Summer is in full swing across Australia, and much of the country will, unfortunately, experience a heatwave this weekend. While a trip to the beach or local pool could suffice, that would involve moving, so I’m choosing to beat-the-heat by staying inside, blasting the aircon and streaming some of the best television shows.
There are plenty of great series worth binging on the best streaming services in Australia, but I’ve compiled the top five trending shows to crack into now. Most of these are recent releases or have upcoming seasons dropping soon, so now’s a great time to get up-to-date before 2026 begins in earnest.
What’s more, all these recommendations are highly rated across reviews and by fans, with Rotten Tomatoes scores above 80%. So as the temperature soars to past 40℃, get comfy on your couch, grab a snack and tune into one of these top-rated shows.
Pluribus
From the creator of Breaking Bad comes this exceptional show on Apple TV, rated a massive 98% on Rotten Tomatoes (and it also gets my big tick of approval).
Carol Sturka is one of a handful the only people in the world immune to an alien virus that has transformed the global population into one giant peaceful and happy collective hivemind. Suddenly alone, Carol must find a way to manage this new world in which everyone else, except her, is unstoppably optimistic. To make matters worse, the collective population of the world is searching for a way to overcome Carol’s immunity.
The series premiered in November, and just dropped its final season one episode of the first season on Christmas Eve, but even two weeks later, I’m still raving about it — and I suspect that once you’ve watched it, you will too.
Stream Pluribus on Apple TV now
Fallout
Based on one of the greatest video game series of all time, Fallout is the story of haves and have-nots in a world in which there’s almost nothing left to have. Two hundred years after the apocalypse, the gentle denizens of luxury fallout shelters are forced to return to the irradiated hellscape their ancestors left behind — and are shocked to discover an incredibly complex, gleefully weird, and highly violent universe waiting for them. The entire first season is available to stream on Prime Video, and was undeniably one of my favourite series of 2024.
Fallout season two debuted last month, with new episodes dropping weekly every Wednesday. This season immediately picks up in the aftermath of the first season’s epic finale, following Lucy (Ella Purnell) and the Ghoul (Walton Goggins) as they journey through the wasteland of the Mojave to the post-apocalyptic city of New Vegas in search of her father, Hank (Kyle MacLachlan).
Stream Fallout S1 and S2 on Prime Video now
Heated Rivalry
With a huge 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this new HBO Max show is all the rage — quite literally.
As per the logline, this 6-episode series follows two of the biggest stars in Major League Hockey who are bound by ambition, rivalry, and a magnetic pull neither of them fully understands. What begins as a secret fling between two fresh-faced rookies evolves into a years-long journey of love, denial, and self-discovery. Over the next eight years, as they chase glory on the ice, they struggle to navigate their feelings for each other. Torn between the sport they live for and the love they can’t ignore, they must decide if there’s room in their fiercely competitive world for something as fragile – and powerful – as real love.
Other honourable drama series on HBO Max include the award-winning medical drama, The Pitt, with season two debuting today, January 9, 2026.
Stream Heated Rivalry on HBO Max now
All Her Fault
Another great show from late last year is All Her Fault, a Peacock show that’s available on Binge here in Australia. And with a respectable 80% RT rating, this mystery thriller series is a great cooped-in weekend binge now that all the weekly episodes have been released.
Starring Australia’s own Sarah Snook (known for playing Shiv Roy on Succession), All Her Fault is every parent’s worst nightmare brought to life. Marissa Irvine (Snook) arrives to pick up her son from a playdate only to find a stranger at the door – and her child missing. The drama unfolds in a seemingly safe suburban setting, where trust quickly erodes and secrets surface.
Stream All Her Fault on Binge now
A Thousand Blows
With the season two premiere arriving in a matter of hours, it’s an optimal time to stream this banger of a show on Disney Plus. Starring Stephen Graham and Malachi Kirby, this series is inspired by the true-life stories of a group of characters battling for survival in the brutal East End of London in the 1880s.
This includes the Forty Elephants, an all-female crime syndicate led by Mary Carr (Erin Doherty) that specialises in shoplifting and confidence tricks. They clash with Henry “Sugar” Goodson (Graham), the self-proclaimed “emperor” of the East End’s illegal bare-knuckle boxing world. And best friends from Jamaica and recent immigrants, Hezekiah Moscow (Kirby) and Alec Munroe (Francis Lovehall), find themselves caught amongst it all.
The second season takes place exactly a year later, as Hezekiah becomes a shadow of the man he once was and Sugar is estranged from his family, all while drinking himself to death. But Mary Carr’s return to the scene reignites the spark, as she hopes to reclaim her crown and reassemble the Forty Elephants.
Stream A Thousand Blows S1 and S2 on Disney Plus now
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