By Ruth Young

I don’t know about everybody else, but my New Year’s resolutions do not involve doing less binge-watching. Quite the opposite, in fact—and for everyone who’s on the same page as me, here are Friday Things’ top streaming picks for the coming month, including the new Apple TV+ crime drama Criminal Record, the eighth season of Queer Eye (which is also our last with Bobby Berk as a member of the fab five), a brand new season of True Detective, Disney+’s newest Marvel series Echo and CBC Gem’s newest original series, For the Culture with Amanda Parris. Read on for the full list of what we’re recommending on Apple TV+, CBC Gem, Crave, Disney+, Netflix Canada and Prime Video in January 2024.

Apple TV+

Criminal Record (Premieres January 10)

Criminal Record is an upcoming British crime drama created by Paul Rutman. When an anonymous phone call drags two brilliant detectives to an old murder case in London, tension rises between the two.

Masters of the Air (Premieres January 26)

Masters of the Air serves as a companion piece to Band of Brothers (2001) and The Pacific (2010) and is based on the 2007 book Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany by Donald L. Miller. The show will follow the events of the 100th Bomb Group of the US Army during World War II. This specific event today is known as the Bloody Hundredth because of the situations the men of the group went through and the casualties that followed.

CBC Gem

Grand Designs Australia, Season 10 (Premieres January 1)

Peter Maddison takes us all over Australia to meet the people building this brand-new season. Expect even more amazing, inspirational architecture and dogged determination on the journeys of ambitious Australians designing and building their own dream homes, in this 10th season.

Booksmart (Premieres January 1)

On graduation eve, best friends Amy and Molly realize they may have missed out. To make up for lost time, they cram four years of not-to-be missed fun into one night. Starring Beanie Feldstein (Ladybird, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising), Kaitlyn Dever (Unbelievable, Justified) and Jessica Williams (Shrinking, Love Life).

Younger, Season 4 (Premieres January 3)

Liza (Sutton Foster, Bunheads) is picking up the pieces of her shattered relationships. After a revelation three seasons in the making, her future at Empirical Publishing is hanging in the balance with Kelsey (Hilary Duff, How I Met Your Father). Meanwhile, Kelsey is surprisingly entwined with Josh (Nico Tortorella, The Walking Dead: World Beyond) – both finding solace in their shared betrayal. As Liza draws closer to Charles (Peter Hermann, Blue Bloods), her desire to stop lying to the people she loves slips further and further away.

Scarborough (Premieres January 5)

Adapted by Catherine Hernandez from her award-winning novel, Scarborough explores the struggles, endurance, and resilience of this culturally diverse Toronto community through the lives of three kids growing up within a system that has set them up for failure. Filmed on location in the Kingston-Galloway/West Hill neighbourhood, Scarborough takes place over the course of a school year. The film received its world premiere at TIFF 2021 where Rich Williamson and Shasha Nakhai won the Shawn Mendes Foundation Changemaker Award and was winner of Best Motion Picture and Achievement in Casting at the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards.

Run the Burbs, Season 3 (Premieres January 9)

Run the Burbs follows the Phams, a young, bold Vietnamese-South Asian-Canadian family taking a different approach to living life to the fullest, while changing the way we think about contemporary family values and life in the burbs. 

Son of a Critch (Premieres January 9)

Based on the award-winning, best-selling memoir from Mark Critch (host of CBC’s long-running​ This Hour Has 22 Minutes), Son of a Critch is the hilarious and very real coming of age tale set​ in 1980’s Newfoundland. It’s a heartfelt window into the life of a 14-year-old boy—much older​ than his years—who uses comedy and self-deprecation to win friends and find his place in the​ world. Mark has always been a late bloomer. But this season, we see him finally start to bloom. As the season begins, we find that Mark has anxiously made his first awkward steps into junior high. He’s now in grade nine and should be king of the castle. One year on top before the cycle starts anew in high school where he’ll find himself once again at the bottom rung. Until then, grade nine brings the promise of being the Big Man On Campus. But is Mark ready for junior high?

Escape to the Country, Season 30 (Premieres January 10)

When homeowners are reviewing their quality of life and questioning the need to live in expensive and polluted urban spaces, Escape to the Country’s satisfying journeys of rural property searches and lifestyle changes have never felt more relevant. Having been on screen for twenty years, this heritage brand now focuses on escaping to the countryside in its broadest sense, presenting practical lifestyle content and constructive suggestions for the viewer, all the while capturing the seasonal beauty of the British landscape. A warm and knowledgeable cast of presenters helps a broad range of property hunters with differing budgets and wish lists.

