Something to Stream Every Day This Week; ‘Mission: Impossible,’ ‘Masters of the Air’ Premieres, NFL Championship Games, More
For sports fans, the arrival of January means the start of the NFL playoffs. This is usually enough to keep the attention of football fans all month long, and this weekend’s AFC Championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens will stream live on Paramount+ for all the cord-cutting viewers out there.
But what about non-football fans? This audience segment needs some love too, and fortunately, there’s a wide variety of new shows and movies heading to a streaming service near you this week if you’re sick and tired of football talk and want to enjoy something else.
Monday, Jan. 22
‘Judy Justice’ Season 3 Premiere | Freevee
“Judy Justice” is back and better than ever! Judge Judy Sheindlin presides over new cases with her signature blend of sharp wit and wisdom, hilarious candor, and unwavering honesty that has made her a household favorite among American audiences for almost 30 years.
Feuding family members, obnoxious neighbors, and dramatic divorces are just some of the many cases that audiences will see on Judge Judy’s docket this season. Who will receive the judge’s favor with their persuasive arguments, and who will earn her scorn by talking back or trying to subvert justice? Step into Judge Judy’s courtroom and watch her dispense justice!
Tuesday, Jan. 23
‘Father Brown’ Season 11 Premiere | Britbox
The crime-fighting priest celebrates 11 years as he returns to solve more countryside mysteries involving royal visits, kidnappings, and notorious gangsters. Even the most agnostic of townsfolk know they can count on Father Brown to help them solve their deepest mysteries, no matter how deadly they might be.
“Father Brown” is based on the character of the same name by English writer G.K. Chesterton. Set in the 1950s, this series employs all the most beloved tropes of the British murder mystery series. Lorna Watson will return to the show this season, reprising her role as Sister Boniface after the character received her own spinoff show in 2022.
Wednesday, Jan. 24
‘Dragons of Wonderhatch’ Season Finale | Disney+ and Hulu
Nagi is a dreamer. In the real world, she’s just a high school student — albeit one with the fantastic ability to visualize colors when she hears sounds. Tyme is from another world entirely; the magical world of Upananta, where dragonriders love and respect the dragons they have come to view as partners.
Something strange is happening in Upananta, with evil forces rising that threatens to consume the entire world. Nagi and Tyme can stop it, but will they be able to overcome the obstacles in their path and save the people (and dragons) of Upananta before it’s too late?
Thursday, Jan. 25
‘Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning’ Streaming Premiere | Paramount+
Ethan Hunt and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the world’s fate at stake and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan must consider that nothing can matter more than his mission—not even the lives of those he cares about most.
The latest “Mission: Impossible” sequel proved the franchise is still going strong, with high-flying stunts and action scenes that leap off the screen. Tom Cruise shows no signs of slowing down in the movie, which has dropped “Part One” from its title, suggesting that its direct sequel will get a different name before its scheduled release in May of 2025.
Friday, Jan. 26
‘Masters of the Air’ Series Premiere | Apple TV+
It’s hard to overstate the importance of daylight bombing raids during the Second World War. These raids did critical damage to the Nazi war machine, and “Masters of the Air” will embed users with the 100th Bomb Group as it makes daring, dangerous missions into the heart of Germany to do whatever it can to slow the march of fascism.
Fans of “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific” have been anticipating “Masters of the Air” for quite some time. Like those series, the show is being produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, which along with its presence on Apple TV+ indicates “Masters of the Air” will likely take its place as a beloved World War II drama series.
Saturday, Jan. 27
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Denver Nuggets NBA Game | ABC, stream with a five-day free trial of DIRECTV STREAM
Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic are two of the best centers in the entire NBA, and they have the hardware to prove it. Jokic was only denied his third straight MVP award in the 2022-23 season because of Embiid and was forced to accept an NBA Finals MVP award as consolation.
Now, the two will meet on the floor with a possible 2023-24 MVP award on the line. The 76ers beat the Nuggets in a 126 - 121 thriller on Jan. 16, but now the Sixers must travel to the mile-high air to see if they can repeat the feat on the road. This one will be a must-watch matchup for all basketball fans, regardless of rooting interest.
Sunday, Jan. 28
AFC and NFC Championship Games | CBS/Paramount+ (AFC Championship Game), Fox (NFC Championship Game), Stream with five-day trial to DIRECTV STREAM
If you took advantage of DIRECTV STREAM’s five-day free trial to watch the Sixers and Nuggets, you should continue to use it to watch the AFC and NFC Championship games! The AFC Championship will feature Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs traveling to Charm City to face Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens who return to the game for the first time since 2012.
The NFC Championship will pit the Detroit Lions — who are making just their second appearance in the championship game in franchise history — against the San Francisco 49ers. These are the games that will decide who plays in Super Bowl LVIII, and it’s a day that football fans wait all year for.