Series Snapshot ~ 1/22/2026

By: [email protected] on Thu, 01/22/2026 - 13:20

Welcome to the Series Snapshot, a weekly deep dive into the shows topping the streaming charts.

This week Netflix’s thrilling limited series His and Hers defends its spot at the top of the platform’s streaming chart, followed closely by Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials. Audiences seem in the mood for a good mystery, rating the series highly for its unexpected twists and suspenseful noir atmosphere. Also receiving praise is the onscreen chemistry between the two leads, Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal. His and Hers was created by William Oldroyd, and based on the novel by Alice Feeney.

At Hulu, psychological drama series Tell Me Lies tops the list, back with a strong third season premiere. Tell Me Lies has transformed from its early days as a guilty pleasure with mixed reviews, to a more respected portrayal of abuse with nuanced performances and direction. With only two episodes, the season has garnered over five-million views in its first seven days, surpassing its original debut. Tell Me Lies follows Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White) through their distressing relationship using two timelines; one during their college years, and another at a friend’s wedding nearly a decade later. This gives the show distinctive narrative structure, allowing the earlier timeline to demonstrate results in the latter timeline. So, choices that characters make are reflected in the future, for better or worse. New episodes will be released every Tuesday until the season finale February 17th. Tell Me Lies was created by Meaghan Oppenheimer.

It may be a very strong month for HBO, not only is the hotly anticipated second season of The Pitt releasing new episodes but at the same time, a brand new series set in the immensely popular Game of Thrones universe. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms dethrones The Pitt this week. Seven Kingdoms is set about one hundred years prior to the events of Game of Thrones, and tells the story of Sir Duncan the Tall, played by Peter Claffey, and exhibits a change in tone from the original flagship series. Some describe the show's energy as “medieval buddy-cop”, and the light-hearted adventure is a great starting point for newcomers to the franchise. The new series also stars Finn Bennett, Dexter Sol Ansell, and Tanzyn Crawford. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on a series of novellas by George R. R. Martin, who created the HBO adaptation alongside Ira Parker.

Fallout continues to dominate Amazon Prime. Video game adaptations are typically high-risk; often it’s difficult to translate gameplay to narrative, and fans can be notoriously difficult to please, but with the massive success of shows like The Last of Us and Arcane, studios may be eyeing the next big IP to develop. Fallout is one of these success stories, thanks to the undeniable charm of its core-cast; Walton Goggins, Ella Purnell, and Aaron Moten. Fans also appreciate the use of practical effects, sets, and puppets, which give Fallout a somewhat classic sci-fi aesthetic. The show manages to walk the fine line of honoring the source material while keeping the plot and characters original. Fallout was created by Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner.

Last week, AppleTV’s Tehran excitingly unseated the highly rated Pluribus, but this week, loses its spot to Hijack, the Idris Elba led thriller that just started its second season. Unfortunately, despite its high viewership, Hijack’s new episodes aren’t gripping audiences like the first season, losing some tension and drawing criticism for feeling like a do-over with lower stakes. Season two sees a change in location from a plane cabin to a subway, and some viewers note that the interior lacks the same atmosphere of panic and claustrophobia. Elba’s acting as the corporate hostage negotiator Sam Nelson is praised as the show’s redeeming quality, delivering a stellar performance amidst a lukewarm season two debut. New episodes will release every Wednesday on AppleTV through March. Hijack was created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith.

Since Disney Plus has some integration with Hulu, the most watched on the platform is also Tell Me Lies, followed closely by a new nature docuseries from National Geographic- Pole to Pole with Will Smith. The documentary was also created and executive produced by Will Smith, and sees the actor go to a wide range of remote locations, including Antarctica, the Himalayas, and the Amazon. Smith is following in the footsteps of his former mentor Dr. Allan Counter, whose adventurous spirit would frequently go on expeditions. This is Smith’s third documentary with National Geographic, having previously produced Welcome to Earth and One Strange Rock. Critics praise Pole to Pole for its stunning visuals as well as Smith’s own vulnerability and attentiveness in conversations, surprising some who may have different opinions about the star. However, likely due to Smith’s turbulent PR, there is no shortage of review bombing, so Pole to Pole’s true ratings may take time to settle.