Summer Love (Premieres January 12)

Summer Love is an anthology series in which eight very different sets of people rent the same holiday house and encounter some incarnation of love; it harnesses the collision between the dreamy enchantment of the beach and the clumsy reality of humans on holiday. Funny and uplifting, the series captures the anonymity, the possibility, the escape that we all feel on vacation - alongside the sunburn and the sand in the sheets. The house, hanging over the ocean, is the portal for love - to be discovered, or recovered, or let go. Nominated for Best Comedy Program at the 2022 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards.

Bollywed, Season 2 (Premieres January 14)

A heartwarming docu-series centred around the Singh family, who have been operating the iconic bridal shop, Chandan Fashion, in Toronto’s Little India for almost 40 years. The series shines a fascinating light on the booming and glamorous world of South Asian culture and fashion, and offers an authentic glimpse into an intergenerationally run business led by father Kuki Singh, his wife Sarab, and their two children Chandan and Chandni, and daughter-in-law Roop. There’s plenty of old-school-meets-new-school drama and laughs as two generations take on the ever-changing and extravagant world of Indian weddings.

Push, Season 2 (Premieres January 14)

Pulling back the veil on life as a wheelchair user, Push once again takes audiences into the inner world of the ‘Wheelie Peeps’, an unlikely group of friends bonded by their shared experience of life on wheels. Season 2 features returning favourites including the group’s fearless and unfiltered leader, Bean Gill; Canada’s favourite potty-mouthed and self-proclaimed red neck, Brian McPherson; concert pianist, entrepreneur and adventure-seeker, Riccardo Baldini; and more! Nothing is off the table as this bold group of friends tackle everything life throws their way. From the logistics and stigmas of sex with a fellow wheelchair user, to navigating new motherhood as a “quad mom”, to facing the people and places who knew them pre-injury, Season 2 has the peeps confronting their past, facing their demons and supporting new members of the group through the early days of wheelchair life.

Colin from Accounts (Premieres January 17)

Centred on Ashley and Gordon, two single-ish, complex humans who are brought together by a car accident and an injured dog. Flawed, funny people choosing each other and being brave enough to show their true self, scars and all, as they navigate life together.

The Man Who Stole Einstein’s Brain (Premieres January 21)

The Man Who Stole Einstein’s Brain tells the little-known and bizarre story of Dr. Thomas Stoltz Harvey. In April 1955, Harvey is the chief pathologist of Princeton Hospital who steals the brain from Albert Einstein’s corpse while performing the autopsy on the world’s most famous scientist. While Einstein’s family demands the brain be returned, the ambitious Harvey strikes a secret deal with the estate to safeguard it for science - but science is not yet up to the job and Harvey can never outrun the power of Einstein’s celebrity.

In Limbo (Premieres January 24)

When Charlie's (Ryan Corr) best friend, Nate (Bob Morley), dies at just 38, Charlie is forced to face his grief in a way he could never have imagined, when the ghost of his dead friend begins ‘haunting’ him. There are no levitating tables or flying books, but confronting the spectre of loss is the scariest thing Charlie’s ever done. The only comfort is that he’s facing it with his charming, witty and garrulous best mate by his side – albeit in apparition form.

Ghosting with Luke Hutchie and Matthew Finlan (Premieres January 26)

This new unscripted comedy series follows Hutchie (Ezra) and Finlan (Orphan: First Kill, Ezra), two actors known exclusively for their work in the horror genre, as they step off script and into their own real-life thriller on their quest to discover if Canada’s most haunted places are truly haunted. Joined by a celebrity special guest each episode, Hutchie and Finlan put their fictional survival skills to the test in the very real world of ghost busting, hoping to reach a final verdict of ‘haunted’ or ‘not’.

For the Culture with Amanda Parris (Premieres January 30)

In this point-of-view documentary series, award-winning writer, executive producer and host Amanda Parris leaves the wars raging on social media to create space for urgent and provocative conversations that centre Blackness and Black folks. Travelling to where the stories are, she’ll talk with cultural leaders, activists, scholars and everyday people—including writer and producer Larry Wilmore, best-selling author Bolu Babalola, comedian Gina Yashere and the “Robin Hood of Restitution” Mwazulu Diyabanza—about topics such as reparations, Black maternal health, the business of Black hair and more. Each episode will make transnational connections and push the conversation beyond the hashtags.

