You could go outside. Breathe the winter air, watch a seagull peck at a bin in the park, do the awkward no-after-you dance with a fellow human being on a narrow pavement. But really, is it worth the bother? Inside is where it’s happening at this time of year. Inside is where the television lives.
On that television this winter and spring in the UK, there’s plenty to look forward to, not least HBO’s critically adored adaptation of video game The Last of Us starting on Sky Atlantic on Monday the 16th of January at 9 p.m. Travel Man with Joe Lycett is back for a new Channel 4 series on Friday nights, along with the upcoming broadcast finales of His Dark Materials, the peerless Happy Valley, Joe Cornish’s new ghost detective agency series on Netflix, and many more.
Then February brings Star Trek: Picard’s third run and the final instalment of Carnival Row, before March delivers the return of The Mandalorian and the much-anticipated Yellowjackets second series. All that, plus Junior Bake-Off and a new Russell T Davies drama starring Helena Bonham Carter, in Nolly.
We’ll update this list of TV highlights weekly with more shows, dates and times as the release announcements arrive. If you’re based in the US, here’s where to look for the relevant info.
| DATE | SHOW | CHANNEL/STREAMER |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, January 12 | Vikings: Valhalla Series 2 (box-set) | Netflix |
| Friday, January 13, 8.30 p.m. | Travel Man: 48 hrs in… Series 11 (weekly) | Channel 4/All 4 |
| Friday, January 13, 9 p.m. | Jon & Lucy’s Odd Couples (weekly) | Channel 4/All 4 |
| Friday, January 13 | Hunters Series 2 (box-set) | Prime Video |
| Friday, January 13 | Servant Series 4 (weekly, 1 of 10 episodes) | Apple TV+ |
| Sunday, January 15, 6 p.m. | The Simpsons Series 34, episode 1 (weekly) | Sky Showcase |
| Sunday, January 15, 7 p.m. | His Dark Materials Series 3 (weekly & box-set, 5 of 8 episodes) | BBC One/BBC iPlayer |
| Sunday, January 15, 7.45 p.m. | The Great Pottery Throwdown SERIES 6 (weekly, 1 of 10 episodes) | Channel 4/All 4 |
| Sunday, January 15, 8 p.m. | Call the midwife Series 12 (weekly, 3 of 8 episodes) | BBC One/BBC iPlayer |
| Sunday, January 15, 8 p.m. | Vera Series 11, Episode 1 (weekly, 1 of 4 episodes) | ITV1 |
| Sunday, January 15, 9 p.m. | Happy Valley Series 3 (weekly, 3 of 6 episodes) | BBC One/BBC iPlayer |
| Sunday, January 15, 10 p.m. | Bad Education Series 4 (weekly, 1 of 6 episodes) | BBC Three/BBC iPlayer |
| Monday, January 16, 5 p.m. | Junior Bake-Off series 8 (every weekday, 1 of 15 episodes) | Channel 4/All 4 |
| Monday, January 16, 8 p.m. | Only connect series 18 (weekly 20 of 28 episodes) | BBC Two/BBC iPlayer |
| Monday, January 16, 8.30 p.m. | University Challenge Series 22 (weekly, 22 of 37 episodes) | BBC Two/BBC iPlayer |
| Monday, January 16, 9 p.m. | The Last of Us (weekly, 1 of 9 episodes) | Sky Atlantic |
| Monday, January 16 | Mayor of Kingstown Series 2 (weekly, 10 episodes) | Paramount+ |
| Wednesday, January 18 | Little Demon (box-set, 10 episodes) | Disney+ |
| Thursday, January 19 | The Sex Lives of College Girls Series 2 (box-set, 10 episodes) | ITVX |
| Thursday, January 19 | That ’90s Show (box-set, 10 episodes) | Netflix |
| Friday, January 20 | The Legend of Vox Machina Series 2 (1-3 of 12 episodes, then 3 weekly) | Prime Video |
| Friday, January 20 | Fauda Series 4 (box-set, 12 episodes) | Netflix |
| Wednesday, January 25 | Extraordinary SERIES 1 (box-set, 8 episodes) | Disney+ |
| Friday, January 27 | Shrinking SERIES 1 (1-2 of 10 episodes, then weekly) | Apple TV+ |
| Friday, January 27 | Lockwood & Co. SERIES 1 (box-set, 8 episodes) | Netflix |
| Friday, January 27 | Wolf Pack SERIES 1 (weekly, 1 of 8 episodes) | Paramount+ |
| Thursday, February 2 | Nolly episode 1 (box-set, 3 episodes) | ITVX |
| Friday, February 3 | Your Honor SERIES 2 (10 episodes) | Paramount+ |
| Thursday, February 9 | You Series 4 Part 1 (box-set, 9 episodes) | Netflix |
| Thursday, February 9 | Funny Woman (box-set and weekly, 6 episodes) | Sky Comedy |
| Friday, February 17 | Carnival Row Series 2 (weekly, 10 episodes) | Prime Video |
| Friday, February 17 | Star Trek: Picard Series 3, episode 1 (weekly, 10 episodes) | Prime Video |
| Thursday, February 23 | Outer Banks Series 3 (box-set, 10 episodes) | Netflix |
| Thursday, February 23 | Fleishman is in Trouble (8 episodes) | Disney+ |
| Wednesday, March 1 | The Mandalorian Series 3 (weekly, 8 episodes) | Disney+ |
| Friday, March 2 | Daisy Jones & the Six (weekly, 10 episodes) | Prime Video |
| Thursday, March 16 | Shadow and Bone Series 2 (box-set, 8 episodes) | Netflix |
| Friday, March 24 | Yellowjackets Series 2, episode 1 (weekly) | Paramount+ |
| Monday, March 27 | Rabbit Hole (8 episodes) | Paramount+ |