18 December 2024
What to watch on Showmax in Kenya in January 2025
Showmax is starting the new year with a bang, offering a varied lineup that includes:
- The Day of the Jackal and Yellowstone S5 Part 2 – two of the biggest shows of 2024
- Dune Part 2, the fourth biggest blockbuster of 2024
- Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos S1, Metacritic’s second highest-rated series of 2024
- Emmy-nominated stand-up comedy special Ramy Youssef: More Feelings
- 2024 National Film and TV Awards winner Gqeberha: The Empire S2
International Series
The Day of the Jackal | Mondays from 13 January at 20:30
The biggest Sky Original ever, The Day of the Jackal follows a ruthless, mysterious assassin known as the Jackal, who makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee.
Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) plays the Jackal, while BAFTA winner Lashana Lynch (The Woman King) plays Bianca, the British intelligence officer hot on his heels.
The Day of the Jackal is a modern-day reimagining of Frederick Forsyth’s classic novel, and has an 85% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has already been renewed for a second season. Variety calls it “exhilarating… a breathless adventure until the very end.”
Yellowstone S5 Part B | Binge from Friday, 17 January
Hailed by The Hollywood Reporter earlier this year as “the biggest hit on cable TV”, Yellowstone follows a ranching family in Montana who will do whatever it takes to protect their land from bloodthirsty enemies, Indigenous communities who believe the land is rightfully theirs, and developers whose ambitions put the ranch in peril.
Co-created by Oscar nominee Taylor Sheridan, the neo-Western has an 8.7/10 rating on IMDb. The first part earned former star Kevin Costner the Best Actor – Drama prize at last year’s Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Super Awards.
The hit franchise has birthed a number of spinoffs, including 1923, starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, which is still available on Showmax.
Power Book II: Ghost S4 | First on Showmax | Binge from 17 January
The first spin-off series in the award-winning Power crime drama franchise, Ghost stars Critics Choice Rising Star winner Michael Rainey Jr. as Tariq St. Patrick, the son of drug dealer James “Ghost” St. Patrick. Tariq must reconcile his past in order to rise to the top of the food chain and become who he needs to be to protect those he loves most.
Golden Globe nominee Michael Ealy (Barbershop, Think Like A Man) joins the cast this season as detective Don Carter.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the fourth and final season became the most-watched show ever on Starz, averaging 10.5m viewers across all platforms, measured for 90 days post-premiere. The Season 4 premiere was also the highest-rated cable program among Black households in the USA.
Ghost won 13 awards during its run, including the 2024 Impact award from the African American American Film Critics Association, directing prizes from the 2024 NAACP Image Awards and Telly Awards for Dawn Wilkinson, and the editing prize at the 2024 Black Reel Awards for Spenser Reich. Previous seasons earned Mary J. Blige and Method Man multiple NAACP Image Supporting Actress and Actor awards.
Starz says its subscribers have now watched over 1.6 billion hours of the Power universe.
Get Millie Black S1 | First on Showmax | Binge from Saturday, 18 January
After Detective Millie Black returns home to Jamaica, she comes across a missing person case that will rock the very foundation of her entire life. Tamara Lawrance stars as Detective Millie Black, opposite Joe Dempsie (Game of Thrones).
Created by Booker Prize winner Marlon James (A Brief History of Seven Killings), Get Millie Black has a 100% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. As Slate says: “Marlon James’ novels are masterpieces. His new HBO series achieves something similar. Get Millie Black is a detective show that feels fresh.”
Laid S1 | First on Showmax | Binge from Friday, 17 January
A romcom with a fatal twist, Laid follows Ruby, a woman who discovers her former lovers are dying in unusual ways. To figure out why and to stop it from happening again, she goes back through her sex timeline — with the help of her best friend — to confront her past.
Laid stars Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All At Once) as Ruby, opposite Michael Angarano (Oppenheimer) and Zosia Mamet (The Flight Attendant).
Laid comes to Showmax within a month of its US premiere on 19 December 2024.
