Get ready for a whirlwind tour of the most exciting content that January 2025 had to offer! From groundbreaking TV shows and hilarious comedies to mind-bending podcasts and thrilling animations, we're counting down the must-watch experiences that defined the month.
Category
đź—ž
NewsTranscript
00:00I suppose you're Marques.
00:09Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're revealing our picks for the 10 must-watch pieces of
00:13content that define the month of January 2025.
00:16You'll find a mix of movies, TV, streaming, podcasts, and more.
00:21And whether you're looking for something new or just a reminder of the best of the
00:24last month, you'll find something interesting.
00:28Anybody could do comedy.
00:29I could teach all of y'all in here how to tell jokes and be comedy, but are you funny?
00:37Harley Quinn remains the gold standard animated adult-oriented comic book show with a comedic edge.
00:43You know what? We don't need him.
00:44We don't need anybody because we're Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, Gotham City's bestest,
00:49most titillating-est, most exciting-est couple ever!
00:53It's showing no signs of losing momentum.
00:55Although, Harley and Ivy commence the season in a rut.
00:58That's nothing a change of scenery can't solve.
01:01Season 5 takes the couple from Gotham's dystopian slums to the city of tomorrow.
01:05It truly is a brand new day as Harley and Ivy leave their mark in Metropolis.
01:09I'm sorry, what was that last thing?
01:11Oh, I just said that.
01:12You know, if he doesn't say thank you for saving his life, I'm gonna lose my goddamn
01:15mind and take a bat to everything!
01:18Please don't tell me you're making Superman's special night all about you.
01:21Along the way, they encounter old enemies, new enemies, and one big question mark.
01:26In addition to fresh environments, the series continues to expand upon the characters,
01:31getting to the root of Ivy's backstory.
01:33Whether or not Metropolis is still standing by the season's end,
01:36they're strapped in for the best kind of bumpy ride.
01:39Oh, wait, and get this.
01:40Superman is totally cheating on Lois with some guy named Clark Kent.
01:44So I've heard they spend a lot of time together, but no one ever sees them in the same room.
01:48Kind of like they're hiding.
01:50Hiding from Lois.
01:52Number 9.
01:53Roy Wood Jr., Lonely Flowers.
01:56Society seems more divided than ever.
01:59Will Roy Wood Jr.'s stand-up special be the watershed moment that brings us all together?
02:03This one is special because you talk more about who we are as a people.
02:08Well, I mean, for people who know my comedy, the first three specials,
02:11there's a lot of analysis of society and politics and all of that,
02:14but I just wanted to get into us as a people.
02:17Probably not, but Lonely Flowers is inclined to unite audiences in laughter.
02:21They might even walk away with a more empathetic mindset, too.
02:25Although humanity's lack of connection is at the center of his commentary,
02:28the Daily Show correspondent doesn't go for the targets you might expect.
02:32Got rid of the cashiers. They got self-checkout now.
02:36I don't like it.
02:38I do not work here. I just arrived.
02:40While Wood does tackle important issues like how we treat our veterans,
02:44his first Hulu special is more about rude fast-food employees,
02:48even ruder gun-range employees, and the folly of self-checkout lanes.
02:52Watch with a group of friends, share a few laughs,
02:55and the world is sure to seem a little less lonely.
02:58I titled the special Lonely Flowers because I feel like we as a people,
03:01we're all beautiful, but we're separated.
03:03When you put flowers together, you have a bouquet,
03:05and it's something that's beautiful.
03:09Although they share a city in common,
03:11Abbott Elementary and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia might seem an unlikely combo.
03:16Welcome to Abbott Elementary, the best elementary school in the universe.
03:19Is that what this is?
03:20Ignore her. We are the best volunteers in the universe.
03:23One is about elementary school teachers doing their best to make a difference.
03:27The other is about the worst people in the world.
03:30What started as a joke between Quinta Brunson and Rob McElhenney at the Emmys
03:34snowballed into a legitimate crossover, however.
03:37You are a natural.
03:38I appreciate you seeing me.
03:39Of course.
03:40Hey class, can I have your attention just real quick up here?
03:42I just want you to know you are being taught by a genius.
03:46As different as these sitcoms are,
03:48the jokes practically write themselves as Frank clashes with Mr. Johnson over compost,
03:53Dee attempts to steal Gregory from Janine,
03:55and Barbara tries teaching Charlie how to read at a kindergarten level.
