CHANNEL 4 AND CHANNEL 5 JANAURY SCHEDULE CONFIRMED, NEW AND RETURNING TITLES REVEALED AHEAD OF NEW YEAR
- TV Zone
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Channel 4 and Channel 5 have confirmed its schedule for the first full week of January 2026, unveiling its January slate of programming.
JANUARY SCHEDULES CONFIRMED
CHANNEL 4
Bowie The Final Act
Airs Saturday 3rd January
Featuring rare interviews with those who knew and worked alongside Bowie as well as famous fans and figures who have been inspired by his artistry, the film will uncover the strategic brilliance behind Bowie’s artistic resurrection and the inexhaustible extraordinary creativity that defined his final decade act.
The Great Pottery Throwdown
New series launches Sunday 4th January
The series follows 12 passionate, home potters as they strive to create their most intricate and imaginative work, before their pieces are judged by the expert judging duo and a variety of well-known faces and experts from the world of pottery.
Celebrity SAS Who Dares Wins
New series launches Sunday 4th January
Decades of rivalry are set to be tested to the limit as fourteen British and Australian celebrities face the most punishing challenge of their lives. In the brutal heat of North Africa, these famous faces are embarking on a savage, condensed version of SAS selection that even they won’t be able to charm, spin, or tweet their way out of.
Junior Bake Off
New series launches Monday 5th January
Thousands applied, but only 20 made it through to the famous Bake Off tent for the most exciting junior baking competition yet. Harry Hill hosts while Ravneet Gill and Liam Charles unite as judges with the tough job of finding Britain’s best junior baker.
Kirstie & Phil's Love it Or List It
Series 11 launches Wednesday 7th January
Each episode will see Phil and Kirstie meet couples whose house no longer fits their requirements; it may be that they feel they’ve outgrown it, that the space doesn’t work or that they’re bored with out-dated décor and craving a change. After listening to their issues and embarking on a fact finding mission to see how the family use their house the super competitive duo will go about convincing their property charges that their way is the right way.
Patience
Series 2 launches Wednesday 7th January
Patience (Ella Maisy Purvis) will continue her work in the police criminal records department of City of York Police after establishing herself as an invaluable member of the team, bringing her unique insight into a series of perplexing cases.
8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown
New series begins Friday 9th January
Jimmy Carr will return to host the chaotic comedy twist on Channel 4’s classic brainteaser quiz alongside Rachel Riley overseeing the numbers and Susie Dent in Dictionary Corner. Rob Beckett takes up the permanent role of team captain and Judi Love joins the show as a regular returning guest in the show’s 29th series. Fellow fan favourites Jon Richardson and Joe Wilkinson will also continue appearing as regulars in the new series.
CHANNEL 5
Tom Read Wilson's Magnificent Journey
New series begins Friday 2nd January at 8pm
Tom Read Wilson's Magnificent Journey reimagines the rite of passage once undertaken by 17th, 18th and 19th-century aristocrats on their Grand Tours of Europe. Now, nearly 40 and craving a touch of cultural enlightenment, Tom Read Wilson sets out to follow in their footsteps.
Jane McDonald: Pole To Pole
New series begins Friday 2nd January at 9pm
Jane says she’s “a woman of a certain age” but in this series she’s determined not to let that define her. And she’s proving it by throwing herself into her Pole to Pole adventure and grabbing every opportunity with both hands.
Meghan
New series begins Saturday 3rd January at 9pm
She’s one of the most controversial women in the world. Admired by some, vilified by others, she’s a global icon that’s never far from the headlines. Some hail her as an inspiration to women the world over, others denounce her as the person who nearly brought down the Royal Family. But who is Meghan really?
Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly
New series Tuesday 6th January at 8pm
Graeme seeks to save more bewildered owners from their four-legged friends' terrible behaviour.
The Good Ship Murder
New series begins Tuesday 6th January at 9pm
The red carpet is rolled out as the ship docks in Cannes, in town for the night of the premiere of the latest film by infamous film director Werner Altmann. The acclaimed but outspoken auteur reluctantly chaperones his ‘muse’ - rising star Mimi McQuinn. But Mimi is then murdered during the premiere.
The 1970s Diet with Josie Gibson
New series Wednesday 7th January at 8pm
For two weeks, Josie follows a bespoke 1970s diet, carefully designed by a nutritional expert, to reflect what the average person would have eaten in that decade. She’ll take a series of physiological tests before and after to see if the 70s diet and lifestyle can make her slimmer, fitter and healthier.
Surgeons: A Matter Of Life And Death
New series Wednesday 7th January at 9pm
In this remarkable first episode, we meet an ex-soldier and his surgeon, whose unique relationship began over a decade ago after a tragic incident in war-torn Afghanistan.
Michael Portillo's Secret Spain
New series Thursday 8th January at 8pm
In the first episode of a brand-new 8-part series, Michael Portillo takes us on a journey deep into his Secret Spain, where he rediscovers one of its worst-kept secrets: Barcelona. Famously heaving with millions of visitors, Michael shows us a surprising side of the Catalan capital that lies well off the tourist trail.
The Trial Of Michael Jackson
Thursday 8th January at 9pm
In February 2003 a documentary airs in the UK made by British journalist Martin Bashir called Living with Michael Jackson, in which the star is interviewed next to a 13-year old boy – Gavin – and admits they sometimes share a bed. The mother of the boy, Janet Arvizo, shares concerns with the police. Jackson is arrested and charged with molestation. There are numerous other charges such as supplying alcohol to a minor and kidnap. This is the story of the trial of Michael Jackson which took place in Santa Barbara county in California which gripped the world for four months.
