Happy holidays everyone! The time has finally come to take a much-needed break from your work and fully enjoy food, drink, good company, and As much time sitting in front of your television as you can manage.
As for the last of those, our penultimate weekly ‘what to watch this weekend’ list of the year is, as always, packed with offerings from the world’s best streaming services. From the latest new movies of 2024 to the returns of popular shows, you’ll find something worth watching after you send your out-of-office email for the last time this year. After all, you’ve earned it. So, put your feet up and enjoy one of the recommendations below! – Tom Power, Senior Entertainment Reporter
The Six Triple Eight (Netflix)
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2024 has been a good year for war dramas, such as Apple TV Plus projects aerial bombardment and masters of the air. Now we can add The six triple eight to the list; the last of December’s new Netflix movies that tells the inspiring true story of the only black unit of the World War II Women’s Army Corps, also known as the 6888th Battalion of the Central Postal Directorate.
855 women join the war effort to address a three-year backlog of undelivered mail to American soldiers far from home. Despite discrimination and war-torn conditions, they check 17 million emails and bring hope to the front lines. The six triple eight It certainly has a unique premise that could make it one of Netflix’s best movies (although its Rotten Tomatoes critical rating suggests it won’t be). However, I hope to learn more about a heroic battalion that many of us didn’t know existed on Netflix.
Grace Morris, entertainment writer
The Secret Life of Animals (Apple TV Plus)
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I love a good nature docuseries, and Apple TV Plus delivered this week with its latest natural history show in the form of The secret life of animalswhich may become the latest addition to our guide to the best Apple TV Plus shows.
A 10-part series narrated by Downton Abbey and Paddington star Hugh Bonneville, the Apple show aims to captivate and educate us all with never-before-filmed behaviors of more than 70 different species across all seven continents. Before you watch, check out our exclusive clip from episode nine showing a fight between two kangaroos. You won’t want to miss it, I promise.
Tom Power, Senior Entertainment Reporter
Virgin River season 6 (Netflix)
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virgin river Season 6 couldn’t have come at a better time and I desperately want an invitation to Mel Monroe and Jack Sheridan’s romantic wedding. As preparations continue for Mel and Jack’s spring wedding, season six will feature new twists, love triangles, wedding drama and secrets from Mel’s father’s past, taking us back to Virgin River in the 1970s. .
virgin river is, in my opinion, one of the best Netflix shows to watch out of everything new on Netflix this December, so make sure you don’t miss the wedding of the year either!
Grace Morris, entertainment writer
Juror #2 (maximum)
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Clint Eastwood’s latest film is one of the Max trailers I was most excited to see, and now that it’s streaming on Max, I can’t wait to see it. I love Greater Turin and Jury #2 It seems to be another big hit for the legendary actor turned director. Unlike Greater TurinEastwood remains behind the camera and directs an all-star cast that includes Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, JK Simmons and Kiefer Sutherland.
So what is it about? The legal thriller follows Hoult’s journalist character, who is called to serve on a jury and soon realizes that he may be responsible for the death of the victim. Tense legal thrillers are one of my favorite things to watch and I know this one is going to work, the 94% Rotten Tomatoes rating is promising too! So, be on the lookout for it to be added to our list of the best Max movies.
Lucy Buglass, Senior Entertainment Writer
Harry Potter: The Baking Wizards (Prime Video)
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If you’re like me, then you probably have the must-watch movies that end up on your screen every Christmas, and for me, that list includes the best Harry Potter movies. Well, this year, you can mix it up with this Prime Video game show that can only be best described as Harry Potter meets The Great British Bake Off in Harry Potter: Baking Wizards.
The six-episode series caused such a stir when it premiered on the Food Network in the US in November that Amazon acquired the streaming rights to air it in the UK and Ireland. Hosted by James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley), along with culinary judges Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef, be sure to savor this magical treat while we wait for HBO’s Harry Potter reboot.
Amelia Schwanke, Senior Entertainment Editor
Fast Friends (max)
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How well do you know the ’90s sitcom? Friends? Do you know the season when Ross and Rachel were “on break”? What was the name of Joey’s soap opera character? Or how about Phoebe’s most famous song? If you can answer all of those questions, then you’ll love Max’s new original game show. Fast friends.
Hosted by comedian Whitney Cummings, invites contestants to relive the best Friends episodes challenging teams with trivia, puzzles and games to determine who will win the title of ‘The Ultimate Fast Friends Champion’ based on how quickly they complete each task. Once you’re done, why not see how you can stream every episode of Friends next?
Amelia Schwanke, Senior Entertainment Editor
Aaron Rodgers: Enigma (Netflix)
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This three-part docuseries follows NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers as he undergoes an intense rehabilitation program following a horrific Achilles tendon injury. You can expect to see many of the defining moments of his life and career, and episode one explores how his injury derailed his 2023 debut with the New York Jets. Elsewhere we’ll see how he experimented with alternative medicine and religion, sparking some controversy and drawing further criticism with his stance on vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Netflix documentary will give Rodgers a chance to show his side of events, including his reaction to winning Super Bowl XLV. There’s a lot to dig into with this series and it certainly looks like it could be a great addition to our best Netflix documentaries guide.
Lucy Buglass, Senior Entertainment Writer
For more streaming recommendations, read our guides to the best Disney Plus shows, the best Paramount Plus movies, the best Hulu shows, and the best Apple TV Plus movies.
