By Mike Murphy
From returning favorites like ‘The Pitt' and ‘Bridgerton' to newcomers like ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' and ‘Wonder Man,' there's a lot on tap to kick off the new year
Noah Wyle and Supriya Ganesh star in Season 2 of “The Pitt,” coming in January to HBO Max.
The new year is starting on a high note, at least for streaming viewers.
With new seasons of returning favorites, including HBO Max's “The Pitt,” Apple's “Hijack,” Netflix's “Bridgerton” and Peacock's “The Traitors,” the long-awaited return of Amazon's “The Night Manager,” and newcomers such as the “Game of Thrones” spinoff “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” and Marvel's “Wonder Man,” there should be no shortage of new – and hopefully good – shows to watch.
But since neither your eyeballs nor your wallet can handle everything on the way, we're here to help you sort the wheat from the chaff (or maybe in this case, “The Pitt” from “The Beast Games”).
With a bit of strategic churning – that is, adding and dropping services month to month – you can watch the best of the best while keeping your monthly streaming budget just under $50. Keep in mind that a billing cycle starts when you sign up, not necessarily at the beginning of the month. And it's always worth watching out for time-sensitive deals and money-saving bundles.
Each month, this column offers tips on how to maximize your streaming and your budget – rating the major services as “play,” “pause” or “stop,” similar to investment analysts' traditional ratings of buy, hold and sell – and picks the best shows to help you make your monthly decisions.
Here's a look at what's coming to the various streaming services in January 2026, and what's really worth the monthly subscription fee:
HBO Max ($10.99 a month with ads, $18.49 with no ads, or $22.99 ‘Ultimate' with no ads)
HBO Max's January lineup is not the biggest, but it's certainly the buzziest – and perhaps the best….