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Welcome to binge watch, the first of 2026. Happy New Year to you all. The podcast where we take a look at the hottest new TV and film releases on streaming television platforms. I'm Hannah Fernando, the group editor of Woman and Woman and Home magazine.

And I'm Ian McKeown, writer on TV and Satellite Week, TV Times and what's on TV magazines. Happy New Year. And today we're looking at the new releases that will be available from Friday 9th January 2026, including the Superb new drama Waiting for the out, starring the responders Josh Finnan as a philosophy teacher working in a prison. And new comedy can youn Keep a Secret? With Mark Heap and Dawn French. Yes, on BBC iPlayer.

And we'll also be checking out an abduction thriller Girl Taken on Paramount plus and steamy crime drama his and hers on Netflix. But first, Ian, what is in the news?

Lola Pettigrew, Zachary Hart and Toby Wallace will star in Netflix's live action version of the classic video game, which I've never played, Assassin's Creed. What else is in the news? Hannah.

And in the Netflix comedy One Attempt Remaining, Jennifer Garner will play a divorcee who must reunite with when they learn the cryptocurrency. Of course they won years earlier, could yield them a small fortune.

Oh, it's the oldest story in the book. Well, we are starting the new year with an absolute zinger, I would say. Hannah, which I have already predicted will be one of the best shows of the year. You've probably seen a lot about it on telly and in the press already. It's a new BBC drama called Waiting for the out and here's a clip.

Welcome to prison. First day.

I want you to imagine two fictional worlds. First is called the just world. You are choosing to go into that place in here, I don't think about being a good person. And the other, the lock world, yeah.

That world is imaginary, but I do.

Feel bad about not being a good man. So this is available as a box set, the entire thing on the BBC iPlayer. It's based on a true story, a memoir called the Life Inside by this chap called Andy west, who you might have been seen on BBC Breakfast talking about it. And it's been adapted by Dennis Kelly, who, I mean, he's a pretty multi talented guy. Not only did he co create the brilliant sitcom Pulling, which I always bang on about with Sharon Horgan, he also wrote Utopia. He also wrote the book for Matilda the Musical. He's pretty versatile. Anyway, he's adapted this and it stars Josh Finnan, who was in the Responder. He plays Dan, who is a young academic, and he's basically based on Andy west, really. And his. His family life has been blighted by jail time. So his dad's been in jail, his brother's been in jail, his uncle's been in jail and he's. He's had a kind of crossroads in his life and he decides to take a job teaching philosophy in prison. Yes, that's right. Meanwhile, he's got these kind of OCD style problems. He really obsesses about, have I turned the gas off? I mean, you know, we all do that to some extent, but he's literally, like, taking pictures of his gas rings and he can't leave the house. He keeps seeing visions of his father, who is played by Gerard Kearns, who was one of the kids in Shameless. You remember, May remember. He's very frightening in this. And we see some flashbacks to Dan's childhood. So you've got Stephen White from Bergerac plays his older brother Lee, who wasn't a drug addict. He's been inside, but he's really turned his life around and he's. He's a new dad. Then you're also going to see the likes of Samantha Spiro from Sex Education. You're going to see Phil Daniels from EastEnders and more importantly, Quadrophenia and Park Life as his uncle. And, yes, it is fascinating, I think, the way adolescents sparked conversations about sort of toxic masculinity and what online content was doing to young boys. This is going to make people take a second look, I think, at kind of the forgotten world of prison, because we don't really know what goes on inside prisons, do we? And do people even care? You could ask. So they're fascinating, these classes where he's. He's talking about these famous philosophers and their ideas and the idea of, like, is everything down to chance or luck or, you know, or fate or. Yeah, fascinating stuff. Is it a good world or is it a sort of. Or does the universe not care? It's really interesting. Finan is great. It's superbly adapted and I think it is showing us a world. Yes, we've seen lots of prison dramas, but nothing like this. And I think it's. In episode two, the two brothers have a night out, which is kind of. There's an incident involving a recovering addict which sort of sends them on a completely different night out to the one they're expecting. And it's the most realistic portrayal, I think, of what addiction does to people and what dealing drugs does to people and what trying to help addicts does to people. It's just what I've seen of it has been exceptional. So I highly recommend that you watch this. It is very, very good. What did you think, Hannah?

