We usually see a little bit of shifting around, from Netflix to Peacock to who knows where, in any given month, but the Dance of the Channels are hitting new heights in January ‘26.
It’s not enough that Life of Chuck has finally escaped the twenty-dollar prison of VOD back on December 26. That was just the beginning. Beginning on New Year’s Day and continuing at least through the middle of the month, there’s a ton going on, including the re-emergence of some missing must-watches:
On Thursday, January 1:
- Doctor Sleep left Netflix. Now it’s available only on Amazon Prime to rent or buy (thankfully at a not-so-awful price).
- The Green Mile came to Peacock. Frank Darabont’s 1999 adaptation of King’s 1996 ‘serial novel’ has some serious issues with stereotypes, but it’s also filled with unforgettable scenes and performances, including work by Tom Hanks, the late Michael Jeter and the much-missed Michael Clark Duncan. Nice to have it back.
- Misery came to Peacock. Rob Reiner’s and William Goldman’s damn near perfect adaptation includes the best work James Caan ever did, bar none, and reminds us of the beginning of Kathy Bates’ amazing career (for most of us). If we can put the insane tragedy of Reiner’s death aside, if only for a moment, it’s possible and maybe necessary to appreciate this piece of art again, fully 35 years after it was made.
- Kubrick’s The Shining arrived on Peacock. My sometimes partner-in-crime Cat Bentley and I totally disagree on this much-loved, much-hated classic (and part of the bitter argument we have on our podcast will be part of the first paid content in a week or three), but regardless: watch it if you want/must. It’s back.
And still to come:
- Wednesday, January 7: 1.22.63 premieres on Netflix. There is a small army of fans who just love this James Franco film, and then there are the rest of us. Regardless, It’s had a weird history in streaming. It was on Hulu for quite a while, but it disappeared last year without explanation. A few months later, it showed up on Tubi, of all places, but not for long. Then it disappeared again … and now, finally, it’s back in the big leagues on Disney+/Hulu. Right now you can buy the whole series for $14.99 on Amazon Prime.
- Saturday, January 10: The Long Walk comes to Starz. It’s already for sale (for a ridiculous $9.99 ti buy or $5.99 to rent!) on Amazon and all the usual suspect, but if you’re one of the few, one of the brave that actually subscribe to Starz, you can see if for no additional upcharge in just a few days.
I don’t know what’s going on at Peacock, but…thank you very much. And not just for The Traitors this time.
There’s more said on each of these in the recently updated King’s Calendar, along with non-streaming news of all sorts. And hey: you’re already a subscriber, but we’d love to see you over on the socials — IG, Tiktok, Threads, and BlueSky at @dmostephenking. And of course…