The best Christmas TV to stream this December

Whether you prefer the original 1947 version or the Richard Attenborough-led 1994 remake, the first of the month is one to mark on your calendar – both versions are now available for streaming on Paramount. In case you still haven’t got around to seeing either, both hit films follow a kind old man who claims to be the real Santa Claus, and must prove his identity in court to restore a young girl’s belief in magic.

Would it truly be Christmas without watching Hugh Grant dance around Downing Street and an adorable Thomas Brodie-Sangster woo his crush at the Christmas concert? You can now stream the classic flick on Prime – though just be sure you don’t rewatch it so many times you get sick of it by the big day.

If you’re a big fan of this 2022 comedy musical starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds – and fancy yourself the next Mariah Carey – you’ll want to head over to Apple TV immediately. The streaming service has just dropped a sing-along version of the hit festive flick, which could be a fun one to kick off Friendsmas.

Netflix has already been dropping some fantastic Christmas flicks throughout November, and this looks like another one I’ll be adding to my watchlist immediately. This new release, starring Virgin River’s Alexandra Breckenridge, follows a single mum who disguises herself as Santa at a fancy resort to fund her daughter’s ski lessons – and finds romance along the way.

Fans of the Duchess of Sussex will love this one – Meghan is set to bring us a holiday spin of her beloved show, sharing her favourite festive recipes, hosting tips, and holiday traditions. While Prince Harry was largely absent from the second series, the couple share a sweet moment in this edition’s trailer that has us hoping we’ll see more of him throughout the highly-anticipated special.

This is Michelle Pfeiffer’s first Christmas movie if you don’t count Batman Returns (1992) as one, and her second if you do. The legendary actress stars alongside Chloë Grace Moretz and Eva Longoria in this star-studded holiday comedy, where her character’s tireless holiday preparations go unnoticed – until she disappears.

Kiefer Sutherland stars as a washed-up Hollywood actor who journeys to England with ambitions of hitting the West End – only to discover he’s been cast in a rural panto of Cinderella (oh yes he has!). Robbie Williams’ daughter Teddy will make her acting debut in this comedy, and the hilarious Rebel Wilson also rounds out the cast, so it’s shaping up to be a fun watch that’s at the top of my list.

This one looked amazing when I first saw it advertised a few months back, so I’m delighted it’s finally hitting Prime this December. Zooey Deschanel and Charlie Cox headline this Christmas rom-com, where an estranged couple must navigate the holidays together when they take their dog, who’s fallen into a funk after their split, to sunny Florida to rekindle his joy – and maybe their love?

Based on the popular video game, Prime’s ‘masterpiece’ series returns for a second instalment this month, starring Ella Purnell and Walter Goggins. This post-apocalyptic adventure follows Lucy and The Ghoul as they journey to New Vegas, and is set to dive even deeper into the history of the wasteland.

Au revoir Paris, ciao Roma! The hotly-anticipated new season of Emily in Paris drops on Netflix shortly before Christmas Day – my ultimate binge-watch companion to get me through present wrapping. The series picks up in Rome after Emily (Lily Collins) relocated at the end of season 4, but we’re sure all her classic Parisian mishaps and chaotic charm will follow her to Italy.

This Mark Wahlberg-led comedy is back with a festive sequel, where the perfect family holiday vacation goes wildly awry – leading to an “international game of cat-and-mouse”. Kit Harington joins the cast, and it looks like this one will be even more high-stakes (and hilarious) than its predecessor.

A bittersweet-looking new release that also marks Kate Winslet’s directorial debut, this film follows four siblings and their father, whose lives are thrown into chaos when their mother’s health worsens during the festive season. From Kate herself to the likes of Toni Collette and Helen Mirren, this star-studded cast deliver a poignant holiday story that team HELLO! adored.

If you’re ‘suffering in silence’ after bingeing the first instalment of season five too quickly, then you luckily don’t have too long to wait until part two drops on Christmas Day (or super early on boxing day for those of us in the UK). The record-breaking sci-fi show crashed Netflix when it came out, and we’re already counting down the hours to see what happens next – sorry, Christmas guests, but this might have to be our priority!

I seriously don’t know how I managed to miss this one in cinemas, especially as everybody raved about it, so I know what my boxing day plans will look like now. Michael B. Jordan and Hailee Steinfeld lead the cast of this Southern Gothic vampire-themed horror, set in 1930s Mississippi.

The latest film from Wes Anderson will finally be available to stream this month, which follows an eccentric arms magnate, played by Benicio del Toro, who has to navigate betrayal and sabotage while launching a high-stakes project in the fictional land of Phoenicia. Rounding out the star-studded cast include the likes of Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson headline this action-comedy flick, a sequel to the ‘80s version which starred Leslie Nielsen and Priscilla Presley. Much like his father, Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr. must save the police department from shutting down by solving a series of crimes – though also like his father, he’s notoriously inept, which is sure to make great viewing for us.

The legendary comedian returns with a new Netflix special at the end of the month, which will feature him talking about “life, death and the state of the world” – just a small task, then. We can no doubt expect Ricky’s signature blunt humour and social satire, and it's his fourth (and counting) highly-anticipated special to premiere on the streaming service.

Could there be a better way to round out not just an incredible month of streaming, but the year entirely? Stranger Things comes to an electrifying end with an epic two-hour long finale on New Year’s Eve. We’re not sure what to expect yet, but we’re hoping we still feel like popping the champagne after witnessing this explosive conclusion.