This week we bid farewell for the final time to the streaming behemoth Stranger Things and say hello to a second run of the airborne thriller Red Eye. Ricky Gervais tells it like it is with his new stand-up special, Mortality, The Night Manager returns with Tom Hiddleston after a decade off our screens and after the fun of the autumn’s UK celebrity edition comes a new civilian series of The Traitors.
Here’s your curated weekend watchlist …
The Night Manager (BBC iPlayer)
Available to watch in the US on Prime Video from Jan 11
Tom Hiddleston returns as the spy Jonathan Pine in this thriller sequel based on the characters from John le Carré’s novel of the same name. Now living as a low-level MI6 officer under the alias Alex Goodwin, a chance encounter with one of Roper’s old henchmen draws him into a mission facing off against the Colombian businessman Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva) while becoming close to Roxana (Camila Morrone). Buckle up for more top-drawer spy action in a series that sees the return of Olivia Colman as Angela Burr, Alistair Petrie as Sandy Langbourne, Douglas Hodge as Rex Mayhew, Michael Nardone as Frisky and Noah Jupe as Daniel Roper.
Read our full review
Stranger Things (Netflix)
In July 2016 Netflix unleashed a phenomenon in the shape of a 1980s-set horror sci-fi that would become the most-watched show on the planet. Five seasons later, the feature-length finale is upon us. By the time you read this, the battle between good and evil in Hawkins, Indiana, will be settled. But who has been victorious and which of our favourite characters have been lost in their attempt to push back an increasingly dangerous Vecna? We hope you stayed off social media long enough that it’s all still a surprise.
Read our full review
Red Eye (ITVX)
This British espionage thriller returns across six parts. Jing Lusi reprises her role as DS Hana Li, joined by a new sidekick in the shape of Line of Duty’s Martin Compston, as the pair put aside past differences to tackle a complex conspiracy. Leaning into high-stakes political uncertainty and geopolitical turbulence, the story begins in the US embassy as the newly appointed ambassador to London is given a baptism of fire: a British plane is under threat if anyone leaves the building. And then a series of murders begins …
The Traitors (BBC iPlayer)
Claudia Winkleman hosts The Traitors in the UK
BBC
After the huge success of The Celebrity Traitors, the civilian series returns for a welcome fourth run as a fun start to 2026. While there’s no return for big-name contestants such as Stephen Fry and Jonathan Ross, Claudia Winkleman is back to oversee the plotting and murder in the Scottish castle. The show — made by the same production company as Squid Game: The Challenge, which is worth checking out on Netflix — should provide plenty of January cheer as the dark, cold nights continue.
Read our episode one recap and rankings
Ricky Gervais: Mortality (Netflix)
He’s one of Britain’s greatest comedy exports, and the co-creator of The Office and Extras and mastermind behind After Life is still going strong. In his latest special, Mortality (Armageddon, Humanity and SuperNature are all available on Netflix), Gervais once again lets loose as he riffs on the subject of death with his trademark black humour front and centre, leaving nothing off the table.
Read our review of the live show
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