Kicking off the new year — and the new decade! — are 24 brand new shows, seasons, and specials from the UK and Canada, including several highly-anticipated titles.
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.
Programs and dates are subject to change without prior notice.
NATIONAL PREMIERES
Doctor Who: Season 12 (UK)
The Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) returns for more adventures across time and space with friends Ryan (Tosin Cole), Yasmin (Mandip Gill), and Graham (Bradley Walsh) when Season 12 kicks off the new year with a special two-part story. With guest stars including Stephen Fry (Kingdom), Sir Lenny Henry CBE (Chef!), and Robert Glenister (Law and Order: UK), Doctor Who: Season 12 premieres in the US on Wednesday, January 1, at 8 PM ET/PT, on BBC America. New episodes will air in the show’s regular time slot of Sundays at 8 PM starting January 5.
Mrs. Brown’s Boys New Year’s Special (UK)
The second part of the Mrs. Brown’s Boys annual holiday specials is this New Year’s episode. Starring Brendan O’Carroll as the loudest, proudest, most meddlesome mother in Ireland, it finds matriarch Agnes, everyone in the Brown household, and Agnes’s friend and neighbor Winnie concerned at the news that the poisoner Peggy Piper has been released from prison. The Mrs. Brown’s Boys New Year’s Special premieres in the US on Wednesday, January 1, as a “Now” title exclusively on BritBox. (Video is from 2017)
Anne with an E: Season 3 (Final) (Canada)
Based on L.M. Montgomery’s “Anne of Green Gables” novels, this coming-of-age drama series comes to a close with ten final episodes. In this season, a milestone birthday sparks a search for Anne’s (Amybeth McNulty) origin story as she sorts out matters of the heart and starts setting a course for her future. Anne with an E: Season 3, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, January 3, exclusively on Netflix.
James May: Our Man in Japan (UK)
In this travelogue from one-third of The Grand Tour’s hosting team, James May goes solo as he embarks on a journey across Japan, from its icy north to its balmy south. He’ll see the sights, meet the locals, and eat the noodles in a bid to truly understand the Land of the Rising Sun. James May: Our Man In Japan premieres globally on Friday, January 3, exclusively on Prime Video.
Dracula (UK)
From the makers of Sherlock comes this new miniseries inspired by Bram Stoker‘s classic novel. It transforms the legend of Count Dracula, played here by Claes Bang (The Affair), with new tales that flesh out the vampire’s gory crimes and bring his vulnerability into the light. Dracula, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Saturday, January 4, exclusively on Netflix. (You can add it to your queue now.)
Schitt’s Creek: Season 6 (Final) (Canada)
This Primetime Emmy®-nominated comedy series returns for one more season, with series creators Dan and Eugene Levy and costars Catherine O’Hara and Annie Murphy reprising their roles as the Rose family for the final fourteen episodes. Schitt’s Creek: Season 6 premieres in the US on Tuesday, January 7, at 9 PM ET, on Pop TV. (Video is from Season 5)
Silent Witness: Season 23 (UK)
In the new season opener of this popular mystery-crime drama series, Nikki (Emilia Fox) and her team of forensic pathologists investigate a downed private jet. When Thomas (Richard Lantern) gets called to an apparent suicide of a successful businessman, he finds unexpected connections to the plane crash that could point to a coordinated attack. Silent Witness: Season 23 premieres in North America on Tuesday, January 7, as a “Now” title exclusively on BritBox. (Video is from Season 22)
Giri / Haji (UK)
Family duty sends Tokyo detective Kenzo Mori to London to look for his brother, whose killing of a Yakuza member’s nephew could start a gang war back home. During Kenzo’s search, he meets DC Sarah Weitzmann (Kelly Macdonald, The Victim) and sex worker Rodney Yamaguchi (Will Sharpe, Flowers), and encounters members of London’s criminal underworld. Giri / Haji, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Wednesday, January 8, exclusively on Netflix. (You can add it to your queue now.)
