Here are the highlights for January – for the full list click here or go straight to Showmax to browse the full collection. 

International series 

Vikings S6B

In the second half of the final season of HISTORY’s breakout TV series, all your questions will be answered. Is Bjorn still alive? What happened to Floki? Who will take the throne of Kattegat? And which of our favourite characters is going to die next? After six seasons, Vikings still has a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.5/10 rating on IMDb, where it’s on their Top Rated TV of All-Time list.  Binge now, first on Showmax »

Fargo S4 

A spin-off of the Coen brothers’ Oscar-winning classic movie, Fargo has won three Golden Globes, six Emmys and a Peabody Award. Season 4 is set in Kansas City in 1950, with comedian Chris Rock starring as Loy Cannon, the head of the African-American crime family who trades sons with the head of the Italian mafia as part of a tenuous truce. “Fargo, as in past seasons, manages to be both more dramatic, and more comic, than almost any other show on TV right now,” says NPR.

Same time as M-Net, Tuesdays at 23:30 from 12 January »

The Good Lord Bird S1 

Four-time Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke stars as militant slavery abolitionist John Brown, who is credited with instigating the American Civil War. It’s told from the point of view of Henry “Onion” Shackleford, an enslaved boy who joins Brown’s family of abolitionist soldiers. The Good Lord Bird is #5 on Rolling Stone’s list of the best TV of the year and has a 97% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Binge from 15 January. 

Brooklyn Nine-Nine S7 

Police station comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine returns for its seventh season, which sees Holt going back to the beat, while Jake and Amy consider starting a family. The beloved ensemble cast is led by Golden Globe and Emmy winner Andy Samberg. Brooklyn Nine-Nine has a 95% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and it’s won two Golden Globes, two Emmys, and two Critics’ Choice Awards. Binge now »

Black Monday S1-2 

If you don’t know whether to laugh or cry about the state of the world’s economy right now, trust us, laughing is healthier. Set in 1987, Black Monday is a comedy about a motley crew of ambitious underdogs who cause the worst stock market crash in Wall Street history. It stars Don Cheade and Regina Hall. The Wall Street Journal calls Black Monday “very funny, very clever about incorporating 1980s cultural references, and very vulgar.” Binge now »

Why Women Kill S1 

This ten-episode anthology series follows the stories of three women, one house, and multiple infidelities. Though separated by decades, picture-perfect 60s couple Beth and Rob, 80s socialite Simone and her third husband Karl, and modern-day attorney Taylor and her open-marriage husband Eli share a Pasadena mansion – and a propensity for keeping secrets. Globe and Mail calls it “bonkers” and “brilliant”. Watch now »

Room 104 S4 

Room 104 is a cult HBO anthology series which tells tales of the characters who pass through a bog standard hotel room. The genre, the characters and even the era change each half-hour episode – perfect for anyone burnt-out on bingeing. Collider calls Season 4 “the show’s most ambitious, surreal season yet.” Watch now »

Also watch

• PEN15 S2: The cringeworthy traumedy set in middle school in the year 2000 continues. 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Binge from 8 January »
• Euphoria Special Episodes: The story continues as Rue faces the consequences of her decisions over the festive season. Part 1 available now, Part 2 express from the US on 25 January »
• Curb Your Enthusiasm S10: Cynical comedy that’s perfect for these dark times. Binge S9-10 now »
• Charmed S2: The three witches continue to protect humanity. Perfect teen fare. Watch now »

Movies 

Knives Out 

The unexpected death of a wealthy patriarch brings out the worst in his eccentric family as the arrival of a shrewd detective makes everyone a suspect in this acerbically funny and deliciously twisty murder mystery. It stars the likes of Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer and Toni Collette and was nominated for a 2020 Oscar. Watch from 25 January. 

Dolittle 

Robert Downey Jr. stars as Doctor Dolittle, the famous vet who can talk to animals. Called upon to save the Queen, Dolittle sets off on an adventure across the seas, aided by his animal companions and young apprentice Tommy, but Dolittle’s lifelong rival, Dr Blair Müdfly (Michael Sheen,) is hot on their tails. 

Oscar nominee Antonio Banderas and Oscar winner Jim Broadbent co-star, along with an astonishing voice cast that includes Oscar-winners Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, Octavia Spencer, and Marion Cotillard and more. Watch now »

Also watch:

• Waves: The critically acclaimed and Black Reel award-winning drama about loss. 18 January. 
• Haunt: A slashed from Eli Roth, Bryan Wood and Scott Beck of The Quiet Place, about an extreme haunted house. 18 January. 
• More classics: Look out for some great classic movies, from Schindler’s List to King Kong to blockbuster Jurassic World, to comedies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin. 

South African 

Moffie 

Currently on the longlist for the Golden Globe’s Foreign Film category, Moffie won the Film Critics’ Special Jury Prize at the 2020 Dublin International Film Festival and has a 100% critics’ rating from Rotten Tomatoes, with Variety raving, “South African auteur Oliver Hermanus makes his masterpiece with this brutal but radiant story of young gay desire on the Angolan war front. … It fair takes your breath away.”

 Adapted from an autobiographical 2006 novel by André Carl van der Merwe, Moffie is set in South Africa in 1981. Nicholas Van der Swart (Kai Luke Brummer) must complete two years of compulsory military service, fighting on the Angolan border. But that’s not the only danger Nicholas faces. He must survive the brutality of the army – something that becomes even more difficult when a connection is sparked between him and a fellow recruit. Watch now, first on Showmax »

Fiela se Kind 

In this new adaptation of Dalene Matthee’s beloved novel, a coloured woman living in the Karoo takes in a lost white child and raises him as her own. Nine years later, the boy is removed and sent to live in the Knysna Forest with a family of woodcutters who claim he is theirs. Fiela Se Kind won Best Film at the 2020 SAFTAs and the Audience Choice at Silwerskerm. Watch now »

Boer Soek ‘n Vrou S13 

From Kroonstad to Clanwilliam, Laingsburg to Lichtenburg, Season 13’s fresh crop of ten eligible farmers, aged between 24 and 52, are all searching for single ladies ready for love and life as a farmer’s wife.

Due to COVID-19, the show’s annual October release had to be postponed last year, but it’s finally here… with a brand-new presenter! The lovely Marciel Hopkins – former Miss SA finalist, international model, life coach and motivational speaker – will be guiding the five hopefuls who received the most digital love letters through their romantic journey. Weekly express from kykNET from 22 January »

Also watch: 

• The Sound of Masks: An acclaimed documentary from storyteller and dancer Atanásio Nhussi. Watch from 18 January. 
• Arendsvlei S3: The telenovela continues, with new episodes streaming 24 hours after kykNET from 14 January. Catch up now »
• eHostela S2: eHostela tells the story of two sons whose bond is bound in secrets and sealed by guns. Express from Mzansi Magic from 3 January »
• Slot: A new thriller starring Rolanda Marais. Weekly from 12 January, same day as kykNET.

Non-Fiction 

Tiger 

HBO’s eagerly anticipated Tiger Woods documentary offers a revealing look at the rise, fall, and epic comeback of the global golfing icon. The series paints an intimate picture of the prodigy whose dedication and obsession with the game of golf brought him unimaginable fame and success, but also led him down a dark, spiraling path, and ultimately, to his legendary comeback, culminating in his victory at the 2019 Masters. Watch Part 1 on 11 January and Part 2 on 18 January, express from the US and first on Showmax.  DM/ML

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