New year, new TV.
That's the saying, isn't it?
Welcome to 2023. I don't know what the year has in store... besides the fact that it will, once again, give us a lot of great television to talk about. #Blessed, and all that.
January kicks things off with some local prestige TV, a very intriguing reboot and a Netflix series where you can... choose your own episode order.
Here are the shows to add to your watch list this month.
Image: Stan.
Black Snow is a six-part, one-hour mystery-drama set in a small town in North Queensland, with deep ties to the Australian South Sea Islander community.
After a time capsule is opened, a secret about the death of teenager Isabel Baker 25 years earlier puts cold case Detective James Cormack (Travis Fimmel) on the trail of the killer.
Set in two time periods, Black Snow combines a coming-of-age story with a whodunnit, to solve the mystery of who killed Isabel.
Besides being genuinely gripping, Black Snow is an incredible showcase of Australian talent. Expect great things from newcomers Talijah Blackman-Corowa and Jemmason Power.
Black Snow premieres New Year's Day on Stan.
Image: Netflix.
The premise of Kaleidoscope is really interesting.
Basically, you as the viewer get to choose how the story plays out for you based on the order in which you watch the episodes.
Spanning 25 years, Kaleidoscope is an anthology series loosely inspired by the real-life story where $70 billion in bonds went missing in downtown Manhattan during Hurricane Sandy.
Starring an ensemble cast including Giancarlo Esposito, Tati Gabrielle and Jai Courtney, each episode reveals a piece of an elaborate puzzle as a crew of masterful thieves attempt to crack a seemingly unbreakable vault for the biggest payday in history.
But your viewpoint on the characters and the story will depend on how you watch the show.
According the Netflix, members may start with certain episodes (like episodes 'Yellow' or 'Green'), then move deeper into their own personal viewing order with varying episodes ('Blue' or 'Violet' or 'Orange', followed by 'Red' or 'Pink') until the epic 'White: The Heist' story finale.
Kaleidoscope premieres New Year's Day on Netflix.
Image: Netflix.
Ginny & Georgia is one of those shows that's questionable in quality, but also wildly entertaining in a 'I can't believe I've just sat through eight episodes of this' kind of way.
Which is to say I'm excited about its return.
Season two picks up after Ginny ran away with her brother Austin, after discovering her mother's criminal past.
Now, Ginny has to figure out how to live with the knowledge that Georgia killed her husband Kenny to protect her. Meanwhile, Georgia would much prefer it all stay in the past because she has a wedding to plan.
It all sounds rather... messy, doesn't it?
Ginny & Georgia drops December 5 on Netflix.
Image: Prime Video.
Ok how is this for a scary premise: the crew of an oil rig must fight for survival after a strange, supernatural fog cuts off all communication with the shore, and leaves them stranded in the fierce waves of the North Sea.
Rig boss Magnus (Game of Thrones' Iain Glen) tris to guide his already fractured crew through the evolving crisis, despite system failures, rising tension and paranoia, and a devastating accident. Plus, well, it turns out there may be some unnatural forces behind the fog.
Across six episodes, we learn more about the crew’s inner lives as they seek to understand both the force they are facing and their place in a rapidly changing world. To make it out alive, they need bravery, heroism, sacrifice and a confrontation with the consequences of the paths that brought them here.
The Rig premieres January 6 on Prime Video.
Image: Netflix.
If you're one of the many people obsessed with Formula 1, thanks to Netflix's drama-filled series Drive to Survive, then... clear your schedule. We have a new sport to hyper-fixate on.
Break Point comes from the same team, following a group of top tennis players on and off the court as they compete in gruelling Grand Slams and tournaments all over the world.
It will get up close and personal with these players over a year competing across the globe. From career-threatening injuries and emotional heartbreak, to triumphant victories and personal moments off the court, viewers will get a behind the scenes look at the pressure-tested lives of some of the best tennis players in the world.
The first two episodes cover the Australian Open, focusing on Aussies Nick Kyrgios, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Ajla Tomljanovic.
The first five episodes of Break Point drop January 13 on Netflix. The second five episodes will arrive in June.
Image: HBO.
The Last of Us is a survival story based on one of the world's most popular video games. It's set 20 years after the outbreak of a mutant fungal infection, which turns people into aggressive zombie-like creatures, has destroyed modern civilisation.
It follows Joel (Pedro Pascal), a survivor who is hired to smuggle a 14-year-old girl named Ellie (Game of Thrones' Bella Ramsey) out of a totalitarian quarantine zone. Together, they must traverse the US and depend on each other for survival.
This cast is stacked: supporting stars include Murray Bartlett, Gabriel Luna, Nick Offerman and Melanie Lynskey.
And just wait till you see the 'clickers'.
The Last of Us premieres January 16 on Binge.
Image: Netflix.
File this under 'shows that absolutely didn't need to be rebooted but whose reboot is so intriguing we absolutely need to tune in'. Honestly, it's a surprisingly big category of TV these days.
That '90s Show is, as I'm sure you're aware, a sequel to That '70s Show. Don't ponder the fact that we are as close to the 90s and we were to the 70s when the original was on air, that kind of thinking is bad for everyone.
It's 1995 and Leia Forman, daughter of Eric and Donna, is visiting her grandparents Red and Kitty for the summer, where she bonds with a new generation of Point Place kids.
Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp return as the Formans, with Kitty pleased their house has become home to a new generation and Red... being typical Red.
Two more words: Expect cameos.
That '90s Show drops January 19 on Netflix.
Image: ABC.
Better Date Than Never was born out of a desire to tell inclusive stories of dating, love and relationships. The result is a refreshingly real and honest docuseries following a diverse group of singles as they enter the dating world.
Each participant has a unique story, and a different reason for a later start to their dating journey. But they all share a common goal - to go on their first date.
Fans of Love on the Spectrum (isn't that all of us?) will love this show, which will definitely conjure up memories of your own dating experiences (for better or worse!).
You'll be invested from the very first episode, promise.
Better Date Than Never premieres January 24 on ABC TV, with all episodes available to stream on ABC iview on the same day.
Shrinking is a comedy from Ted Lasso co-creator Bill Lawrence, Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent!) and Jason Segel. How's that for comedy chops?
It follows a grieving therapist, played by Segel, who starts to break the rules and tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge, tumultuous changes to people’s lives, including his own.
It also stars Harrison Ford in a rare television appearance, as well as Christa Miller, Jessica Williams and Michael Urie.
Shrinking premieres January 27 on Apple TV+.
Image: Stan.
Oh I am EXCITED about this one.
Poker Face is a 10-episode mystery-of-the-week series created, written, directed and executive produced by Rian Johnson - a.k.a the genius behind my absolute favourite films from the last few years: Knives Out and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
We know Johnson can write a mystery, and in this series he's giving us 10.
Poker Face stars Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cole, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying.
ollowing Natasha Lyonne (Orange Is The New Black) as Charlie Cale, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road, and at each stop encounters strange crimes she can't help but solve.
Among the incredible ensemble cast is Adrien Brody, Chloë Sevigny, Ellen Barkin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Australia's Danielle MacDonald.
Poker Face premieres January 27 on Stan.
Chelsea McLaughlin is Mamamia's Senior Entertainment Writer and co-host of The Spill. For more pop culture takes, recommendations and sarcasm, you can follow her on Instagram.
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Feature image: Stan/Binge/Apple TV+/Netflix.
