Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street
Netflix, starting Wednesday, January 4
Not as catchy as The Wolf of Wall Street title, this documentary series from director Joe Berlinger attempts to unravel the story of Bernie Madoff’s $64 billion (€60 billion) scheme fraud, interviews victims, whistleblowers, and investigators, and features video depositions from Madoff himself. To help explain the intricate schemes that brought him to the top of the financial world before revealing the extent of his hoaxes.
dredger
Prime Video, from Friday, January 6
Line of Duty star Martin Compston heads this mystery thriller aboard an oil rig in the North Sea, whose crew must survive a series of disasters in this unforgiving environment. When a strange fog cuts off all communications with Earth, the crew find themselves stranded with limited supplies, and soon fight for their lives amid a complete system failure. As tensions mount and paranoia grips the rig, it becomes clear that behind the mysterious fog lurk forces that threaten to destroy them all.
koala man
Disney+, from Monday, January 9
Tremble, you criminals and trash bugs, before the vengeful vigil force of … the Koala Man. This new Australian animated series tells the story of a fearsome superhero tasked with protecting the citizens of Dapto from the evils of illegal dumping and parking in handicapped spaces. Koala Man’s true identity, known only to the entire town, is a middle-aged father named Kevin, but he’s not alone in facing the town’s lawbreakers: his family also (reluctantly) helps him tidy up its humble streets. But more powerful cosmic forces are also at work in the city. With no superpowers of his own, can Koala Man tackle the supernatural horrors that await him?
Welcome to Chippendales
Disney+, from Wednesday, January 11
Fifty years ago, no one would have believed that people would pay to watch a group of male strippers go to work at full capacity. This crime drama series tells the story of Somen “Steve” Banerjee, who bucked the trend by starting a new style of striptease show featuring tight nails. Audiences soon flock to see this sinister play, and the Chippendales become a cultural phenomenon, making Banerjee rich in the process. But all the testosterone power soon went to Banerjee’s head, and it wasn’t long before he was breaking balls – and the law – in pursuit of more wealth and influence.
Vikings: Valhalla
Netflix, starting Thursday, January 12th
The epic series is back for a second season — and since it was filmed entirely at Co Wicklow, and brought plenty of action for the flesh-and-flame-haired extras, we’re of course giving it a big thumbs up. Sam Corlett returns as Viking explorer Leif Ericsson, now on the run after the fall of Kattegat, along with his sister Freydis (Frida Gustafsson), and Prince of the North Harald (Leo Sutter). We’re expecting more bone-splitting sword action.
anglers
Prime Video, starting Friday, January 13th
Al Pacino heads a group of ruthless hunters with only one prey: Nazi war criminals. They are on a mission to track down the last remnants of the Third Reich and bring them to justice wherever they may be hiding. Pacino is the boss of Nazi hunter Meyer Overmann, and Jennifer Jason Leigh is joining the crew for this second season. It follows the action from the disastrous end of their mission in Europe in the Season 1 finale, and sees the Hunters gather for a mission to South America in search of the ultimate trophy: Hitler himself.
Super League: The War for Football
+ Apple TV, starting Friday, January 13
The soccer world was rocked last year by the announcement of a breakaway Super League featuring dozens of elite teams from the top echelons of European football. The reaction was swift, with the organizers accused of being motivated by money, and soon bands were listening to their fans and refusing to join the record. This documentary series tells the entire story of the disaster, from how the idea came about to how it was finally discovered before a single ball was kicked.
breaking point
Netflix, starting Friday, January 13th
Netflix has had massive success with Formula 1: Drive to Survive. The team behind the series hopes to strike twice as lightning with this new program set in the ultra-competitive world of tennis. The series follows a selection of the world’s best tennis players, driven by ambition and self-confidence, as they traverse the globe on a grueling tour of tournaments. The 10-part series will get us up close and personal with world number one Iga Swiatek, along with top-tier players including Matteo Berrettini, Nick Kyrgios, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Frances Tiafoe as they compete in the Women’s Tennis Association and Tennis Association. Pro tours. The series will also feature insights from tennis legends John McEnroe, Maria Sharapova, and Andy Roddick.
Exceptional
Disney+, from Wednesday, January 25
The superhero space has become so crowded that everyone is scrambling to find a new twist in the genre. The main goal of this new British sitcom, written by Emma Moran, is to imagine that everyone in the world has a superpower – except you. In Extraordinary, everyone gets superpowers when they turn 18 except for Jen (Máiréad Tyers), who is about to turn 25 but still can’t fly, change time, or channel the dead. Can this caterpillar survive in the butterfly world? Siobhan McSweeney (Michael Sr. from Dairy Girls) co-stars as Jane’s mom.
Lockwood and Company
Netflix, beginning Friday, January 27
We’ve had Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and now here’s Lucy the Ghost Hunter, a teen with the psychic strength to vanquish the evil spirits plaguing the world. It’s Ghostbusters meets Fate: The Winx Saga in this new paranormal series. Set in a world infested with ghosts, teenage psychics suddenly find themselves on call from major corporations trying to eradicate this spectral scourge. But young businessman Anthony Lockwood is determined to stay independent, and with help from Lucy and his flamboyant sidekick George, he sets off into the unknown.