03:59Charlie, I've helped many adults who struggle to read.
04:02Yeah, but I'm not struggling. I read good.
04:04It's okay, Charlie. All we have to do is find out what do you like.
04:08The crossover isn't over either,
04:10as a second chapter will kick off the It's Always Sunny season 17 premiere.
04:17January is usually a dumping ground for movies that come and go.
04:21Every once in a while, though, a pleasant surprise emerges.
04:24I'm sorry, I had to get a jump from Shemeika,
04:26then they had a checkpoint and LeBron had to go all the way around.
04:29This Issa Rae-produced comedy is certainly one of them.
04:32Singer SZA makes her film debut alongside the always charismatic Kiki Palmer,
04:36playing roommates trying to collect enough money to evade eviction.
04:39Your boyfriend took our rent money and did.
04:41I invested it. This is our future.
04:43Even if they find the funds, will they still want to live with each other by the day's end?
04:47The chemistry between the leads, coupled with a sharp script from Sarita Singleton,
04:52make for the funniest viewing experience of the new year.
04:55Surpassing the 90% threshold on Rotten Tomatoes and opening strong at the box office,
05:00One of Them Days demonstrates why Hollywood should be making more buddy comedies for theaters.
05:05It was so much fun, very creative, the whole environment.
05:10More than 15 years after leaving ER,
05:13Noah Wiley returns to television as another doctor.
05:16Oh, they're always threatening to shut us down, but they never do.
05:19The Pit isn't a traditional medical drama with a case of the week, however.
05:23Structurally, this max series is closer to 24,
05:27with each episode dedicated to another hour as a group of healthcare workers
05:31navigate their way through a lengthy shift.
05:33I can't take how excited I am to be here today, so...
05:36Talk to me at the end of the day.
05:38Ignore him. He had a rough night.
05:40And is having an ongoing existential crisis.
05:43Don't worry. You'll get there soon enough.
05:46The Pit captures the spontaneity of the emergency department,
05:49with the characters juggling a waiting room of patients.
05:52Occasionally, the characters are given breathing room to address their personal and professional drama.
05:57For the most part, though, they're constantly on the go as crises pile up.
06:01It's a grounded portrayal of ER doctors,
06:04offering a taste of the intensity, anxiety, and unpredictability that comes with the job.
06:09How are you doing?
06:11Me? I'm good. I'm always good. You know that.
06:14Do I? Does anybody?
06:16I'm an open book.
06:17Not even close.
06:21This horror film is best experienced without viewing the trailer or even reading the plot synopsis.
06:26My friends don't hate you.
06:27Cat does.
06:29Yeah, maybe, but Cat hates everybody.
06:32You just don't want to screw everything up.
06:34Of course, since we're obligated to share more details,
06:37here's our spoiler-free endorsement.
06:39Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid are two of the most promising young performers on the rise.
06:44They turn in some of their best work in Companion,
06:47which centers on a group of friends who gather for a weekend vacation by the lake.
06:51Iris, wake up.
06:53Uh, what are you doing?
06:55Shut her down already.
06:56What is she talking about, Josh?
06:58One of the individuals in attendance isn't like the others,
07:01leading to a fatal glitch in this getaway.
07:03Marking Drew Hancock's feature directorial debut,
07:06Companion also reunites several key figures behind 2022's Barbarian.
07:11Like that film, Companion only gets more twisted as it goes along,
07:15without skimping on the laughs, gore, or clever themes.
07:19I think Drew just wrote a great, great script.
07:21Yeah.
07:22I agree.
07:23No notes.
07:24I love the script.
07:26SNL 50 Beyond Saturday Night
07:28SNL is in the midst of its landmark 50th season,
07:32with its primetime anniversary special set to air in February.
07:35It was the biggest show ever.
07:37The biggest thing that happened to television is Saturday Night Live.
07:41They took sketch comedy to a whole other level and made it an institution.
07:45Until then, this docu-series provides an absorbing behind-the-scenes look at Studio 8H,
07:50complete with retrospectives from cast members
07:52and other creative talents from throughout the years.
07:54The first two episodes explore the show's casting process,
07:57production hurdles,
07:58and a sketch's journey from the writers' room to the stage.
08:01People don't think about the writers.
08:03You know what I mean?
