SBS On Demand: best new shows streaming this week

Discover the best new shows to stream from 26 to 31 January 2026 on SBS On Demand with this guide.
The Colleano Heart. Image: SBS On Demand.

SBS On Demand: new this week

WugulOra: Live Broadcast – 26 January

Wugulora Ceremony, 2025. Image: Reece Mcmillan/Sbs On Demand.
WugulOra ceremony, 2025. Image: Reece McMillan / SBS On Demand.

Special. From 7.30am on 26 January, NITV presents a special live broadcast of WugulOra – meaning ‘One Mob’ – a powerful and sacred dawn ceremony held on Gadigal land. Hosted by John-Paul Janke and Shahni Wellington.

Walkabout – 26 January

Walkabout (1971). Image: Sbs On Demand.
Walkabout (1971). Image: SBS On Demand.

Film (1971). Starring David Dalaithngu in his first major screen role, Nicholas Roeg’s film chronicles the physical, spiritual and emotional journey of a brother and sister abandoned in the Australian outback. Part of NITV’s Always Was, Always Will Be programming.

Engineering from Above – 31 January

Engineering From Above. Image: Sbs On Demand.
Engineering From Above. Image: SBS On Demand.

Documentary series. Engineering from Above soars over the planet to reveal the world’s most jaw-dropping feats of engineering – spectacular icons, hidden gems, and bizarre structures that defy explanation. This fast-paced, visually stunning series dives into the astonishing stories hidden inside, beneath and around these marvels – unlocking secrets with cutting-edge aerial imagery, immersive 3D graphics and sharp investigative storytelling.

SBS On Demand: recently added

Kindred – 25 January

Documentary. When Gillian Moody and Adrian Russell Wills met making their first short film together, little did they know that 25 years later they would be best friends. The pair turned to each other in navigating the emotional rollercoaster of being adopted into white families and connecting back with their bloodlines. Kindred explores the importance of discovering your place in the world, and realising that home and love truly can be found in the people and places your heart connects to.

The Colleano Heart – 19 January

The Colleano Heart. Image: Sbs On Demand.
The Colleano Heart. Image: SBS On Demand.

Documentary series. A landmark NITV commission, The Colleano Heart traces an extraordinary First Nations family whose courage, creativity and resilience propelled them from early 1900s racism and oppression to global circus stardom at the cost of hiding their Indigenous identity. Warm, joyous and deeply moving, the documentary uncovers a Hidden Generation story fuelled by love, ambition and survival.

Read: The Colleano Heart review – a remarkable Aboriginal success story

Dolly Parton: Here I Am – 19 January

Dolly Parton: Here I Am. Image: Rob Hoffman/Sbs On Demand.
Dolly Parton: Here I Am. Image: Rob Hoffman / SBS on Demand.

Documentary. A landmark documentary that explores the extraordinary life and music of Dolly Parton. Featuring incredible archive footage and exclusive interviews with Dolly and stars like Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, this film lifts the lid on the songwriting genius behind I Will Always Love You, Jolene, 9 to 5 and a host of other chart-topping hits.

From her humble beginnings to her global success, we discover how a young girl from the Smoky Mountains conquered Nashville to become the Queen of Country Music.

James May And The Dull Men – 19 January

Documentary series (8 parts). James May recently discovered the online phenomenon of ‘Dull Men’s’ forums. Now, from his Wiltshire home, his shed and the pub he owns, he will embark on a glorious ‘summer of dull’. Inspired by these forums, James will create his own solutions to the questions he finds there.

Rachael Ray’s Meals in Minutes Season 2 – 19 January

Series. Rachael Ray demonstrates her creativity and flair from her personal home kitchen and cooks a complete meal in minutes, from comfort food to sophisticated fare for entertaining.

River Cottage Everyday – 19 January

Series. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is going back to basics with simple recipes for everything, from breakfast to baking, to bring a little bit of River Cottage to our lives.

