Netflix or Paramount? I say neither, but I’m not getting caught up in the fray again beyond this Deadline article that I think really spells it all out. I’m here to focus on what is new on the schedule each month. Now, January 2026 seems light, but when you consider three big drama titles start off our year, you can appreciate that there is quite a lot to view. Let’s see What’s On! Long live HBO!
A few quick points:
- Fifteen More Episodes of THE PITT Hit HBO Max
- The HBO/BBC Relationship is Healthy with the Return of INDUSTRY
- The Iconic Mel Brooks Gets the Documentary Treatment
- Plus, there are Movies with Dwayne Johnson and Rose Byrne
- And Maher and an Adult Swim Favorite Return
- Plus, Dunk & Egg!
HBO Original Series: A modern-day saga returns, and a new epic fantasy journey begins. Which one are you most eager for, INDUSTRY or A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS? The HBO/BBC production INDUSTRY debuts its fourth season first. This Original Drama Series launches an eight-episode run beginning SUNDAY, JANUARY 11 (9:00 – 10:00 pm ET/PT) on HBO. It stars Myha’la, Marisa Abela, Kit Harington, Ken Leung, Max Minghella, Miriam Petche, Sagar Radia, Toheeb Jimoh, Charlie Heaton, Amy James-Kelly, Roger Barclay, Andrew Havill, Kiernan Shipka, Kal Penn, Jack Farthing, Stephen Campbell Moore, Claire Forlani, and Edward Holcroft. It is created, written, and executive produced by Mickey Down & Konrad Kay as a Bad Wolf Production.
At the top of their game and living the lives they set out to have as Pierpoint grads, Harper (Myha’la) and Yasmin (Marisa Abela) are drawn into a high-stakes, globetrotting cat-and-mouse game when a splashy fintech darling bursts onto the London scene. As Yasmin navigates her relationship with tech founder Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington) and Harper is pulled into the orbit of enigmatic executive Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella), their twisted friendship begins to warp and ignite under the pressure of money, power, and the desire to be on top. If you follow the series, it looks like another intense season; they wouldn’t have it any other way.
From the world of Westeros comes an endearing tale centered on the adventures of an unexpected duo. A century before the events of GAME OF THRONES, two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros… a young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends. Once more, the history of Westeros unfolds with A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS.
The cast includes Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall, Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg, Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon, Bertie Carvel as Baelor Targaryen, Danny Webb as Ser Arlan of Pennytree, Sam Spruell as Maekar Targaryen, Shaun Thomas as Raymun Fossoway, Finn Bennett as Aerion Targaryen, Edward Ashley as Ser Steffon Fossoway, Tanzyn Crawford as Tanselle, Henry Ashton as Daeron Targaryen, Youssef Kerkour as Steely Pate, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor as Plummer, and Daniel Monks as Ser Manfred Dondarrion. Co-Creator/Executive Producer, George R. R. Martin; Co-Creator / Showrunner/Executive Producer, Ira Parker. Executive Producers Sarah Bradshaw, Owen Harris, Ryan Condal, and Vince Gerardis. Directors, Owen Harris and Sarah Adina Smith. The six-episode season debuts SUNDAY, JANUARY 18 at 10:00 – 11:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. New episodes will debut on subsequent Sundays.
Also, as series go, one comedy wraps up with the final episode of its second season. Premiering on FRIDAY, JANUARY 02, 2026 (10:00 – 10:30 pm ET/PT) is the last installment of IT’S FLORIDA, MAN.
–Episode # 6 “Crushed”
Debut Date: Friday, January 02 (10:00 – 10:23 pm ET/PT)
After striking up an online friendship, a sheltered Jacksonville girl travels to Orlando to meet her goth prince, whose vision for a dark photoshoot ends in a chilling mishap.
Season 24 of REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER starts back up on FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2026 (10:00 – 11:00 pm ET/PT). Whether or not he changes his format seems unlikely, but he will want to catch viewers up on his opinions regarding what he missed during the show’s hiatus and keep a close eye on where 2026 heads. So will the other HBO pundit, but John Oliver’s show does not come back around until February.
