If you have been following the compelling BBC series Waiting for the Out, your Sunday nights just got a schedule refresh. The show, which stars Josh Finan as a prison philosophy teacher grappling with his own family’s history, has concluded its six-part run on BBC One. For viewers who connected with its intense, character-driven exploration of guilt, freedom, and redemption, the search for a new obsession begins now.
The good news is that January 2026 is packed with premieres that capture a similar spirit. From psychological thrillers and sharp corporate dramas to high-stakes spy games, here are five new and returning shows you should add to your watchlist immediately.
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast: A Mystery with Heart
If the emotional depth and complex characters of Waiting for the Out hooked you, How to Get to Heaven from Belfast on Netflix is your essential next watch. Created by Lisa McGee, the mind behind the beloved Derry Girls, this series promises a masterful blend of mystery, dark comedy, and heartfelt friendship.
The story follows three childhood friends—Saoirse (Roísín Gallagher), Robyn (Sinéad Keenan), and Dara (Caoilfhionn Dunne)—who are reunited by the mysterious death of a long-estranged fourth friend from their school days. Their investigation into the past launches them on an adventurous and scary journey across Ireland. McGee describes the show as a “mash-up of my two favourite genres, mystery and comedy”, aiming to find humor and humanity within darkness, much like her previous work. For fans missing the poignant storytelling of Waiting for the Out, this eight-part series arriving in February 2026 offers a perfect blend of intrigue and emotional resonance.
Industry Season 4: The Psychology of Ambition
For viewers who appreciated the psychological tension and moral complexity within the prison walls of Waiting for the Out, the cutthroat world of high finance in Industry provides a similarly gripping backdrop. The show’s fourth season returns to BBC One on January 12, 2026.
The series continues to follow the intense rivalry and twisted friendship between bankers Harper (Myha’la) and Yasmin (Marisa Abela). This season, Yasmin navigates her engagement to tech founder Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington), while Harper is drawn into the orbit of a charismatic and enigmatic fintech executive, Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella). The pressure of money, power, and the relentless drive to be on top continues to warp their relationship. Described as “brilliantly brutal,” Industry offers a corporate-tier psychological thriller that mirrors the intense personal stakes and moral examinations found in Waiting for the Out.
The Night Manager Season 2: A Return to Sophisticated Suspense
After nearly a decade, one of television’s sleekest spy thrillers is back. The Night Manager Season 2 premiered on BBC One on January 1, 2026, and is available globally on Amazon Prime Video from January 11. If you were captivated by the tense, atmospheric storytelling of Waiting for the Out, this series delivers a global scale of suspense with a deeply personal drive.
Tom Hiddleston reprises his role as Jonathan Pine, who is now living under the alias Alex Goodwin and working a quiet MI6 desk job in London. His low-key life is shattered by a chance sighting that pulls him back into the dangerous world of arms dealing, leading him to Colombian businessman Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva) and businesswoman Roxana Bolaños (Camila Morrone). Olivia Colman also returns as spy chief Angela Burr. The season promises a deadly plot involving guerrilla armies and national destabilization, with Pine forced to confront betrayal at every turn. It’s a masterclass in slow-burn tension and moral ambiguity.
Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials: A Classic Mystery Reborn
For a change of pace that still prioritizes a gripping, character-centric puzzle, Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials on Netflix is an excellent choice. This three-part adaptation of one of Christie’s lesser-known novels arrives on January 15, 2026.
The story is set in 1925 and follows the “fizzingly inquisitive” Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent (Mia McKenna-Bruce). After a practical joke at a lavish country house party ends in apparent murder, Bundle takes it upon herself to unravel a chilling conspiracy. The series features a standout cast including Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman, with a script by Chris Chibnall, the creator of Broadchurch. It offers the intellectual satisfaction of a classic whodunit, wrapped in a stylish period package—a perfect follow-up for anyone who enjoyed piecing together the human mysteries in Waiting for the Out.
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Under Salt Marsh: A Welsh Coastal Thriller
If the atmospheric tension and sense of buried trauma in Waiting for the Out resonated with you, then Under Salt Marsh on Sky Atlantic is a must-watch. This new high-end crime drama is set to premiere on January 29, 2026.
The series stars Kelly Reilly as Jackie Ellis, a disgraced former police detective and now a teacher in a Welsh coastal village. When the body of a child is discovered as a fierce storm gathers, Jackie is plunged back into a personal and professional maelstrom, convinced the death is linked to the unsolved disappearance of her own niece three years prior. She is forced to work with her former partner, Detective Eric Bull (Rafe Spall), to uncover buried secrets before the storm washes away the evidence. Described as a “whodunnit/police procedural” with a haunting setting, Under Salt Marsh taps into similar themes of guilt, past ghosts, and the search for truth.
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