19 December 2023

What’s new on Showmax in Kenya in January 2024

Happy New Year! And it’s really going to be happy when you’re a Showmax subscriber, with some great new series and movies coming at the beginning of the year.

Showmax Originals

New episodes of your favourite Showmax Originals are streaming this month.

Love reality? Then you’ll definitely be watching the South African series Sports Wives, with new episodes on Tuesdays, and Kwa Mam’Mkhize, with new episodes on Thursdays.

Nigerians are loving Wura S2, based on SA hit The River, and six-part legal drama Agu. Of course, Kenyan Showmax Original telenovela Second Family is currently in its second season, and full of twists and turns.

International series

The Good Doctor S6 | Binge from 15 January

Check your heart rate! Season 6 of The Good Doctor picks up after last season’s cliffhanger ending on the rooftop of the St Bonaventure Hospital.

As the brilliant autistic surgeon Dr Shaun Murphy, Freddie Highmore has racked up Best Actor nominations at the likes of the Critics’ Choice, Golden Globes, People’s Choice and Teen Choice awards.

Created by Emmy-winning showrunner David Shore (House M.D.), The Good Doctor has an 8/10 rating on IMDB and has won multiple awards.

Heels S2 | Binge from 19 January

Teen Choice winners Stephen Amell (the Arrowverse’s Oliver Queen/Green Arrow) and Alexander Ludwig (Bjorn Ironside in Vikings) return in Season 2 of Heels, which brings us back to rural Georgia and the family-owned, small-town wrestling organisation, Duffy Wrestling League (DWL). As they work to find their own identities as a “face” (good guy) or a “heel” (villain), brothers and rivals Jack and Ace Spade continue to fight over their late father’s legacy and their individual versions of success.

Heels has an 8/10 rating on IMDb, with a 91% critics’ rating for the final season on Rotten Tomatoes. As the critics’ consensus there says, “There are no jobbers in Heels’ second season, which utilises the full breadth of its ensemble to show-stopping effect.”

Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin | First on Showmax | Binge from 8 January

The Peacock comedy series Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin sees Adam Devine (The Righteous Gemstones’ Kelvin) return in his Pitch Perfect role as Bumper Allen.

Ten years after college, singing a cappella has become just a hobby for the former Treblemaker, who’s now working as a security guard at his alma mater. But when a phone call from his old rival Pieter Krämer (Flula Borg, The Suicide Squad’s Javelin) reveals that one of Bumper’s songs has gone viral in Berlin, he decides to drop everything and move to Germany for a shot at pop stardom. Sarah Hyland (Modern Family’s Haley) co-stars.

Developed and executive produced by multiple-Emmy nominees Elizabeth Banks (Shrill, Cocaine Bear) and Megan Amram (The Good Place, Silicon Valley), Bumper in Berlin also boasts a get-up-and-dance soundtrack with hits from the likes of Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Shaggy, Aha, and Guns N’ Roses. Season 2 is coming to Showmax soon too.

Blindspotting S2 | Binge from 12 January

The spin-off sequel to the award-winning 2018 film of the same name, Blindspotting picks up the story of Miles’ long-time girlfriend Ashley, who was forced to move herself and their son, Sean, in with Miles’s mom and half-sister after he was sent to prison. The final season picks up nine months later, with Ashley feeling the stress as Sean’s birthday and Miles’ first family visitation weekend are both coming up fast.

As Ashley, Emmy and Grammy winner Jasmine Cephas Jones (Mrs. Fletcher) has been nominated for several awards. Her co-stars include Helen Hunt, Kaitlynn Simone (Treasure in Empire) and Tamera Tomakili (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty).

It has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. AV Club called Season 1 “one of the best film-to-TV adaptations in years.” Speaking about Season 2, they say, “Starz’s hidden gem is back [in] …an uproarious, insightful return… [continuing] to shine a light on the ludicrous, beautiful, and often harsh realities of life, while celebrating the power of music and dance… There’s just nothing like it on TV.”

Essex County S1 | Binge from 29 January

This five-part series follows two interconnected families in rural Canada, and is adapted from the acclaimed Essex County Trilogy graphic novel.

Molly Parker (House of Cards) plays country nurse Anne, who’s caring for her uncle, Lou (Stephen McHattie, A History of Violence). Child actor Finlay Wojtak-Hissong plays Lester, who has to go live with his uncle Ken (Brian J Smith from World on Fire, The Matrix Resurrections), a stoic farmer.

Toronto Guardian praises the show’s “brilliant writing,” calling it “beautifully executed and perfectly cast… truly an event to watch.” Essex County was nominated as Best TV Series at the 2023 Venice TV Awards and picked up Directors Guild of Canada awards for its editing and production design.

Movies

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts | 29 January

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is set in 1994 and centres on ex-military electronics expert Noah Diaz and artifact research intern Elena Wallace as they work with the Maximals and the Beasties to fight an invasion that threatens to consume Earth. It’s both a prequel to 2007’s original Transformers and a standalone sequel to 2018’s Bumblebee. Both of these, plus the other films, are streaming on Showmax.

It stars Emmy nominees Anthony Ramos (In the Heights) as Noah and Dominique Fishback (Judas and the Black Messiah) as Elena, with Grammy-nominated Nigerian-American hip-hop artist Tobe Nwigwe as Reek. Also listen out for the likes of Ron Perlman, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage and award-winning Zimbabwean actor Tongayi Chirisa as transformers.

Screen Rant calls it, “The perfect summer movie,” while Geeks hails it as “perhaps the best Transformers movie since the first.”

Shazam! Fury of the Gods | 22 January

Teenager Billy Batson (Asher Angel from Andi Mack) and his adult superhero alter-ego, Shazam (Critics’ Choice nominee Zachary Levi, aka Marvel’s Fandral), have annoyed the wrong ~~people~~ goddesses in this epic #1 box office hit movie. Now, Billy and his foster siblings will have to grow up fast as they face off against the Daughters of Atlas.