08:04It's like the second-class citizen.
08:06They're not valued in any way.
08:09Episode 3 is solely dedicated to more cowbell,
08:12unpacking that historic sketch's development and impact.
08:15The final episode delves into the highs and lows of the 1985-86 season,
08:20which nearly signified the end of SNL.
08:23Ultimately, it was an experimental turning point
08:26that changed the trajectory of Saturday Night Live
08:28and Damon Wayan's career.
08:38Jacob Barber is far from the first person to claim
08:40that the government knows more about UAPs or UFOs than they're letting on.
08:53Felt pretty good, actually.
08:55Get that off my chest.
08:56Barber stands out from other whistleblowers, however.
08:59A former aerospace mechanic for the U.S. Air Force,
09:02Barber claims that he was part of a secret UAP retrieval program.
09:06Sitting down with NewsNation's Ross Coulthart,
09:08Barber recalled unearthing an egg-like object as big as an SUV.
09:12I saw an egg, a white egg.
09:16How large was the object?
09:18I would say approximately 20 feet, plus or minus, a little bit.
09:22About the size of a large SUV.
09:24Did it have any seams?
09:26No.
09:27And it was pure what?
09:30It was like pearly white, like a metallic pearly white.
09:34Whatever it was, Barber is convinced it couldn't have been human.
09:38Barber also encountered an 8-gon,
09:40which he described as a disk with eight delineated sections.
09:44For believers and skeptics alike,
09:46this nearly three-hour interview couldn't be arriving at a more relevant time
09:50as the existence of extraterrestrial life seems more probable than ever.
09:54You know what would be really cool?
09:56Is to be driving down the highway,
09:59look up and see a billboard advertisement for the United States Air Force
10:03recruiting kids into a career field for UAP research and study.
10:12After voicing Peter Parker in Marvel's What If?,
10:15Hudson Tames swings back into action with this animated Spider-Man series.
10:19All right, Peter, this is the first day of the rest of your life.
10:22No need to be nervous, it's just orientation.
10:25Out of high school for geniuses.
10:29How bad could this possibly go?
10:31Although adjacent to the MCU,
10:33your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man sets itself in an alternate universe
10:36where Norman Osborn mentors a young Peter.
10:39Coleman Domingo voices Norman
10:41in a cast that includes a few familiar names,
10:43including Charlie Cox's Daredevil and Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin.
10:47Hey, you know what? That was unnecessary. Words hurt, you know.
10:50Not as much as bricks do.
10:52This is Peter's story, though,
10:54as he balances his freshman year of high school with his newfound superhero duties.
10:58Speaking of balance, the 3D cell-shaded designs find a middle ground
11:02between the original comics and modern animation
11:05in a series that aims to encompass several generations of Spider-Man.
11:08With at least three seasons given the go-ahead,
11:11this web is just getting unraveled.
11:13That happened so fast.
11:15I know, Pete. Trust me.
11:17I was really hoping it was going to be one of us.
11:19Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel
11:22and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
11:25You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
11:29If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings
11:32and switch on notifications.
11:38The golden age of television isn't without its drawbacks,
11:41sometimes making us wait three years for ten new episodes of our favorite shows.
11:46Welcome back, Marcus.
11:52In a minute.
11:54If the first couple of episodes of Severance Season 2 are any indication,
11:58the wait was worth it.
12:00The show remains a labyrinth of mystery and mind games
12:03where the characters are rarely sure who they can trust,
12:06themselves included.
12:08The search for answers is only made more involving thanks to the layered characters,
12:12subtle humor, and ordinary environment that's somehow otherworldly.
12:16What's funny?
12:20You don't know what I did to the kitchen, do you?
12:23For those who could use a recap of Season 1,
12:26we'd also suggest listening to the Severance podcast,
12:29which we'll be covering Season 2 on a weekly basis as well.
12:32However you watch, it's a show that will keep you coming back.
12:36By end of day, each of you will choose whether you want to remain here.
12:40What did you watch in January 2025?
12:43What do you still need to catch up with?
12:45Let us know in the comments.
12:46Before we see the man of the hour, or should I say,
12:49the man of steel of the hour,
12:54I didn't want to pull a surprise, but I can't get a laugh.
12:56Do you agree with our picks?
12:58Check out this other recent clip from WatchMojo
13:00and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
13:06WatchMojo.com