January 2024 TV: Every new series to watch (and skip) this month

As the year ends, it’s time to look ahead at TV in 2024. After the long summer of strikes putting off a fall season, the networks are finally bringing up new stuff starting in January, with the streamers also providing some fun. NBC gets there first with new drama episodes, but a few others can stand out. 

It’s tricky to get through, but these are notable as among the best shows to check out in January, along with a few that are likely more skippable. Here’s a sneak peek at which shows to add to your January calendar and which you can put off. 

TV series to watch

The Brothers Sun (Premieres Jan. 4 on Netflix)

Oscar-winning Hong Kong action movie legend Michelle Yeoh stars in this new Netflix series. She plays the mother to a seemingly normal California youth, but when gunmen attack them, she has to reveal the truth: Their family is one of the most powerful crime gangs in Taiwan and is facing some rivals.

This forces her sons (one a college kid and the other a trained assassin) to come together, with Yeoh showing her stuff in fights. Expect some wild martial arts action with some comedy of the unique family dynamic for a great new crime show. 

Death and Other Details (Premieres Jan. 16 on Hulu)

There’s been a rise in classic murder mystery shows lately and Hulu is ready to add to it. This looks straight out of a novel as a cruise for some rich elites is interrupted by a locked room murder. Luckily, one of the guests just happens to be a master detective (Mandy Patinkin) who investigates.

Violet Beane plays Patinkin’s prime suspect turned partner as they have a tense past together. There should be some comedy mixed in with a fun murder mystery to add to the pile for crime show fans. 

Echo (Premieres Jan. 9 on Disney+)

The MCU has been in a rough place lately, but they’re hoping to get back on track with this Disney+ series. Alaqua Cox reprises her role from Hawkeye as Maya Lopez, a deaf martial artist who relocates to her Oklahoma home. However, she soon finds herself in a conflict with the Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio). 

The show is set to be a five-episode binge with all eps dropping at once and putting more of a focus on the characters than the action. Also, expect Charlie Cox to pop up as Daredevil, as this show hopes to get the MCU back on track for 2024. 

Ted (Premieres Jan. 11 on Peacock)

Seth McFarlane brings his 2012 box office hit to TV in a unique prequel series. It plays on the same plot of young John (Max Burkholder) bringing his teddy bear to life. The series is set in John’s teenage years as he and Ted handle their unique family and crass antics. 

McFarlane himself voices Ted with the trailer promising some crazy stuff about the bear attending high school and explaining how he and John ended up being the way they are. If it’s half as good as the movies, this should be a hysterical comedy. 

Griselda (Premieres Jan. 25 on Netflix)

Sofia Vergara is known for her glamorous role on Modern Family but leaves that behind for this daring Netflix series. She plays Griselda Blanco, the “Godmother of Cocaine” who ruled the Miami drug trade in the 1980s. While loving her rich lifestyle, Blanco was also utterly ruthless against her foes. 

The series tracks Griselda’s rise and fall, capturing the early 1980s vibe and how too many underestimated her. The six-episode series should be a short but fun dive into this daring real-life crime boss. 

TV series to skip

We Are Family (Premieres Jan. 3 on FOX)

We’ve pretty much hit the limit of takes on the singing competition show. This new series, hosted by Anthony Anderson and his mom, Doris Bowman, has guests seeing a person perform and have to guess what celebrity they’re related to with said celebrity singing from a hidden spot. 

It’s a goofy premise, perhaps too much for some folks to take. It’s also likely Fox stretches the definition of “celebrity” a bit and is not likely to fill the void of The Masked Singer. 

Grimsburg (Premieres Jan. 7 on FOX)

The fact FOX has been sitting on this show for almost two years (including renewing it for a second season back in October 2022) is not what we call a good sign. The setup is Jon Hamm as the head detective of a wild city where a cannibal killer is among the more sedate crimes.

While Hamm is a great cop, he can’t figure out his own family as he tries to reconnect with his ex-wife and son. Despite Fox having faith in it, it doesn’t look like the type of adult animation series the network hasn’t given us countless times before and is likely pretty skippable. 

The Floor (Premieres Jan. 2 on FOX)

When a game show has to explain its rules in a way that baffles math geeks, it’s hard for folks to get into it. Rob Lowe hosts this series as 81 contestants battle on a gridded floor. It then turns into a confusing bit of how they can swap tiles, let “The Floor decide,” or other turns that need more room to explain. It just seems too convoluted for the average viewer and not likely to break out from the crowded pack of prime-time game shows.

Which of these shows do you agree need to be skipped? And as for must-watch shows, what are you the most excited to see this month?