What are you going to be watching in November? 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
The Wheel of Time (first three episodes on Amazon Prime Video from November 19, weekly thereafter)
It seems that every new big-budget TV series wants to be “the next Game of Thrones”, but Amazon’s The Wheel of Time actually could be. Starring Rosamund Pike, and based on a series of seemingly unadaptable fantasy novels, the show has been shooting for two years and is rumoured to have a budget of US$10 million per episode. There’s no indication so far if it’ll be any good, but it absolutely warrants a watch. / Stewart Sowman-Lund
Cowboy Bebop (on Netflix from November 19)
It feels like it was years ago that Cowboy Bebop started filming in New Zealand (spot the Sky Tower in the trailer), but the John Cho-led series is finally coming to our screens. Based on one of the best anime series of all time, which is also on Netflix right now if you want to brush up, it revolves around a group of ragtag bounty hunters chasing down criminals across the solar system while dealing with their own existential angst and loneliness. The source material is super fun, and if this is even half as good, it’ll be an unqualified success. / Sam Brooks
Yellowjackets (on Neon from November 16)
Lord of the Flies meets Alive meets Now and Then: that seems to be the elevator pitch for Yellowjackets, the story of a group of high school soccer players who survive a plane crash, descend into anarchy, and spend the ensuing decades putting their lives back together after their eventual rescue. With Karen Kusama (Jennifer’s Body) directing, and an all-female main cast including Melanie Lynskey, Christina Ricci and Juliette Lewis, this promises to be a riveting and sometimes disturbing series about people finding their way back after being pushed to the very edge. / Catherine McGregor
Kiri and Lou (season four on TVNZ on Demand from November 11)
What if you could make a home-grown kids’ TV show that combined the endearing quirkiness of The Muppets, the deadpan hilarity of Flight of the Conchords, and the emotional education of Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood? Oh, and make it gorgeous, please? It’s been done. Kiri and Lou is a claymation musical comedy with songs by the original Front Lawn duo, Harry Sinclair and Don McGlashan. It is utterly charming and delightful and you should all go and watch it now, especially if you’re an adult in need of a bit of TLC. / Thalia Kehoe Rowden
The notables
Hawkeye (weekly on Disney+ from November 24)
Yes, it’s that time again: another Marvel TV show. This time it’s Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye who’s been gifted the full series order. Set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, Hawkeye will see the titular archer team up with his 22-year-old protégée, played by Hailee Steinfeld. Not a lot is known about the plot, but it’s poised to be Marvel’s first attempt at a proper Christmassy adventure, set in a snowy New York City. Expect plenty of action – and archery. / SSL
Yellowstone (season four on Neon from November 8)
If you’re a New Zealander, chances are you’ve either never heard of Yellowstone or are vaguely aware it’s the Kevin Costner western that you scroll past on your way to the latest HBO must-see. If you’re American, things are a bit different. Yellowstone isn’t just popular in the US, it’s grown to become one of the biggest shows on television, with its third season finale episode the most watched cable entertainment programme of 2020. If you’re already a fan, you don’t need us to tell you to watch season four, which continues the story of the Dutton family and their mega-ranch on the border of the Yellowstone National Park. For the rest of us, this could be the nudge we need to start a new lockdown binge. / CM
The Great (season two on Neon from November 20)
If The White Lotus and Succession have taught me anything, it’s that it is usually worth pushing through the first couple of episodes of a show about extremely unlikeable people doing extremely unpleasant things. The Great, a pitch-black, very modern period comedy about the rise of Russian queen Catherine the Great, was like that – hard graft for the first hour, pure bliss for the rest of its stellar first season. As Catherine, Elle Fanning is utterly hilarious, as is the rest of the cast, but the clear standout is Nicholas Hoult as her husband, the needy, psychotic and very stupid emperor Peter. / CM
Gossip Girl (all seasons on Neon from November 27)
Yes, you can now watch the original Gossip Girl legally, in its entirety. You’re welcome. / SB
The movies
Passing (on Netflix from November 10)
This is one of my most anticipated films of the entire year, definitely don’t miss it. Based on Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel, Passing follows two mixed-race childhood friends who reunite as adults. While Irene (Tessa Thompson) identifies as Black and is married to a Black doctor, Clare (Ruth Negga) “passes” as white and has married a prejudiced but wealthy white man. If the reviews out of Sundance are any indication, Passing looks like it’ll be one of the major Oscar contenders this year. / SB
Finch (on Apple TV+ from November 5)
Under any kind of normal circumstances, I would say no to Tom Hanks. Haven’t seen Castaway. Don’t care for Captain Phillips. Not interested in Sully: Miracle on the Hudson. Hanks’ whimsical tricks don’t work on me. But Finch is different. Finch has a dog. Finch has a robot. And Finch has Hanks in a post-apocalyptic survival story. Still stuck in lockdown, with climate warnings landing every day, this is the kind of feel-good escapism I need right now. I say yes to Finch. / Chris Schulz
Home Sweet Home Alone (on Disney+ from November 12)
Did we need a Home Alone reboot/sequel/revival (it’s deeply unclear which this actually is)? ABSOLUTELY NOT. The original two, let’s never speak of the rest, hold up perfectly well! But if Disney is going to defibrillate this franchise, they could do worse than picking up Archie Yates (the delightful sidekick from Jojo Rabbit) as the lead, and throw in Ellie Kemper and Rob Delaney as the not-so-hardened crims out to break into his home. Good for them! / SB
This post is made possible by our friends at Nando’s.
