What to Watch January: 'Severance,' 'SNL' Docs and More!

by Julian Spivey

Photos: Apple, PBS, Fox & Hulu

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Going Dutch (Fox) – Premieres: Thursday, Jan. 2
What I’d really like is for Fox to go back in time and give a second season to military comedy “Enlisted” and also go back in time and give a third season to family comedy “The Moodys,” but I suppose I’ll have to settle for ‘Moodys’ star Denis Leary in a new military comedy, “Going Dutch,” premiering Thursday, January 2 at 8:30 p.m. (CST). “Going Dutch,” created by Joel Church-Cooper, sees Leary as Col. Patrick Quinn, who, as punishment, is reassigned to an Army base in the Netherlands, which happens to have his estranged daughter (Taylor Misiak) as its interim leader. I’m hoping the show makes a formidable partner to the underrated “Animal Control,” which will be its lead-in. 

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Will Trent: Season 3 (ABC) – Premieres: Tuesday, Jan. 7
ABC’s detective drama “Will Trent,” based on the novels by Karin Slaughter, has been one of network television’s best drama series throughout its first two seasons. The third season premieres on Tuesday, Jan. 7, and viewers are wondering where the show might go after a massive series-altering season two finale, which saw Will (Ramon Rodriguez) make a decision that might blow up his entire life. Gina Rodriguez, of “Jane the Virgin” fame, will join the cast in season three. 

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All Creatures Great & Small: Season 5 (PBS) – Premieres: Sunday, Jan. 12
Despite entering its fifth season, “All Creatures Great & Small,” which focuses on a quaint veterinarian practice in England’s Yorkshire Dales, still feels like one of the most underrated gems on television. The fifth season, premiering on PBS on Sunday, Jan. 12, sees the world amid World War II and everybody still trying to find their footing while James (Nicholas Ralph) is still away serving his country.  

Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Documentaries (Peacock) – Premieres: Thursday, Jan. 16
In celebration of the milestone 50th season of “Saturday Night Live,” which is currently airing, a four-part documentary series about aspects of the legendary NBC sketch comedy show premieres on Peacock on Thursday, Jan. 16 with all four episodes dropping simultaneously. The documentary series, “SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night,” will feature more than 60 contributors and alumni from the show. The first episode, “Five Minutes,” showcases the audition procedure for the show and will include never-before-seen audition footage from some of the show’s greatest cast members. The second episode, “Written By: A Week Inside The SNL Writers Room,” will look into the process from idea to live show. The third episode, “More Cowbell,” will solely be about arguably the greatest sketch in ‘SNL’ history in which Will Ferrell memorably recorded the cowbell track for Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” The fourth episode, “Season 11: The Weird Year,” will be about one of the most pivotal seasons in ‘SNL’ history when the show was forced to reset and was hanging by a thread. 

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Severance: Season 2 (AppleTV+) – Premieres: Friday, Jan. 17
The first season of “Severance,” which aired nearly three years ago, was one of the best TV shows of its year (it ranked No. 2 on this site’s list). However, the layoff due to strife behind the scenes and the writers/actors strikes of 2023 have pushed it almost out of the minds of many viewers. I also worry that the quality might dip in the second season. There’s only one way to find out, though, and that’s to watch when it premieres on AppleTV+ on Friday, Jan. 17. The first season saw a group of corporate workers unaware of the fact that they lead dual lives while they’re at work, as their memories are wiped when they leave the building and the realization of this as the mysterious season goes on. If you’re interested in one of TV’s best dramas, you can binge season one for free this weekend (Jan. 3-5), as AppleTV+ will be free for everyone.    

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​Paradise (Hulu) – Premieres: Tuesday, Jan. 28
Sterling K. Brown has a magnetism that ensures I’ll follow him to any television series or film he lends his talents to. And the fact that he’s teaming up with his former “This Is Us” showrunner Dan Fogelman for his TV follow-up makes me even more excited. Hulu’s “Paradise,” which premieres Tuesday, Jan. 28, sees Brown as head of security for the President of the United States (played by James Marsden) and is the last person to see the president alive after he’s found dead. It should be a thrilling series.