We’re launching hard into January, and many networks and streamers are launching hard into the first original series of the new year. While snow storms and cold conditions might have you feeling more indoorsy than normal, which of these new shows is worth the time investment? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new series this winter. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Wednesdays:
Harlan Coben’s Final Twist, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on CBS (Premiered January 7)
About: Coben is one of the most famous mystery authors in the world. He’s written a number of popular stories, many of which have been adapted into limited series on various networks. So, seeing his name in the title, you might rightly believe this to be an adaptation of one of his novels. That would make some sense, too, for CBS. Instead, this is an unscripted series where he’s the host. He guides viewers through what amounts to a fairly standard true crime news series. It features interviews with survivors and law enforcement, home videos, file footage, and still images. At each break, Coben offers some thoughts on the case before we dive in. Overall, it’s an interesting swing for original programming for CBS but didn’t feel overly compelling. Your mileage will vary depending on how much you want to watch a weekly true crime story. But if you’re a fan of Coben’s mystery novels, this might not scratch the itch, and it certainly seems like a bit of tricky marketing.
Pilot Grade: C

Fridays:
Cold Water, Streaming Fridays on Paramount+ (Premiered January 9)
About: This new series for Paramount+ is a co-production with England. It centers on John (Andrew Lincoln), a stay-at-home dad who seems to have some deep fears about confrontation. At the outset, while with his kids at the park, he sees a man beat up a woman. He doesn’t intercede, but it leaves him wrecked emotionally and running away, literally. Flash-forward a few months, and he’s moved with his wife (Indira Varma) to rural Scotland. There, he’s again faced with confrontation and it nearly breaks him. But he finds some solace with his local Vicar, Tommy (Ewan Bremer), who along with his own wife (Eve Myles) reach out to make friends with the new additions. When faced with confrontation again, John snaps. And Tommy is there to help him smooth it over, but what is his true motivations. This is a six-episode series, each episode about an hour, and streaming weekly. I like the cast, but this feels like a radically different part for Lincoln, who played the hero for a decade on The Walking Dead. Instead, he’s kind of a weirdly weak and frustrated man here. There is perhaps something to explore, but the episode felt like it moved at a glacial pace. That combined with the landscape and the week-to-week release, and this might have some trouble connecting with an audience. I expected more.
Pilot Grade: C

Sundays:
The Night Manager, Streaming Sundays on Prime Video (Premiered January 11)
About: This is technically a second season, but since the first was supposed to be a limited series based on the John le Carré novel that aired a decade ago on the BBC, it feels right to explore this new content. Tom Hiddleston is back as the titular manager, now in a new adventure. The rest of the cast is new in this six-episode revisiting. The first three episodes dropped on Sunday, with the rest of the episodes dropping weekly through February 1. One of the things that made the original series special was the dynamic cast, including Olivia Coleman and Hugh Laurie. Both make cameos in the pilot of this new version, but neither are a part of things going forward. And that hurts this new show. So, too, does the length of the episodes, which each run an hour or more. That creates some pacing issues, as in the series is very slowly paced. I like the idea, and once it gets going a bit at the end of the pilot and into the second episode, it becomes more engaging. But it still drags at times. You feel the length here. If the action and intrigue picks up, that won’t be an issue. But through two episodes, the new big bad—Diego Calva—isn’t quite as compelling. Still, for fans of the genre and the original, it will be nice to have the show back.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C+

Bookish, Sundays at 10 p.m. on PBS (Premiered January 11)
About: This new series for PBS finds Mark Gatiss as an antique bookshop owner who solves crimes in his spare time. It’s a fine hook for a PBS mystery, offering a six-episode series on the crowded Sunday night landscape. Episodes run about an hour, with the pilot dropping Sunday. Gatiss created and wrote the series in addition to starring as Gabriel Book. He runs a unique book shop, but also gets called on to solve crimes. Or, rather, chooses to solve crimes and has the authority thanks to a letter from the Prime Minister. In the pilot he welcomes a new assistant, Gabriel (Connor Finch), and dives into a new case. The series is six episodes, with each case broken into two parts. It’s a solid watch for those who enjoy a good mystery.
Pilot Grade: C

Streaming Series:
His & Hers, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered January 8)
About: This new series is a six-episode mystery based on the novel from Alice Feeney of the same name. It was developed by writer/director William Oldroyd, who helms three of the six episodes. It stars Tessa Thompson as a once star news anchor who, after personal tragedy, disappeared for a year. Now, someone has taken her post. She decides to head to her nearby home town to lead the coverage on a murder, that turns into a series of murders connected to her past. The investigation is led by Jack Harper (Jon Bernthal), her estranged husband who relocated from Atlanta to their home town after the same tragedy and the dissolution of his relationship with his wife. Now, the find themselves in this twisted game, each hiding partial truths from each other and the rest of those who are seeking answers. This is a really engaging and gripping mystery. It has a great cast, that includes Marin Ireland, Pablo Schreiber, Sunita Mani, Chris Bauer, and Rebecca Rittenhouse, among others. I loved the flow of the story and the episodes, which are each about 45 minutes. It’s a six-episode mystery that makes for a quick binge and you’ll want to just keep going as each episode builds toward a somewhat surprising and clever conclusion. I had a lot of fun with this as one of the best new series of the year so far. It’s worth checking out.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: B-

Girl Taken, Now Streaming on Paramount+ (Premiered January 8)
About: It’s been a strange week for Paramount+, which has a pair of new six-episode streaming series imported from England. While Cold Water is getting a weekly drop, Girl Taken dropped altogether on Thursday. It is focused on twins (Tallulah and Delphi Evans) who don’t always get along. When Lilly (Tallulah) accepts a ride from her overly friendly teacher (Alfie Allen), she ends up his prisoner. Her disappearance greatly impacts her sister, and leaves her in a precarious and vulnerable state with a predator. It’s a tough hook for a series, especially as the second episode jumps ahead a year, showing the long duration of this struggle for both sisters. It’s some grim subject matter, and with each episode pushing the hour mark, it makes for a long slog of a watch. I wasn’t taken with the early episodes, which felt punishing as a watch. Perhaps others will feel different, but this didn’t feel like the kind of swing that was worth finishing.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.