‘Tis the season to sit in front of the box with leftover sandwiches resting on your belly, then feeling guilty about it come January but continuing to do so regardless… Anyway, here’s Hannah Collins with the best in TV and streaming from December 2022 right through to January 2023.

Top 5 Christmas picks…

THE WITCHER: BLOOD ORIGIN

Dir. TBA

(4 x 40-60 min episodes)

Following the trend of prequel fantasy epics, Netflix’s The Witcher will be the latest to jump on board this December, with new spinoff Blood Origin taking place a century before Cavill’s White Wolf was rolling his eyes at bards and jumping into steamy baths. Instead, martial arts baddie Michelle Yeoh, who was on top form in Everything Everywhere All At Once, will be suiting up as an elven Witcher – the very first one, in fact. Joining her are six other pointy-eared ‘outcasts’, pitted against a nefarious superpower.

Streaming on Netflix from Christmas Day.

HIS DARK MATERIALS, S3 (FINAL)

Dir. Amit Gupta, Charles Martin, Weronika Tofilska

(8 x 40-60 min episodes)

A fantasy blockbuster of transatlantic proportions, Season 3 of HBO and the BBC’s adaptation of Phillip Pullman’s book trilogy also marks the conclusion of His Dark Materials. Unfortunately, lockdown plagued this season’s production, so expect casting and story changes (one of which due to the sad passing of Helen McCrory). On the plus side, with numerous recognisable filming locations in Wales, a tie-in exhibit (previewed earlier in this issue) of behind-the-scenes photography will be at the Glynn Vivian as well.  

Airing/streaming on BBC One at 7 pm, and Player Sun 18 Dec.

I HATE SUZIE TOO

Dir. Georgi Banks-Davies, Anthony Neilson

(3 x 32-41 min episodes)

Billed as an ‘anti’ Christmas special, Billie Piper – as ex-child star Suzie Pickles – will be vying for your attention once more in the second season of acclaimed comedy drama I Hate Suzie. I say ‘season’, but it’ll only comprise three episodes, releasing as a Sky Atlantic exclusive and streaming on NOW TV thereafter. Details are scant so far but the general logline is that Suzie will be throwing herself at the public’s mercy once more via the gladiatorial arena of reality competition TV. Appropriately, Piper is dressed as a sad clown in an early sneak peek [pictured].

Airing/streaming on Sky Atlantic at 9 pm and NOW TV from Tue 20 Dec.

TREASON

Dir. Louise Hooper, Sarah O’Gorman

(5 x 50-60 min episodes)

Starring Jennifer Walters’ main squeeze Charlie Cox, Treason comes from the writer of Oscar-nommed Spielberg film Bridge Of Spies, and its announcement from Deadline described it as “The Bodyguard meets John le Carré”. Joining Daredevil is ex Bond girl Olga Kurylenko and Game Of Thrones Red Wedding victim Oona Chaplin (granddaughter of Charlie), who will play a tangled trio of MI6 and Russian agents, and lovers. Secrets and lies will be spun and revealed in what looks to be a decent slice of Boxing Day drama, unfolding over five episodes.

Streaming on Netflix from Mon 26 Dec.

SCROOGE: A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Dir. Stephen Donnelly

(96 mins)

We’ve all got a preferred Christmas Carol retelling – mine is between the two extremes of The Muppets and the pitch-black 2019 Guy Pearce miniseries. This new one from Netflix is more on the Jim Henson end of the spectrum of Dickensian imitators, putting an animated, musical and (possibly literal) time-travelling twist on the story. The animation looks comparable to present-day Disney/Pixar while early reviews say it’s a “trippy” watch. Luke Evans voices a slightly nicer Scrooge, joined by Olivia Coleman, Jonathan Pryce and Jessie Buckley.

Streaming on Netflix now. 

Also streaming…

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE

Josh Widdicombe and Nish Kumar team to rinse the local news.

Thurs 1 Dec, Sky Max

SLOW HORSES, S2

Second round of Gary Oldman’s biting espionage series.

Fri Dec 2, Apple TV 

ROSIE MOLLOY GIVES UP EVERYTHING

Starring Sheridan Smith on a journey towards cleaner living.

Wed 7 Dec, Sky Comedy

PLEBS: SOLDIERS OF ROME – SEASON SPECIAL

A film-sized capper for the successful historical comedy series.

Thurs 8 Dec, ITVX

DRAGON AGE: ABSOLUTION

Another animated video game adaptation from Netflix – this time, based on the Bioware franchise.

Fri 9 Dec, Netflix

THE HARD BOYS, S1-2

YA-reimagining of the classic teen mystery-solving book series – think Nancy Drew but, y’know, with boys.

Wed 14 Dec, Disney+

NATIONAL TREASURE: EDGE OF HISTORY

TV spinoff of the Nicholas Cage Indiana Jones-esque films, sans Cage himself (we’re not ruling out a cameo, though).

Wed 14 Dec, Disney+

LITVINENKO, LIMITED SERIES

Four-parter tracing the poisoning of ex-KGB member Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, whose death was a major scandal for the Met Police.

Thurs 15 Dec, ITVX

EMILY IN PARIS, S3

An American in Paris pattern-clashing like nobody’s business.

Wed 21 Dec, Netflix

BAD EDUCATION: SEASON SPECIAL

10-year anniversary for Jack Whitehall and the Abbey Grove kids, and the second Christmas special in the series’ history.

Thurs 15 Dec, 9 pm, BBC 3 and iPlayer

HAPPY VALLEY, S3 (FINAL)

Sarah Lancashire’s Sergeant Catherine Cawood returns to drug haven Calderdale one last time.

Sun 1 Jan 2023, 9 pm, BBC One

KALEIDOSCOPE

Heist drama that takes a “non-linear approach to storytelling in a way where viewers are in control.”

Mon 2 Jan, Netflix

THE RIG

A spooky thriller set at sea in the same vein as Netflix’s 1899.

Fri 6 Jan, Amazon Prime Video

THE LAST OF US

From the Chernobyl creators and starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, based on the survival game series.

Mon 16 Jan, 2 am, Sky Atlantic and NOW TV

THAT 90s SHOW

Revival of the popular American sitcom set in the 70s, now 20 years in the future.

Thurs 19 Jan, Netflix

LOCKWOOD & CO.

Two teen boys become ghost hunters; adapted from Jonathan Stroud’s book series, directed by Joe Cornish.

Fri 27 Jan, Netflix

SHRINKING

Not literally, but the psychiatric kind: starring Jason Segal as a brutally honest doctor, alongside Harrison Ford.

Fri 27 Jan, Apple TV+

RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE, S15

Season 15, hunties!

Fri 6 Jan 2023, WOW Presents Plus

THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA, S2

(Very) adult animation of actual-play streamers Critical Role’s first D&D campaign.

Jan 2023 (exact date TBA), Amazon Prime Video

HANNAH COLLINS