Crave Canada

House of Kardashian (Premieres January 1)

This three-part docuseries explores the lives and legacy of the famous Kardashian family. Focusing on Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian, and Kylie Jenner, the series reveals first hand accounts from those close to the family and within it, including Caitlyn Jenner.

The Traitors UK, Season 2 (Premieres January 3)

Season 2 of The Traitors UK heads back to a Scottish castle with host Claudia Winkleman, as 22 strangers compete in a new series of missions for a chance to win.

RuPaul’s Drag Race, Season 16 (Premieres January 5)

RuPaul’s Drag Race returns for Season 16 with 14 new queens competing for the $200,000 grand prize, and the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar. Guest judges for the new season include Charlize Theron, Becky G, and Sarah Michelle Gellar, plus Isaac Mizrahi, Kaia Gerber, Kyra Sedgwick, and more.

Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (Premieres January 8)

This documentary travels through time and space to reveal the enduring influence of Nikki Giovanni, one of America’s greatest living artists and social commentators. Giovanni reckons with the inevitable passing of time through intimate vérité, striking archival footage, and visually innovative treatments of her poetry, revealing the lasting impact of Giovanni’s work on American culture.

The Traitors US, Season 2 (Premieres January 12)

Hosted by Alan Cumming, the Season 2 cast includes former Bachelor Peter Weber, Love Island UK alum Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, The Real Housewives of Miami’s Larsa Pippen, and Survivor’s Parvati Shallow.

Vigil, Season 2 (Premieres January 12)

The nail-biting police thriller returns for Season 2, and this time the officers are delving into the highly secretive world of arms dealing, and weapons development. The mystery moves from the sea to the sky as Silva (Suranne Jones) and Longacre (Rose Leslie) investigate a dark conspiracy in the world of the British Air Force.

True Detective: Night Country (Premieres January 14)

When the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska, the eight men who operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace. To solve the case, Detectives Liz Danvers (Academy Award-winner Jodie Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) will have to confront the darkness they carry in themselves, and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice.

On the Roam (Premieres January 18)

On the Roam is an eight-part cinematic documentary series following Jason Momoa as he travels the country chasing art, adventure, and friendship through the lens of craftsmanship.

Late Bloomer (Premieres January 19)

Created by and starring comedian Jasmeet Raina (a.k.a. Jus Reign), Late Bloomer follows burgeoning content creator Jasmeet Dutta (Raina) as he tries to balance his ambitions for success with his commitment to his family, community, and culture.

The Equalizer 3 (Premieres January 20)

Set in Italy, the third and final installment of The Equalizer stars Denzel Washington as former government assassin Robert McCall who finds himself a home in Southern Italy, but soon discovers his friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends’ protector by taking on the mafia.

299 Queen Street West (Premieres January 26)

Directed by Sean Menard, the film showcases how MuchMusic’s rise in popularity intersected with rap music entering the mainstream, the birth of grunge and alternative rock, and how pop stars caused teenage hysteria at the iconic street level studio. The doc features interviews with ground-breaking VJs who helped shape the brand and inspire generations of music fans, including Steve Anthony, Rick Campanelli, Monika Deol, Denise Donlon, Erica Ehm, Namugenyi Kiwanuka, Sook-Yin Lee, George Stroumboulopoulos, Bill Welychka and Michael Williams.

Hightown, Season 3 (Premieres January 26)

Crave returns to Cape Cod one final time and reunites with the explosive Jackie Quiñones (Monica Raymund) on her battle to overcome her addictions as she unravels the intricacies of the drug and crime underworld. All roads lead to Jackie, but for her, redemption never comes clean.

Disney+ Canada

Echo (Premieres January 9)

Marvel Studios presents Echo, spotlighting Maya Lopez as she is pursued by Wilson Fisk’s criminal empire. When the journey brings her home, she must confront her own family and legacy.

Daughters of the Cult (Premieres January 11)

Daughters of the Cult is a shocking five-episode deep-dive into the history of the polygamous Ervil LeBaron cult told directly through the eyes of the people who were there. Hidden in plain sight throughout the Southwest and Mexico, a splinter group of Mormon fundamentalist cult members perpetrate a deadly wave of violence and abuse for decades in the name of their fanatical prophet Ervil LeBaron, dubbed the ‘Mormon Manson.’

