Leighton Meester's underrated cop comedy sets sights on Netflix bump in January

There's no denying that it's been an amazing year for Leighton Meester. The talented actress-singer and Gossip Girl alum has enjoyed something of a renaissance in 2025 with her cameo appearance in Nobody Wants This season 2, guest role in The Buccaneers season 2, and scene-stealing recurring role in I Love LA, on top of more movie roles in the works and coming soon.

Meester's excellent year is guaranteed to spill into 2026 with the reveal from Netflix that the star's underrated cop comedy procedural series Good Cop/Bad Cop will begin streaming on Tuesday, Jan. 6. The series premiered in February 2025 on The CW in the United States and on Stan in Australia, and after its run ended in April, season 1 became available to stream on Prime Video.

Neither Stan nor The CW have revealed the fate of Good Cop/Bad Cop, which means the series is likely still in contention for a season 2 renewal. When a struggling show needs an extra push, it's always Netflix that gets called in due to its history of providing shows with a launching pad to a ratings "bump." Let's hope that's what's in the cards for Meester's amazing little show!

Good Cop/Bad Cop starring Leighton Meester hits Netflix in January 2026

A bit of a different kind of role for Meester, the actress leads the cast as Detective Lou Hickman, the generally positive leader of her small town's police force. However, she's forced to work alongside her estranged younger brother Henry (Luke Cook) when he returns to Eden Vale and receives an unexpected promotion from their father Big Hank (Clancy Brown).

Good Cop/Bad Cop comes from creator John Quaintance and was set up as a co-production between Stan, The Roku Channel, and The CW. As previously mentioned the eight-episode first season has also been made available to stream on Prime Video in the United States, but this will be the first time it's been added to Netflix.

Most recently, The CW's romantic drama series Sullivan's Crossing earned a major boost in viewership when the first two seasons became available on Netflix and again when the most recent third season joined them. Perhaps this is another attempt to bring Good Cop/Bad Cop to its widest audience possible, and one that knows Leighton Meester best.

If you haven't watched the breezy procedural yet and need a bit more incentive and press play in January, Meester's real-life husband Adam Brody makes a cameo appearance in episode 7. Clearly, she was returning the favor when she dropped by Nobody Wants This season 2 with her unforgettably hilarious performance as Abbie Loves Smoothies.

While we can keep our fingers crossed that Good Cop/Bad Cop could score a season 2 renewal if it gets a decent Netflix bump, there would be a significant wait for new episodes to premiere. Filming likely wouldn't begin until sometime in 2026, and that's already one year after the show's premiere. For now, make sure to binge-watch the show on Netflix and keep your fingers crossed!

Good Cop/Bad Cop begins streaming on Netflix on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026.