Merry Christmas! After you’ve filled your bellies with turkey, ham, stuffing, and pie, and you’ve tucked into your onesies, it’s a great time to relax on the couch with the family and watch a show. You’re probably all Christmas movie-d out after watching Home Alone and Elf on repeat for the last month, so why not check out a show, especially one with a new season coming soon? Here are some great options to consider both with the kids and on your own once the kids are in bed.
1. Stranger Things (Netflix)
Of course, the second part of the three-part final season of Stranger Things comes out on Christmas Day, and this is what most people will be watching. It continues the story after that massive revelation in Season 5, Part 1 and will set things up for the final few hours in the feature-length finale, scheduled for New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2026. There are three episodes with runtimes over an hour, so it’s a show you’ll want to start as soon as the dishes are washed, or plan for a late night. If you’re off on Boxing Day, why not? Go ahead and sleep in! It’s worth it to find out what steps the group takes next to fight back against Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) and his evil plan for the kids of Hawkins.
2. The Pitt (HBO Max)
While The Pitt isn’t exactly the lightest show to watch on a holiday like Christmas, consider that the events depicted are so raw, so real, that for some who work in this field, this is what their Christmas looks like. The multi-Emmy-winning show came out of the gate strong with its first season, and with Season 2 coming out January 8, 2026, it’s the perfect time to binge. There are 15 episodes, each one depicting a real-time hour in a grueling 15-hour shift in the emergency department of a training hospital. From everyday ailments to life-saving surgeries and medical care, and a massive tragedy, The Pitt gives you a glimpse into the emotional toll this takes on the doctors, residents, nurses, and other staff whose jobs are to help keep patients alive and healthy.
3. Hijack (Apple TV)
Hijack’s first season premiered on Apple TV in June 2023, and if you haven’t checked out the thriller yet, now is a good time to catch up before the second season premieres on January 14, 2026. In Season 1, Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) is a corporate negotiator who has to use his astute business skills to help navigate a dangerous situation when his flight from Dubai to London is hijacked. It’s an intense seven episodes that manages to keep you at the edge of your seat, despite most of every episode taking place within the confines of a plane. With Season 2 switching to a train in Berlin, Sam finds himself in an equally terrifying situation, with stakes raised even higher.
4. Emily in Paris (Netflix)
Looking for something light and fluffy to watch? Emily in Paris is a wonderful escapist pleasure, following Emily Cooper (Lily Collins), a social media savvy younger marketer who takes a temporary job in Paris to serve as an American liaison for a French firm her company is working with. With the fifth season just premiering, you can flip all the way back to Season 1 to see all of Emily’s exploits when it comes to meeting new people, dealing with culture shock, managing clever campaigns, and getting into complicated love triangles. Like a modern-day version of Sex and the City, Emily in Paris takes you on a Parisian trip (Rome in Season 5!) with fab fashion, to boot.
5. Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Disney+)
A great show to watch with the kids, especially if they have already read the books, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is currently streaming its second season, with new episodes week to week. Catch up on Season 1’s first eight episodes as Percy (Walker Scobell) heads out on a mission with Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries) to effectively save the world as powerful demigods, children of the gods from Greek mythology. Filled with action and fantasy combined with a coming-of-age story, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a delight for the while family.
Read my reviews of Season 1 and Season 2.
6. Fallout (Amazon Prime Video)
You’ll want to pop this post-apocalyptic drama on once the kids go to bed. Based on the popular video game franchise, humans on Earth reside in underground bunkers known as Vaults now that the Earth above is an uninhabitable wasteland filled with creatures and monsters. When Lucy’s (Ella Purnell) father is kidnapped, she decides to venture outside for the first time in her life, where she meets Maximus (Aaron Moten), a squire from the Brotherhood of Steel, and has a run-in with The Ghoul (Walten Goggins), a creepy former actor who has been roaming the Earth in search of his family for 200 years.
7. Pluribus (Apple TV)
Pluribus is arguably the best new show this year. Hailing from the creator of Breaking Bad, the post-apocalyptic sci-fi drama is about an event that renders everyone on Earth part of a jovial, positive hive mind. They live and work in unison except for 13 individuals who are somehow immune, including Carol (Rhea Seehorn), a cynical romance author in Albuquerque. The show explores Carol’s journey dealing with these brainwashed humans who live to serve her every need, and that of the other 12. But their ultimate goal is to figure out what makes her immune and have her join. It’s disturbing, haunting, and unsettling, and brilliantly presented and acted. With just nine episodes, the finale streaming early on Christmas Eve, it’s a quick binge. The series has already been renewed for a second season.
8. Only Murders in the Building (Disney+)
While you’ll have five seasons to get through, the show is so lighthearted and fun that it’s easy to sit, watch, and realize half a season has already gone by. I rewatched the entire series to date with my 13-year-old and he absolutely loves it. The great thing about the show is that the cast combines old-school with new, with Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez at the centre at Charles, Oliver, and Mabel, respectively, three amateur sleuths and true crime podcast fans who wind up solving various murders. As the title suggests, every murder occurs in their building, but the show finds creative ways to make this at least marginally plausible. It’s good fun with a rotating guest cast list that has included names like Paul Rudd, Meryl Streep, Melissa McCarthy, Eugene Levy, and even musician Sting.
Read my reviews of Season 4 and Season 5.
9. Wednesday (Netflix)
Wednesday is another show you can watch with older kids, and it’s one that will entertain all ages. Based on the popular The Addams Family cartoons, movies, and previous adaptations, Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) is the central character as the series follows her journey at Nevermore Academy. Her psychic ability, inherited from her mother, alerts her to various threats, and she sets out to take down monsters, save her friends, and her school, and defend her kind. With two seasons under its belt and a third on the way, now is the perfect time to catch up on the show before Season 3.
Read my review of Season 2 Part 1 and Part 2.
10. High Potential (Disney+)
If you’re looking for a fun procedural that grandma and grandma will love, too, High Potential has a unique spin. Morgan (Kate Olson) is a single mother with an incredibly high IQ and an inherent gift for seeing things in ways that others can’t. The local police chief recognizes this ability and hires her to work as a consultant, partnered with detective Karadec (Daniel Sunjata). Her unorthodox style, rebellion against people in power, and propensity to disregard the rules rubs some people the wrong way. But she’s a brilliant mind and proves invaluable to the force. With the second season underway, returning on January 6, 2026 after a several month hiatus, you can power through all 20 episodes and get right up to speed in time for the new year.