Death and Other Details (Premieres January 16)

Set amidst the glamour of the global elite, Death and Other Details centres on the brilliant and restless Imogene Scott (Violett Beane), who finds herself in the wrong place/wrong time (okay, it was kinda her fault) and becomes the prime suspect in a locked room murder mystery. The setting? A lavishly restored Mediterranean ocean liner. Suspects? Every pampered guest and every exhausted crew member. The problem? To prove her innocence, she must partner with a man she despises—Rufus Cotesworth (Mandy Patinkin), the world’s greatest detective.

Superhot: The Spicy World of Pepper People (Premieres January 22)

Superhot spicy peppers are on fire lately – but while most experiment with heat, others live their lives in pursuit of fire. Superhot is a wild ride into the Spicy World of Pepper People – the self-proclaimed chilli heads who have taken the chilli pill and want to find out how deep the rabbit hole goes.

The Last Repair Shop (Premieres January 23)

Once commonplace in the United States, today, Los Angeles is by far the largest and one of the last American cities to provide free and freely repaired musical instruments to its public schoolchildren, a continuous service since 1959.  From Academy Award-nominated directing duo Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers, The Last Repair Shop grants an all-access pass to the nondescript downtown warehouse where a dwindling handful of devoted craftspeople keep over 80,000 student instruments in good repair.

A Real Bug’s Life (Premieres January 24)

Inspired by the World of Disney and Pixar's A Bug's Life, the new Disney+ Original Series from National Geographic, A Real Bug’s Life, is an incredible adventure into nine different micro bug worlds around the globe, where the forces of nature play out on a miniature scale and where tiny creatures rely on amazing powers and extraordinary alliances to make it through each day. The stakes are high… even if the critters are extraordinarily small. With new developments in filming technology and narrated by fun and witty guide Awkwafina, follow the incredible stories of the tiny heroes living in worlds beyond the imagination.

Choir (Premieres January 31)

Choir follows the kids of the Detroit Youth Choir as they prepare for the performance of a lifetime. Through their eyes, we experience the highs and lows of life growing up in Detroit, navigating the challenges of balancing family, school, and athletics, all while pursuing their dreams of taking their talents to the next level and performing on one of the world’s biggest stages. Following their 2019 appearance on America’s Got Talent, it’s a pivotal time for the choir and its director, Anthony White, as he’s faced with the combined challenges of replacing several key members, keeping the choir relevant in Detroit, and finding the next big opportunity that will put them back in the national spotlight.

Netflix Canada

Bitconned (Premieres January 1)

Ray Trapani had always wanted to be a criminal, even as a young boy. In 2017, amidst the economic frenzy of the Bitcoin boom, there was no better place for scammers than cryptocurrency. So when Ray's friend approached him with the idea of creating a debit card for crypto, Trapani jumped at the chance. There was only one problem: he had no idea how to do that. But thanks to fake LinkedIn profiles, paid celebrity endorsements, and the online community’s insatiable desire to "get rich quick," Centra Tech was soon raking in millions of dollars a day. Was it real? No. But did it work? Maybe. In this fast-paced, debaucherous documentary from director Bryan Storkel (Producer of The Legend of Cocaine Island + Director of The Pez Outlaw), Ray himself guides viewers through the ups and downs of his dramatic journey, alongside his family, former friends, and the journalist who exposed Centra Tech as the first high-profile fraud case of the crypto era.

Fool Me Once (Premieres January 1)

When ex-soldier Maya sees her murdered husband on a secret nanny cam, she uncovers a deadly conspiracy that stretches deep into the past.

You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment (Premieres January 1)

Identical twins change their diets and lifestyles for eight weeks in a unique scientific experiment designed to explore how certain foods impact the body.

Good Grief (Premieres January 5)

Marc (Daniel Levy) was content living in the shadow of his larger-than-life husband, Oliver (Luke Evans). But when Oliver unexpectedly dies, Marc’s world shatters, sending him and his two best friends, Sophie (Ruth Negga) and Thomas (Himesh Patel), on a soul-searching trip to Paris that reveals some hard truths they each needed to face. Good Grief marks Levy’s debut as a feature-film writer and director. He also produced as part of Not a Real Production Company, alongside Sister Pictures.

Break Point, Season 2 (Premieres January 10)

The world's top tennis players return to the courts and set their sights on glory once again during another grueling Grand Slam season.

The Trust: A Game of Greed (Premieres January 10)

In this reality series, strangers living in a luxurious mansion compete for $250,000. Will they split it — or cut each other out to raise their share?