Original Series Exclusive to HBO Max: The Emmy-winning series THE PITT debuts its Second Season on THURSDAY, JANUARY 08 @ 9:00 p.m. ET on HBO Max. New episodes of the 15-episode season will debut weekly leading up to the season finale on Thursday, April 16. THE PITT is a realistic examination of the challenges facing healthcare workers in today’s America as seen through the lens of the frontline heroes working in a modern-day hospital in Pittsburgh.
It stars Noah Wyle (Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch), Patrick Ball (Dr. Langdon), Katherine LaNasa (Dana Evans), Supriya Ganesh (Dr. Mohan), Fiona Dourif (Dr. McKay), Taylor Dearden (Dr. King), Isa Briones (Dr. Santos), Gerran Howell (Whitaker), Shabana Azeez (Javadi), and Sepideh Moafi (Dr. Al-Hashimi). Season two will also be available to stream in American Sign Language (ASL) alongside each episode, starting with the season premiere.
So, just how does this medical drama change up for the new season? Well, we learned the next day-long shift would take place after a 10-month time jump. A factor in that time jump includes the ordered rehab stint of the Dr. Frank Langdon character (pictured), played by Ball. He is back on duty on the other side of it and beside Robinavitch and the rest of the team over a Fourth of July weekend, which always brings a boom of injuries to the ER. We hope you check in, well, you know what I mean.
HBO International Titles: No new titles are listed here. That’s okay because you can catch up, as we are, on RAGE from Spain, THE SEDUCTION from France, and HEATED RIVALRY from Canada.
HBO & HBO Max Theatrical Movies: Two titles are listed for now, but you know how they like to sneak another title onto the slate. That remains to be seen, so we focus on what’s given. From A24 comes THE SMASHING MACHINE and IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU.
Debuting SATURDAY, MAY 24 (8:00 -10:03 pm ET/PT) and on HBO Max the night prior is Dwayne Johnson in yet another movie (man, between him and Pedro Pascal, as far as screen deals go) in THE SMASHING MACHINE. Joining Johnson on screen are Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, Oleksandr Usyk, and others. It is a biographical sports drama written, directed, produced, and edited by Benny Safdie and clocks in at a good 2 hour-3 minutes. It is all about the tenure of Mike Kerr, a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion in mixed martial arts, among many other honors for the sport. In 2002, Kerr was the subject of an HBO documentary of the same name, but this time out, it becomes an A24 movie.
Rose Byrne leads the tale called IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU. It debuts on SATURDAY, JANUARY 31(8:00- 9:45 pm ET/PT) and on HBO Max the night prior. It is a psychological drama written and directed by Mary Bronstein. It stars Rose Byrne, Conan O’Brien, Danielle Macdonald, Christian Slater, and A$AP Rocky. And, no, it is not about a vengeful amputee. So, what is it about? Well, with her life crashing down around her, Linda (Byrne) attempts to navigate her child’s mysterious illness, her absent husband, a missing person, and an increasingly hostile relationship with her therapist. And, just in case you’re wondering, O’Brien plays the therapist. That alone makes you want to take this movie in, right?
Since we are light on movies, we will add some of the films rotating back onto the schedule. You can always 
find something. Now that the Holiday movies are gone, they’ve been replaced with titles like The Narrow Margin, Wild Boys of the Road, Panama Hattie, Fifth Avenue Girl, Rocket Science, The Curse of Frankenstein, and Frankenstein 1970. You can also find movies in the Twilight franchise, and a few Mel Brooks titles like Spaceballs, Blazing Saddles, History of the World: Part 1, and High Anxiety.
