
New on TV this week
This week’s What To Watch picks include the long-awaited second season of Severance, the fifth season of Harley Quinn, a 50-year Saturday Night Live retrospective, new stand-up comedy specials from Ari Shaffir and Roy Wood Jr., the second season of A Real Bug’s Life, the continuing third season of Night Court, and more. Now let’s hit the couch!
New on Netflix this week
Ari Shaffir: America’s Sweetheart | Netflix | Stand-up comedy
Special, Tuesday, January 14: In the trailer for his sixth comedy special, Ari Shaffir refers to his too-soon joke about Kobe Bryant’s 2020 death—that one that got him into trouble. We won’t repeat what he says, but he follows it up with, “Possibly too far.” It was too far, but that’s how the provocative comic rolls: fearlessly. His goal isn’t to offend; it’s to make us laugh and challenge how we think. In another trailer bit, Shaffir suggests killing children because “They don’t contribute to the GDP, like, at all.” He pauses. The crowd cringes. “Guys. I’m joking. I hope you understand that.” We do, mostly.
New on NBC this week
Series returns, Tuesday, January 14, 8:30 p.m. ET: The third season of the rebooted popular ‘80s sitcom about the wacky judicial swing shift in a NYC court continues tonight. NBCU promises “more guest stars and insane cases” in Judge Abby Stone’s (Melissa Rauch, The Big Bang Theory) courtroom. We get one new ep tonight, with the rest coming weekly on Tuesdays. New episodes stream the following day on Peacock.
New on Disney+ this week
A Real Bug’s Life | Disney+ | Documentary, nature
Season 2 premiere, Wednesday, January 15: The magnificently shot documentary series about the insect microcosmos returns for a second season. Five new educational episodes follow tiger beetles on the beaches of Malaysia, damselflies in a British pond, Australia’s peacock jumping spider, Georgia’s Smoky Mountain luna moth, and more. If you haven’t already put it together, the series is based on the Pixar film A Bug’s Life (and produced by National Geographic for Disney+). Awkwafina (Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens) narrates.
New on Max this week
Harley Quinn | Max | Adult animation, comedy
Season 5 premiere, Thursday, January 16: The brassy, batshit Harley Quinn’s (Kaley Cuoco) quest to find herself and prove her worth as a supervillain continues in the wild ‘n wacky series’ fifth season. Quinn and her partner Ivy (Lake Bell) have traded Gotham City (Batman’s turf) for Metropolis (Superman’s ‘hood), where they’ll face Lex Luthor, Lena Luthor, and Brainiac. The first of Season Five’s ten episodes debuts tonight. New eps will come weekly on Thursdays through March 20.
New on Peacock this week
Limited series, Thursday, January 16: The first of three upcoming specials about the long-running sketch comedy institution Saturday Night Live is a four-part retrospective. More than 60 contributors—from the shows’ 1975 nascence to present—help tell the story. All four parts premiere today on Peacock. The other two specials include a three-hour documentary called Ladies and Gentleman … 50 Years of SNL Music directed by Oz Rodriguez and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (Monday, January 27) and a live primetime special, SNL50: The Anniversary Special (Sunday, February 16) on both NBC and Peacock.
Want more new TV shows?
New on Apple TV+ this week
Severance | Apple TV+ | Drama, mystery
Season 2 premiere, Friday, January 17: If we knew it would take three years to see a second season of the popular, immensely intriguing Apple TV+ show, Severance fans might have preferred having the severance procedure to reduce the wait by half. The dystopian workplace mystery is that good, and we can’t wait to see where the new season takes the Lumon employees who’ve chosen to have separate work and personal lives—and the attendant complications. Unfortunately, after that lengthy wait, we get only one episode per week. But isn’t a mystery best served in a trickle?
New on Hulu this week
Roy Wood, Jr.: Lonely Flowers | Hulu | Stand-up comedy
Special, Friday, January 17: You might have seen Roy Wood Jr.’s Popeye’s chicken videos, stand-up specials, The Daily Show segments, CNN, or hosting the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Wherever you saw Wood, he probably cracked you up. In his fourth comedy special (first for Hulu), Wood tackles society’s lack of connection, rude employees, self-checkout lanes, and gun culture; “I saw somebody get bad service at the gun range. How you gonna be rude to someone who showed up to practice murder?”
Looking for your next binge-watch?
New movie releases available to rent/buy on VOD this week
La Pietà (2025)
Some great horror movies have been coming out of Spain (The Coffee Table) and Argentina (When Evil Lurks) lately. Now we have a joint Spanish-Argentine production—WonderTwin powers . . . activate! Eduardo Casanova’s La Pietà (aka La Piedad) black comedy horror, about a toxic mother-son relationship, looks to be on the same scary level (disturbing imagery, situations, themes, and gore) as some of these Spanish and Argentine films—but also miles above them artistically. The film is available on VOD Tuesday, January 14.
- Escape (January 14) Watch Trailer
- My Name is Alfred Hitchcock (January 14) Watch Trailer