Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Tuesday, January 27th, 2026:
AT THIS POINT, I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY ANYMORE
When CBS News head Bari Weiss announced she was doing an "all-hands" call this morning to discuss upcoming changes to the news division, many observers were expecting to hear some overarching vision of what she was planning. Instead, employees will be introduced to some podcasters.
Weiss is expected to announced the addition of a mix of often-controversial podcasters and current Daily Press journalists to the ranks of CBS News, where they will have access to the full range of CBS News platforms, including television.
The new lineup of contributors includes Dr. Mark Hyman, who is closely aligned with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the MAHA movement; science podcasters Andrew Huberman and Peter Attia; Casey Lewis, who writes a newsletter focused on Gen-Z and Gen Alpha trends; conservative historian Niall Ferguson; best-selling cookbook author Caroline Chambers and tech industry writer Patrick McGee.
She is also expected to announce cutbacks at the division - somewhere in the range of 18-20 employees - although she is not expected to provide details.
'WONDER MAN' IS A MUST-SEE SHOW, EVEN IF YOU AREN'T THAT INTO MARVEL SHOWS
I'm not going to write a full review of the new Disney+ series Wonder Man, which premieres its eight-episode season today. Critics were only provided with the first two episodes and while I loved what I have seen so far, there are another six episodes to binge before I'll know for sure.
What I will say is that the show is unlike any other Marvel TV series you've seen before. Sir Ben Kingsley once again plays terrorist/actor Trevor Slattery, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays the struggling actor Simon Williams. There aren't any big special effects (at least not so far) and everything about the show has its own vibe. The music is all original and bordering at times on being weird. There are plenty of semi-insider jokes about Hollywood and overall it is a melancholy but funny series that provides a very different look about what it means to have super powers.
Here is a look at the trailer, if that helps persuade you.
NETFLIX UNVEILS NEW JAPANESE SLATE OF ORIGINALS
While South Korea is still the dominant player in Asia when it comes to providing global programming, Japan is rapidly closing the gap. Netflix just announced its slate of 26 original series, films and anime adaptations from Japan 2026 and it's an interesting mix of genres:
Sins Of Kujo (April 2nd)
Taiza Kujo, is a lawyer notorious for taking on the most dangerous, morally ambiguous cases. Kujo’s philosophy is as provocative as his clientele: “A lawyer isn’t guided by ideology; my duty is simply to defend my client.” With the law as his weapon, Kujo defends even the most reprehensible villains, forcing viewers to confront the razor-thin line between justice and corruption.
Straight To Hell (April 27th)
Kazuko Hosoki was once a fortune teller who made a name for herself with her grave and ominous divinations. After WW2, she escaped poverty by becoming a central figure of Tokyo’s nightlife, purchasing multiple nightclubs and given the nickname “Queen of Ginza.” Her celebrity status would later be established through her publishing as a fortune teller and her dominance on television. However, her rise to stardom has been plagued by accusations that her business practices are fraudulent and her connections to Tokyo’s criminal underworld. Spanning 60 years, the drama takes an in-depth look at the life of one of Japan’s most controversial celebrities.
Soul Mate (May 14th)
After Ryu Narutaki inadvertently destroyed his best friend’s life, he left Japan and nearly died in a foreign church before being saved by a Korean boxer, Johan Hwang. Both men are deeply scarred by their pasts but are drawn to each other as soulmates. Their journey spans 10 years and takes them to Berlin, Seoul, and Tokyo, where they experience suffering, joy, pain, and ultimately love.
Viral Hit (May 28th)
Kota Shimura is a bullied high school student struggling under the weight of his mother’s medical bills and constant abuse from school bullies. His life couldn’t be more bleak… Until one day, an opportunity suddenly falls his way. When a fight with a classmate is accidentally streamed online and goes viral, Kota realizes that fighting can be a profitable venture. He starts a streaming channel and begins to claw his way out from the pits of despair.
Based on the highly popular South Korean webtoon “Viral Hit,” this live-action adaptation marks the first Netflix series from director Hideki Takeuchi and writer Yuichi Tokunaga, the powerhouse team that has enthralled Japan with its unconventional worlds in works such as Fly Me to the Saitama and Cells at Work! Ouji Suzuka (Listen to the Universe, silent) stars as Kota, our unlikely hero. Ai Mikami plays Aki Yashio, Kota’s junior who holds the key to the story, while Araki Sugou appears as the idiosyncratic Toru Kaneko. In addition, a dynamic cast including Nana Asakawa, Takuro Osada, and Mieko Harada comes together.
Sparks Of Tomorrow (July)
In an alternate version of the early 20th century where technological progress evolved along a different path shaped by steam power, Kyoto is blanketed in constant smoke.
A boy, hardened by the loss of his brother, grows distrustful after their shared dream of an “Age of Electricity” is cut short. A deeply devout girl hides her dreams and regrets for her deceased mother deep within her heart. When the two cross paths, they set about exploring the secrets of the 20th Century Electrical Catalog, a glimpse into the future they long for.
Together, they must confront their pasts and carve a path toward the future they once believed in.
Door Closed, Bids Open (tba)
Matsuko Deluxe, one of Japan’s most beloved TV emcees and a fixture of countless programs winning the “Favorite Host” ranking for five consecutive years, is finally making her Netflix debut. Known for her deep knowledge of a wide range of topics and her unique perspective that resonates with viewers, Matsuko is teaming up with Netflix for the very first time to present a forbidden auction show hosted by none other than Matsuko Deluxe herself. Only a select few are invited as bidders to this secret social club, which mysteriously appears in an underground space. What exactly will be up for auction there...?
