The 2026 TV season is launching fast, especially with sequels to popular hit series. As for new releases, there are plenty of them, but only time will tell about their quality. Read the January digest to find out which series you can watch to pass the long winter evenings.

Run Away

This is the story of Simon Green, a desperate father trying to find his runaway daughter. During his search, he becomes entangled in a murder investigation and uncovers deadly secrets threatening his family.
Run is another Netflix adaptation of Harlan Coben’s novel, continuing the platform’s tradition of releasing his adaptations every January 1. The series is available for viewing.

His & Hers

The action takes place in Atlanta, where Hannah is increasingly distancing herself from her friends and her journalism career. Learning of a brutal murder in Dalanes, she returns home to investigate.

Detective Jack Harper is officially in charge of the case, and soon Hannah becomes one of his suspects.

Another January Netflix detective adaptation comes from Alice Fini’s 2020 novel, starring Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal, with Jessica Chastain producing. The six-episode series premiered simultaneously on January 8.

Girl Taken

Twins Lily and Abby lose their carefree childhood after a teacher kidnaps one sister; years later, Lily escapes to face new trials.

As their mother Eve and sister Abby try to rebuild the family, a constant sense of danger haunts them. The kidnapper escapes punishment and plays a dangerous game, twisting the truth to evade justice.

The plot of The Kidnapped Girl is based on Holly Overton’s novel Baby Doll. The series has six episodes, which, as with the previous entry, premiered simultaneously on January 8, only now on the Paramount+ platform.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

The events take place in the 32nd century, where Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets are recovering from the catastrophic event depicted in the series Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2024).

The series follows a new class of Starfleet cadets training for officer duty aboard the USS Athena.
Star Trek: Academy will be the 12th series in the Star Trek franchise and is part of the expanded universe of the same name. The series premieres on January 15 on Paramount+ with two episodes, followed by weekly releases through March 12.

The Beauty

The world of high fashion is plunged into chaos when supermodels begin dying under mysterious circumstances. FBI agents Cooper Madsen and Jordan Bennett travel to Paris to uncover the truth.

In Paris, they uncover an STD that turns people physically perfect, but at a devastating cost. It later emerges that a mysterious tech billionaire is involved in these events.

As the epidemic spreads around the world, the agents race through Paris, Venice, Rome, and New York to stop a threat that could change the future of humanity.

This ambitious new project from showrunner Ryan Murphy is based on the comic book series of the same name by Jeremy Gowen and Jason Gurley.

The season will consist of 11 episodes, the first three of which will premiere on FX on January 21, with the final two episodes airing on March 4.

Steal

The criminals planned the heist of the century, but Zara, an office worker, finds herself at the very center of events completely by accident.

Her ordinary workday at an investment company is turned upside down when a gang of robbers bursts in and forces her and her best friend Luke to do their bidding.

The lead role is played by British actress Sophie Turner. All six episodes will be released on Prime Video on January 21.

Final Verdict

January 2026 offers a diverse and confident start to the TV year, leaning heavily on crime dramas, literary adaptations, and established franchises.

Streaming platforms clearly favor familiar names – from Harlan Coben and Alice Feeney to Star Trek and Ryan Murphy – which makes the month feel safe rather than experimental.

Netflix leads with bingeable thrillers, while Paramount+ bolsters its slate with darker dramas and franchise titles.

FX and Prime Video, meanwhile, add stylistic and genre variety, appealing to viewers looking for something more ambitious or fast-paced.

January may lack groundbreaking TV, but it offers plenty of solid series for winter evenings, from suspense and sci-fi to crime dramas.