What to Watch in January: 16 Notable TV Shows & Streaming Movies

TV special debuts January 1 on HBO Max

Perhaps less necessary and less hyped than the Friends reunion, Return to Hogwarts nevertheless has a chance to be the better of HBO Max's two recent get-the-cast-back-together specials. In addition to providing a variety of making-of insights, the two-hour New Year's Day special finds key cast members from the Harry Potter film franchise—most notably the three then-young leads, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, but also other cast and crew including Helena Bonham Carter and director Chris Columbus—reminiscing about their time on the set of all eight films. And Variety's Caroline Framke notes that their conversations result in some "bittersweet scenes" that "make for the special’s most compelling material by a mile," while CNN's Brian Lowry thinks that "the unavoidable sentimentality of it all feels mostly earned."

If you are wondering: No, the now-controversial J.K. Rowling does not participate, though the author is briefly included in the special through footage of an older interview.