All Of It – “What TV To Watch Through Your Winter Hibernation”

Date: January 5, 2026
Host: Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Guest: Katherine Van Arendonk (Vulture TV Critic)

Overview

In this lively and insightful episode, host Alison Stewart welcomes Vulture’s Katherine Van Arendonk for a comprehensive guide on what to watch this winter—covering everything from prestige dramas and new seasons of fan favorites to hidden gems across streaming platforms. The discussion dives into the evolving TV landscape, standout series in several genres, and Katherine’s candid takes on what’s worth your limited viewing hours. Listeners join in with questions and recommendations, creating a vibrant picture of TV fandom at the start of 2026.

Streaming Services: Who’s Winning Winter TV?

[00:29–03:25]

Key Points

• The Vulture team debated which streaming service led the season, revealing a fractured landscape based on personal preferences and content niches.
• Peacock garners attention for exclusives like Love Island USA and the Bravo slate, Disney+ (with Hulu) shines for family-friendly and prestige fare (like Andor), while Netflix and HBO Max remain strong but less dominant.
• Platform choice is more about what you want to watch than a single "winner."

Notable Quotes

• “It really depends what specific world... you’re into, where you’re most drawn.”
  — Katherine Van Arendonk (01:29)

Spotlight: The Return of The Pit

[03:25–06:35]

Key Points

• The Pit is praised for resurrecting aspects of classic medical procedurals—episodic arcs, longer seasons, and regularity—on a streaming platform.
• Katherine admires the show’s commitment to work-only storytelling (i.e., no at-home drama), and is eager yet cautious about the delicate balancing act of season two.
• Anticipates challenges for sophomore seasons: maintaining freshness while preserving what made the show notable.

Notable Quotes

• “I really love that model of television. I miss it when it’s not at a strong moment, which I think it really has not been.”
  — Katherine Van Arendonk (05:05)

• “Second seasons are really hard... it’s a hard target to hit.”
  — Katherine Van Arendonk (05:16)

Bridgerton: Love, Drama, and Diversity

[06:35–08:35]

Key Points

• Bridgerton season 4 spotlights Benedict Bridgerton and introduces a new love interest, Sophie (Yerin Ha), a welcome casting choice praised for representation.
• The Netflix episode-dump split (four episodes in January, four in February) leaves viewers desperately wanting more—a “good” kind of frustration, notes Katherine.

Notable Quotes

• “She’s so, so good. She’s so good. And I’m just thrilled to be able to watch her... the season is really fun.”
  — Katherine Van Arendonk (08:06)

True Crime Binge Recommendations

[08:35–10:05]

Key Points

• For those seeking prestige true crime, Mare of Easttown is a “must do.”
• Less conventional but highly recommended is Blue Lights (Britbox; set in Belfast, not Dublin), praised for character depth, compelling arcs, and compact seasons.

Notable Quotes

• “By season three, I was like, no. What? How is he gonna—? ...I was completely invested in those characters.”
  — Katherine Van Arendonk (09:21)

Euphoria Season 3: Time Jumps and Aging Casts

[10:05–11:13]

Key Points

• The big time jump in Euphoria’s season 3 is both a practical and tonal move: allows actors to match their real ages and avoids the “Stranger Things” aging problem.
• The show must now redefine its characters and stakes after a significant gap.

Notable Quotes

• “Given that this show was always about preternaturally old high schoolers, I don’t think it... is a problem... The question is... whether we’re still going to care about them at this point.”
  — Katherine Van Arendonk (10:36)

Thrillers Palace: Paradise Season Two

[11:51–14:13]

Key Points

• Paradise is a post-apocalyptic, political thriller set in a bunker with Sterling K. Brown. Season two promises to move outside the bunker, upping tension plus adventure.
• Katherine questions whether the writers can deliver another twist as impactful as the first season’s finale—an essential for this genre.

Notable Quotes

• “As soon as there’s a bunker, you gotta get out of it. You can’t stay in the bunker that long.”
  — Katherine Van Arendonk (13:19)

Back in the Spy Game: The Night Manager Returns

[14:23–16:03]

Key Points

• The Night Manager comes back after a long absence. Tom Hiddleston and Olivia Colman reprise their now-iconic roles.
• Katherine highlights the show's subversive character touches—like unremarked-on pregnancy in season one—and wonders how characters’ off-screen growth will inform the story.

Notable Quotes

• “How much of these people’s lives you see in the backdrop, I think, are gonna be for me, the interesting thing about Night Manager Season 2.”
  — Katherine Van Arendonk (15:34)

Listeners Shout Out: Big Boys & Heated Rivalry

[16:03–17:48]

Key Points

• Big Boys (Hulu) receives word-of-mouth love.
• Heated Rivalry—a Canadian queer hockey romance series—gets major praise from Katherine as a surprise hit, especially for romance fans. She’s emphatic: the fandom is out there if you know where to look.

Notable Quotes

• “If you are a person who is at all interested in romance and who is interested in, particularly in queer romance, I cannot recommend it highly enough.”
  — Katherine Van Arendonk (17:17)

Fantasy Lightens Up: Night of the Seven Kingdoms

[17:48–19:41]

Key Points

• This Game of Thrones prequel feels fresher, lighter, and—surprisingly—funny, compared to its grim predecessors.
• Main characters: The bumbling Ser Dunk and precocious “Egg” (a squire), in a dynamic reminiscent of a buddy adventure.

Notable Quotes

• “It’s funny and more fun... It is more like a Knight’s Tale than it is like, you know, your classic Game of Thrones dragons sadness.”
  — Katherine Van Arendonk (19:16)

Emotional Comedy: Shrinking and the Balance of Healing

[19:41–22:04]

Key Points

• Shrinking continues to grapple with authentic portrayals of grief and emotional recovery, but Katherine wonders if the show sometimes stretches plausibility, especially regarding consequences for the protagonist’s actions.
• She hopes season three strikes a better balance between “hangout comedy” and serious issues.

Notable Quotes

• “It feels like there have not been enough consequences for Jason Segel’s character for me within the world of this series... I prefer a Bill Lawrence show to have that be more of a thread than the load-bearing structure.”
  — Katherine Van Arendonk (21:40)

Sitcom Spotlight: The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins

[22:04–24:22]

Key Points

• Tracy Morgan stars as Reggie Dinkins, an ex-football player seeking a comeback (a nod to Morgan’s personal story), in a new Tina Fey/Robert Carlock sitcom.
• Daniel Radcliffe co-stars, making for a potentially unpredictable, entertaining dynamic.

Notable Quotes

• “I actually think both of those people can have incredible chemistry with basically anyone. But together I feel like that energy is gonna be so weird and fun and like off kilter. I’m just—delighted to see...”
  — Katherine Van Arendonk (23:47)

Listener Interaction:

Throughout the episode, audience texts and comments fuel discussion and provide insight into what shows are resonating with fans in real time.

Conclusion

Katherine Van Arendonk provides an engaging roadmap to winter TV in 2026, with a blend of deep criticism, personal taste, and genre-spanning recommendations. Her enthusiasm and candor make this episode a treat both for ardent TV watchers and those looking for reliable suggestions—reminding us that where you watch and what you watch is a reflection of your tastes and needs.