This Farming Life: Season 3 (UK)
The return of this agricultural documentary series follows the ups and downs of six new farming families in Scotland and Northern Ireland — whether it’s dealing with a sick herd of cattle or battling against a bitter snowstorm — as they face tough economic times and an uncertain future. This Farming Life: Season 3 premieres in North America on Friday, January 10, exclusively on BritBox. (Video is from 2017)
Sanditon (UK)
Jane Austen‘s final, unfinished novel has been given an ending by Andrew Davies (Little Dorrit), and the story is coming to telly as a period drama set in a sleepy seaside village. (More details here.) Starring Rose Williams (Curfew), Sanditon premieres on PBS with two episodes on Sunday, January 12, beginning at 9 PM ET (check your local listings). PBS members can stream the entire series starting the same day on PBS Passport.
Ackley Bridge: Series 3 (UK)
The 2018 RTS Award winner for Best Television Drama returns with eight new episodes set in and around a multicultural academy in a small Yorkshire mill town. Joining Jo Joyner and the rest of the cast this season are Robert James-Collier (Downton Abbey) and Charlie Hardwick (Emmerdale). Ackley Bridge: Series 3 premieres in the US on Monday, January 13, exclusively on Acorn TV.
Expedition with Steve Backshall (UK)
This new ten-part documentary finds explorer and naturalist Steve Backshall pursuing incredible journeys and world firsts as he sets foot where no human has been before while pushing himself and his crew to the limit. (More details here.) Expedition with Steve Backshall premieres in the US on Wednesday, January 15, at 10 PM ET, on PBS (check your local listings), and begins streaming on PBS Passport the same day.
Endlings: Season 1 (Canada)
In this new sci-fi, action-adventure, family series, the four foster children of Mr. Leopold (Neil Crone, Little Mosque on the Prairie) discover an alien after it crash-lands on their farm. They then help it to save endangered species on Earth, after the last elephant on the planet vanishes. Endlings: Season 1, a Hulu Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, January 17, exclusively on Hulu.
Rob Delaney: Jackie (UK)
Emmy nominee and BAFTA winner Rob Delaney, who co-created, co-wrote, and costarred with Sharon Horgan in the hit comedy series Catastrophe, takes to the stage in his new stand-up comedy special, recorded at the Hackney Empire in London. In it he unpacks the horrors and joys of his life in London, from swimming in tea and being a husband and father, to the monarchy and the disappearance of his friend Jackie. Rob Delaney: Jackie premieres globally on Friday, January 17, exclusively on Prime Video. (You can add it to your queue now.)
Sex Education: Season 2 (UK)
In the new season of this TV-MA-rated comedy-drama series, Otis (Asa Butterfield) must master his newly-discovered sexual urges in order to progress with his girlfriend Ola (Patricia Allison), while he also deals with his now-strained relationship with Maeve (Emma Mackey). Meanwhile, there’s a chlamydia outbreak at school, and new kids come to town. Sex Education: Season 2, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, January 17, exclusively on Netflix.
Seven Worlds, One Planet (UK-US)
Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, this landmark series tells the story of Earth’s seven spectacular continents and how they shape the extraordinary animal behavior and biodiversity we see today. Seven Worlds, One Planet premieres in the US on Saturday, January 18, at 9 PM ET, as a multi-network event airing on BBC America, AMC, IFC, and SundanceTV.
Avenue 5 (UK-US)
Created by Armando Iannucci (Veep, The Thick of it) and set 40 years in the future, this comedy sci-fi series stars Hugh Laurie (The Night Manager) as Ryan Clark, captain of the Avenue 5 space cruise ship. When it has technical difficulties during a journey around Saturn, Ryan and his crew must calm the disgruntled passengers — though they may not be equipped for the task. Avenue 5, an HBO Originals series, premieres in the US on Sunday, January 19, at 10 PM ET, on HBO.
Vienna Blood (UK-Austria)
Adapted from Frank Tallis‘s “Liebermann” novels, this mystery series follows Max Liebermann (Matthew Beard, Kiss Me First), a doctor studying under Sigmund Freud, who teams up with Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt (Juergen Maurer, Anatomy of Evil), an Austrian detective, to solve some of the most mysterious and deadly cases in early 1900s Vienna. (More details here.) Vienna Blood premieres in the US on Sunday, January 19, at 10 PM ET, on PBS (check your local listings), and begins streaming on the PBS Masterpiece channel on Amazon and PBS Passport the same day.
