A new year has dawned, and if you're into fantasy and science fiction television, it's going to be a big one. From fresh entries in long-established franchises to new spinoffs and original stories, genre TV fans will be eating well each month of the year as studios vie for our attention and obsessive viewing habits. But where to even begin?
Well, as it's January, obviously we have to start at the beginning. This year is wasting no time, hitting the ground running with one of the year's most anticipated fantasy shows and a slew of others right from the jump. Let's round up 6 fantasy and sci-fi TV shows coming out this month, so you can spend less time agonizing over what to watch and more time preparing for the viewing party.
1. Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2 (Disney+) — airing now
Let's start out with a few shows that began in December, but are hitting the peak of their run this month. Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a Greek myth-inspired young adult fantasy series based on the beloved book by Rick Riordan, which follows the titular teenage demigod as he goes on various adventures with his friends. The second season adapts The Sea of Monsters, which sees Percy set out to recover the Golden Fleece and face off against monsters of legend like the sirens and cyclops Polyphemus.
The season has gotten off to a solid start, with Percy and his friends overcoming obstacles and drawing ever closer to their goal. Episodes air Wednesdays on Disney+ up until its season finale on January 21.
2. Spartacus: House of Ashur (Starz) — airing now
Starz's new Spartacus spinoff House of Ashur got off to an extremely promising start last month, transporting viewers back to the gladiator training pits of the Roman Empire as the scheming Ashur vied for position amongst the nobility. The show is a sidequel to the original Spartacus that imagines a different life for Ashur, where he survived the main series and took over the ludus where he had once been a slave. It's got all the stylishly bloody action, copious nudity, and inventive swearing fans know and love from the original show, but with a fresh set of characters and a story that manages to carve its own path.
Spartacus: House of Ashur premieres new episodes Fridays on Starz and the Starz app, until its season finale on January 30.
3. Fallout season 2 (Prime Video) — airing now
Another show in the middle of its run is Fallout, which began airing its second season halfway through December on Prime Video. This post-apocalyptic romp is based on the hit video game series, and it perfectly captures the irreverent tone, outlandish violence, and dark humor that has made the franchise such an enduring staple of the genre. Season 2 takes viewers to New Vegas, an iconic setting from the games, where Lucy and The Ghoul hope to track down her father and force him to give them the justice and answers they seek. But since this is Fallout, I wouldn't plan on everything going to plan.
Fallout season 2 drops new episodes Tuesdays on Prime Video. Its season finale doesn't release until early February, so settle in for the watch and enjoy having new episodes every week of January.
4. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (CBS/Paramount+) — January 15
Star Trek has always had a knack for reinventing itself, and this month we'll see the latest iteration of this storied science fiction franchise. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is a different sort of Trek show, that does away with the usual formula of a crew on a ship out exploring the galaxy. Instead it will take us to academy where all those intrepid explorers are trained. With a stellar cast that includes the likes of Paul Giamatti and Holly Hunter, as well as returning franchise veterans like Robert Picardo, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is basically required viewing for Trekkies. And since it's a new series that shakes off many of the conceits of its predecessors, it stands to be fairly accessible to newcomers, too!
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy premieres its first two episodes on January 15 on Paramount+. New episodes will follow every Thursday for the rest of its 10-episode run.
5. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO) — January 18
We've arrived at the big kahuna of the month: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the new Game of Thrones spinoff that adapts George R.R. Martin's Dunk and Egg novellas. This fantasy series is set right smack in the middle of the timeline between the original show and House of the Dragon. At this point in history all the dragons have died, and the Seven Kingdoms are moving toward the political landscape that gave birth to characters like the Mad King Aerys Targaryen, Robert Baratheon, and Eddard Stark.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a much simpler and more fun story than the other Thrones shows though, so don't expect to get too into the weeds on those politics. This show is all about a stalwart and honorable young knight named Ser Duncan the Tall and his short, bald, motor-mouthed squire named Egg. Together the two go on adventures, right wrongs, and live the life of a "hedge knight" not sworn to any lord.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1 follows Dunk and Egg as they head to a tourney at Ashford Meadow in the Reach. It premieres its first episode on January 18. New episodes air on HBO and HBO Max every Sunday for the rest of the season's six-episode run. This show has already been renewed for season 2, so you can watch comfortably knowing that we'll get another adventure with Dunk and Egg in 2027.
6. Wonder Man (Disney+) — January 27
We end the month with a new Marvel Studios show. Wonder Man stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams a.k.a. Wonder Man, a Hollywood actor who just can't catch a break. Simon's ambition to become a leading man causes him to cross paths with Trevor Slattery, a washed up actor played by Ben Kingsley who once posed as the Mandarin all the way back in Iron Man 3, and returned to the MCU in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Can Trevor help Simon get the part?
Well, that probably depends on whether Simon's secret gets out first. As you might expect, he has super powers, and keeping a lid on those powers with all the pressures of Hollywood sounds like a very fun set up for this series that pokes fun in equal parts at the superhero genre and entertainment industry as a whole.
All eight episodes of Wonder Man premiere January 27 on Disney+.