Happy New Year! Kicking off 2019 are series featuring an alien, a witch and a vampire, a monarch, a matriarch, an amateur sleuth, and a beloved detective.
For updates about shows from the UK, Canada, and Ireland added to US channels and streaming services throughout the month, see the British TV Viewing Guide.
NATIONAL PREMIERES
Doctor Who: Resolution (New Year’s Special) (UK)
As the New Year begins, a terrifying evil is stirring from across the centuries of Earth’s history while the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker, Broadchurch), Ryan (Tosin Cole, Hollyoaks), Graham (Bradley Walsh, Law & Order: UK), and Yaz (Mandip Gill, Hollyoaks) return home. Will they be able to overcome the threat to planet Earth? Doctor Who: Resolution premieres in the US on Tuesday, January 1, at 8 PM ET, on BBC America.
Mrs. Brown’s Boys: Mammy’s Motel (New Year’s Special) (UK)
Filmed in front of a live audience, this hilarious comedy returns for its annual New Year’s special. Irish mammy Agnes Brown (Brendan O’Carroll) opens her home to friends Winnie and Sharon after a storm, and ends up creating one of her own with them. Mrs. Brown’s Boys: Mammy’s Motel premieres in the US on Tuesday, January 1, exclusively on BritBox. (Video is for 2014 NYE special)
No Offence: Series 3 (UK)
The latest season of this award-winning police procedural finds Viv (Joanna Scanlan, The Thick of It) and her team of cops mourning the loss of one of their own, who dies in the line of duty protecting a mayoral candidate during an assassination attempt. Friday Street must then infiltrate the murky world of the Far Right and their wealthy, powerful benefactors to catch the killer. No Offence: Series 3 premieres in the US on Monday, January 7, exclusively on Acorn TV.
Informer (UK)
This taut thriller centers on Raza (newcomer Nabhaan Rizwan), a second-generation Pakistani man from East London coerced into being an undercover informant by Gabe Waters (Paddy Considine, The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher), a counter-terrorism officer with a murky past. Informer premieres in the US on Friday, January 11, exclusively on Prime Video.
Sex Education (UK-US)
Asa Butterfield (Hugo) stars in this comedy-drama as Otis, a socially-awkward virgin in high school who lives with his sex therapist mother, Jean (Gillian Anderson, The X-Files). After his home life is revealed at school, Otis and whip-smart bad-girl Maeve (Emma Mackey, Badger_Lane) set up an underground sex therapy clinic to deal with their fellow students’ problems. Sex Education, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, January 11, exclusively on Netflix. (You can add it to your queue now.) (Photo: Sam Taylor/Netflix)
Vera: Season 9 (UK)
This hit mystery-crime drama series, based on the “Vera Stanhope Mystery” novels by award-winning author Ann Cleeves (Shetland), returns with four new feature-length episodes starring two-time Oscar® nominee Brenda Blethyn as the eponymous detective. “Blind Spot,” “Cuckoo,” and “Cold River” are original stories, and the fourth episode is an adaptation of Cleeves’ novel The Seagull. Read this article for more information. Vera: Season 9 premieres in the US on Sunday, January 13, exclusively on BritBox.
Victoria: Season 3 (UK)
Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who) reprises her role as the young but fearless monarch in this hit historical drama’s new season. It opens in 1848, when revolution is breaking out across Europe. In Britain, Queen Victoria stands between order and chaos, facing a crisis that threatens to end her reign. Costarring Tom Hughes (The Game) as Prince Albert, Victoria: Season 3 premieres in the US on Sunday, January 13, at 9 PM ET, on PBS.
Victoria & Albert: The Wedding (UK)
Royal historian Lucy Worsley (Secrets of the Six Wives) hosts this new two-part documentary, which provides an insider’s look into the elaborate planning that went into the 1840 wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, as well as a meticulous recreation of the event. Victoria & Albert: The Wedding premieres in the US on Sunday, January 13, at 10 PM ET, on PBS. (Check your local listings.) (Photo courtesy of BBC Studios/Jacobo Garcia Fernandez)
24 Hours in Police Custody: Seasons 4-5 (UK)
This gritty documentary series follows the Bedfordshire police team (by way of 80+ cameras) as they respond to emergencies, conduct investigations, arrest suspects, and battle against the clock to fight crime in modern Britain. Cases in Seasons 4 and 5 involve armed robberies, sexual assaults, and slavery. 24 Hours in Police Custody: Seasons 4-5 premieres in North America on Wednesday, January 16, exclusively on BritBox.