Carter: Season 2 (Canada)
Jerry O’Connell returns as the eponymous Hollywood actor-turned-amateur sleuth in the new season of this comedic crime drama. It opens with Carter, now officially a private investigator, working on a missing person case that turns out to be a kidnapping. With Lyriq Bent (She’s Gotta Have It) joining the cast, Carter: Season 2 premieres in the US on Monday, January 20, at 10 PM ET, on WGN America.
Love Island: Season 6 (UK)
The winner of the 2018 BAFTA Award for Best Reality and Constructed Factual Show, this series returns with a new group of singles living in a beautiful villa in Majorca under the watchful gaze of the audience at home, who have the power to decide who stays, who goes, and ultimately who wins. Love Island: Season 6 premieres in the US on Monday, January 20, exclusively on Hulu. (Video is from Season 5)
Vera: Season 10 (UK)
Inspired by Ann Cleeves‘s “Vera Stanhope Mystery” novels, this, the longest-running British-made female-led detective series, returns for its tenth season. Starring two-time Oscar® nominee Brenda Blethyn, along with regular cast members Kenny Doughty, Jon Morrison, Riley Jones, Ibinabo Jack, and Paul Kaye, the new season includes four feature-length standalone murder mystery stories. Vera: Season 10 premieres in the US on Tuesday, January 21, as a “Now” title exclusively on BritBox. (Video is from Season 9)
Night on Earth (UK)
From the award-winning producers of Planet Earth II, Life, and Blue Planet comes this stunning natural history series, which reveals the wonders of the nocturnal world. Night on Earth, a Netflix Original series, premieres globally on Wednesday, January 29, exclusively on Netflix. (You can add it to your queue now.)
The Stranger (UK)
Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Harlan Coben, this thriller stars Richard Armitage (Berlin Station) as Adam Price, a family man who finds himself tangled in a web of deception and goes on a desperate quest to uncover the truth about the people closest to him after the Stranger reveals a shocking secret about his wife. (More details here.) The Stranger, a Netflix Original series, premieres globally on Thursday, January 30, exclusively on Netflix. (You can add it to your queue now.)
I Am a Killer: Season 2 (UK)
This documentary series returns with new episodes that offer a fascinating look at death row inmates convicted of capital murder in America, each of whom gives a firsthand account of their crimes. I Am a Killer: Season 2, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, January 31, exclusively on Netflix.
LOCAL/REGIONAL PREMIERES
The Victim (UK/Scotland)
Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire) stars in this Scottish thriller as the still-grieving mother of a boy who was murdered 14 years ago. After she posts online the name and address of the man she is convinced is her son’s killer, he is brutally beaten, and she is charged and goes on trial for “incitement to murder.” (More details here.) The Victim is confirmed for airing on the public TV stations and regional networks listed below on or after January 2. Check you local listings or contact the station that serves your area for air dates and times. To request the show, contact your station or American Public Television.
| STATE | CITY | STATION |
|---|---|---|
| ARIZONA | Tucson |  |
| CALIFORNIA | Los Angeles |  |
| COLORADO | Denver |  |
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | Washington, DC |  |
| FLORIDA | Daytona, Orlando |  |
| IDAHO | Boise, Coeur d’Alene, Moscow, Pocatello, Twin Falls |  |
| KENTUCKY | Ashland, Bowling Green, Concinnati/Covington, Elizabethtown, Hazard, Lexington, Louisville, Madisonville, Morehead, Murray, Owensboro, Owenton, Paducah, Pikeville, Somerset |  |
| KENTUCKY | Bowling Green, Nashville |  |
| LOUISIANA | Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, Shreveport |  |
| MASSACHUSETTS | Boston, Springfield |  |
| NEW YORK | Buffalo |  |
| NEW YORK | Norwood, Watertown |  |
| OREGON | Bend, Corvallis, Eugene, La Grande, Portland |  |
| PENNSYLVANIA | Philadelphia region (DE, NJ, PA) |  |
| UTAH | Richland, Salt Lake City, St. George |  |
NON-PREMIERE PROGRAMS BEING ADDED TO STREAMING SERVICES
Titles in this section begin streaming on the dates shown below on Acorn TV and its digital channels, including the Acorn TV channel on Amazon.
