Happy New Year, everyone! Or Happy New Year soon, anyway. Like last week (and many of the weeks before it), watchlists are likely more seasonally timed right now, unless you’re catching up on some of the best shows and movies from the last year! No time like the present — the Golden Globes are happening! — but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing new to watch.
For starters, Harlan Coben (who earlier this year brought the twisty Fool Me Once) returns with a new show on Netflix, this time starring Slow Horses’ Rosalind Eleazar. And Philomena Cunk (Diane Morgan) is once again enlightening us, this time with an end-of-year (or beginning, as it were) special on Netflix.
Here’s the best new TV premieres this week.
Genre: “Documentary special”
Release date: Jan. 2
Philomena Cunk: Diane Morgan
If you’re in the U.K., you’ll have been able to see the Cunk on Life mockumentary special in 2024. But if you’re like the rest of us, 2025 brings a fresh Cunk on Life special to Netflix, ably tackling some of the biggest and most complicated subjects anyone has ever attempted.
Genre: Mystery thriller
Release date: Jan. 1
Showrunner/creator: Harlan Coben
Cast: Rosalind Eleazar, Ashley Walters, Jessica Plummer, and more
Detective Kat Donovan (Rosalind Eleazar) is still mourning the love of her life, Josh (Ashley Walters), who disappeared 11 years ago without a trace. Only now, as she’s swiping through a dating app, she sees his face — forcing her to dive back into the mystery surrounding her father’s murder and uncover long-buried secrets.
Genre: Fantasy
Release date: Jan. 5
Studio: MAPPA
Natsuko Hirose is a professional animator, and a bit of a shut-in. Her latest project isn’t going great — she’s coming off her first anime, which hit big, and the newest one is a rom-com (her least favorite genre). Unfortunately, due to the stress, she dies of exhaustion. But don’t fret: She wakes up in the world of her childhood anime, the series that led her to become an animator. Armed with the ability to alter the storyline around her, how will Natsuko fare among the fantastical scenes?
New shows on Paramount Plus
Genre: Awards show
Release date: Jan. 5 at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST
Host: Nikki Glaser
It’s the Golden Globes! The kickoff (or continuation) of awards season in earnest. Lots of things nominated, lots of ground to cover in a three-hour (or so) ceremony. Tune in to see gags, gaffes, and Globes.
