10 TV shows to catch before January ends

The long nights of January offer Netflix subscribers the opportunity to binge shows they might have missed. Check out these 10 offerings before they disappear. (Dates reflect the final day they are available and are subject to change.)

‘The Magicians’ Seasons 1-5 (Tuesday)

This enjoyable series isn’t the most original thing on TV — the show, based on the novels by Lev Grossman, is unmistakably seeking to scratch the wizarding-school itches of Harry Potter fans. But there’s much to admire about this modest charmer. It’s junk food, sure, but undeniably tasty.

‘Monk’ Seasons 1-8 (Tuesday)

This durable, popular mystery series (2002-09) lifted star Tony Shalhoub from a valued cinematic character actor to a marquee name. The mysteries are consistently smart and engaging, but the reason to watch is Shalhoub, who turns what could have been a collection of tics and eccentricities into a fully realized, unforgettable character.

‘Cats’ (Wednesday)

It’s said that they don’t make truly memorably bad movies anymore; studios play it so safe that no one takes the kind of big swing that can go entertainingly, disastrously awry. But there are occasional exceptions, and this 2019 adaptation of the long-running Andrew Lloyd Webber stage musical is one of them. It was roundly rejected by moviegoers, even with Taylor Swift in the cast. But it’s much more fun to watch than any number of big-budget studio hits.

This medical drama accomplishes two things simultaneously: It presents a protagonist whose good intentions and can-do attitude that, for at least an hour, assures viewers that the health care industry is working, and it deploys the tools of the hospital show, a longtime television staple. Ryan Eggold plays the new director of a New York public hospital who embarks on an idealistic mission: to put patients before profits. It is top-notch comfort television.

‘The Babadook’ (Jan. 25)

This debut feature by Australian director Jennifer Kent was an unexpected sleeper hit, thanks to the sheer force of its craft and the genuine terror inspired by the title character, a black-hatted nightmare figure that haunts the dreams and reality of 6-year-old Sam (Noah Wiseman).

‘The Rental’ (Jan. 25)

Not many movies benefited from the theatrical shutdowns prompted by the pandemic, but this 2020 indie horror picture flourished in its release at drive-in theaters. Perhaps the claustrophobia that summer made this story of strangers sharing space extra dreadful, as two couples (Alison Brie, Dan Stevens, Sheila Vand and a pre-”The Bear” Jeremy Allen White) take over a seaside villa for a weekend stay.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie star as a seemingly dull married couple who have kept their double lives as paid assassins a secret from each other. The ensuing complications aren’t hard to predict (guess who each killer’s next target is?), but it is all done in high style with a heavy dose of screwball zing.

‘Not Another Teen Movie’ (Jan. 31)

The 1990s teen comedy boom is savagely satirized in this broad but very funny spoof. The screenplay unapologetically lifts the plot of “She’s All That,” in which a popular jock makes a bet that he can turn a nerdy girl into a prom queen. As with the best parody pictures, it works primarily because of the charisma of the performers (including Chris Evans and Jaime Pressly) and the density of the gags.

‘We’re the Millers’ (Jan. 31)

Jason Sudeikis stars as a drug dealer who stands to make a ton of cash if he can transport an RV full of product from Mexico to Denver with the help of a pretend family: Jennifer Aniston as his wife, Emma Roberts as his daughter and Will Poulter as his son. The thin lines between criminality and normalcy provide most of the laughs.