The holiday season is fully upon us, but hopefully, you’ll have enough downtime to enjoy some meaty TV offerings. If nothing below suits your sensibilities, check out our guide to What You Should Watch On Streaming Right Now.
The Witcher (Friday, Netflix series) — Henry Cavill stars as Geralt of Rivia, the lone (and grumpy) monster hunter roaming a volatile continent, in this series that’s far more enjoyable that it ever needed to be. It’s pulpy and a nice mix between horror, adventure, and action, and Cavill did all his own stunts, plus all the bathtub stuff, on his own. Creator and showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich is alright if you compare this to a fantasy-tinged police procedural, and nope, you don’t have to read the books or play the video games to enjoy this series.
The Two Popes (Friday, Netflix film) — This fictionalized, biographical comedy film revolves around (you guessed it) two popes, played by Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce. The former picks up the role of Pope Benedict XVI, who’s lost in his current leadership role, and the latter steps in as Cardinal Bergoglio (who would later become Pope Francis of contemporary fame). However, Bergoglio seeks to leave his posting, which leads to a buddy comedy that might shake the very core of their respective beliefs and faith. Academy Award-nominated director Fernando Meirelle helms the picture, and the also Academy Award-nominated Anthony McCarten wrote the screenplay.
John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch (Christmas Eve, Netflix special) — This truly bonkers happening follows comedian John Mulaney singing songs with kids and celebrity guests. Mulaney freely admits that the kids are “more talented than me,” but does it matter? Nope. Special guests include David Byrne, Natasha Lyonne, Annaleigh Ashford, Richard Kind, and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Lost In Space: Season 2 (Christmas Eve, Netflix series) — The Robinson family returns with the Jupiter 2 marooned on a mysterious ocean planet. They must work alongside Dr. Smith and Don West to reunite with other colonists after finding their way back to the Resolute, but as always, things get complicated, especially with Robot.
Here’s the rest of this weekend’s notable programming:
I Love Lucy Christmas Special (Friday, CBS 8:00 p.m.) — This year’s edition includes a newly colorized episode, “Paris at Last,” along with the traditional “The Christmas Episode.” Both episodes will be seamlessly combined with zero interruption between the two installments.
Celebrating Marvel’s Stan Lee (Friday, ABC 8:00 p.m.) — MCU stars will assemble to celebrate and toast the legacy of their characters’ maker, the one and only Stan Lee.
SNL (Saturday, NBC 11:30 p.m.) — Eddie Murphy’s back as host with musical guest Lizzo. Will Murphy truly resurrect any of his classic characters? You gotta watch.
The Christmas Caroler Challenge (Sunday, CW 8:00 p.m.) — No Supergirl or Batwoman tonight. Instead, here’s more from the competition between 12 wildly divergent Christmas carol groups.
Ray Donovan (Sunday, Showtime 8:00 p.m.) — Ray gets some help with his detective work from Smitty and Terry while Bunchy, Bridget, and Jim Sullivan all seek Ray’s help on other matters.
Shameless (Sunday, Showtime 9:00 p.m.) — Carl’s onboard for his civic duty, Debbie’s looking for her next grift, and things are growing more tedious between Lip and Tami.