Schitt’s Creek: Season 5 (Canada)
The Roses are finally thriving in Schitt’s Creek and ready to take things to the next level. Moira (Catherine O’Hara, Beetlejuice) launches her most ambitious artistic endeavor yet, while Johnny (Eugene Levy, American Pie) manages the Rosebud Motel and the staff’s needs, and their son and daughter, David (Dan Levy, Modern Family) and Alexis (Annie Murphy, The Plateaus), focus on their significant other relationships. Schitt’s Creek: Season 5 premieres in the US on Tuesday, January 16, at 10 PM ET, on Pop TV.
A Discovery of Witches (UK)
Based on the first novel in Deborah Harkness‘ “All Souls” trilogy, this supernatural drama stars Teresa Palmer (Hacksaw Ridge) as Diana, an historian and witch who discovers a bewitched manuscript. She meets and gets involved with geneticist and vampire Matthew (Matthew Goode, Downton Abbey), who helps her to protect the manuscript and to solve the mysteries within it. A Discovery of Witches premieres in the US on Thursday, January 17, on Shudder and Sundance Now.
Butterfly (UK)
Anna Friel (Marcella) leads the cast of this drama as Vicky, whose 11-year-old child Max (newcomer Callum Booth-Ford) has identified as a girl and presented signs of gender dysphoria from a young age. After Max self-harms, Vicky’s estranged husband and Max’s father, Stephen (Emmett J Scanlan, Safe), returns to live at the family home and support Max. Butterfly premieres in the US on Friday, January 18, exclusively on Hulu.
The Grand Tour: Season 3 (UK/US)
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May return for more adventures in their popular motoring show. This season’s challenges take the death-defying trio to China, Colombia, Detroit, Mongolia, Nevada, Scotland, and Sweden. The Grand Tour: Season 3, a Prime Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, January 18, on Prime Video.
The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes: Season 2, Part B (UK)
In the back half of this factual series’ second season, award-winning architect Piers Taylor and actress and property enthusiast Caroline Quentin (Blue Murder) travel to Spain, India, Norway, and Israel to tour striking homes. The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes: Season 2, Part B, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, January 18, exclusively on Netflix.
Brexit (UK)
In this telefilm, Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) plays political advisor-strategist Dominic Cummings, who spearheaded the Vote Leave campaign that promoted Britain leaving the E.U., aka Brexit, in 2016. The drama goes behind the scenes to reveal the personalities, strategies, and feuds of the Leave and Remain camps. Costarring Rory Kinnear (Lucan) and Liz White (Ackley Bridge), Brexit premieres in the US on Saturday, January 19, at 9 PM ET, on HBO.
Dynasties (UK)
Presented by Emmy® winner Sir David Attenborough, this nature documentary follows five of the world’s celebrated but endangered animals — chimpanzees, emperor penguins, lions, painted wolves, and tigers — as they do whatever it takes to survive and protect the next generation. Dynasties premieres in the US on Friday, January 19, at 9 PM ET, as an AMC Networks simulcast event across BBC America, AMC, IFC, and SundanceTV.
Black Earth Rising (UK)
Michaela Coel (Chewing Gum) stars in this thriller as Kate Ashby, a Rwandan orphan who was raised in London by her adoptive mother Eve Ashby (Harriet Walter, The Crown), an international human rights lawyer. Now a legal investigator in the chambers of Michael Ennis (John Goodman, The Conners), Kate finds her life upended and endangered after Eve takes on the prosecution case of an African militia leader. Black Earth Rising, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, January 25, exclusively on Netflix.
Medici: The Magnificent (UK-Italy)
Opening in 1469 Florence, Season 2 of Medici: Masters of Florence finds Lorenzo de’ Medici (Daniel Sharman, Fear the Walking Dead) taking over as head of the family bank and coming into conflict with powerful Florentine banker Jacopo de’ Pazzi (Sean Bean! Broken). Costarring Synnove Karlsen (Clique), Raoul Bova (Lockout), Bradley James (Merlin), Julian Sands (24), Sarah Parish (Bancroft), Matteo Martari (Thou Shalt Not Kill), and Filippo Nigro (Suburra: Blood on Rome), Medici: The Magnificent, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, January 25, exclusively on Netflix.
