If your New Year’s resolution involves work-life balance, better relationship choices, or searching for missing teens, there’s something for you to watch on the small screen this January. The first month of 2025 also sees the long-awaited returns of the worlds of video game production and intelligence and national security law. These are the five streaming series you should catch up on before they continue.
Goosebumps
(Disney+)
What it is: Based on the iconic book series by R.L. Stine, this show similarly takes a YA approach to the supernatural horror genre. Each season follows a different serialized story connecting multiple Goosebumps monsters, with the first episodes collectively concerning the mystery of a dead teenager. Season 2, titled Goosebumps: The Vanishing, begins streaming in its entirety on Friday, January 10.
Why you should watch it: No matter how many times they’re retold and reimagined, R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps stories and their respective characters continue to thrill and amuse. And yes, the fan-favorite Slappy the Living Dummy is in this adaptation, too. This latest series, like the ‘90s TV show and the recent movie franchise, offers younger viewers an entertaining introduction to horror as it supplements the timeless novels with humorous frights.
Where to watch: Disney+ (subscription, season 1)
Commitment: Approx. 6 hours (for season 1)
Harley Quinn
(Max)
What it is: The titular DC Comics character leads this dark but comedic animated series for mature audiences. At the start of the show, Harley Quinn has broken up with the Joker and is on a path toward self-discovery while forming a crew of fellow supervillains. As the series continues, a romantic relationship between Harley and Poison Ivy becomes central to the plot, as does their switch to crime-fighting. The first episode of Harley Quinn: Season 5 premieres on Wednesday, January 16.
Why you should watch it: Over the last 10 years, Harley Quinn has understandably become one of the most beloved characters in the DC Comics universe, and it’s not just thanks to Margot Robbie’s portrayal in the live-action films. As voiced by Kaley Cuoco, this animated incarnation is delightfully compelling, and the show around her is smart, funny, romantic, and action-packed. You needn’t be a DC Comics fan to enjoy Harley Quinn, but given how many major and minor characters show up through the first four seasons, you’ll become one anyway.
Where to watch: Max (subscription, seasons 1-4); buy on Fandango at Home, Apple TV
Commitment: Approx. 18 hours (for season 1-4, including the Valentine’s Day special)
Severance
(Apple TV+
What it is: Adam Scott of Parks and Recreation fame stars in this sci-fi thriller about an office where the workers know nothing about their own lives outside of their jobs — and vice versa. Once they clock in, their consciousness switches to their “innie” existence at Lumon Industries, and once they clock out at the end of the day, their “outie” selves take over for their return home. Throughout the first season, however, Lumon’s employees begin to uncover secrets about the corporation and put the two halves of themselves back together. The first episode of Severance: Season 2 premieres on Friday, January 17.
Why you should watch it: One of the most clever and consistently intriguing TV series of the last decade, Severance is an addictive mystery box show that has kept fans in suspense for three years as they await its return. As it’s also partly a weird workplace comedy, the series features a variety of memorable characters, and the ensemble cast including Scott, Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, Zach Cherry, and Britt Lower is outstanding.
Where to watch: Apple TV+ (subscription, season 1)
Commitment: Approx. 7 hours (for season 1)
Mythic Quest
(Apple TV+)
(Photo by Apple TV+)
What it is: From the makers of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, this workplace comedy is led by both series’ co-creator Rob McElhenney. In this show, he plays the creative genius behind a popular online multiplayer video game. Through the first three seasons, he experiences conflicts with the rest of the Mythic Quest team, the gaming industry as a whole, and even the COVID-19 pandemic, as he works to expand the game and its success. The first two episodes of season 4 premiere on Wednesday, January 29.
Why you should watch it: Mythic Quest is one of the funniest workplace shows going at the moment, which isn’t surprising given it stars McElhenney and includes Community’s Danny Pudi and the underrated comedic talents of Oscar-winning actor F. Murray Abraham. With a new season and an upcoming spinoff anthology series arriving shortly afterward, now is a great time to log on and enjoy the first three seasons.
Where to watch: Apple TV+ (subscription, seasons 1-3)
Commitment: Approx. 13.5 hours (for seasons 1-3, including two special episodes)
The Recruit
(Netflix)
What it is: A series involving a distinct area of the U.S. intelligence community, The Recruit stars Noah Centineo (Black Adam) as a lawyer for the CIA fresh on the job. Of course, his life and career immediately are pulled into the action of the greater spy game when an Eastern European asset wants him to get her out of prison. Season 2 premieres in its entirety on Thursday, January 30.
Why you should watch it: What sounds on paper like a heady geopolitical thriller is much more accessible and sometimes even humorous, thanks primarily to Centineo’s charming lead performance. Audiences have embraced the lightweight action and fast-paced adventure of The Recruit more than critics have, but it’s a breezy watch to pass the time enjoyably.
Where to watch: Netflix (subscription, season 1)
Commitment: Approx. 7 hours (for season 1)
