Want more TV and movie picks? Subscribe to our weekly Streamliner newsletter here.
Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: HBO (Warrick Page, Simon Ridgway), Netflix, Des Willie/Prime
What’s there to watch besides your nth rewatch of Heated Rivalry, you ask? January may be a bit sleepy, but HBO Max is trying its best to supplement with a one-two punch of returning seasons of The Pitt and Industry. Across the other streamers, we’ve got a Tessa Thompson– and Jon Bernthal–led crime thriller, Mariska Hargitay back on our screens, and an Adolescence reunion in A Thousand Blows.
Sign up for Streamliner
A weekly newsletter with the latest TV and movie recommendations, curated by Vulture writers.
Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice
Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) and his fellow Pitt crew are back for another high-intensity single shift, just like in the acclaimed first season. This time it’ll be set on the Fourth of July, so expect a lot of wonky firework-related injuries. And don’t worry, despite her character, Dana, quitting last season, she seemingly couldn’t stay away for long: Katherine LaNasa is returning.
Based on the Alice Feeney novel of the same name, Tessa Thompson stars as a journalist drawn back to her hometown to investigate a murder. She then crosses paths with Detective Jack Harper (Jon Bernthal), who is skeptical about her interest in the case.
“More than ever before, Industry is a high-low phantasmagoria of decadence, amorality, and vice set in the pressure cooker of international finance.” (Streaming on HBO Max; read more of Hadadi’s review here.)
One of the toasts of Sundance, Cherien Dabis’s look at the life of a Palestinian family through the decades is a moral fable in the guise of an epic drama. It proceeds in a methodical, almost cold fashion, until it lands in an emotionally devastating (and ethically complicated) place. —Bilge Ebiri
Do you remember this series? It has been nearly a decade and there have been dozens of other short-run espionage miniseries since then, so maybe not. But this one stars Tom Hiddleston as the spy, and there’s a new conspiracy to unravel. — Kathryn VanArendonk
If you’re on a romance kick, you could try the adaptation of Emily Henry’s novel People We Meet on Vacation. Emily Bader and Tom Blyth star as two friends who reconnect every summer to vacation together. Honestly, the ultimate friendship test is if you can survive a summer vacation, so …
Before Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty won Emmys for their performances in Adolescence, they were starring together in this show. It follows the Forty Elephants, a crime syndicate run by Mary Carr (Doherty) and populated only by women. The second season is set a year after the first, returning from an array of cliffhangers. —R.H.
A healthy number of Benson-heads never stopped watching. But if you’re an early fan who checked out long ago, know this: It has a new showrunner this season, most of the show’s most annoying impulses have been excised, and it’s good again. — K.V.A.
➽ For SVU’s 25th anniversary in 2024, we ranked the 25 best guest stars. Only one actor could beat Ludacris for the top spot.
Will I solely be watching the Golden Globes for the moment Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie present an award together? Nooo, but it’s a total bonus. Here’s who is nominated and here’s who is presenting. You can watch live starting at 8 p.m. ET.
Stream live on Paramount+ Premium
Ring in the New Year with Alan Cumming and a whole new season of The Traitors. Week after week, we’ll see a crop of reality stars and various celebrities, split up into the Faithful and the Traitors, go at it. Here’s hoping they vote out Michael Rapaport quickly.
The best of the three Stephen King adaptations released last year (and one of the best movies based on his books, period) has hit streaming. Cooper Hoffman stars as one of 50 boys who agree to participate in a deadly walkathon in a grim, run-down totalitarian state. The rules are simple: If you stop walking, you get shot. The last person still walking wins. It’s not exactly a feel-good flick, but it is gripping. —James Grebey
➽ The Life of Chuck is streaming on Hulu, while Glenn Powell’s The Running Man remake is available as VOD and will probably hit Paramount+ soon.
Want more? Read our recommendations from the weekend of January 1.
Related