new release will be “Bridgerton” Season 4, which is once again being split into two parts that will premiere in separate months. Part 1 drops January 29, while Part 2 won’t be released until February 26. While less than a month apart, Netflix is still betting the space between each half-season will result in maintaining subscribers for an extra month while reducing subscriber churn overall. By now, the practice is old hat, but that doesn’t mean it’s a best practice.
Another curious premiere arrives with “Star Search,” the new iteration of the old ’80s series, and one of Netflix’s first attempts at episodic appointment TV. Sure, the streamer has dabbled in event releases for a while now, but those are usually one-off stand-up specials or sporting events. With “Star Search,” new episodes will be released every Tuesday and Wednesday at 9 p.m., and subscribers will be encouraged to tune in at that specific time (rather than waiting to binge) so they can participate in the live voting that helps choose each winner. “For the first time ever, viewers can participate in real time,” states Tudum. If it works, it certainly won’t be the last time, and we may see more appointment viewing on Netflix (home of the binge!) throughout the year.
Then there’s Netflix’s acquired shows, which in January include two former TNT dramas: “Falling Skies” and “Southland.” Netflix has licensed plenty of series that first aired (or streamed) on other networks. It’s been standard practice since the beginning. But what’s interesting about these two titles in particular is that they share a few commonalities with one of streaming’s bigger surprise hits in 2025: Among the Top 10 most-watched series, per Nielsen, there were expected titles like “Bluey” (No. 1), “Grey’s Anatomy” (No. 2), “Squid Game” (No. 3), “Wednesday” (No. 6), and “Bob’s Burgers” (No. 8). But slipping into the Top 10 is the formerly forgotten network drama, “Animal Kingdom” (No. 9).
Netflix has been turning more and more of these minor network hits into huge streaming wins, thanks to their accessibility and high episode counts. While “Bridgerton” seasons may only be eight episodes long, “Animal Kingdom” made 75 episodes in just six seasons. “Falling Skies” made 52 over five seasons, and “Southland” totaled 43 in the same span — not staggering totals, by today’s standards, but that’s still quite a bit of TV to watch for new fans, and it likely cost a fraction of what “Bridgerton” does. Expect to “rediscover” more old shows in the months to come.