The Sex Lives of College Girls S3 | First on Showmax | Binge from Monday, 27 January
Season 3 of The Sex Lives of College Girls returns to Essex College for sophomore year with Bela, Kimberly, Leighton, and Whitney all facing major changes in their lives after the turbulent Season 2 conclusion.
Reneé Rapp is focussing on her music career, so we’ll be seeing less of Leighton this season, but Pauline Chalamet (Kimberly), Amrit Kaur (Bela) and Alyah Chanelle Scott (Whitney) are all back.
Created by six-time Emmy nominee Mindy Kaling (Never Have I Ever, The Office) and Brooklyn Nine-Nine writer Justin Noble, the 18SNL-rated series has been nominated for two GLAAD Media Awards and the MTV TV Awards’ “Here for the Hookup” prize.
As Collider says, “While ‘sex lives’ may be in the title of the show, everyone knows the real magic lies in the ‘college girls’ part and their messy but endlessly supportive relationships with one another. This is one friend group you’ll want to follow into sophomore year and long after graduation day.”
Found S2 | First on Showmax | Binge from Friday, 10 January
Hunt the enemy. Save the missing.
Found returns with a gripping new season of shocking twists centring on recovery specialist Gabi Mosely (Shanola Hampton from Shameless) and her crisis management team as they work tirelessly to find missing people forgotten by the system. They’ll stop at nothing to solve these cases because for them, it’s personal: every member of the team has firsthand experience with a mysterious disappearance.
After bringing her darkest secret to light, Gabi must rebuild trust with her team and face her escaped kidnapper once again, all while rescuing the missing people who need her – before it’s too late.
SAS Rogue Heroes S2 | First On Showmax | Binge from Friday, 31 January
SAS Rogue Heroes returns for its second season, picking up with the regiment in the Spring of 1943, as they face their next battle on a whole new terrain: mainland Europe.
Originally inspired by Ben Macintyre’s bestselling book of the same name, the BAFTA-nominated BBC drama is a “mostly true” account of how arguably the world’s greatest special forces unit was formed under extraordinary circumstances in the darkest days of World War II.
Season 2 brings back BAFTA winners Jack O’Connell and Dominic West as Paddy Mayne and Dudley Clarke, as well as Algerian actress Sofia Boutella as Eve Mansour and Sex Education’s Connor Swindells as David Stirling.
Season 1 has a 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with The Guardian hailing SAS Rogue Heroes as “a total triumph” and “one of the year’s most emotional shows,” saying, “This brilliant series… might be a high-octane, action-packed riot – but it’s also tender, touchy and funny.”
S.W.A.T. S7 | Binge from Monday, 20 January
Emmy winner Shemar Moore (Criminal Minds) stars in S.W.A.T. as Hondo, who leads an elite tactical team in LA law enforcement. Torn between loyalty to his community and his brothers in blue, he works to bridge the divide between both worlds as he grapples with parenthood.
Deacon (Jay Harrington) and Nichelle Carmichael (Rochelle Aytes) are back this season, with Anna Enger Ritch (The Haunting of Hill House) joining the cast as Zoe Powell.
CBS has renewed the hit show for an eighth season.
Law & Order S23 | Binge from Monday, 6 January
From legendary Emmy-winning executive producer and creator Dick Wolf, the original Law & Order resumes its classic two-part approach following both the police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders.
Having won six Emmys and 50 awards, television’s defining procedural drama starts its 23rd season in the wake of a murder on campus, examining the line between free speech and hate speech at a university. Meanwhile, Detective Jalen Shaw (Mehcad Brooks from Supergirl) is still getting used to working with his new partner, Detective Vincent Riley (Reid Scott from Veep).
Returning favourites include District Attorney Jack McCoy (Oscar nominee Sam Waterston), Assistant District Attorney Nolan Price (Critics’ Choice nominee Hugh Dancy) and Lt Kate Dixon (Emmy winner Camryn Manheim).
