January Newsletter

Happy New Year, and welcome to the latest edition of Substream! Your go-to source for honest, unpretentious streaming news, reviews, and recommendations.

In this month’s newsletter:

• Everything to look out for in January

• December reviews

• Industry news and announcements

Be sure to follow @substream on Instagram if you’re not already for a weekly dose of what to watch and more.

Don’t forget, you can always check out this newsletter or past newsletters here.

NEW THIS MONTH
Bridgerton is Back, Drops of God Returns

January 1

• Run Away (Netflix, new limited series mystery from Harlan Coben)

• Shetland (BritBox, Season 10 of British drama series)

January 4

• When Calls the Heart (Hallmark Channel, Season 13)

• Critics Choice Awards (E!/USA Network, live special)

January 5

• St. Denis Medical (NBC, Season 2)

• The Paper (NBC, Season 1B)

• Brilliant Minds (NBC, Season 2B)

January 6

• Will Trent (ABC, Season 4)

• High Potential (ABC, Season 2B)

• The Rookie (ABC, Season 8)

• Best Medicine (Fox, new dramedy series)*

• Doc (Fox, Season 1B)

January 7

• Shifting Gears (ABC, Season 2B)

• Abbott Elementary (ABC, Season 5B)

January 8

• The Pitt (HBO Max, Season 2)

• The Traitors (Peacock, Season 4)

• Girl Taken (Paramount+, new British mystery series)*

• His & Hers (Netflix, new mystery-thriller limited series)*

January 9

• People We Meet on Vacation (Netflix, New rom-com based on the novel by Emily Henry)*

• Tehran (Apple TV, Season 3, Spy-thriller series)

• A Thousand Blows (Hulu, Season 2, Period drama series)

• Alpha Males (Netflix, Season 4, Spanish comedy series)

January 11

• Industry (HBO, Season 4, Finale 3/1)

• The 83rd Golden Globe Awards (CBS, live special hosted by Nikki Glaser)

• All Creatures Great and Small (PBS Passport, Season 6)

• The Night Manager (Prime Video, Season 2, Thriller series starring Hugh Laurie & Olivia Coleman)

January 13

• Tell Me Lies (Hulu, Season 3, Finale 2/24)

January 14

• Hijack (Apple TV, Season 2, Finale 2/25)

• Riot Women (BritBox, Season 1 of British comedy-drama series)

January 15

• Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials (Netflix, new mystery series)*

• Ponies (Peacock, new spy thriller series starring Emilia Clarke)*

• Gangs of London (AMC+, Season 3, Action series)

January 16

• The Rip (Netflix, new original film starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, crime thriller)

• Twinless (Hulu, new film, comedy)

January 18

• A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO, new drama series)*

January 21

• Drops of God (Apple TV, Season 2)

• Steal (Prime Video, new thriller miniseries starring Sophie Turner)*

January 27

• Memory of a Killer (Hulu/Disney+, new thriller series starring Patrick Dempsey)*

• Wonder Man (Disney+, new Marvel series)*

January 28

• Shrinking (Apple TV, Season 3, Finale 4/8)

• School Spirits (Paramount+, Season 3)

• The Wrecking Crew (Prime Video, New action comedy film starring Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista)*

January 29

• Bridgerton (Netflix, Season 4A)

*Denotes new film or series. Recommend checking reviews here before watching.

DECEMBER REVIEWS
Stranger Things: Worth The Wait?

I could hardly not write about the number one show in the world this December and its epic final season. Stranger Things 5 dominated streaming and pop culture alike, reminding us just how rare it is for a series to feel like a true global event in its final chapter. From record-breaking viewership to nonstop social buzz, Hawkins once again became the center of the streaming universe.

Of course, getting there required patience. Here’s a look at just how long we’ve waited over the years to catch up with our favorite crew.

• Season 1 Release: July 15, 2016

  • Wait: 1 year, 3 months, 12 days

• Season 2 Release: October 27, 2017

  • Wait: 1 year, 8 months, 7 days

• Season 3 Release: July 4, 2019

  • Wait: 2 years, 10 months, 23 days

• Season 4 Release: May 27, 2022 (Volume 1)

  • Wait: 3 years, 5 months, 30 days

• Season 5 Release: November 26, 2025 (Volume 1)

Can you believe it’s been nearly nine years since we first set foot in the Upside Down? Since then, Stranger Things has launched careers, revived 80s music on the charts, inspired endless Halloween costumes, and become a shared cultural touchstone for an entire generation of viewers.

The final season delivered everything fans were hoping for: higher stakes, emotional payoffs, and a return to the heart of what made the show so special in the first place — friendship, bravery, and a healthy dose of 80s nostalgia. Long-running character arcs finally came full circle, familiar faces took center stage, and the show leaned fully into its darker, more cinematic tone, making the goodbye feel both earned and unforgettable.

Was the final season worth the wait for you? Let me know your thoughts.

This is Rockin’ Robin signing off.

TOP STORIES
In Case You Missed It

RENEWALS & CANCELATIONS

• ‘Platonic’ renewed for S3 at Apple TV+. (more)

• ‘Landman’ renewed for S3 at Paramount+. (more)

• ‘Down Cemetery Road’ renewed for S2 at AppleTV+. (more)

• ‘Boots’ is canceled at Netflix after S1. (more)

• ‘The Last Frontier’ is canceled at AppleTV+ after S1. (more)

• ‘NCIS: Tony & Ziva’ is canceled at Paramount+ after S1. (more)

TV NEWS & DEVELOPMENTS

• ‘The White Lotus’ casts AJ Michalka, Alexander Ludwig, in S4. Helena Bonham Carter continuing talks. (more)

• ‘Euphoria’ will return in April for S3 with a five-year time jump. (more)

• Kitt Harington joins Shailene Woodley and Lindsay Lohan in ‘Count My Lies’. (more)

• Mandy Moore will star in and executive produce erotic thriller ‘Teach Me,’ now in development. (more)

• Rege-Jean Page signs on to star in and executive produce new erotic thriller ‘Hancock Park’ at Netflix. (more)

• Nicholas Hoult and Daisy Edgar-Jones will star in Disney+/Hulu’s new dark comedy ‘Mosquito.’ (more)

• Hugh Laurie joins Amy Poehler in conspiracy comedy ‘Dig’ at Peacock. (more)

FILM NEWS & DEVELOPMENTS

• Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson will return for Hunger Games prequel, ‘Sunrise on the Reaping.’ (more)

• Cillian Murphy is returns as Tommy Shelby in ‘Peaky Blinders’ film at Netflix. (first look)

• Scarlett Johansson in final talks to join Robert Pattinson in ‘The Batman Part II’. (more)

• Amanda Seyfried will star in and executive produce Prime Video’s adaptation of ‘Skinny Dip.’ (more)

• Rupert Grint and Daisy Ridley to join Johnny Depp’s cast in ‘Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol.’ (more)

• Jennifer Garner will star in and produce rom-com ‘One Attempt Remaining’ at Netflix. (more)

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