Strike Back: Season 6 (UK)
The new season of this action thriller finds Section 20 investigating the downing of a Russian bomber and the disappearance of its nuclear payload. Joining Warren Brown (X Company), Daniel MacPherson (City Homicide), Roxanne McKee (Game of Thrones), and Alin Sumarwata (Neighbours) are Jamie Bamber (Marcella) as Section 20’s new commanding officer and Yasemin Kay Allen (Magnificent Century) as a Russian agent. Strike Back: Season 6 premieres in the US on Friday, January 25, at 10 PM ET, on Cinemax.
Agatha Raisin and the Curious Curate (UK)
The final episode of this hit Brit mystery’s second season finds a dishy new curate (Olly Rix, The Spanish Princess) in Carsely. Then murder rips through the village and retired PR wiz-turned-amateur sleuth Agatha (Ashley Jensen, Love, Lies and Records) launches her own investigation to find the culprit. Based on the 13th novel in M. C. Beaton’s “Agatha Raisin Mysteries” book series, Agatha Raisin and the Curious Curate premieres in the US on Monday, January 28, exclusively on Acorn TV. (Photo courtesy of Acorn TV)
Silent Witness: Season 22 (UK)
This mystery-crime drama series — as popular as ever on both sides of the pond — follows Dr. Nikki Alexander (Emilia Fox, Strangers) and her team of forensic pathologists as they investigate puzzling crimes in and around London. Silent Witness: Season 22 premieres in North America on Wednesday, January 30, exclusively on BritBox. (Video is from Season 21)
LOCAL/REGIONAL PREMIERES
The following programs begin airing in the US on public TV stations starting in January. Broadcast dates and times vary by market, so check your local listings or contact the station that serves your area for details (see links below). To request a program, contact your station’s Viewer Services department or American Public Television.
Regional public TV networks: Connecticut Public Television • Georgia Public Broadcasting • Idaho Public Television • Louisiana Public Broadcasting • Maryland Public Television • Montana PBS • NET (Nebraska) • New Hampshire PBS • North Carolina (UNC-TV) • South Dakota Public Broadcasting • Wisconsin Public Television • Wyoming PBS
Local stations: KCPT (Kansas City, MO) • KCTS (Seattle, WA) • KLRU (Austin, TX) • KQEH (San Francisco, CA) • KRSU (Tulsa, OK) • KTWU (Topeka, KS) • KUAT (Tucson, AZ) • KUEN (Salt Lake City, UT) • KVCR (Los Angeles, CA) • WGBH (Boston, MA) • WKYU (Bowling Green, KY) • WLRN (Miami, FL) • WNED (Buffalo, NY) • WOSU (Columbus, OH) • WPTO (Dayton, OH) • WVIZ (Cleveland, OH) • WXEL (West Palm Beach, FL) • WXXI (Rochester, NY)
Doc Martin: Season 8 (UK)
This British comedy-drama series, one of the most popular of the past 15 years, returns to public TV in January, when stations across the country begin airing the new episodes. Many more stations than the ones listed above will be broadcasting Doc Martin: Season 8; for the full list of stations, check out this article.
The Fantasy Makers (Canada)
This documentary connects Scottish author and fantasy literature pioneer George MacDonald with J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, and analyzes how their legacy has permeated into contemporary culture. The Fantasy Makers is set to air on stations in the Maryland, Montana, North Carolina, and South Dakota regional networks, plus KLRU, KRSU, and KUEN.
Grand Tours of Scotland’s Lochs (UK)
Historian Paul Murton explores several iconic lochs (of the more than 31,000 in Scotland) and speaks with the people who live on their shores. Grand Tours of Scotland’s Lochs is set to air on stations in the Idaho and North Carolina regional networks, plus KCPT, KQEH, KTWU, KUAT, WPTO, and WXXI.
King George VI: The Man Behind the King’s Speech (UK)
Featuring interviews with Oscar® winners Colin Firth and Tom Hooper of the film The King’s Speech, this documentary tells the story of the introverted and humble King George VI, who overcame shyness and a speech impediment for the sake of his nation. King George VI: The Man Behind the King’s Speech is set to air on stations in the Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, New Hampshire, and Wyoming regional networks, plus KLRU, KVCR, WGBH, WNED, and WVIZ.