Champion (Premieres January 11)

Rapper Bosco is free from prison and ready for a comeback — until his sister Vita steps into the spotlight and puts their family bond to the test.

Lift (Premieres January 12)

An international heist crew, led by Cyrus Whitaker (Kevin Hart), races to lift $500 million in gold from a passenger plane at 40,000 feet.

Love on the Spectrum U.S., Season 2 (Premieres January 19)

Single people with autism — including new romantic hopefuls and familiar faces — search for the perfect partner in this dating docuseries.

Jacqueline Novak: Get On Your Knees (Premieres January 23)

This year, Novak teamed up with director Natasha Lyonne and cinematographer Sam Levy (Rothaniel, Lady Bird) to film the show’s final performance as a concert film-meets-comedy special at historic Town Hall in New York City. Ostensibly a 90-minute stand-up set about the blowjob, Get On Your Knees is both raunchy and poignant, an unexpectedly philosophical, coming-of-age tale of triumph that pushes the boundaries of stand-up.  John Mulaney said: "Ladies and Gentlemen, I have seen the Muhammad Ali of comedy.”

Queer Eye, Season 8 (Premieres January 24)

The Fab Five return to the city of New Orleans to jazz up the lives of their heroes — one emotional makeover at a time. 

Griselda (Premieres January 25)

Griselda is inspired by the life of the savvy and ambitious Griselda Blanco, who created one of the most profitable cartels in history. In 1970s-80s Miami, Blanco’s lethal blend of unsuspected savagery and charm helped her expertly navigate between business and family, leading her to become widely known as “the Godmother."

Jack Whitehall: Settle Down (Premieres January 30)

A new special from Jack Whitehall.

Alexander the Great (Premieres January 31)

Combining expert interviews with gripping reenactments, this docudrama explores the life of Alexander the Great through his conquest of the Persian Empire.

Prime Video

Foe (Premieres January 5)

Hen and Junior farm a secluded piece of land that has been in Junior’s family for generations, but their quiet life is thrown into turmoil when an uninvited stranger (Aaron Pierre) shows up at their door with a startling proposal. Are they willing to risk their relationship, and perhaps their personal identity, for a chance to continue survival in a new world? Based on bestselling author Iain Reid’s novel, directed by Garth Davis and co-written by Davis and Reid, Foe’s mesmerizing imagery and persistent questions about the nature of humanity (and artificial humanity) bring the not-too-distant future to luminous life.

James May: Our Man in India (Premieres January 5)

English Presenter James May takes on his greatest adventure yet: a 3,000-mile coast-to-coast epic across India, the most populous – and perhaps most extraordinary – country in the world. Starting by the Arabian Sea and finishing at the Bay of Bengal. His journey will encompass incredible landscapes, from the baking deserts of Rajasthan to the dramatic Himalayan foothills, and explore environments as diverse as the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, through to the global megacities of Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata.

Girl’s Play (Premieres January 11)

Three days before the last high school festival, just when the show was about to end, popular girl Sasaki Hikari decides to quit the theater club. With only four people remaining, they come to realize that they are nothing without her. Real intentions are revealed, with all four wanting to take the lead.

Role Play (Premieres January 12)

Emma has a wonderful husband and two kids in the suburbs of New Jersey. She also has a secret life as an assassin for hire, a secret that her husband Dave discovers when the couple decide to spice up their marriage with a little role play.

Drag Den, Season 2(Premieres January 18)

The den is finally open. The "Drag Lord" Manila Luzon, together with her "drag dealer" Nicole Cordovez, and "drag runner" Sassa Gurl welcome the eight aspiring queens as they embark on an eight-week dragventurous competition showcasing their wit, talent and beauty to become the first Pinoy drag supreme.

Hazbin Hotel (Premieres January 19)

In attempt to find a non-violent alternative for reducing Hell's overpopulation, the daughter of Lucifer opens a rehabilitation hotel that offers a group of misfit demons a chance at redemption.

LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland (Premieres January 19)

Using his trademark wit, host Graham Norton will oversee the 10 comedic stars, brought together to make each other laugh by using every unpredictable comedic tool in the box … without cracking a smile themselves.

Retribution (Premieres January 22)

Liam Neeson stars in an immersive ticking clock thriller that straps audiences in for a high-octane ride of redemption and revenge.

Expats (Premieres January 26)

A look at the personal and professional lives of a tight-knit group of expatriates living in Hong Kong.