Here are the new TV shows and films you should absolutely binge in Jan 2021

We’ve finally bid farewell to 2020 - a historic year in many unfortunate ways. Whether or not 2021 is any better remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: every streaming service is intent on kicking things off with a bang.

Tons of new movies and TV shows will become available throughout the year, and that all starts right here and now - in January. 

Hopefully ‘watch less TV’ isn’t one of your new year’s resolutions. 

1. Cobra Kai Season 3 (Jan 1) - Netflix

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After being moved from YouTube Red from Netflix, this is the first season of Cobra Kai to actually be a proper Netflix Original.

The Karate Kid spin-off/sequel has Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso team up to put an end to the endless fighting between two karate dojos - a rivalry that might outmatch their own.

Cobra Kai as a whole has ended up being a whole lot better than it should be, building upon the legacy of the Karate Kid movies in a really wholesome way. Season 3 already looks fantastic, and what a way to kick off 2021 too!

2. Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks (Jan 2) - BBC First

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We originally thought this special episode of Doctor Who would premiere in December, but it’s been pushed to January instead. The last time we saw the Doctor, she’d just learned an absolutely world-shattering secret about her origins before being imprisoned by the Judoon.

Her companions are now separated from their friend, and resolve to get her back. Throw in redesigned Daleks, a prison breakout and the long-awaited return of Torchwood’s Jack Harkness, and you’ve got quite an eventful episode!

3. The History of Swear Words (Jan 5) - Netflix

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Watch the first 10 seconds of that trailer and tell me you’re not interested, I dare you. This six-episode comedy/docuseries delves into the origins, pop culture-usage, science and cultural impact of swear words in human history.

It’s also hosted by none other than Nicolas Cage, who puts his eccentric acting skills to very good use. That is, by cursing a whole lot.

4. Pieces of a Woman (Jan 7) - Netflix

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Vanessa Kirby stars in this film about a Boston couple, whose lives change drastically during a home birth at the hands of a midwife.

The midwife faces charges of criminal negligence afterwards, and Martha Carson (Kirby) struggles to navigate her grief and fractured relationships with her husband and family. This looks like a heartbreaking watch, if you’re in the mood for a good drama.

5. Dickinson (Jan 8) - Apple TV+

Future Hawkeye Hailee Steinfeld returns as Emily Dickinson in the second season of Apple's dramedy. This season, Emily finds herself thrown into the public eye after previously keeping her work private.

The poet might have to learn the hard way that the pursuit of fame is a dangerous game for her to play.

6. A Perfect Planet (Jan 11) - BBC Earth/BBC Player

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Sir David Attenborough is back to narrate another breathtaking documentary: A Perfect Planet, on BBC. This series explores the delicate balance planet Earth strikes to balance life, with footage from some of the most isolated parts of our world.

In doing so, it will examine five forces of nature that shape the planet: weather, ocean currents, solar energy, volcanoes and humanity. This was a massive production, filmed across 31 countries! 

7. Outside the Wire (Jan 15) - Netflix

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Netflix’s action-packed offering for January is Outside the Wire, a film set in the far-flung future. A drone pilot named Harp (Damson Idris) is sent into a deadly militarised zone to work for Leo (Anthony Mackie), who’s secretly an android.

The two of them set out to locate a doomsday device before the faction they’re fighting against does. 

8. The Ultimate Playlist of Noise (Jan 15) - Hulu

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Marcus is a high school senior obsessed with sounds, but has to undergo brain surgery that will render him deaf. He then decides to say farewell to all the sounds he’ll never hear again by recording the Ultimate Playlist of Noise.

This looks like a sweet little romantic drama, though the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope is pretty played out by now. 

9. One Night in Miami (Jan 15) - Amazon Prime Video

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Directed by Regina King, this stage adaptation follows Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown and Sam Cooke who all meet in a Miami hotel room to celebrate Ali’s surprise title win over Sonny Liston. This one has already amassed a pile of very positive reviews!

What would happen if so many legendary figures found themselves in a room together? One has to wonder. 

10. Euphoria Special Episode Part 2 (Jan 24) - HBO Go

While you wait for the second season of HBO’s flashy new teenage drama, Euphoria’s creators have prepared two special episodes set in between Season 1 and Season 2. The first, titled ‘Trouble Don’t Last Always’, followed Rue and her struggles with maintaining sobriety.

It came out in December. Part 2, titled ‘F*ck Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob’, will focus on Jules, who left Rue in the Season 1 finale and presumably is having her own dark adventures somewhere far away.

Trouble Don’t Last Always was personally my favourite episode of the entire series, so hopefully Part 2 keeps up that level of quality!

This article was first published in Hardware Zone.