Portillo’s 200 Years of the Railways – 20 January

Portillo’s 200 Years Of The Railways. Image: Sbs On Demand.
Portillo’s 200 Years of the Railways. Image: SBS on Demand.

Documentary series (2 parts). 2025 marked the 200th anniversary of Britain’s greatest gift to the world: the passenger railway. Michael Portillo embarks on a journey to explore what the railways have done, what they continue to do, and the potential they hold to improve our future.

He looks at how the railways propelled a second wave of the Industrial Revolution and shaped the social landscape of modern Britain and the world at large. He travels around the UK, visiting areas like Shildon – home to a branch of the National Railway Museum which houses the world’s first ever passenger steam locomotive, Locomotion No 1. Ultimately, he reveals how this feat of British engineering changed the course of history.

The Great Cookbook Challenge With Jamie Oliver – 21 January

The Great Cookbook Challenge With Jamie Oliver. Image: Sbs On Demand.
The Great Cookbook Challenge With Jamie Oliver. Image: SBS on Demand.

Series. The Great Cookbook Challenge is a new cooking competition format in which the UK’s best undiscovered cooks compete against each other to win a life-changing prize: a book deal with a major UK publisher to have their very own cookbook published. Over the course of seven episodes, cooks of all abilities, representing all kinds of cuisines, will compete for this first-of-its-kind deal. Hosted by Jamie Oliver.

Robson Green: World’s Most Amazing Walks – 22 January

Documentary series (8 parts). Robson Green tackles some of the world’s most spectacular walks, exploring a rich seam of history, culture and community with every step. In each episode, Robson explores one iconic route, getting to know the amazing people and places along the way, delighting in the local culture, food and incredible views.

These walks include the ruggedly beautiful Great Glen Way in Scotland, the fascinating Hadrian’s Wall in the north of England, Dorset’s UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Jurassic Coast, a bountiful Wachau Valley Trail in Austria, Poland’s historic Eagle’s Nests Trail, the relaxed Douro Valley in Portugal, the pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago in Spain and finally the D-Day Landing Beaches of Normandy, France. Lace up your walking boots and join Robson on the World’s Most Amazing Walks.

Icons Unearthed: The Simpsons – 24 January

Icons Unearthed: The Simpsons. Image: Sbs On Demand.
Icons Unearthed: The Simpsons. Image: SBS on Demand.

Documentary series (6 parts). Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson are household names around the world thanks to the longest-running scripted primetime television series of all time: The Simpsons. This series dives into who and what has kept this beloved series rolling for so long, unpacking backstage stories, legal and creative disputes, production changes, and the continual comedy gold that has made this series the ultimate animation juggernaut.

Our Tiny Islands – 24 January

Documentary series (4 parts). Our Tiny Islands explores a set of magical island-hopping adventures across Britain’s greatest hidden treasures. Celebrating the secret places, extraordinary people, surprising jobs and gripping local history that make their ‘tiny islands’ wonders of the world.

There are 6289 islands scattered across Britain’s waters, but only 803 are large enough to be drawn on a map. Yet what they lack in size they make up for in character, culture and community. These rugged and breath-taking landscapes are unique, yet all with a story to tell about Britain.

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Alannah Sue is a writer, editor, theatre critic and content creator with a passion for arts and culture and all that glitters. She relocated to Melbourne in 2025 after spending over a decade embedded in the Sydney arts landscape and finishing up her tenure as Arts & Culture Editor at Time Out. In addition to contributing to ArtsHub and ScreenHub, her freelance portfolio also expands to editorial and copywriting for lifestyle and arts publications such as Limelight and Urban List, cultural institutions like the Sydney Opera House, and marketing and publicity services for independent artists. She is always keen to take a chance on weird performance art, theatre of all kinds, out-of-the-box exhibitions, queer venues, and cheap Prosecco. Give her half a chance, and she will get on a soapbox when it comes to topics like the magic of musical theatre, the importance of rigorous arts criticism, and the global cultural implications of the RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise. Connect with Alannah on Instagram: @alannurgh.