This week brings a compelling mix of drama, documentary, and dystopian games to UK streaming platforms, offering something for every viewer. From a tense murder mystery in Atlanta to the return of a Victorian boxing epic and the unbelievable true story of a family who adopted a bear, here are the seven best shows to add to your watchlist.
Thrilling Dramas and Returning Favourites
His & Hers lands on Netflix from Thursday 8 January, promising a steamy and claustrophobic thriller. The story begins with the brutal murder of an anonymous woman, setting the stage for a dangerous game between detective Jack, played by a nervy Jon Bernthal, and broadcast journalist Anna, portrayed by Tessa Thompson. Anna, whose career has faltered after a personal trauma, sees the case as her path to redemption. However, a shared history between her and Jack complicates matters, and the victim may not be a stranger to them after all. Adapted from Alice Feeney's novel, the series uses the heat and fraught racial politics of Atlanta to masterful, tense effect.
Also returning is the gritty period drama A Thousand Blows on Disney+ from Friday 9 January. Steven Knight's series plunges viewers back into the squalor of late Victorian east London. A year on, Stephen Graham's Sugar Goodson is drowning his sorrows, while Malachi Kirby's Hezekiah Moscow dreams of Jamaica and fights for meagre rewards. Erin Doherty's Mary Carr, indebted to a predatory crimelord, hatches a plan requiring clear-headed accomplices. The arrival of French anarchists with dynamite and seditious ideas adds a volatile new element to this brooding, bloody, and oddly poetic world.
Unmissable Documentary and Comedy Relief
For something completely different, Hercules the Bear: A Love Story on BBC iPlayer is a jaw-dropping yet charming documentary. It tells the true story of wrestler Andy Robin and his wife Maggie, who adopted a bear cub they describe as looking like a "wee pyjama case." Raising Hercules in the Scottish Highlands, the couple integrated him into their lives so fully that he became a regular at their local pub. "You had to watch him on a Babycham," Maggie recalls fondly. This delightful film explores an extraordinary interspecies bond that captivated a nation.
Offering brilliant comedy, Abbott Elementary returns to Disney+ from Wednesday 7 January for the second half of its fifth season. The perpetually flustered headteacher Ava Coleman (Janelle James) faces a fresh crisis when the school's heating fails, forcing a temporary relocation to an abandoned shopping mall. As always, the show blends sharp, character-driven humour with a gently polemical edge, using a real-life scenario to ask pointed questions about the state of public education.
Dystopian Games and Gripping New Dramas
The controversial, big-money gameshow Beast Games is back for a second season on Prime Video from Wednesday 7 January. Hosted by YouTube sensation Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson, the show returns despite a class-action lawsuit from contestants on the first series alleging mistreatment. Donaldson has defended the production, stating he spoke to hundreds of contestants who "all had a great time." The result is a horribly compelling, dystopian spectacle where teams battle for huge prizes, creating an unholy mashup of Gladiators and Squid Game: The Challenge.
A new psychological drama, Girl Taken, arrives on Paramount+ from Thursday 8 January. Adapted from Hollie Overton's novel Baby Doll, it explores the intense bond between identical twins Abby and Lily Riser, played by real-life sisters Delphi and Tallulah Evans. When 17-year-old Lily is abducted, her twin and their community are devastated. Her return five years later, bearing the scars of a horrific ordeal, should bring closure, but the revelation of her captor's identity—a presumed pillar of the community—unleashes fresh turmoil. Alfie Allen and Jill Halfpenny co-star.
Finally, the nail-biting Israeli espionage thriller Tehran returns for a third season on Apple TV from Friday 9 January. Mossad agent Tamar (Niv Sultan) remains undercover in Iran's capital, but her position is perilously weak. Mistrusted by her own handlers and close to being unmasked by enemies, her situation worsens with the arrival of South African weapons inspector Eric Peterson, played by a grave Hugh Laurie. Peterson needs Tamar's help, but his mission could place her in even greater danger.
