Dec. 29, 2023

Best New Netflix Shows to Kickstart the New Year

With 2023 coming to a close, Netflix has unveiled a line-up of mainstream television shows and movies in January to start off a brand-new year. By: Dylan Low

Netflix will be bringing its highly anticipated series and film projects that many people will certainly be excited for, introducing various new beginnings in the month for the popular streaming platform. Shows such as Good Grief which marks Dan Levy’s first ever feature film, Griselda that is Sofia Vergara’s first TV project since her blockbuster success sitcom Modern Family, as Queer Eye returns for season 8 which is the last instalment inclusive of Bobby Berk.

Good Grief will be the first film which releases on the renowned streaming service January 5th. It will feature Canadian star Dan Levy, a familiar name amongst the Netflix audiences. He has had starring roles in other Netflix shows like Schitt Creek, with his conceited yet charismatic personality as David Rose, and casted as Thomas Malfoy in the final season of Sex Education.

Levy expects to continue captivating Netflix viewers with his latest directorial effort with Good Grief. He portrays a character named Marc – a widower battling through love, loss and friendship with his close friends through a Paris trip, as he unravels complicated secrets and truths. The actor-filmmaker stated in an interview it is a comedy storyline warning about friendship, loss and complex situations, “It’s funny, it’s bittersweet, it’s a project that has helped me work through my own grief. And I hope it does the same for other people as well,” he claimed.

The next show slated to arrive on Netflix is Queer Eye, with its Netflix premiere of its latest eighth season on January 24th. An American reality TV series, Queer Eye entails a group of five gay men also known as the “Fab Five”. They collaborate together in using their expertise (fashion, grooming, food and wine, culture and design), looking to change the lives of struggling individuals for the better. 

This eighth season will be the newest addition to Netflix, located in the city of New Orleans once again. This will be interior design expert Bobby Berk’s finale season as he chooses to leave the Netflix reboot. “It’s not been an easy decision to be at peace with, but a necessary one,” Berk stated of his departure on social media in November. “Although my journey with Queer Eye is over, my journey with you is not. You will be seeing more of me very soon.”

Netflix has renewed the reality programme, with the ninth season taking place in Las Vegas. The main cast will reprise their roles in the next instalment, as Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski and Tan France make likely returns.

The very next day on January 25th, Sofia Vergara makes her long-awaited return to the TV screens (not inclusive of her role in America’s Got Talent), following an 11-season run on ABC’s Modern Family. A six-part limited series, the show is referenced from the real-life experiences of Griselda Blanco, a Colombian businesswoman and drug lord, acknowledged as ‘The Godmother’ in the criminal underworld. The storyline begins in the streets of Miami, Florida, back in the 1970s.

Sofia Vergara will be starring as Griselda Blanco, playing a character which contrasts to any of her previous acting roles and performances. This highly-awaited film is created by Narco producer Eric Newman and famed series director Andrés Baiz.

With all of these exciting films and series waiting to be launched, Netflix viewers can expect to start 2024 right by bingeing the amazing shows for the new year. 

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