I think your word fascinating probably sums up, I think for me, and we've talked about this before, the idea of kind of what goes on in prison, I mean, it just strikes fear in me, the goody two shoes that I am. The idea of being anywhere near it or anything, it just creep out, it really does. And you're right, you know, how many people actually care what goes on there? You know, presumably if someone's done some abhorrent crime, then who cares how they're treated, right? But that, that isn't the reality. In, in terms we are, we work towards, hopefully towards human rights and rehabilitating people as we should be. Because these people, we want them to be rehabilitated and come back out on the streets and be, you know, decent humans. So, you know, and of course there will be people I. That will be wrongly charged as well. I'm digressing. My point is, is you get to see a little bit behind the curtain, don't you, in this, but also that toxic masculinity that you talk about and also how you're shaped by your upbringing, what's happened to you, you know, what, what are your experiences? Do we parent how we've been parented? Do we do the antithesis of that because we knew it was wrong or because we knew it was right? We tried to recreate it. You're shaped by your surroundings and I think this calls all of that into question and puts it massively under a spotlight and which is why it's so intriguing, so fascinating and frankly. You're not going to leave your sofa.

Well, we're going to stay on the BBC because, let's face it, we need to celebrate one of our greatest national assets for a new comedy. Also available as a box set on the iplayer. It is called can you keep a secret? And here's a clip.

Can you keep a secret, dad?

It turns out I hadn't died.

The money from your dad's life insurance finally came through. Please, this is fraud. You have to give the money back. What sort of friend blackmails their own mates?

We're a crime family.

Oh, don't be silly. We're just a bit complicated, like the Beckons. Oh, Dawn French, I am such a fan. Do you know what? Over the Christmas period, I should do this as my binges. Later, when you asked me what I've been watching, I was watching the Vicar of Dibbley over and over and over again. It's just. I think I talked about it actually in the last podcast. It's so funny. It's absolutely brilliant. Dawn French is just fantastic, isn't she? She is an absolute national treasure. And this is something a bit different for her, really. This is a slightly different character, although she brings the warmth and charm and the, the comedic timing that you'd expect from dawn, really. So this is a six part sitcom, as you say. Cool. It's called can youn Keep A Secret? And she plays this quite domineering but fun, robust character called Debbie Fendon. And she is committing this outrageous fraud. But it's done all the time with this, as I say, this sort of comedic timing, this sort of vulnerability, this innocence that almost wants you, you to get, you want her to get away with it because it's just sort of almost. It's almost funny. So essentially, her husband overdoses on some Parkinson tablets. It's detailed in the first episode. It's detailed really funnily. You know, he tells a story because they're telling their son who thinks he's, he's died. He, he, he goes to sleep, he thinks they think he's dead. They get a doctor out, he's got ocd since COVID doesn't want to go near him, doesn't want to touch him, and she declares him dead. Anyway, it's sort of a catalog of error. And suddenly there's an insurance policy and they think this is a way of getting all the money, which all sounds really dark and, but it's done with this, as I say, sense of fun and humor and you kind of laugh along with it. And they have to tell their son Harold that he isn't actually dead, his father. And, and, and then somebody spies him. I mean, she, she asked him if he's taken the bins out. And at this point I'm thinking, surely someone can't see you if they know you're alive, that the whole thing is, is being blown up. But. And she turns into this kind of sleuth because she wants to know, she wants to stop the person who thinks they know that she's lying. So it's, it's something a bit different for dawn, for Dawn French. But as I say, she does bring that warmth to it and there's just something very, very. She lives and breathes her parts, doesn't she? Which all good actors do. Of course, she just does it really, really well. I think there's. I don't know, for me, the fact that she took on this script when she probably doesn't have to take on any work at all at the moment. Let's be honest, she probably doesn't need to work. She loves it. She enjoyed it. She saw that there was something a bit different here for her and she went for it and she's embraced it. And I think you'll really, really enjoy it. What do you think, Ian?

