After all the festive fun, indulgence and general laziness of late December, there’s no denying that January often feels like some cruel trick of fate – especially when the warm days of summer still feel so far away.

But do not fear: not all hope for January is lost. The dark nights and cold weather mean it’s still perfect TV bingeing season – and Netflix is delivering with a collection of great new TV shows and films to make the start of 2020 extra special.

At the top of our list is the return of Sex Education, the funny, sex-positive drama we fell in love with in 2019. Starring Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson and Emma Mackey, the second series will follow the characters as they continue to navigate the worlds of sex, love and relationships.

And with the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Grace and Frankie also making their returns, there’s even more to look forward to. 

That’s not forgetting the arrival of Netflix’s curious new offering the goop lab, “a curiosity-driven exploration of boundary-pushing wellness topics” led by Gwyneth Paltrow herself.

So, without further ado, here’s Stylist’s picks of the most exciting new titles to look out for in the coming month. 

AJ And The Queen

Cast: RuPaul, Tia Carrere, Katerina Tannenbaum, Josh Segarra, Izzy G

This new Netflix Original series sees Drag Race star RuPaul take on the role of Ruby Red, a bigger than life drag queen who makes her living by travelling across America from club to club. After finding herself down on her luck after her savings were stolen from her, she pairs up with AJ – an orphaned 11-year-old girl stowaway – as the two travel the country and change each other’s lives for the better. There’s also a whole host of standout musical numbers from RuPaul to look forward to, too. 

Release Date: 10 January

Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez

One for fans of true crime documentaries, this new three-part series follows the story of Aaron Hernandez, a young man from Connecticut who became a household name for his arrest and trial in the murder of American football player Odin Lloyd. Featuring exclusive courtroom footage, interviews with those who new Hernandez and Lloyd and recordings of Hernandez’s phone calls from prison, the documentary series will unveil the web of secrets hidden behind Hernandez’s seemingly perfect life.

Release Date: 15 January

Grace And Frankie Season Six

Cast: Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Sam Waterston, Martin Sheen

Netflix’s Grace And Frankie is back for its sixth season, and we’re so ready for it. The series, which stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the titular roles, follows the story of two women rebuilding their lives after their husbands fall in love with each other. Season six promises another fantastic series full of female friendship and plenty of laughs.

Release Date: 15 January

A Fall From Grace

Cast: Crystal Fox, Phylicia Rashad, Bresha Webb, Mehcad Brooks, Cicely Tyson.

This new legal thriller from writer/director Tyler Perry is set to keep us at the edge of our seats when it drops on Netflix later this month. The film follows the story of Grace – a woman trying to recover after her ex marries his mistress and her son moves away, as she falls in love with a younger man. But what at first seems like a fairytale romance quickly turns into something completely different, and Grace finds herself on trial for his murder, leaving a young public defender to fight for her innocence.

Release Date: 17 January

Sex Education Season Two

Cast: Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Emma Mackey, Ncuti Gatwa

Stylist’s top pick of the month comes in the form of Sex Education season two, which will follow the students and families of Moordale Secondary as they continue to explore the relatively new worlds of sex and desire. In season two we’ll see Otis attempt to master his newly-discovered sexual urges as he continues his relationship with girlfriend Ola, and try to patch things up with Maeve (played by the wonderful Emma Mackey). 

Release Date: 17 January

the goop lab with Gwyneth Paltrow

Host: Gwyneth Paltrow

On 7 January Netflix revealed the goop lab, a new documentary series featuring Gwyneth Paltrow’s controversial wellness brand, goop. Lead by Paltrow herself, the documentary series, which has been described as “a curiosity-driven exploration of boundary-pushing wellness topics,” will run for six episodes, covering everything from psychedelics to energy healing practises. The internet is certainly intrigued – and so are we. 

Release Date: 24 January

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Part Three

Cast: Kiernan Shipka, Ross Lynch, Lucy Davis, Miranda Otto, Michelle Gomez

Everyone’s favourite witch is back in the third instalment of Netflix’s reimagining of Sabrina The Teenage Witch. With Kiernan Shipka continuing in her role as Sabrina, part three of the series will see her tackle the aftermath of the events we saw unfold in part two, including her boyfriend Nicholas Scratch’s brave sacrifice. Whatever happens, there’ll be plenty of witchcraft, darkness and iconic red lipstick – and we can’t wait.

Release Date: 24 January

Next In Fashion

Cast: Tan France, Alexa Chung

This new series will see Queer Eye star Tan France join forces with style icon Alexa Chung to find the next big name in fashion. The new competition show will follow 18 designers tackle a number of challenges to win the coveted grand prize: $250,000 and an opportunity to debut their collection with luxury fashion retailer Net-a-Porter.

Release Date: 29 January

Miss Americana

Big news for the Taylor Swift fans among us (read: this writer), this “raw and emotionally revealing” documentary is set to give us an insight into Swift’s life, following the singer on her journey to claiming her political voice – and using that to make change.

On 15 January Swift revealed the documentary would be coming at the end of the month, sharing a rather dark looking poster with her fans. We don’t have a trailer or any stills from the documentary yet, but one thing’s for sure: Miss Americana is going to be massive.

Release Date: 31 January 

Images: Netflix