Still wanna stay inside this December? Well, lucky there’s a whole lot of great stuff coming to streaming to hook into. (Image Design: Tina Tiller)
Still wanna stay inside this December? Well, lucky there’s a whole lot of great stuff coming to streaming to hook into. (Image Design: Tina Tiller)

Pop CultureDecember 1, 2021

What’s new to Netflix NZ, Neon and other streaming services in December

Still wanna stay inside this December? Well, lucky there’s a whole lot of great stuff coming to streaming to hook into. (Image Design: Tina Tiller)
Still wanna stay inside this December? Well, lucky there’s a whole lot of great stuff coming to streaming to hook into. (Image Design: Tina Tiller)

What are you going to be watching in December? With thanks to our friends at Nando’s, we round up everything coming to streaming services this month, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, Neon and TVNZ OnDemand.

The biggies

And Just Like That (weekly on Neon from December 10)

It’s been a long time since we left Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte drinking Diet Coke in a tent in Abu Dhabi, but after years of waiting and wishing, the Sex and the City team (sans Kim Cattrell) are back. This new ten-episode reboot picks up as the New York friends navigate their way through their 50s, menopausal and middle-aged and still wearing incredible clothes. The reboot promises a far more diverse cast than the original, and since it’s not often we get TV shows that centre smart and successful women in their mid-life – a time when many women report feeling invisible and ignored – this much-loved show deserves a warm welcome back. / Tara Ward

The Witcher (season two on Netflix from December 17)

Before it was dethroned by Bridgerton and then Squid Game, The Witcher was the most watched series ever on Netflix. It was so huge that it led to the game it was based on, nearly five years old that at that point, shooting up the charts of the most streamed games on Twitch. Which is to say that the second season of Netflix’s first big foray into fantasy is going to be a big deal. The first season played largely as an origin story for the found family of Geralt, Ciri and Yennefer, while this season will aim to get into the messy, dark and very fun lore of the world created by Polish author Andrzej Sapowski. / Sam Brooks

The Book of Boba Fett (weekly on Disney+ from December 29)

Star Wars nerds from the 80s, your prayers have been answered: Boba Fett is back. After the character’s surprise appearance in the second season of The Mandalorian, it was only a matter of time before the bounty hunter of the original trilogy came back for his own show in the evermore sprawling Star Wars cinematic universe. The series follows Fett (New Zealand’s own Temuera Morrison at his gruffest) and Fennec Shand (Ming Na-Wen) as they attempt to take control of the criminal underworld once controlled by Jabba the Hutt. Jennifer Beals also stars as a Twi’lek? Sure! / SB

Station Eleven (weekly on Neon from December 17)

What’s your appetite for a post-pandemic survival story right now? If it’s slim to none, after the past three months, no one would blame you. But you might want to reconsider, because Station Eleven has lots going for it. For starters, the 10-part mini-series is from HBO, which remains a mark of quality. The series is based on Emily St John Mandel’s best-selling novel, about a global virus wiping out much of the population. And it’s directed by Hiro Murai, best known for his Emmy-nominated work on the incredibly stylised Atlanta. I also just love the look of the trailer, which is full of beautifully shot weirdness. I’m in. / Chris Schulz

The notables

Harlem (on Amazon Prime Video from December 3)

I’ve been looking forward to this Tracy Oliver series for quite some time, so I’m stoked that it’s finally dropping, in its entirety, just in time for Christmas. The series follows a group of stylish and ambitious Black girlfriends (played by Megan Good, Jerrie Johnson, Grace Byers, Shoniqua Shandai), who are at the centre of the cultural mecca that is New York City’s Harlem district. If you want something to tide you over while you wait for And Just Like That…, Harlem’s your best bet. And my guess is that it’ll probably be the one you come away thinking about more. / SB

Shortland Street: Retribution (weekly on TVNZ on Demand from December 21)

The Shorty Street drama doesn’t stop over summer, and this festive season Shortland Street: Retribution takes us on a special journey deep into the gritty underworld of…Christchurch. A pregnant Dr Esther Samuels celebrates the open border by popping down to the Garden City to surprise love of her life Curtis, only to find out he’s up to his ears in dodgy affairs. Will Curtis and Esther finally get their happy ending, or will Christchurch keep them apart like two forlorn lovers stuck on opposite sides of the Avon? More importantly, will they get a chance to visit Orana Park and The Margaret Mahy Playground? Who knows, but keep an eye out for guest stars Tammy Davis (Outrageous Fortune), Turia Schmidt-Peke (Ahikāroa) and Pana Hema-Taylor (Westside)./ TW