One Year To Live, Buy A Man (tba)
Starring Ko Shibasaki & Eiji Akaso, this series brings together screenwriter Yoshikazu Okada and director Hiroki Kazama to adapt a best-selling novel of an unconventional, borrowed time love story.
"Saving money is the best entertainment and the perfect way to kill time." So said Yui Katakura, a 40-year-old single woman. She has deliberately avoided anything she deems to be uneconomical, including romance, marriage and childbirth. During a free medical examination, she is diagnosed with cancer and told she only has a year left to live. Although the doctor urges surgery, Yui secretly feels relief. "If I’m going to die, there’s no need to save money anymore." Her life shifts when Sena, a pink-haired nightclub host down on his luck, unexpectedly approaches asking "Can you lend me some money?" Yui responds by “buying” him for 720,000 yen. What begins as an odd arrangement gradually becomes a warm, unconventional bond, and to their surprise, an unpredictable love gradually starts to take shape between.
S&X (tba)
Ichito Shimotori is a sex therapist at Shimotori Clinic, and every day, he sees patients facing intimate issues they can’t talk about with anyone else. Ignoring the ridicule and prejudice he receives for his chosen profession, he treats each patient with utmost sincerity and respect. But little do the people around him know that he hides an anxiety of his own.
Did Someone Happen To Mention Me? (tba)
The series follows Gen Takasegawa, the first Japanese actor to play the lead role at London’s Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, who has been unable to return to Japan for some time. After two years, he finally returns home, only to face the greatest tragedy for someone driven by a need for recognition: he is suddenly and completely forgotten by the entire world!
Human Vapor (tba)
A librarian is subject to a scientific experiment that goes wrong and transforms him into ‘The Human Vapor’. He uses his new ability to rob banks to fund his girlfriend’s career as a beautiful dancer. The Human Vapour is ruthless in his quest for money and kills anyone who stands in his way, especially police. He soon becomes Tokyo’s most wanted criminal. Can he be stopped before he kills again?
Quiztopia (tba)
The series is set in an alternate Japan, where citizens take part in a government-sanctioned quiz, and the winner has any wish granted by the Japanese government… but the losers face devastating consequences, such as conscription and forced labour. Hosted by KK, the charismatic quizmaster enthrals audiences and goads contestants into pursuing their deepest desires. However, when a rebellious group attempts to overthrow the system and confront him, chaos unfolds.
ODDS AND SODS
* Blossoms Shanghai, the debut TV series from acclaimed Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar Wai, will premiere Thursday, February 26th on Mubi in Latin America, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Turkey and India. There is no word yet on a release for the U.S. and UK.
* Vladimir premieres Thursday, March 5th on Netflix. Here is the official logline: "When a passionate but reckless professor’s world begins to unravel, she finds herself dangerously fixated on her magnetic new colleague. Seduction and obsession collide in Vladimir—a provocative limited series brimming with forbidden desires, razor-sharp wit, and charismatic, unpredictable characters. As boundaries blur and secrets simmer, she’ll risk everything to bring her most scandalous fantasies to life. Based on the acclaimed novel by Julia May Jonas."
* CBS is holding a virtual press day this afternoon for members of the TCA and you will see some embargoed news being released at that time. While it's no replacement for the in-person gatherings, it's always helpful to get as much info as possible about upcoming shows. Apple TV is apparently holding one next week in LA., but I generally don't get invites to in-person press stuff. But they have an upcoming lineup that is really promising.
PERSONALLY, I BLAME HGTV
For more than two decades, the designers, builders and flippers on HGTV have pushed the idea of the "open concept" home. Wide open spaces, the living room, dining room and kitchen one big room with terrible acoustics and no privacy. It's not a style I enjoy, especially in a smaller home or apartment where space (and privacy) are at a premium.
I just ran across a newsletter by the Midwest Antiquarian and he does a nice job of explaining the downsides of the open concept approach. It's worth reading the entire take, because it really resonated with me:
Well as this is a 2 bed you presumably live here with somebody, whether you be a couple with a child (Maybe even just a couple with a separate office), maybe somebody with a roommate? Let’s look at where the bedroom doors are. Right off of ‘The room’. Seemingly having a showdown, staring each-other down across that expanse. Maybe I’m going to reveal some of my own neurosis here, but I like to get away from people. I enjoy my down-time where I can really disconnect from people once in awhile. I don’t think that’s uncommon (call me an antisocial freak in the comments if that isn’t the case). I think it’s nearly impossible to even do that in most of these apartments. Not due to a lack of soundproofing between units but the fact that the acoustics of these units are awful. The fact that everything is off ‘the big room’ means you aren’t really getting away from anyone.
I have a suspicion that the "open concept" idea is a design phase that we will move past. But unlike stainless steel appliances or shades of gray kitchen cabinets, reversing an open concept is a massive change to undertake in the future.
WHAT'S COMING TODAY AND TOMORROW
TUESDAY, JANUARY 27TH:
American Masters — Elie Wiesel: Soul On Fire (PBS)
Mike Epps: Delusional (Netflix)
Moonshiners: Master Distiller Season Premiere (Discovery)
Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators Season Five Finale (BritBox)
Take That (Netflix)
33 Photos From The Ghetto (HBO)
Wonder Man Series Premiere (Disney+)
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28TH:
Nova: Angkor Wat: Hidden Jungle Empire (PBS)
School Spirits Season Three Premiere (Paramount+)
Shrinking Season Three Premiere (Apple TV)
The Wrecking Crew (Prime Video)
SEE YOU THIS WEDNESDAY!