Here are 20 TV shows and movies to stream in December 2021

The holidays have finally arrived, and that means (for most) great food, great company, and not-so-great weather. So why not stay in and keep warm by the TV where intense dramas (Power of the Dog, The Lost Daughter), new comedies (Don't Look Up, Emily in Paris), and soon-to-be Christmas classics (Mariah's Christmas, Single All The Way) will keep you cozy?

The Power of the Dog

When Jane Campion makes a movie, especially after a decade, you see it. Especially if it stars Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Benedict Cumberbatch.

This one follows what happens when Plemons, who plays brother to Cumberbatch, falls in love with and brings home a widow and her fragile son. Chaos ensues.

Watch on Wednesday, December 1 on Netflix.

Single All The Way

Following in the footsteps of the delightful Happiest Season, Netflix has brought us Single All The Way, which follows Nick (Philemon Chambers) as he heads home with his best friend Peter (Michael Urie) so the latter's family doesn't bug him about being single. Relatable! With co-stars like Jennifer Coolidge and Kathy Najimy, there's no way this one won't be hilarious and hearwarming.

Watch on Thursday, December 2 on Netflix.

Mariah's Christmas: The Magic Continues

All hail the queen of Christmas, who has returned with her holiday special. This one features her new song “Fall in Love at Christmas”, with guest stars Khalid, Kirk Franklin, and none other than her children, Moroccan and Monroe.

Watch on Friday, December 3 on Apple TV+.

Harlem

This new series stars Meghan Good, Grace Byers, Shoniqua Shandai and Jerrie Johnson as four best friends juggling it all, and was written by Girls Trip's Tracy Oliver. It also co-stars Tyler LePley, Jasmine Guy, Whoopi Goldberg and Andrea Martin, making for the perfect double feature alongside the Sex and the City reboot.

Watch on Friday, December 3 on Amazon Prime.

Vigil

This limited series stars the equally lovely Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie as Scottish investigators examining the disappearance of a fishing trawler and death onboard a submarine. As if a month could go by without a little bit of television crime-solving.

Watch on Thursday, December 5 on Crave.

Landscapers

There is no such thing as too much Olivia Colman. This time, she stars alongside David Thewlis in the story of a couple deeply in love, but whose backyard unearths two bodies and has investigators wondering who this couple really is. The limited series is based on a true story, believe it or not.

Watch on Monday, December 6 on Crave.

And Just Like That...

They! Are! Back! If you've spent years watching and rewatching Sex and the City, and all the personal and professional exploits of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha, you're probably already counting down the days until the long-awaited reboot series. It's one leading woman down, but will see all the man candy return, along with some new faces.

Watch on Thursday, December 9 on Crave.

1 Queen, 5 Queers

Canada's Drag Race (stream now on Crave) judge Brooke Lynn Hytes leads this reboot of MTV Canada's 2010s hit 1 Girl, 5 Gays. Each episode features Brooke Lynn moderating a panel with a variety of diverse voices who discuss everything from sex and relationships to pop culture.

Watch on Thursday, December 9 on Crave.

Encounter

Who doesn't want to watch Riz Ahmed grace their screen for literally any reason? The actor stars in the latest from Michael Pearce, who last directed the excellent Beast.

Encounter follows Ahmed as a father attempting to protect his young sons during a global invasion, making for one of the few holiday thrillers on this list, if that's your thing.

Watch on Friday, December 10 on Amazon Prime.

The Hand of God

Director Paolo Sorrentino gifts us childhood in a film with The Hand of God, which follows the story of a young man living in Naples in the 1980s where he discovers love and heartbreak after he's saved from an accident by soccer legend Diego Maradona. Yup. A Venice Film Festival hit, keep your eyes out for this one.

Watch on Wednesday, December 15 on Netflix.

Selling Tampa

If you devoured the latest season of Selling Sunset – and honestly, who didn't? – then you're gonna wanna set your sights on Selling Tampa, which follows a similar premise, but this time, all the realtors work at a Black-owned agency in Tampa, Florida. Let the drama begin.

Watch on Wednesday, December 15 on Netflix.

Station Eleven

Based on the popular novel, this post-apocalyptic series follows the survivors of a flu that's ravaged the world as they attempt to rebuild. Sounds familiar, huh? The series stars Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, Daniel Zovatto, David Wilmot, Matilda Lawler, Philippine Velge, Nabhaan Rizwan, and Lori Petty, with Gael Garcìa Bernal and Danielle Deadwyler.

Watch on Thursday, December 16 on Crave.

Swan Song

Whether or not you're a sucker for sci-fi, this one stars Mahershala Ali, so we can all say we're very much in. The Oscar winner plays a dying man who is offered the opportunity to clone himself so his family doesn't have to live with his loss. But will he take it? The film co-stars Naomie Harris, Glenn Close and Awkwafina.

Watch on Friday, December 17 on Apple TV+.

Being The Ricardos

Javier Bardem and Nicole Kidman starring as Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball sure sounds odd, but these two rarely don't hit it out of the park. Then again, the loquacious Aaron Sorkin has written and directed this drama, which follows the couple during a week of production on I Love Lucy. It all smells like trouble, but we'll have to watch to judge for ourselves.

Watch on Tuesday, December 21 on Amazon Prime.

Emily In Paris, Season 2

What it lacks in depth, Emily in Paris makes up for in fashion and nice things to look at. In its second season, things grow awkward after Emily and Gabriel have hooked up and learned he'll be staying in the city. The series creators have also hinted at a new queer relationship to look forward to.

Watch on Wednesday, December 22 on Netflix.

Don't Look Up

Brace yourself for a topline look at Don't Look Up's cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Timothee Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Cate Blanchett, Kid Cudi, the list goes on. Hopefully all that talent will make this of-the-moment political comedy and the chilling truth that climate disaster is closer than we like to think, easier to digest.

Watch on Friday, December 24 on Netflix.

Encanto

The latest Disney film to make us laugh and cry has arrived on streaming. Encanto stars the Madrigals, a special family who live in the mountains of Colombia in a place called the Encanto, which possesses magic that has touched every child in the family – except Mirabel. When she finds out the magic is dangerous, however, she may very well be the one to save them all.

Watch on Friday, December 24 on Disney.

Together, Together

This heartfelt comedy is an underrated must, and stars Patti Harrison as a woman who plays surrogate mother for a man (Ed Helms) hoping to have a child of his own.

Watch on Friday, December 24 on Crave.

The Lost Daughter

If there's one film to keep on our radar this December, it's Maggie Gyllenhaal's directorial debut, which she also wrote. The Lost Daughter is based on Elena Ferrante's 2006 novel about a woman who finds herself remembering her past when she encounters a familiar woman on vacation. It's winning awards as it goes, and co-stars the delicious cast that is Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson, Ed Harris and Peter Sarsgaard.

Watch on Friday, December 31 on Netflix.

Hidden Gem of the Month: Who's the Boss?

If you're going to be home for the holidays, it's always great to have a family sitcom to turn to, particularly a classic everyone loves. This one stars the adorable Tony Danza as a widower who takes a job as a housekeeper for high-powered businesswoman Angela (Judith Light, commanding as ever) to support his daughter (played by Alyssa Milano). They all move in together, along with Angela's son and, of course, laughs and tears ensue. Nothing will feel warmer.

Now streaming on CTV Throwback.

BEFORE YOU GO: Sandra Bullock said she begged Viola Davis to be in 'The Unforgivable'

[video_embed id='2332819']BEFORE YOU GO: Sandra Bullock said she begged Viola Davis to be in 'The Unforgivable' [/video_embed]