Emily in Paris (season two on Netflix from December 22)

Last year the world went wild for Darren Star’s series about a naive American who moves to Paris, mostly because the frothy series was the perfect tonic to 2020’s real life hellscape. Season two drops this month, and yet again, Emily in Paris will be a welcome dose of escapism. The tres chic Emily is transferred from Chicago to Paris, and despite many, many misunderstandings (she doesn’t speak the language! French people are rude!), falls in love with the city. Cliches flow like cheap red wine here, so grab a beret and a garlic necklace and tuck in. / TW

This Way Up (seasons one and two on Neon from December 20)

I absolutely adore Aisling Bea. The Irish comic’s been around for a few years now, mainly in supporting roles (like that weird Paul Rudd series on Netflix) or stealing the screen on panel shows (her season of Taskmaster is probably the best). Finally, New Zealand audiences get to see her in a show of her very own: This Way Up, written by and starring Bea. I’ve been waiting years to see this show and I can’t wait to enthusiastically binge both seasons as soon as they drop. / Stewart Sowman-Lund

The movies

Being the Ricardos (on Amazon Prime Video from December 21)

After playing a nervous wife in The Undoing and a Russian new-ager in Nine Perfect Strangers, Nicole Kidman extends her accent/wig limits in as she takes on the iconic role of Lucille Ball, star of beloved 1950s American sitcom I Love Lucy. Aaron Sorkin (Trial of the Chicago 7) writes and directs this biopic that takes place over one week in 1952, as Ball and her co-star husband Desi Arnez (Javier Bardem) navigate a crisis that could ruin both their public and private lives. Can Kidman do comedy, as well as good wigs? Only time will tell. / TW

The Power of the Dog (on Netflix from December 1)

By all accounts, Jane Campion’s latest is an absolute winner. Shot against the stunning backdrop of Otago, the Netflix western has been getting rave reviews ever since it first premiered and heading into awards season that momentum shows no sign of slowing down. With an all-star cast, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst and our very own Thomasin McKenzie, this is one you absolutely have to watch this December – especially those in Auckland who missed its Film Festival premiere. / SS-L

Don’t Look Up (on Netflix from December 24)

We’ve all become a bit blasé about Hollywood celebrities showing up on our streaming services, but even in this era of big stars and small screens, Don’t Look Up stands out. Just look at this cast list: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Timothée Chalamet… deep breath… Ariana Grande, Chris Evans, Jonah Hill, Melanie Lynskey and Mark Rylance. It sounds like the film is going to be worthy awards-bait, but Don’t Look Up is actually a scabrously funny sci-fi parable about climate change, written and directed by Adam McKay (The Big Short, Vice). The premise? According to McKay, it all came from an offhand comment a friend made about our impending climate doom: “[He said] ‘It’s like the asteroid is going to hit Earth and no one cares.’ And I was like, ‘That’s it! I’m going to write that.” / Catherine McGregor


This post is made possible by our friends at Nando’s


The rest

Netflix

December 1

Lost in Space: Season 3

The Power of the Dog

Kayko and Kokosh: Seasons 1-2

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: STONE OCEAN

Secretary

Young Sheldon: Season 4

December 2

Coyotes

The Whole Truth

Single All The Way

December 3

La Casa de Papel (Money Heist): Part 5: Vol 2

Coming Out Colon

Cobalt Blue

Mixtape

Money Heist: From Tokyo to Berlin: Volume 2

Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous: Season 4

December 6

Our Beloved Summer

David and the Elves

Voir

December 7

Nicole Byer: BBW (Big Beautiful Weirdo)

Centaurworld: Season 2

Go Dog Go: Season 2

December 8

Titans: Season 3

Carolin Kebukus: The Last Christmas Special

December 9

Bonus Family: Season 4

Asakusa Kid

The Family That Sings Together: The Carmargos

December 10

Aranyak

Saturday Morning All Star Hits!