The Stuarts: A Bloody Reign (UK)
In this documentary, Professor Kate Williams (Young Victoria) researches and illuminates in a new and unique way the lasting legacy of the Royal House of Stuart, which ruled over England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland during the 17th century, one of the bloodiest eras in British history. The Stuarts: A Bloody Reign is set to air on stations in the Georgia and Louisiana regional networks, plus KCTS, KLRU, KRSU, KUEN, WKYU, WLRN, WNED, WOSU, WXEL, and WXXI. (Photo courtesy of American Public Television)
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NON-PREMIERE TITLES TO BE ADDED TO STREAMING SERVICES & TV SCHEDULES
Titles in this section begin streaming on the dates shown below on Acorn TV and the Acorn TV channel on Amazon. (Photos courtesy of Acorn TV)
The Worst Week of My Life: Series 1-3 (Complete) (UK)
Ben Miller (I Want My Wife Back) and Sarah Alexander (Coupling) star in this sitcom as the engaged Howard Steel and Mel Cook in Series 1, during which Howard’s life seems to be one instance of Murphy’s law after another. It continues in Series 2, when the now-married couple are expecting their first baby, and in Series 3, which follows them in the week leading up to Christmas. The Worst Week of My Life: Series 1-3 begins streaming Monday, January 7.
Murphy’s Law: Series 1 (UK)
The title of this crime drama refers not to the popular adage but to Tommy Murphy (James Nesbitt, Monroe), a man haunted and broken by the murder of his young daughter in Northern Ireland. He goes to work undercover for the Metropolitan Police in London, where he battles his inner demons with booze and dangerous assignments. Murphy’s Law: Series 1 begins streaming Monday, January 14, and Series 2 on Monday, January 28. Both seasons are Acorn TV streaming exclusives.
The Art Detectives: Series 3 (UK)
The brand new season of this factual series finds art detective Dr. Bendor Grosvenor and social historian Emma Dabiri hunting for lost and hidden treasures in Manchester Art Gallery, Petworth House in West Sussex, and Knightshayes Court in Devon. As they explore the stories of the collections, the origins of the buildings, the history of the benefactors, and the tales behind the artists and the sitters, they uncover works by Zoffany, Titian, van Dyck, and Rembrandt. The Art Detectives: Series 3 begins streaming Monday, January 14.
The Hour: Series 1 & 2 (Complete) (UK)
One of the best British TV series of the past decade, this Emmy®-winning drama revolves around the people who work on the eponymous (and fictional) BBC television news magazine in mid-1950s London. Starring Romola Garai (Born to Kill), Ben Whishaw (A Very English Scandal), Dominic West (The Affair), Anna Chancellor (Ordeal by Innocence), Oona Chaplin (Taboo), and Julian Rhind-Tutt (Britannia), The Hour: Series 1 and 2 — an Acorn TV streaming exclusive — begins streaming Monday, January 21.
The Rebel: Series 1 (UK)
Adapted from the comic strip of the same name in The Oldie magazine, this comedy series stars Simon Callow (Four Weddings and a Funeral) as Henry Palmer, a rebellious and rabble-rousing 70-year-old pensioner. Costarring Bill Paterson (Outlander), The Rebel: Series 1 begins streaming Monday, January 21.
Discovering Britain (UK)
Hosted by Maureen Lipman (Ladies of Letters) and Larry Lamb (New Tricks), this documentary series celebrates Britain’s outdoors, history, culture, and tradition, and gets to the heart of what makes British heritage so unique. Featuring Emilia Fox (Silent Witness), Don Warrington (Death in Paradise), Wendy Craig (The Royal), Peter Davison (Doctor Who), Bill Paterson (Shetland), and Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock), Discovering Britain begins streaming Monday, January 28.
Titles in this section begin streaming on the dates shown below on BritBox and the BritBox channel on Amazon.
That Day We Sang (UK)
I love this movie! Written and directed by the late, great Victoria Wood (Dinnerladies), this musical drama follows Tubby (Olivier Award winner Michael Ball) and Enid (Oscar® nominee Imelda Staunton, Vera Drake), two lonely, middle-aged people who reconnect at a reunion for the Manchester Children’s Choir in 1969 and grab a second chance at life, thanks to the power of music. That Day We Sang begins streaming Saturday, January 5.
Question Time (UK)
This spinoff of the BBC radio show Any Questions? features panel members from the worlds of politics and media answering questions submitted by the public about topics facing society today. David Dimbleby recently stepped down as the host after 25 years, and Fiona Bruce (Antiques Roadshow) will take over, becoming the first female host in the show’s 40-year history. Question Time returns to the US on Thursday, January 10.