Transplant S4 | Binge from Monday, 27 January
In the fourth and final season of the award-winning medical drama, Syrian refugee Dr Bashir “Bash” Hamed is on the precipice of finishing his residency at York Memorial and officially re-qualifying as a doctor. Bash and his sister, Amira, are Canadian citizens now, but are still trying, with everything they have, to build a life in their adopted country.
Hamza Haq (Quantico) leads the cast as Dr Bashir, a role that has earned him three consecutive Best Actor wins at the Canadian Screen Awards.
When it premiered, Transplant became the most-watched new Canadian series since 2017.
Sullivan’s Crossing S2 | Binge from Monday, 13 January
Based on The Virgin River author Robyn Carr’s bestselling book series of the same name, Sullivan’s Crossing follows neurosurgeon Maggie Sullivan (Morgan Kohan), who returns to her hometown after her life is turned upside down.
Following the gripping conclusion of the first season, the second season picks up just hours after Maggie has learned about her father’s stroke, and her life is once again thrown into turmoil as she navigates her past and present within the tight-knit community.
Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill) returns in the second season as Maggie’s enigmatic love interest, Cal, with Scott Patterson (Gilmore Girls) also reprising his role as Harry “Sully” Sullivan.
Hightown S3 | First on Showmax | Binge from Monday, 13 January
In the third and final season of Hightown, Fishery Service Agent Jackie Quiñones is off the wagon and off the force – which doesn’t stop her from venturing into the dark underbelly of picture-perfect Cape Cod to save a missing woman and a murdered sex worker.
Monica Raymund (Chicago Fire) and Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break) were both nominated for 2024 Imagen Awards as Jackie and Frankie Cuevas Senior.
Executive produced by Oscar and Emmy winner Jerry Bruckheimer (Top Gun: Maverick), Hightown has an 80% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Power Book IV: Force S2| Binge from Friday, 31 January
Force follows Power fan-favourite character Tommy Egan (Screen Actors Guild nominee Joseph Sikora from Ozark) as he starts over in Chicago. In a city divided by race, Tommy is ready to rewrite all the rules in his quest to become Chicago’s biggest drug dealer.
Force has a 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and an 8.1/10 score on IMDb, with Variety saying: “By taking the time to unpack the very real racial tensions in Chicago, permitting Tommy to do what he does best and illustrating the varied characters more intimately, Force has hit its stride.”
Already renewed for a third season, Force is created by Emmy nominee Robert Munic (The Cleaner), with Power creator Courtney A Kemp exec producing alongside Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. The ensemble cast includes Lili Simmons (Banshee) and Tommy Flanagan (Sons of Anarchy, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2).
Power Book III: Raising Kanan S3| Binge from Friday, 24 January
A prequel to the hit crime drama Power, Raising Kanan stars Mekai Curtis as the young Kanan Stark (played in the original series by Emmy and Grammy winner Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson).
Season 3 sees Raq make a life-changing decision in the aftermath of the Mafia’s ambush, but is it too little, too late for Kanan, as he looks to pave his own path free of his mother’s lies?
As Raq, Tony winner Patina Miller (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Madam Secretary) picked up her second Black Reel Award nomination earlier this year. She’s also been nominated twice at the Women’s Image Network Awards, where the show was up for Best Drama Series.
Black Reel winner Wendell Pierce (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Wire) joins the cast this season, with Teen Choice nominee Omar Epps (House M.D.), Grammy nominee Hailey Kilgore (Respect), and Emmy nominee Tony Danza (Who’s the Boss) all returning.
Raising Kanan has already been renewed for a fourth and fifth season.
Local series
Gqeberha: The Empire S2 | Binge from Tuesday, 14 January
Season 1 of the SAFTA-nominated Mzansi Magic telenovela Gqeberha: The Empire took us into the world of the Mxenge family and their epic battle for control of their thriving business empire.
Now that the Mxenge family patriarch, Luzuko, is out of the picture, his brother Hlumelo (SAFTA winner Bongile Mantsai) steps up to fill the void.