How To Ruin Christmas: The Funeral

Twentysomethings: Austin

Two

Anonymously Yours

Still Out Of My League

Back to the Outback

The Unforgiveable

December 11

The Hungry and the Hairy

December 14

The Future Diary

Russell Howard: Lubricant

StarBeam: Beaming in the New Year

December 15

Selling Tampa

Elite Short Stories: Philippe Caye Felipe

The Hand of God

December 16

A Naija Christmas

A California Christmas: City Lights

Puff: Wonders of the Reef

Aggretsuko: Season 4

December 17

The Witcher: Season 2

Fast and Furious Spy Racers: Season 6: Homecoming

December 18

Bulgasal: Immortal Souls

December 19

What Happened in Oslo

December 20

Elite Short Stories; Samuel Omar

December 21

Grumpy Christmas

Jim Gaffigan: Comedy Monster

December 22

Emily in Paris

December 23

Elite Short Stories: patrick

December 24

The Silent Sea

Vicky and Her Mystery

1000 Miles from Christmas

Don’t Look Up

STAND BY ME Doraemon 2

Minnal Murali

December 25

Jimmy Carr: His Dark Material

Stories of a Generation with Pope Francis

December 26

Lulli

December 28

Word Party Presents: Math!

December 29

Anxious People

Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer

December 30

Kitz

Hilda and the Mountain King

December 31

Queer Eye: Season 6

Stay Close

Cobra Kai: Season 4

The Lost Daughter

Seal Team

Gossip Girl: Seasons 1-6

Neon

December 1

Tin Star: Liverpool

We Bare Bears: Season 2

Barbie and the Diamond Castle

Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus

Barbie and the Secret Door

Barbie and the Three Musketeers

Barbie as Rapunzel

Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper

Barbie Fairytopia: Magic of the Rainbow

Barbie Fairytopia: Mermadia

Barbie in a Christmas Carol

Barbie in The Nutcracker

Barbie of Swan Lake

Barbie Presents: Thumbelina

Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale

Barbie: The Pearl Princess

All I Want For Christmas

A Bramble House Christmas

The Case For Christmas

Christmas at the Movies

Christmas Bounty

Christmas Cupcakes

Christmas in Palm Springs

Christmas Lodge

Christmas Miracle

A Christmas Tail

Coming Home For Christmas

A Husband for Christmas

A Glenbroke Christmas

Loving Christmas

One Snowy Christmas

The Santa Squad

A Christmas Melody

Bad Santa

8-Bit Christmas

December 2

Law and Order: Organized Crime

Top Wing: Season 2B

The Wiggles: Big Ballet Day

The Wiggles: Dance, Dance

Unpregnant

Mapplethorpe

December 3

The Loud House: Season 4

Superintelligence

Monos

Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band

Two of Us

December 4

Unbreakable: Season 2

Penis5: Season 2B

Seberg

December 5

Archenemy

The Matrix

The Matrix Reloaded

The Matrix Revolutions

December 6

Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol

The Trip to Greece

Angel of Mine

December 7

Angelina Ballerina: Season 6

Dinosaur Train: Season 4

Octonauts: Seasons 3-4

Charm City Kings

Deerskin

December 8

Louis Theroux’s Altered States: Take My Baby

Louis Theroux’s Altered States: Love Without LImits

Louis Theroux’s Altered States: Choosing Death

Hope Gap

December 9

First Dates: Seasons 1-5

All My Life

December 10

And Just Like That…

The Nest

December 11

Crisis

December 12

Nobody

December 13

NCIS: New Orleans Seasons 6-7

Land

December 14

Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan

Rusty Ribets: Season 3

Let Them All Talk

December 15

Monster Beach

The Sex Lives of College Girls

Embattled

December 16

Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 1-3

Words on Bathroom Walls

December 17

Teen Mom Australia: Season 2

The Substitute

Station Eleven

Military Wives

December 18

Young Rock: A Christmas Peril

Happiest Season

December 19

The Last Duel

Chaos Walking

December 20

This Way Up: Season 1-2

A Quiet Place Part II

December 21

The Wiggles: Furry Tales

The Wiggles: Nursery Rhymes: Seasons 1-2

The Wiggles: Rock & Roll Preschool

The Wiggles: Wiggle Pop

The Wiggles: Wiggle Time

2 Hearts

December 22

Half Brothers

December 23

Penguin Bloom

December 24

Geordie OGs: Season 3

Geordie Shore: Their Story

Music

December 25

Fatman

December 26

All That Glitters

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway

December 27

Wolfe

Godzilla Vs. Kong

