Netflix in January: here are five shows we're excited about this month

From the debut of 'How I Met Your Mother' to season five of 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine', here's what to look out for

A handout photo of (L-R) Lauren Adams, Sara Chase, Ellie Kemper and Sol Miranda in a scene from Netflix’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” (Eric Liebowitz / Netflix) *** Local Caption ***  al07ja-globes16-schmidt.jpg
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Netflix has released its schedule for January and it is filled with some exciting content. Some of the shows are already available in the Mena region with new series coming, while others are making their debut. Here are five shows you won’t want to miss this month on the streaming service:

1) How I Met Your Mother

The nine-season sitcom became something of a pop culture phenomenon when it was on the air between 2005 and 2014. Many compared it to the show beloved 90s show Friends. It certainly has the charm, and most would agree it was even funnier than Friends at times. Old fans and new will be able to binge the show and see what made it the popular powerhouse it was.

2) Brooklyn Nine-Nine

The fifth series of the cop comedy has arrived. The Golden Globe-winning comedy became the subject of a social media storm when it was announced it would not continue beyond five seasons. Many celebrities protested against the decision. Director Guillermo Del Toro, Star Wars actor Mark Hammill, and Broadway and film star Lin-Manuel Miranda all took to social media to show their love for the show and their protest over its cancellation. Thankfully, the show was picked up by NBC after Fox decided to cancel it. Now, fans of the show in the region can watch the latest series in anticipation of the show's next season on a new network.

3) The Good Place

The Good Place might be considered an unappreciated gem by many. The show starts out with a simple premise, but then proceeds to up the stakes and surprise us at every turn. Boasting a strong cast of veteran comedy actors as well as new faces, it's a modern interpretation of the old heaven and hell debate. The second series of the show is coming to the region on January 7.

4) Star Trek: Discovery

Fans of the long-running science fiction classic were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the first season of Star Trek: Discovery. Many said the show struck a good balance between the new stylings brought in by director JJ Abrams in his action interpretations of the space-exploration movies, and the grounded and philosophical interpretations presented mainly by the show's The Next Generation series. The second season of Star Trek: Discovery drops on January 18.

5) Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

When it was announced that the fourth season of Kimmy Schmidt would be split into two halves, many fans were not happy. The show has become a staple of Netflix’s comedy output, and the main character has become a household name in the meantime. Luckily, the first half of season four, despite its short length, was a very good one. The anticipation for the second half of the season was further exasperated by a cliffhanger ending that got fans excited. The second part of the fourth season comes out on January 25.

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