As Bullet, Zikhona Sodlaka (The Wife) won the 2024 National Film and TV Awards for Best Actress in a TV Series.
Icala S1 | Binge from Wednesday 1 January
A reckless and self-centred man thinks he’s about to die, so he confesses to his loving wife about the child he fathered with her BFF. Plot twist? He does not die.
Written by Chris Q Radebe (One Weeks), Icala stars International Emmy nominee and SAFTA winner Lerato Mvelase (Isibaya, Home Affairs) as the scorned wife, alongside Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Award nominee Bheki Sibiya (eHostela) as her philandering husband. The cast also includes National Film and TV Award winner Sannah Mchunu (Gomora, Youngins).
City Press calls the Mzansi Magic show “incredible … still people’s favourite.”
Entangled S2 | Binge from Monday, 6 January
Entangled S1 introduced us to Sharon, an overachiever in her 30s whose marriage to the love of her life, Sizwe, is disrupted by the sudden return of her ex, Julius, sparking a complex love triangle.
In Season 2, Sisanda Henna (Devil’s Peak) takes over the role of Sizwe, played by Vuyo Ngcukana in Season 1. Phuthi Khomo (Egoli, Imbewu) returns as Sharon, alongside 2024 National Film and Video Awards winner Vuyo Dabula (Five Fingers for Marseilles, The Butcher’s Soul), SAFTA nominee Senzo Radebe (Shaka iLembe), Pearl Modiadie (Law, Love and Betrayal), and award-winning comedian Mpho Popps.
Movies
Dune: Part Two | Stream from Wednesday, 1 January 2025
The fourth biggest box office hit of 2024, Dune: Part Two continues the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against those who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavours to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.
Dune: Part Two has a 92% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with The New York Times praising the chemistry between Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet and Emmy winner Zendaya, noting that “they humanise the story, giving it the necessary personal stakes and a warmth that helps balance the chilling violence.”
Also watch the epic HBO prequel series https://www.showmax.com/mr/stream/series/dune-prophecy/a7d72b96-9c01-3ba7-ba3a-9436e31c54aa on Showmax.
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial | Stream from Thursday, 23 January
Adapted from Herman Wouk’s novel The Caine Mutiny, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial follows a US naval first officer who’s standing trial for orchestrating a mutiny after his captain shows signs of becoming unhinged and jeopardises the lives of his crew.
Kiefer Sutherland (24) stars as the troubled Commander Queeg, alongside Jason Clarke (The Great Gatsby), Jake Lacy (The White Lotus) and Lewis Pullman (Lessons in Chemistry).
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial is written and directed by Oscar winner William Friedkin (The Exorcist, The French Connection) – one of his final projects before his death in 2023.
One Life | Stream from Monday, 6 January
One Life tells the story of Nicholas Winton, a young London broker who, on the brink of World War II, helped rescue as many Jewish children as possible from the Nazis. Fifty years later, Winton is haunted by the fate of the children he couldn’t save. It’s not until a TV show reintroduces him to some of those he helped rescue that he finally begins to come to terms with the guilt and grief he carried.
Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins and Johnny Flynn (The Lovers) co-star as the older and younger Winton. One Life also stars Helena Bonham Carter, Lena Olin and Jonathan Pryce (The Crown) and more.
One Life has a 90% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Guardian calls it “an extraordinary true story,” adding: “You’d need a heart of stone not to be touched by this.”
Your Lucky Day | Stream from Thursday, 9 January
In one of his final projects before his death in 2023, Angus Cloud (Euphoria) leads the cast of Your Lucky Day, a high-stakes action thriller about a lottery gone wrong.
A dispute over a winning lottery ticket turns into a deadly hostage situation, forcing the witnesses to decide exactly how far they’ll go – and how much blood they’re willing to spill – for a cut of the $156 million.