The sequel to 2019 blockbuster Shazam!, it also stars the likes of Oscar winner Helen Mirren, Djimon Hounsou (Marvel’s Korath), Rachel Zegler (West Side Story), Lucy Liu (Charlie’s Angels), MTV Movie Award winner Jack Dylan Grazer (It) and Teen Choice winner Adam Brody (The O.C.).

IndieWire praised the film’s “humour, sweetness, and delightfully human heroes, [which remain] bright spots in a genre too often obsessed with the dark and the gritty.”

Fantasy Football | 1 January

Teenager Callie discovers she can magically control her father’s performance on the American football field through her gaming console, transforming him from a fumblitis-plagued journeyman to a star running back bound for superstardom.

Fantasy Football stars Marsai Martin (Black-ish), who also gets a producer credit at just 19 years old, alongside NBA star LeBron James (Space Jam: A New Legacy).

Omari Hardwick (Power’s James “Ghost” St Patrick) plays her dad, opposite the likes of Kelly Rowland and Rome Flynn (How to Get Away with Murder).

Non-Fiction

Libby, Are You Home Yet? | First on Showmax | Binge from 24 January

Winner of Best Factual Series at the 2023 BAFTAs, the timely and sensitively-told documentary series Libby, Are You Home Yet? tells the story of 21-year-old Libby Squire, who wasn’t allowed to enter a nightclub because she was drunk, so was sent home by her friends in a taxi – but never arrived.

Libby, Are You Home Yet was also named Best True Crime Documentary at the Broadcast Digital Awards, who described it as “A masterclass in true crime storytelling” and “a stark portrait of grief that told a parent’s worst nightmare in a sensitive and moving way.”

Family favourites

Star Trek: Prodigy S1 | 1 January

Star Trek: Prodigy invites younger viewers (and grown-up fans) to boldly go alongside an intrepid group of enslaved teenagers who hijack the Protostar, a derelict Starfleet vessel, to escape and explore the galaxy.

The animated series has already won a Children’s and Family Emmy Award, with a further four nominations, including for Outstanding Animated Series. It has a 94% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 4/5-star rating from Common Sense Media, where they recommend it for ages 7+, saying “Star Trek: Prodigy is a treat for the eyes… entertaining, fun, and fast-paced… bringing new life to the beloved franchise for the next generation,” and adding that, “although intended for a younger audience, this new take on a treasured series can be enjoyed by the whole family.”

Baby Shark’s Big Show! S1 | 1 January

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water (without getting that sticky song in your head), Baby Shark’s Big Show is coming to Showmax!

This fun-filled preschool series follows Brooklyn “Baby” Shark and his best friend, William the fish, as they journey on comedic adventures in their hometown of Carnivore Cove.

More to watch on Showmax in January 2023

1 January

4 January

8 January

10 January

Dangerous Breed: Crime. Cons. Cats

11 January

Crescent Gang | Johnny English Reborn | The Legend of La Llorona | Seventh Son

15 January

18 January

Ambush | Blinding Lights | Central Intelligence | The Eagle

22 January

The Huntsman: Winter’s War | Powerbirds S1 | Snow White and The Huntsman | Waist Deep

25 January

The Boss | The Five Year Engagement | Heart of a Champion | My Perfect Wedding |

29 January

Deadly Ruphoria, The Hulk, Kick-Ass 2

Original African stories by local talent

Subterranea

Subterranea follows eight participants of a psychological experiment, trapped in an underground bunker. Stream from 26 September, with new episodes every Thursday.

Original

Made in Kenya

Nai-Rich

Nai-Rich follows five influential Kenyans, giving a glimpse into the glitz and glam of their daily lives in the entertainment industry. Stream now, with new episodes every Friday.

Original

Made in Kenya

False Glory

Fake Glory is a three-part documentary series that delves into those moments when sporting figures did the unthinkable for personal gain. New episodes land Mondays.

Original

Made in South Africa

Law, Love and Betrayal

Law, Love and Betrayal follows a tough township lawyer who forces her way into a slick, family-owned firm in Sandton. Stream now, with new episodes every Thursday.

Original

Made in South Africa

Shebeen Queens

Shebeen Queens is a reality show about the indomitable women behind popular Soweto shebeens. Stream now, with new episodes every Thursday.

Original

Made in South Africa

Die Ondernemers

Die Ondernemers follows three entrepreneurs in the funeral business. Stream now, with new episodes every Monday on Showmax.

Original

Made in South Africa

Dark Side of Glory

Dark Side of Glory tells the stories behind shocking cases of murder and unexplained deaths in the world of sport. Stream now on Showmax.

Original

Made in South Africa

One Weeks

One Weeks follows Fana, a charming high-school dropout from Soweto, who can’t believe his luck when he finds himself dating successful lawyer Lihle. Stream now, with new episodes every Monday.

Original

Made in South Africa

Showmax is the home of HBO in Africa

It’s a Sin S1

The lives of five friends in London in 1981 are tested as they grow up in the shadow of the Aids pandemic.

First

The Girls on the (party) Bus: 5 secrets about political reporters

Find out what really happens on the press bus as comedy drama The Girls on the Bus follows four political journalists through 52 cities in 32 days on the campaign trail.

Random Acts of Flyness S2

Artist, musician and filmmaker Terence Nance explores the metaphysics of Black life through avant-garde storytelling.

Fantasmas S1

Julio Torres spins a fantastical tale of losing a gold oyster earring. In his search to find the earring, he encounters offbeat characters in comedic vignettes set in a surrealist, alternate version of New York.

First

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