Five January TV Premieres We’re Excited About

This is Us Season 6 premiere - 9 pm NBC

We’re ready for tears, because there’s no other way This is Us can end. Though we haven’t spent a long time with the Pearsons, the five seasons we’ve been with them have been so emotionally packed, it’s the equivalent of dog years. Not much is known about how the show will wrap up, but Rebecca’s Alzheimer’s is getting worse, Randall’s biological mother may be alive and we need to know what happens with Kate. If the trailer is any indication, we’ll need a Costco-sized supply of tissues.

black-ish Season 8 premiere - 9:30 pm ABC

We’ve been with the Johnsons through graduations, weddings, separations and reunions. Now it’s the beginning of the end, with the premiere of the eighth and final season. We don’t know what to expect for its last bow, but at least one episode will feature a guest appearance from Forever First Lady Michelle Obama. We assume there will be one-liners from Ruby, hilariously devious plans from Diane and epic fails from Junior. However, we also know the show will give us a genuinely heartfelt goodbye. 

Women of the Movement - 8 pm ABC

Just because a story is hard to hear, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be told. In its new limited series Women of the Movement, ABC showcases the heartbreak and courage of Mamie Till-Mobley as she fights to get justice for her son and uses her pain to inspire others. Women of the Movement stars Glynn Turman as Mose Wright, Tonya Pinkins as Alma Carthan, Cedric Joe as Emmett Till, Adrienne Warren as Mamie Till-Mobley, and Ray Fisher as Gene Mobley. ABC News will air the companion docuseries Let The World See each week, chronicling the real events of the Emmett Till murder trial. This may be a tough watch, but it’s important that we support projects like this, so they continue to get made.

Naomi - 9 pm The CW

The CW’s latest superhero series is based on DC Comics’ Naomi. Executive produced by Ava DuVernay, it stars Kaci Walfall as the title hero, a “cool, confident, comic-book loving” teenage girl whose life changes after being involved in a supernatural event. The CW is pretty good at putting a fresh spin on DC characters, so we’re interested to see what they do with one not as well-known as The Flash or Superman. Plus, you know we’re onboard anytime we get a Black superhero. 

The Tragedy of Macbeth - AppleTV+

If all we knew was that Denzel is doing Shakespeare, that would be enough. Honestly, we wouldn’t even need to know which play it was. However, Denzel as Macbeth is a recipe for a masterclass in acting. Add in Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth and Corey Hawkins as Macduff, and we can’t possibly be more excited. Yes, we know all the hyperbole is setting us up for a possible letdown, but did we mention Denzel as Macbeth!