Your Lucky Day holds an 87% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Roger Ebert hailing it as “thrilling and suspenseful, with enough twists to keep you guessing.”
The Last Rifleman | Stream from Monday, 6 January
Pierce Brosnan stars as a World War II veteran who escapes his care home in Northern Ireland and embarks on a tough but inspirational journey to France to attend the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, finding the courage to face the ghosts of his past.
Inspired by true events, The Last Rifleman also stars Clémence Poésy (Tenet), Screen Actors Guild nominees Jürgen Prochnow (The English Patient) and Ian McElhinney (Game of Thrones), and Emmy nominee John Amos (Coming to America), who passed away earlier this year.
At the Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTA), Brosnan and Prochnow were nominated for Best Lead Actor and Supporting Actor respectively.
Breathe | Stream from Monday, 13 January
After Earth is left uninhabitable due to lack of oxygen, a mother (Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson) and daughter (Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis) are forced to live underground, with short trips to the surface only made possible by a state-of-the-art oxygen suit.
Genre superstars Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil, The Fifth Element) and Sam Worthington (Jake Sully in Avatar) co-star alongside Emmy, Grammy and Oscar winner Common.
Classics on the couch:
- Oscar Best Picture winner Shakespeare in Love, which earned Gwyneth Paltrow and Judi Dench Oscars (from 2 January)
- Oscar-winning astronaut drama films Apollo 13, starring Tom Hanks, and The First Man, starring Ryan Gosling – both from Monday, 5 January
- Oscar-nominated cult hitman drama In Bruges, starring Colin Farrell (from Monday, 6 January)
- Horror The Invisible Man, starring Elisabeth Moss, winner of over 40 awards (from Monday, 13 January)
- Best Writing Oscar winner Lost In Translation, starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson (from Monday, 13 January)
- 2018’s Halloween, the 14th biggest box office horror hit of all time, starring Jamie Lee Curtis (from Monday, 20 January)
- Darkest Hour, which won Gary Oldman the Best Actor Oscar as Winston Churchill (from Thursday, 23 January)
Documentaries
Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos S1 | Binge from Thursday, 23 January
MetaCritic’s second-highest-rated series of 2024 so far, Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos focuses on the man behind the cultural phenomenon, which is still in the ten highest-rated series of all time on IMDb.
Directed and hosted by Oscar winner Alex Gibney, Wise Guy features firsthand accounts and revelations from the people who brought the groundbreaking mafia series to life, including Emmy winners Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, and Michael Imperioli. Twenty-time Grammy winner Bruce Springsteen makes an appearance too.
Season 1 has a 100% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Empire hailing it as, “The definitive chronicle of The Best Show Ever.”
You can also binge all six seasons of The Sopranos on Showmax.
Reality
The Real Housewives of Orange County S18 | Binge from Wednesday, 15 January
As The Real Housewives of Orange County returns for its highly anticipated 18th season, the drama is hotter than ever. As the groundbreaking original series in The Real Housewives franchise, OC continues to captivate audiences with its mix of glamour, conflict, and personal growth.
In this season, Shannon is working hard to move forward, grappling with the fallout from her DUI. Emily embarks on a new fitness journey, while relationships are tested as both Gina and Jenn face new chapters in their personal lives – exploring major changes in their living arrangements with their partners.
The Real Housewives of Orange County remains the flagship of The Real Housewives franchise, now part of a global empire of 15 franchises available to stream on Showmax. Don’t miss a moment of the drama, laughs, and tears as the ladies of OC continue to show us what it really means to live large in Southern California.
Next Level Chef S2 | Binge from Wednesday, 8 January
Trust Gordon Ramsay to bring out the best in his chefs, even in the most challenging conditions.
With its unique, three-story set and innovative culinary challenges, the first season of Next Level Chef elevated the cooking competition genre and quickly became a fan favourite. The series premiere was the top-rated debut of its kind and Fox’s third most-streamed unscripted debut.