The rest
Netflix
November 1
The Claus Family
SeaChange: Season 1-3
The Coming Back Out Ball
Wild Wild West
November 2
Camp Confidential: America’s Secret Nazis
Ridley Jones: Season 2
November 3
The Harder They Fall
Lords of Scam
November 4
Catching Killers
November 5
The Club
The Unlikely Murderer
Big Mouth: Season 5
Gloria
Narcos: Mexico: Season 3
Meenakshi Sundareshwar
Love Hard
We Couldn’t Become Adults
Yara
Zero to Hero
A Cop Movie
November 6
Arcane
Father Christmas
November 9
Swap Shop
Your Life is a Joke
November 10
Gentefieid: Season 2
Passing
Animal
November 11
Love Never Lies
November 12
Red Notice
November 15
Lies and Deceit
Jack Frost
November 16
Johnny Test’s Ultimate Meatloaf Quest
StoryBots: Laugh, Learn, Sing
The Dressmaker
November 17
Riverdale: Season 6
Christmas Flow
Tear Along the Dotted Line
Tiger King 2
Keeping up with the Kardashians: Season 7-8
November 18
The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star
Carlos Ballarta: False Prophet
Lead Me Home
Dogs in Space
November 19
Hellbound
Blown Away: Christmas
Cowboy Bebop
Love Me Instead
Dhamaka
tick, tick … BOOM!
Procession
The Mind, Explained: Season 2
Extinct
November 20
New World
November 22
Outlaws
November 23
Masters of the Universe: Revelation: Part 2
Reasonable Doubt: A Tale of Two Kidnappings
Waffles + Mochi’s Holiday Feast
November 24
Selling Sunset: Season 4
True Story
Bruised
Robin Robin
November 25
F is for Family: Season 5
Supercrooks
November 26
Light the Night: Part 1
School of Chocolate
Green Snake
A Castle for Christmas
Spoiled Brats
Dig Deeper: The Disappearance of Birgit Meier
November 28
Elves
November 29
14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible
November 30
The Summit of the Gods
More the Merrier
Charlie’s Colorforms City: Classic Tales with a Twist
Charlie’s Colorforms City: Snowy Stories
Charlie’s Colorforms City: The Lost Valentines Musical
Coming Home in the Dark
Neon
November 1
Will
Royals: Keeping the Crown
November 2
Recovery 29
A Mild Touch of Cancer
The Green Hornet
November 4
Dark Side of the 90s
The Devil’s Advocate
November 5
Blaze and the Monster Machines: Season 5
Paw Patrol: Season 6A
Gravity
November 6
Love and Listings: Season 1
Love and Listings: Season 2
Elizabeth Is Missing
Message in a Bottle
November 7
Monster Hunter
November 8
Yellowstone: Season 4
Dexter: New Blood
Goodfellas
November 9
Dark Side of the Ring: Season 3B
November 10
The Legend of Korra: Season 1
The Legend of Korra: Season 2
The Legend of the Five
November 11
Louis Theroux: LA Stories
A Horse For Summer
Wiener Dog Nationals
November 12
My Pet and Me: Vet Tales
The Witches (1990)
The Witches (2020)
November 13
Teen Mom 2: Season 9
Lion
November 14
15 Minutes of Shame
November 15
Blue’s Clues and You: Season 9
The Last Boy Scout
November 16
Yellowjackets
November 17
Bubble Guppies: Season 5A
Fist Fight
November 18
Vice Versa: Crusaders
The Flash: Season 8
There Is No “I” In Threesome
Dolphin Tale
Dolphin Tale 2
November 19
Sunny Bunnies
Eat Pray Love
November 20
The Great: Season 2
Magic Mike
November 21
Shadow in the Cloud
November 22
Pale River
November 23
Catfish: The TV Show: Season 7
Green Lantern
November 24
Dragon Soldiers
November 25
Your Highness
November 26
Gossip Girl: Seasons 1-6
City of Angels
November 27
Made in Dagenham
November 28
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
The Little Things
November 29
Swashbuckle: Season 5
Clash of the Titans
Wrath of the Titans
November 30
Colossal
TVNZ on Demand
November 1
Lie With Me
Australian Gangster
Kiri and Lou
Doctor Foster
Wonderful World of Puppies and Kittens: Season 2-3
Taiohi Gods
From the Vault: Before They Were Famous
Dream Crop LLC
Supernova
Tazzeka
Battle for Britain’s Heroes
The Addiction Machine
Whitely
The Truth About Vitamins
The Lost Wife of Robert Durst
Harry and Meghan: Escaping the Palace