The Royal: Seasons 1-3 (UK)
In this 1960s-set spinoff of the popular British drama Heartbeat, a dedicated staff of doctors and nurses care for patients at the (fictional) St. Aidan’s Royal Free Hospital in the seaside town of Elsinby. Robert Daws (Coronation Street) leads the ensemble cast as Dr. Gordon Ormerod, who with his team navigates medical issues and the moral dilemmas that arise. The Royal: Seasons 1-3 begins streaming Wednesday, January 23.
Titles in this section begin streaming on the dates shown below on Hulu.
Detectorists: Season 3 (Final) (UK)
The final season of this excellent, BAFTA-winning comedy series finds Andy (Mackenzie Crook, The Office) and Lance (Toby Jones, Marvellous) in new living arrangements and once again going up against “Simon and Garfunkel” in their hunt for hidden treasures. Detectorists: Season 3 begins streaming Tuesday, January 1.
X Company: Seasons 2 & 3 (Canada)
Season 2 of this wartime thriller picks up where Season 1 left off, with the young agents in German-occupied France, cut off from communications with Camp X. In the final season, the operatives take on their last mission together to help the Allies. Starring Évelyne Brochu (Orphan Black), Jack Laskey (Endeavour), and Warren Brown (Strike Back), X Company: Seasons 2 and 3 begins streaming Tuesday, January 1.
Burden of Truth: Season 1 (Canada)
Kristin Kreuk (Smallville) stars in this legal drama as Joanna Hanley, an attorney who returns to her hometown to represent a Big Pharma company, after their vaccine is suspected of causing the mysterious illness that affected several teen girls. Burden of Truth: Season 1 begins streaming Saturday, January 12.
Titles in this section begin streaming as Prime Video offerings on the dates shown below. Shows and schedules are subject to change without prior notice.
Endeavour: Season 5 (UK)
Opening in April 1968, the latest season of this hit Brit mystery finds Morse (Shaun Evans, The Last Weekend), now a Detective Sergeant, partnered with DC George Fancy (Lewis Peek, Poldark) while Thursday (Roger Allam, The Thick of It), now a Detective Chief Inspector, must put off his retirement for a bit. Endeavour: Season 5 arrives on Prime Video on Tuesday, January 29.
Stan Lee’s Lucky Man: Season 3 (UK)
In what could be this fantasy crime drama’s final season, DI Harry Clayton (James Nesbitt, Cold Feet) learns about the Torch and their links with the bracelets, and encounters a gang intent on destroying the bracelets. Meanwhile, MI6 operative Samuel Blake (Rupert Penry-Jones, The Strain) uses his connections with both MI6 and the gang to frame Harry for murder in order to get Harry’s bracelet. Stan Lee’s Lucky Man: Season 3 premieres in the US on Shudder (date tba).
Travel Man: Seasons 1 & 3 (UK)
Fronting this BAFTA-nominated travel show is BAFTA winner Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd), who explores popular destinations, such as Barcelona, Istanbul, Venice, and Berlin, with celebrity guests including Jessica Hynes (W1A), Stephen Mangan (Episodes), Rob Delaney (Catastrophe), and Johnny Vegas (Moone Boy). He also challenges himself to see and do as much as possible in 48 hours. Ovation begins airing Travel Man: Season 1 on Thursday, January 3, at 10 PM ET, and Season 3 on January 24 at the same time. (Seasons 2 & 4 are currently available on Journy, Ovation’s travel AVOD service.)
Pure: Season 1 (Canada)
Ryan Robbins (Sanctuary) stars in this drama as Noah Funk, a Mennonite pastor who betrays a local drug trafficker to get the lot of them out of his community. But this makes the situation worse when mob boss Eli Voss (Peter Outerbridge, ReGenesis) forces Noah into drug crime. To protect himself and his family, Noah uses his role inside Voss’ organization to get evidence for the DEA. Pure: Season 1 begins airing Wednesday, January 23, at 10 PM ET, on WGN America.
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Did you miss any of the new shows from previous months? Check the British TV Viewing Guide 2018 Archives to find out.
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For details about the January premieres of shows from Australia and New Zealand, visit The Down Under TV Place. For those about the debuts of original-language, English-subtitled programs from Europe, visit The Euro TV Place.
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