The Family Farm (UK)
This reality series follows three UK families as they are taken out of their comfort zones and pushed to their limits with early starts, late finishes, and dirty jobs in all weather conditions — all as part of spending their summer living and working on a farm in the mountains of Snowdonia, as volunteers, no less. The Family Farm begins streaming Monday, January 6. (Video is a casting call promo)
Terry Pratchett’s Going Postal (UK)
Based on the late, great Terry Pratchett‘s fantasy novel, this miniseries stars Richard Coyle (The Collection) as Moist von Lipwig, a con man who is caught, arrested and hanged, but doesn’t die, so instead becomes the Postmaster of a derelict post as his punishment. Costarring David Suchet (Poirot), Charles Dance (Game of Thrones), and Claire Foy (The Crown), Terry Pratchett’s Going Postal begins streaming Monday, January 6.
Hidden Britain by Drone (UK)
In this documentary series, Sir Tony Robinson uses the latest aerial filming technology to show viewers new aspects of Britain. With various flying cameras, he opens up the far reaches of Britain, explores some top-secret military locations, and finds unexpected hidden treasures in pockets of the rolling countryside. Hidden Britain by Drone begins streaming Monday, January 20.
The Great Train Robbery (UK)
This miniseries chronicles the true story of the train hijacking on August 8, 1963, which became the biggest robbery in Britain’s history at that time. The first feature-length episode traces the planning and execution of the crime, and the second follows the manhunt for the criminals. Starring Luke Evans (The Alienist) and Jim Broadbent (Iris), The Great Train Robbery begins streaming Monday, January 27.
The Silence (UK)
In this mystery miniseries, Genevieve Barr (The Accident) plays Amelia, an eighteen-year-old who, after getting a cochlear implant, witnesses a murder. The subsequent investigation untangles a web of police corruption. Costarring Douglas Henshall (Shetland) and Dervla Kirwan (White Dragon), The Silence begins streaming Monday, January 27.
Titles in this section begin streaming on the dates shown below on BritBox and its digital channels, including the BritBox channel on Amazon.
Wallander: Seasons 1-4 (Complete) (UK)
Based on the late, great Henning Mankell‘s best-selling “Wallander” novels, this award-winning mystery series stars five-time Oscar® nominee Kenneth Branagh (Henry V) as the brilliant Swedish detective Kurt Wallander, whose unwavering focus on solving crimes puts his relationships and health at stake. Wallander: Seasons 1-4 begins streaming Wednesday, January 1.
London Road (UK)
Starring Oscar® winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite) and Oscar® nominee Tom Hardy (The Revenant), this feature film adaptation of the National Theatre’s sold-out verbatim-style musical captures the true events of a 2006 tragedy. Members of an Ipswich community band together for the betterment of their town after it is rocked by the discovery of the dead bodies of five women. London Road begins streaming Friday, January 17.
Mrs. Brown’s Boys: Seasons 1-3 (UK)
This hilarious sitcom, whose episodes were taped in front of a live studio audience, is a cultural phenomenon internationally. It stars Brendan O’Carroll as loud-mouthed Mrs. Agnes Brown, the old-fashioned and politically-incorrect Irish matriarch whose favorite pastime is meddling in the lives of her children and friends. All three seasons of Mrs. Brown’s Boys begin streaming Tuesday, January 28. (Video is from 2013)
Titles in this section begin streaming on the dates shown below on Topic and its digital channels, including the Topic channel on Amazon.
Run (UK)
This dark and gritty miniseries paints a compelling picture of modern-day life as it weaves together the stories of four seemingly unconnected people facing life-changing decisions. Starring Olivia Colman (The Crown), Katie Leung (Harry Potter), Lennie James (Save Me), and Katharina Schüttler (The Little Drummer Girl), Run begins streaming Thursday, January 2.
NON-PREMIERE PROGRAMS BEING ADDED TO BROADCAST TV
Howards End (UK)
Based on E. M. Forster‘s novel, this period drama follows sisters Margaret (Hayley Atwell, Agent Carter) and Helen Schlegel (Philippa Coulthard, Secrets & Lies) as they seek love and meaning while navigating the changing world in Edwardian England. (More details here.) Howards End begins airing Sunday, January 12, at 8 PM ET, on PBS (check your local listings), and begins streaming on the PBS Masterpiece channel on Amazon the same day.
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Did you miss any of the new shows from previous days, weeks, or months? Check out the British TV Viewing Guide and 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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