Soccer Mom Madam
A Very Merry Toy Store
Trev’s Gowdy’s Monster Fish: Season 3
Unleashed
Face to Face with David: Season 3
Iconic Justice
The Villbergs Chronicles
Boy Boy Montreal
Harry abd Snowman
Best of Enemies: Buckley vs Vidal Kedi
Between Land and Sea
November 2
Big Brother VIP
Top of the Lake: Season 1
November 3
The Aliens
November 4
The Long Call
Les Miserables
November 5
Deadliest Lovers
Agnetha: ABBA and After
November 6
Wu-Tang: An American Saga
Friday Night Dinner
Moone Boy
November 7
Dawn French: 30 Million Minutes
David Beckham: For the Love of the Game
Bloodlands
November 9
Undercover
November 10
Three Girls
November 11
Killjoys
12 Monkeys
November 12
Countdown to Murder
November 13
This Time with Alan Partridge
Pramface
November 14
Equator from the Air
Earth’s Natural Wonders: Living on the Edge
8 Days: To the Moon and Back
November 15
Belgravia
The C Word
November 16
Unforgotten: Season 3
November 17
Parade’s End
November 18
The Wrong Mans
November 20
Reyka
Good Cop
November 21
Inside British Vogue
The Clown and the Candyman
November 22
In the Dark
November 23
Inside Men
November 27
Rev
The Investigation
November 28
David Bowie: The Last Five Years
November 29
Southcliffe
November 30
David Beckham: Into the Unknown
12 Years on Death Row
Disney+
November 3
The Big Leap
Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi
November 5
Where the Heart Is
Home Alone: The Holiday Heist
Home Alone 4
What a Man
November 10
The Ghost and Molly McGee: Season 1
Pet Seekers: Season 1
November 12
Dopesick
Home Sweet Home Alone
Jungle Cruise
Olaf Presents
Ciao Alberto
The World According to Jeff Goldblum: Season 2
The Spectacular Now
November 16
Marvel’s Hit-Monkey
Mickey Mouse Funhouse
Station 19: Season 5
The Night House
Underworld, Inc: Season 2
November 19
Galacticos
Oil Spill of the Century
All I See Is You
Shock and Awe
Survive and Advance
November 24
Hawkeye
Queens
Becoming Costeau
November 25
The Beatles Get Back
Kickboxer: Retaliation
Kickboxer: Vengeance
Terminal
Woman Walks Ahead
Amazon Prime Video
November 1
Eat Pray Love
Journey Back to CHristmas
Once Upon a Holiday
Mingle All The Way
Angel of CHristmas
Christmas Getaway
The Christmas Secret
A Nutcracker Christmas
Christmas Cookies
A Joyous Christmas
Christmas Next Door
A Dream of Christmas
Winter’s Dream
Love You Like Christmas
Christmas at Graceland
Switched for Christmas
Operation Christmas
The Christmas Train
Christmas in Evergreen
Miss Christmas
Christmas Homecoming
Christmas Connection
November 4
The Matrix
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Revolutions
November 5
Fever Pitch: Rise of the Premier League
Tommy Little: I’ll See Myself Out
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain
Tampa Baes
Pete the Cat
November 7
Land
November 9
The Inbetweeners
The Inbetweeners 2
November 11
The Great Gatsby
Den of Thieves
Most Dangerous Game
November 12
Pharma Bro
Mayor Pete
Always Jane
November 16
Wanted
November 18
Ocean’s Eleven
Ocean’s Twelve
Ocean’s Thirteen
November 18
Journey to the Centre of the Earth
November 19
The Wheel of Time
Everyone Loves Natti
November 21
Nobody
League of Gods
November 24
Hanna
Do, Re, and Mi Holiday Special: Merry Nestivus
November 25
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
November 26
Burning
Acorn
November 1
Dagliehs: Season 1
Ladies of Letters: Season 1-2
November 8
Vera: Season 10
November 15
Murderland
November 22
Hold the Dream
Grantchester: Season 5
Shudder
November 2
The Velvet Vampire
November 4
Dead and Beautiful
November 16
Awoken
Gravy
November 17
Etheria: Season 1
November 23
The Strings
Black Water
Holidays
November 30
Southbound
Apple TV+
November 4
Dr. Brain
November 5
Finch
Dickinson: Season 3
Hello Jack: The Kindness Show
November 12
The Shrink Next Door
November 19
Harriet the Spy
The Line