In Season 2, Ramsay, along with chefs Nyesha Arrington and Richard Blais, will once again search the United States of America for the very best line cooks, home chefs, social media stars, food truck owners, and everything in between, all with the goal of discovering the food world’s newest superstar.
The contestant who serves up the best dishes will walk away with a $250 000 grand prize and the coveted title of Next Level Chef.
Comedy
Ramy Youssef: More Feelings | Stream from Wednesday, 8 January
Ramy Youssef returns to the stage to offer his unique reflections on our divided world, the unexpected perils of charitable giving, and more.
The HBO comedy special was nominated for a 2024 Emmy for Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming. In Chicago Sun-Times, Richard Roeper hailed Youssef as “a genuine, brilliant and calming presence who makes us laugh a lot, think quite a bit and maybe even feel a little bit better about how we still have much in common despite all our differences.”
Youssef was previously nominated for Lead Actor and Directing Emmys for his comedy, Ramy, as well as for a Directing Emmy this year for his work on The Bear. He also starred in this year’s four-time Oscar winner Poor Things and hosted Saturday Night Live earlier this year.
More to watch on Showmax in January 2025
2 January
Atonement | Bad Hombres | Downton Abbey – The Movie
6 January
Apollo 11
8 January
The Unbreakable Tatiana Suarez
9 January
Duplicity | Forsaken | Intolerable Cruelty | Public Enemies
13 January
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry | The Irresistible
16 January
Baghead | I.S.S.
18 January
Knockout | Ouija | Ouija: Original of Evil | The Skeleton Key | Undercover Brother
20 January
Curry and Pepper | Halloween Kills | The Walking Dead
22 January
Leo Reich: Literally Who Cares?
23 January
Psycho (1998) | Psycho II | Psycho III | The Fortune Code
27 January
Asphalt City | Death Becomes Her | Kung Fu Monster | The Eagle | The Five-Year Engagement | The Kingdom | Umndende
30 January
Best of the Best | Dogs At The Opera | Ma | Mercury Rising | Van Helsing
Original African stories by local talent
Unfollowed S1-2
Unfollowed examines cancel culture in social media through real-life stories of South African celebs. Stream S2 now, with new episodes weekly.
The Hot Seat S1
The Hot Seat promises bold banter as some of Kenya’s biggest celebrities face the heat. Stream now, with new episodes weekly.
Nairobi Bachelor S1
Nairobi Bachelor follows the journey of young bachelors and singletons on a quest to find their perfect match. Stream now, with new episodes every Friday.
Spooksoeker S1
When Warno Alberts turns 15, he suddenly becomes aware of ghosts in his dorpie – and it’s now his job to banish them. Stream now, with new episodes every Thursday.
4Play
4Play follows four men who, despite their chaotic personal lives, find friendship, love and perseverance in Nairobi’s concrete jungle. Stream now, with new episodes every Thursday.
Die Tollie & Manila Show
A bold talk show where SA celebs join drag queens Tollie Parton and Manila von Teez for an evening of conversation and games… in drag. Stream now, with new episodes every Monday.
The Station Strangler
The Station Strangler is a true-crime documentary investigating the serial killer who is believed to have killed 21 young boys and one adult from the late 80s to the mid-90s on the Cape Flats. Now available to stream.
Black & Blue S1
Black & Blue, a Showmax Original police-based mockumentary series, now streaming, with new episode every Wednesday.
More binge-worthy series to stream
Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent S1
This spin-off of the hit crime drama franchise follows an elite squad investigating corruption and high-level criminality in the Greater Toronto.
30 Rock S1-7
Emmy winner Tina Fey stars as Liz Lemon, head writer of the fictional sketch-comedy show TGS with Tracy Jordan, who has to deal with an arrogant boss and a crazy […]
Meet the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds crew
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is bringing wonder back to space exploration as a crew of familiar friends and new characters join a five-year mission to explore the universe.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S1-2
Venture into the unknown with Captain Pike, Spock, Number One and the USS Enterprise crew a decade before Captain Kirk’s legendary five-year mission.