It didn't disappoint. And, yeah, we've been a bit deprived of Dawn French, really, haven't we? I mean, she lives down in Cornwall now, doesn't she? And obviously she's been writing. I think she's been doing a little bit of stand up. But, yeah, we've missed her because she's such a talent and she's just got such charisma on screen. And of course you've got Mark Heap. Oh, my goodness. From Friday Night Dinner. Shalom, Jackie, who is. And it's really. And it's got the wonderful. As the son who initially he thinks his dad is dead. He's not in on the scam. Craig Roberts, who was a terrific child actor, he was in the film Submarine and he is just the master of Deadpan and he's great in this. So you've got this little family unit with this huge secret and it kind of is reminiscent of the story of the Canoe Man. Do you remember that? A true story, which they brought to the screen with Eddie Marsan as the guy who faked his own drowning in a canoe, but was actually hiding in the house next door with his wife's corporation. And the kids didn't know that he was still alive. So they've taken that idea and spun it into this very, very original comedy written by Simon Mayhew Archer, who has been a producer on very good things such as this country, one of our favorites. So, yeah, what a delight. Really enjoying it. It's good stuff. Over on Netflix, we have a new thriller called his and Hers. And here's a clip.

They found a body. Let me take it as a field reporter.

It could be nothing.

I think we both know it's not nothing. And I don't want the world to know.

Woman's died. But right now we can't give you any more than that. That's all we got. Thank you.

Detective Harper, Is it true you knew her? What was with that reporter?

It's my wife. Six episodes to this one. I do like Netflix Netflix Things that are only six episodes, I must say. So this is an interesting one. It stars Tessa Thompson and John Bernthal. He is a detective. Detective Jack Harper is set in Atlanta, where there are sort of. Sort of racial issues provide a bit of a backdrop. And as with so many crime dramas, the jumping off point is the dead body of a woman is found. But it gets a lot more original after that. So he is on the case. Okay. And he's got a sort of relative rookie working with him. Quite a nice relationship there. Meanwhile, oh, this is based on a quite a successful book, by the way. She plays Anna, who was a sort of TV news anchor, but she disappeared for, I think, a year without explanation from her job. And this is what struck me as odd. When she comes back, she's like, how dare you replace me with someone else? Well, you did just go missing for a year. What did you think we were gonna do? But what I like about it is neither of them, I would say, are particularly likable characters. They both have quite a lot of edge to them, and there's some backstory to their relationship, which is very complicated and there's some bad blood there. But she says, I want to come back as a field reporter. I'm going to investigate this death. The first thing she does at the scene of the crime is while the cameras are all rolling, she says to her ex husband, who's the detective, is it true that you knew the deceased? And everyone's like, oh, my God. So it's pretty steamy. It's pretty sexy. It's pretty nasty. I can't. I liked it because I like it when the leads are not just black and white, good or bad. These are kind of complex people, damaged people with complicated past and clearly a. Yeah. Difficult relationship behind them. And of course, the fallout from that. So, yeah, it's an Atlantis. Yeah, I've been there. It's an interesting place. What did you make of this, Hannah?

I found Anna's character particularly compelling. That was the bit that I really enjoyed. You know, she's a really interesting character. And we talked before, didn't we, about relationships with family members and what shapes you. And of course, she's got really difficult relationship, I suppose, because she's got a troubled mother too, which we see. We see sort of snapshots into that too. And as you state, it's very. Say it's very steamy. I mean, there's obviously. Say, Anna's character is relatively complex, I would say. I mean, she's. She's kind of obsessed by it and fixated on this case, isn't she? Which her estranged husband finds a bit odd too. I mean it does seem a bit strange. Why would she come back to what is it about this sleepy town? What does she know? Which of course is the undercurrent of all of this. But then of course there is some serious passion between them. There's some serious kind of. There's lots of like you say, sexy scenes that keep it that little bit different than being just really dry, I suppose. I thought it was really compelling. But I love the depth of characters in this and as I say, the kind of nuances of life and again going back to it, how it shapes people as humans and how they run their life in the end and announce the queerest folk, as they say.

Well, we're going to finish on Paramount with a new thriller called Girl Taken. And here's a clip.

This is a message from my daughter Lily. We won't give up until we find you. We just have to keep going. I'm just gonna walk through that door.

Must be going through hell.

She'll be there. We're gonna find her. Thanks Mr. Handsome.

Mr. Handsome.

Mr. Handsome.

I heard that. This is going to be good. You're going to learn to be good.

