This year has been full of great TV shows and new movies, so I’m still revisiting my watchlist. But as 2024 draws to a close, there are plenty of new releases to tide you over until the new year. The best streaming service doesn’t seem to be slowing down one bit, with some of the year’s most anticipated returning series and Christmas specials still rolling out.
You may not have any turkey left in your fridge, but that doesn’t have to stop you from watching the best Doctor Who Christmas special after this week’s latest installment. For more streaming recommendations, check out 7 Underrated Movies in 2024 and 9 Canceled Netflix Shows in 2024 to watch this year’s lesser-known hits Let’s round out the list. – Amelia Schwanke, Senior Entertainment Editor
Squid Game Season 2 (Netflix)
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The wait is over! Squid Game Season 2 is here, and Netflix is inviting us to dive back into the dangerous ordeal this holiday season. I’ve been excited about this for a long time because I was one of the millions of viewers who watched it last time, but I was also completely shocked. Set three years after the original, protagonist Song Ki-hoon decides to get back into the game rather than run away with his winnings. Granted, this isn’t a decision everyone would make, but he’s wearing the Player 456 tracksuit again.
It’s definitely a show I’ll be binge-watching over the holidays because I can’t ignore my excitement over the return of Squid Game anymore. After all, it’s time for one of the best Netflix shows to return.
Lucy Bugglass, Senior Entertainment Writer
Doctor Who: Joy to the World (Disney Plus)
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Ever since Doctor Who was rebooted in 2005, the British sci-fi institution has become synonymous with the Christmas season. In fact, we’ve offered a new holiday special every year (almost every year) ever since, and thankfully 2024 is no different.
Joy to the World will air on Disney Plus (excluding the UK) on Christmas Day (now available on BBC One/BBC iPlayer) and will feature the eponymous Time Lord and his new temporary companion Joy (Bridgerton’s Nicola Colan). We will follow the activities of Explore Time Hotel. Doctor Who’s festive specials have been hit or miss over the years, but this time we’re hoping it’s more of the former than the latter.
Tom Power, Senior Entertainment Reporter
What if…? Season 3 (Disney Plus)
The final season of Marvel’s first animated television show, What If…?, is already airing as we speak. Like its predecessor, new episodes of Season 3 have been streaming daily since December 22nd, so if you’re reading this on this Marvel Phase 5 TV show (if you’re reading this on December 27th, anyway) Five new episodes are already available to watch.
So far, I’ve mainly enjoyed the “What If…?” story. As we saw in Season 3, the MCU project feels like a missed opportunity for the comic book giant. Indeed, considering the premise of this series and its manga title of the same name, it could have been a wilder, more creative affair. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, and that’s why it will never be part of our best Disney Plus program guide.
Tom Power, Senior Entertainment Reporter
It’s Your Fault (Prime Video)
My Fault (Culpa mía) may not be considered one of Prime Video’s best movies, but soapy young adult dramas are a guilty pleasure for me, so I decided to give the sequel Your Fault (Culpa tuya )’ I’m planning to watch it. Based on the Carpables series by Mercedes Ron, this Spanish-language romantic drama follows the passionate romance between Noah (Nicole Wallace) and Nick (Gabriel Guevara) as Noah heads off to college and Nick pursues his career. It depicts how they face new challenges as they start.
The first movie became the most-watched non-English movie on Prime Video in 2023, so it’s no surprise that the second movie is just as popular among viewers.
Grace Morris, entertainment writer
Chiefs Aholic: A Wolf in Chiefs’ Clothing (Prime Video)
Being a well-known sports fan is probably a pretty awesome experience, and that’s exactly what Xavier Babdahl, aka the Chiefs Aholic, was likening to God in the trailer above. That is, until he was exposed as a bank robber. Yes, this story is pretty crazy and I would love to see it!
When Chiefs Aholic is arrested in Bixby, Oklahoma, a series of bank robberies across the Midwest are unraveled and his secret life revealed. His arrest was chronicled through his own interviews and subsequent legal proceedings, explaining how this internet sensation robbed 11 banks, stole more than $800,000 in seven states, and funneled the proceeds through casinos. It will be obvious that it has been cleaned. Even if you don’t know much about the NFL, this story is perfect for anyone who loves wild, crazy true stories. Is one on your list of best shows on Prime Video? Potentially.
Lucy Bugglass, Senior Entertainment Writer
NFL at Christmas (Netflix)
The wait for the big NFL Christmas games, featuring the Kansas City Chiefs (who won Super Bowl V) and the Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans, ends this week for Netflix subscribers Finished. Live streaming both games on December 25th will give you a Christmas present.
To close, Mariah Carey kicked off the event with a Christmas classic, before Beyoncé took the halftime show by storm with her first live performance of a song from her album ‘Cowboy Carter’. Both games were the most-streamed games in NFL history, averaging 24 million viewers each, according to Nielsen data. Let’s go to sports!
Amelia Schwanke, Entertainment Senior Editor
Alien Files: Resume (Max)
Landing on Max, The Alien Files: Reopened explores a 75-year-old UFO phenomenon as investigators try to find the truth behind the famous case through forensic analysis. With the help of a team of experts, they uncover who is behind government disinformation, fake abduction stories, and infiltration of the UFO community. The series challenges perceptions and leaves viewers trying to decide who and what they can trust.
I’ve never seen an alien documentary before, but it might be time to give it a try. Just to be clear, I still don’t think this will be on Max’s list of best shows…
Grace Morris, entertainment writer
For more streaming suggestions, read our guides to the best Netflix movies, best Max movies, best Paramount Plus shows, and best Hulu shows.