December 28

Truck Files: A New Zealand Story

Demolition NZ: Seasons 1-2

Spirit Untamed

December 29

The Courier

December 30

The Goldbergs: Season 8

Fatale

December 31

Phoebe Robinson: Sorry, Harriet Tubman

Chelsea Handler: Evolution

Mo Willems: Don’t Let The Pigeon Do Storytime

Ricky Velez: Here’s Everything

Colin Quinn & Friends: A Parking Lot Comedy Show

Drew Michael: Red Blue Green

TVNZ on Demand

December 1

Eagleheart: Season 1-3

The Light on the Hill

The Soul of Flies

The Redeemed and the Dominant: Fittest on Earth

Peace Officer

Searching for Bill

Tomorrow’s Power

Feliz NaviDAD

Snowed-Inn Christmas

Wrapped Up in Christmas

Last Chance for Christmas

Demolition NZ: Season 1

Trace

The Browns: Season 2

A Girl Like Me

Boy Boy Montreal: Season 1: part 3

Acasa, My Home

Mamacita

Older than Ireland

Camino Skies

December 2

The Teacher

December 4

Alex Rider

December 5

Heels

December 7

Hightown

December 9

Buried

December 10

Guilty Party

December 11

Aaron Hernandez Uncovered

Fantasy Island

Dahmer on Dahmer: A Serial Killer Speaks

December 15

Midnight, Texas

December 17

Macgruber

December 18

The Case of Caylee Anthony

Killer Cops

December 20

Claws

December 21

Shortland Street: Retribution

December 22

Unspeakable Crime: The Killing of Jessica Chambers

December 23

Housebroken

December 26

Bang

Rebecka Martinsson: Arctic Murders

December 27

Close to Me

Nirvana: Nevermind

Amy Winehouse: Back to Black

The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds

Fleetwood Mac: Rumours

Bob Marley: Catch a Fire

December 29

The Force: Manchester

Ross Kemp Behind Bars: Inside Barlinnie

Life Behind Bars: Visiting Hours

Disney+

December 3

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Christmas… Again?!

Ernest Saves Christmas

Disney Holiday Magic Quest

Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas

A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa

December 5

The First Wave

December 8

Welcome to Earth

The Last Duel

Big Sky: Season 2

The Hot Zone: Anthrax

Muppet Babies

The Choe Show

December 10

The Queen Family Singalong

December 15

Foodtastic

Our Kind of People

Black-ish: Season 3

Gigantosaurus: Season 3

Disney’s Magic Bake off

December 17

Glass

Arendelle Castle Yule Log: Cut Paper Edition

December 22

The Con

Marvel’s Runaways: Season 2

Sydney to the Max: Season 3

December 24

Mr and Mrs Smith

Fight Club

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

Gone Girl

Birdman (Or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

December 29

The Book of Boba Fett

December 31

The Rescue

Amazon Prime Video

December 1

Magic Mike

After Earth

Battleship

December 2

London Has Fallen

Chaos Walking

Gangstars

Carlos Ghosn: The Last Flight

The Equalizer

December 3

The Protege

Harlem

December 4

Voyagers

December 7

Silver Linings Playbook

December 9

Four Holidays

American Sniper

December 10

Encounter

The Expanse

December 14

The Lego Movie

December 15

Six Minutes to Midnight

Safe House

December 16

The Unholy

John Wick

December 17

Santa, Inc.

With Love

December 18

Fatale

The Courier

Bachchan Pandey

December 20

Je Te Veux Moi Non Plus

December 21

Being the Ricardos

December 22

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway

December 23

12 Strong

The Legend of Tarzan

Carrie

December 24

Curse of Chippendales

Yearly Departed

December 25

Final Account

Spirit Untamed

Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In

December 28

French Exit

December 30

Warrior

Day Zero

Memoirs of a Geisha

AppleTV+

December 17

Swan Song

Acorn TV

December 6

Endeavour: Season 8

The Syndicate: All or Nothing

Rectify: Season 2

December 13

Small Claims

Poldark: Season 1

December 20

Cracker

Republic of Doyle: Season 5

December 27

Candice Renoir: Season 3

Bancroft: Season 1-2

Shudder

December 1

Behind the Monsters

December 2

The Advent Calendar

December 3

Silent Night, Deadly Night

Silent Night, Deadly Night, Part 2

December 7

Screams of a Winter Night

Devil Times Five

December 9

Death Valley

December 14

What Lies Below

December 16

Deadly Games (aka 3615 Code Pere Noel, Dial Code Santa Claus)

December 21

Etheria: Season 2

Black Water

Keep going!