HBO Documentary Films: This time around, we get yet another Biography-Doc and a History lesson. Here is a look at each one, beginning with MEL BROOKS: THE 99 YEAR OLD MAN! This two-part documentary explores the life, career, friendships, and loves of legendary writer, director, producer, and performer, Mel 
Brooks. One of Hollywood’s most daring satirists from the early years of television sketch comedy through his film and stage hits, Brooks has held a funhouse mirror up to the human condition and used laughter as a path to resilience, connection, and joy for nearly a century. This work is an Apatow Production; directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio; executive produced by Judd Apatow, Michael Bonfiglio, and Kevin Salter. Part one debuts THURSDAY, JANUARY 22 (8:00 – 9:00 pm ET/PT)on HBO, followed by part two at the same time on FRIDAY, SATURDAY, 23. Both parts will be available to stream beginning THURSDAY, JANUARY 22 on HBO Max. This isn’t the first Mel Brooks retrospective. HBO had MEL BROOKS: UNWRAPPED back in 2019, but this is the definitive Apatow treatment.
Our other title is 33 PHOTOS FROM THE GHETTO. It tells the story of the only known photographs from inside the Warsaw Ghetto during the April 1943 uprising and its brutal repression that were not taken by German forces. The images, taken secretly by 23-year-old Polish firefighter Zbigniew Leszek Grzywaczewski, who witnessed the devastating response to the uprising as a member of the Warsaw Fire Service, present a rare civilian account of one of World War II’s darkest moments. It debuts TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, beginning at 9:00 pm ET/PT.
HBO Max Kids & Family: The family can get a good dose of the Green Lantern before LANTERNS comes to the screen with three GL tales from DC. Beginning on THURSDAY, JANUARY 01, there are GREEN LANTERN: BEWARE MY POWER, GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD KNIGHTS, and GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT. Other titles out there include Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’hoole, Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans, and the back half of TOTALLY SPIES Season 7 starts uploads on HBO Max beginning SUNDAY, JANUARY 11.
HBO Sports: HARD KNOCKS: IN SEASON WITH THE NFC EAST keeps on task beginning TUESDAY, JANUARY 06 (9:00-10:00 pm ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max as long as one of the following teams is in the hunt for the Super Bowl. As of this writing, only one team holds the position of moving on. The Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, and the Washington Commanders have all fallen away, leaving the Philadelphia Eagles with a Playoff berth. Let’s see if the team can win two championship rings in a row. The series will be narrated by Liev Schreiber.
Other Shows On HBO or HBO Max: GENNDY TARTAKOVSKY’S PRIMAL Season 3 was the Adult Swim title I referenced at the top of the post. If you follow the show, you know that the main protagonist, Spear, died at the end of Season Two. So, what now? Well, as the trailer shows, Spear returns as an undead shell of his former self. Primal rage, however, still follows. It debuts on HBO Max on MONDAY, JANUARY 12.
Most other imports across the WBD, as you know, we pretty much ignore, but I will note here the CNN Films piece I’M CHEVY CHASE AND YOU’RE NOT. Directed by two-time Emmy Award winner Marina Zenovich, the film is the authorized yet unfiltered documentary of the comedy legend, Chevy Chase. 
Whether it is his Saturday Night Live screen test or his starring roles in multiple Hollywood comedies, Chase has always had a huge comedic range. He is also a complex and contradictory human being, full of outsized gifts and striking flaws. Through illuminating interviews with the Chase family, friends, and costars, Zenovich brings us into Chase’s inner world, revealing what is beneath the surface of his superstar bravado. HBO Max will present it on SATURDAY, JANUARY 31. Also, for those into behind-the-scenes coverage, you can check out A KNIGHT IN THE MAKING. It is, as you may have guessed, a little documentary about the making of A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS, which will debut on SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18.
Next Month’s Tease: Peapod and Pūteketeke
Last Month’s Tease: We asked if you knew which work Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington) and Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella) were going to meddle in this month. The answer is INDUSTRY!
Final Clip: Just in case you haven’t had enough of it yet, here is the 2026 Sizzle Reel!
Enjoy HBO and HBO Watch
