The new year kicks off with the new season of a fan favorite Kiwi mystery series plus an Aussie monster movie.
For updates about shows from Australia and New Zealand added to US linear TV and streaming channels throughout the month, see the Down Under TV Viewing Guide.
(For details about the premieres of shows from the UK, Canada, Ireland, and countries in Europe and elsewhere, visit The British TV Place, The Euro TV Place, and The Global TV Place.)
Programs and dates are subject to change without prior notice.
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NATIONAL PREMIERES
My Life Is Murder: Season 5 (NZ)
Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess, Ash vs Evil Dead) returns as retired cop-turned-investigator Alexa Crowe in the brand-new, eight-episode season of this hit mystery-crime drama series, which features a slew of puzzling cases that range from shady aquariums and elite cheer squads to creepy dolls and deadly island getaways. Assisting the fearless, unapologetic, and sharp-witted Alexa in tackling them, including her most perplexing and personal case yet, is her tech-savvy partner, Madison (Ebony Vagulans, The Furies).
While soaking up the sun in Fiji, Alexa’s holiday takes a dark turn when a familiar foe resurfaces. But catching a killer isn’t her only unfinished business; she’s also reunited with Jesse (Craig Parker, “The Lord of the Rings” films, Spartacus), her former police partner. Is he the one that got away? With her whānau (extended family) backing her every step of the way, Alexa is diving headfirst into a new wave of high-stakes cases in which buried secrets resurface and justice is never as simple as it seems. Throughout them all, one thing is clear: Alexa is not backing down.
Also returning for the new season are Joe Naufahu (Game of Thrones) as café owner Reuben, Rawiri Jobe (The Brokenwood Mysteries) as Detective Harry Henare, and Martin Henderson (Virgin River) as Alexa’s bad boy brother, Will.
Guest stars this season include Dean O’Gorman (Under the Vines, After the Party), Fern Sutherland (The Brokenwood Mysteries, The Almighty Johnsons), Rhys Darby (Our Flag Means Death, Jumanji: The Next Level), Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider, Game of Thrones), Cohen Holloway (Under the Vines, Top of the Lake), Johnny Barker (The Brokenwood Mysteries, Shortland Street), Marta Dusseldorp (Jack Irish, A Place to Call Home), Kirk Torrance (Under the Vines, Darby and Joan), and Nicole Whippy (Shortland Street, Xena: Warrior Princess).
My Life Is Murder: Season 5, an Acorn TV Original Series, premieres in the US, Canada, and the UK (including Northern Ireland) on Monday, January 5, 2026, exclusively on Acorn TV and, where available, its digital channels, including Acorn TV on Prime Channels. New episodes will drop weekly through February 23.
My Life Is Murder Series 1 DVD
My Life Is Murder Series 2 DVD
My Life Is Murder Series 3 DVD
My Life Is Murder Series 4 DVD
Beast of War (AU)
Inspired by actual events, this World War II-set action-monster movie follows a young troop of Australian soldiers who, after the sinking of their boat while crossing the Timor Sea, must find a way to survive the harsh seas on a quickly shrinking life raft. Hundreds of miles from anywhere, they must confront interpersonal conflicts, enemy attacks, and the advances of one very large, very hungry great white shark.
Starring Mark Coles Smith (Mystery Road: Origin, Apple Cider Vinegar), Joel Nankervis (Single, Out, Your Fault: London), and Sam Delich (Territory, Ten Pound Poms), amongst others, Beast of War has its SVOD streaming premiere in the US and Canada on Friday, January 16, 2026, exclusively on Shudder, AMC+, and their digital channels, including Shudder on Prime Channels and including AMC+ on Prime Channels.
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LOCAL/REGIONAL PREMIERES
Suddenly Royal (AU)
This docuseries tells the stories of four everyday women and men from around the globe — Prince Daniel of Sweden, Queen Mary of Denmark, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, and Princess Kate of the United Kingdom — who unexpectedly met their real-life prince or princess and married into royalty. Consisting of three episodes, the program charts the journey of the surprising first meetings, engagements, and marriages, highlighting the challenges these newcomers to royalty had to deal with as they prepared for their role in the global spotlight. While facing classism, colonialism, celebrity, and the symbiotic relationship between royalty and the press, these new royals went from commoners to crown princes and princesses, working to secure their monarchies for the 21st century and beyond.
Suddenly Royal is confirmed for airing on or after Thursday, January 1, 2026, on the following public TV stations and state/regional networks: KQEH, KRSU, Louisiana Public Broadcasting, Vermont Public, WFYI, WHYY, WLRN, WNED, and WSBE.
NON-PREMIERE PROGRAMS BEING ADDED TO STREAMING SERVICES
Good Cop/Bad Cop (AU-US)
This police procedural dramedy series follows Lou (Leighton Meester, Gossip Girl, Single Parents) and Henry (Luke Cook, Katy Keene, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), an odd sister-and-brother detective team on a small Pacific Northwest police force, who must contend with colorful residents, a serious lack of resources, and their very complicated dynamics with each other and with their police chief, Big Hank (Clancy Brown, Dexter: New Blood, Billions), who happens to be their father.
The cast includes Devon Terrell (Totally Completely Fine), Scott Lee (Home and Away), William McKenna (Nowhere Boys), Shamita Siva (Single, Out), Blazey Best (Janet King), and Grace Chow (Mystery Road: Origin), amongst others.
Good Cop/Bad Cop begins streaming in the US and other territories on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, on Netflix.
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