Yes. This is not for the faint hearted, I would say this is really incredibly powerful. It's a thriller and it just plays on every emotion that every parent just is intolerable to even think about, to be honest with you. It's inspired by Holly Overton's 2016 novel Baby Doll which is what the captor calls the girl that he abducts. So it's a six part story. It focuses on and centers on single mum who's played by Jill Halfpenny. And I really like Jill Halfpenny. She brings a lot to this character, I think a lot of emotion and very, very credible and authentic because her, her daughter's gone, her daughter's gone missing and you see lots of kind of flashbacks. You see how happy you can almost. They take you on a journey that could almost be you, that you're living. Particularly if you've got a daughter, I suppose. And, and you're thinking, right, okay, they're, they're really happy. You're keeping them safe. But as with a lot of things, it's very often someone, you know, someone within your circle that has done something that, that seems to be often the case with a lot of things that you see. And, and, and that's the case with this. It's, it's really powerful, really brings a tear to your eye and makes you think twice about absolutely everything and everyone that you trust and the very people that you put the most trust in. Actually, generally, I thought from what I've seen so far, it's really good. And say, I think Jill Halfpenny brings, you know, a lot to the party with this. What did you think, Ian?

I thought it was good. And yeah, you've got these 17 year old twins at the heart of it and anything with twins has a slightly different kind of take on siblings, isn't it? So Abby and Lily and they're played by real life sisters Delphi Evans and Tallulah Evans. You've got Alfie Allen from Game of Thrones plays one of their school teachers. And yeah, one of the twins is kind of very studious and the other one kind of just wants to party really. And you have playing her boyfriend. You remember this Town about the Scar bands, which was written by Stephen Knight. Well, Levi Brown, who was in that. He plays, he plays Abby's. No, not Abby, sorry, Lily's boyfriend, Wes. So I felt the big, the start of it where it's just like the sisters, the mum and then hanging out with the boyfriend and at school was all just really naturalistically done. It was convincingly done. The relationships felt real, the dialogue felt, you know, authentic. And yes, then there's this big twist and you know, the title girl taken. I think you can guess what's going to happen. I mean we've talked about this before. There are too many dramas I think about, you know, which start with the dead body of a young woman and off we go and you know, the abduction of young women as well. It's, you know, it's, it, it's difficult to watch, it's pretty grim. But there is. People are fascinated with the sort of real life stories when this happens, you know. So yes, I think it's well done. But yeah, it's quite a hard watch. Now then we get to find out Hannah, during this lengthy break from Binge Watch, what the hell you've been binge watching.

Well, it's taken me a little while but I'm kind of into the Traitors because, you know, I did watch some really dodgy Channel 5 documentaries but that was quite funny. They do make me laugh. They're easy viewing, aren't they? But I am into traitors. I dare I say it. It felt a little bit soon after Celebrity Traitors. And Celebrity Traitors are so good that it kind of as eclipse the regular one for me and it. And we were talking about this at work, just saying it's, it's just, I don't know, take a little bit of time to get into. So, yeah, into that now, fully on board. And then of course, as I mentioned, I've loved the, I've got a box actually of the original box set. But Vick of Dibley is always on catch up.

Anyway, well, on one of my endless trawls through Netflix to try and find a film to watch that I've not seen before, well, I came across Hot Tub Time Machine which I didn't watch first time round because I just thought with a title like that it's going to be rubbish. But it's got John Cusack in it and it's actually great. So. And you know, and it's done with, yeah, real tongue in cheek story. It's also got Chevy Chase. Come on, what's not so light? So, yeah, if you want a bit of just silly time travel fun with guys kind of bonding on a, on a, on a, on a guy's road trip and a hot tub time machine, that's the film for you. Well, we've just got time to look forward to next week's offerings, Hannah. So what is on the binge watch menu?

Well, sir. Yep. Sir Idris Elba, it was Time is back in crisis management mode. This time on a Berlin underground train as Apple TV thriller Hijack returns. Oh God, that. That phrased my nerves.

He. He is unlucky, isn't he, that guy? Meanwhile. Oh, this is one for you, Hannah. A gardening club hides a dark secret.

Oh, yes.

In binge worthy new ITVX Triller. Well, reference to John Cusack. Again, Grosse Point Garden Society. Yeah, unusual title. Right, so we look forward to those and much, much more as we get in the swing for 2026. But the meantime, dear listeners, keep.