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Christmas movies often come with nostalgia and cheer, but some gems are overshadowed by classics like Home Alone and Elf. Here’s a list of ten underrated Christmas movies that deserve a spot in your holiday viewing rotation:

1. The Family Stone (2005)

This heartwarming dramedy follows a chaotic family reunion when the eldest son brings home his uptight girlfriend. With a stellar cast, including Diane Keaton and Rachel McAdams, it balances humor and poignant moments beautifully.

2. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

A Christmas movie for those who love crime, dark humor, and Robert Downey Jr. This Shane Black-directed neo-noir comedy is witty, unconventional, and full of holiday spirit in the quirkiest way possible.

3. Arthur Christmas (2011)

This animated film by Aardman Animations is a delightful take on the magic of Christmas, following Santa’s clumsy son, Arthur, as he tries to deliver a forgotten gift. It’s heartfelt, visually stunning, and criminally overlooked.

Perhaps the most underrated, star-studded Christmas movie, Arthur Christmas, is now streaming on Paramount+. When concerning the best Christmas movies of all time, Arthur Christmas is not one that would commonly appear on every list alongside the likes of It's A Wonderful Life, Elf, or Home Alone. For this reason, Arthur Christmas can certainly be classed as underrated despite having a 92% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, as many would agree it is the stark opposite of the worst Christmas movies ever made.

Another reason for Arthur Christmas' status as an underrated movie is its box office. Rather than be ranked among the highest-grossing Christmas movies of all time, Arthur Christmas was only moderately well received. The film earned a worldwide total of only $147 million, which many would agree is not reflective of its critical reception. Now, though, Arthur Christmas has a second chance at redemption. Along with the many Christmas movies streaming on Netflix,...

Founded in 1972 by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, Aardman Animations has become renowned for its clay-based stop-motion animation, blending visual artistry with a distinctive wit. Over the course of more than 50 years of production, Aardman has left an indelible mark on the world of animation, standing as a leading example of practical, handcrafted visual art in an age dominated by digital filmmaking. Aardman’s influence is far-reaching and their craft extends beyond technical innovation, showcasing animation as a powerful art form in its own right.

What distinguishes Aardman is its masterful blend of wit and heart and their films often mix slapstick comedy with clever dialogue, creating multi-layered stories that have resonated with audiences of all ages. Beyond the humor, many Aardman films address deeper themes such as friendship, resilience, and the importance of creativity as their characters frequently overcome obstacles in order to create a greater sense of community.

The collection is stuffed with TV episodes and movies that will help put you in the spirit of the season.

Almost every streaming service has at least a small selection of holiday titles to watch, but as Christmas approaches many are putting their best, most festive feet forward. Paramount+ has rolled out its new “Tis the Season for Streaming” collection now, allowing subscribers to watch a specially curated lineup of TV shows and movies with Christmas and holiday themes.

Key Details: “Tis the Season for Streaming” is stuffed tighter than a stocking with hundreds of titles. Fans will find the new original movie “Dear Santa” within the collection. The collection offers a total of 20 specially selected content rows. 7-Day Free Trial $7.99+ / month paramountplus.com

“Tis the Season for Streaming” is live now, and available in the “Collections” tab of Paramount+. Subscribers to both the ad-supported Essential tier for $8 per month,...

The Christmas action movie Red One hasn’t been well-received by critics, but it has had an impressive box office run, proving it’s not a total disaster. Christmas arrived early on the big screen in 2024, and one of the biggest releases was Red One. Directed by Jake Kasdan, Red One brings together comedy, action, drama, and the Christmas spirit as it follows Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson), the head commander of the North Pole’s Enforcement Logistics & Fortification (Elf). As such, Callum is in charge of Santa Claus’ (J.K. Simmons) safety… until one day Santa Claus is kidnapped.

The Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority (Mora) discovers that hacker Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans) was used to break into the North Pole’s security, so Callum is forced to team up with him. Together they find out that the one behind Santa Claus’s kidnapping is the winter witch Gryla (Kiernan Shipka...

Actress Ashley Jensen has joined a group of lucky schoolchildren on a knitted red carpet in the East Midlands whilst hosting an exclusive premiere to launch a brand-new Shaun the Sheep animation for Save the Children's Christmas Jumper Day.

Ashley Jensen has joined a group of lucky schoolchildren on a knitted red carpet in the East Midlands

Academy Award-winning studio Aardman has colla-baa-rated with the international children’s charity on a ewe-nique Shaun the Sheep animation, The Knit Before Christmas, to celebrate the charity’s fundraising campaign and encourage everyone to sign up, take part and donate.

Save the Children Ambassador Ashley Jensen hosted the film’s premiere at Launde Primary School in Leicester. Launde Primary was the top fundraising school for Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day in 2023, raising £3,744.84 to help children in the UK and around the world stay safe, healthy and learning.

Launched today on Shaun...

Film Review is unwrapping 24 memorable movies in the countdown to Christmas. From festive favourites to holiday gems, there’s something for everyone on your list. Celebrate the season with the magic of the movies!

Lovely, Still

(2008)

Creative forces and longstanding lifetime members of The Actors Studio, Ellen Burstyn and Martin Landau both served as Artistic Director for the org. Read our interview with Ellen Burstyn about the 75th Anniversary.

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It Happened on 5th Avenue

(1947)

The story was originally optioned by Liberty Films in 1945 for director Frank Capra, who decided to direct It's a Wonderful Life instead.

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Arthur Christmas

(2011)

Originally titled Operation Rudolph. The music video for Justin Bieber's end credits song "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" was exclusively shown in theatres before the film.

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The Holiday

(2006)

Dustin Hoffman’s cameo wasn’t planned. Hoffman happened to be driving by, noticed the production...

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This December, Tubi is bringing you a lot of entertainment, from the supernatural thriller drama series Haven to the historical drama series Black Sails. However, for this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Tubi in the next month and have a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the five best films that are coming to Tubi in December 2024 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Die Hard (December 1) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94% Credit – 20th Century Studios

Die Hard is an action thriller film directed by John McTiernan from a screenplay co-written by Jeb Stuart and Steve E. de Souza. Based on the 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp, the 1988 film follows a New York City police detective in Los Angeles to make up with his wife. Still, when terrorists take over his wife’s office building,...

It can often feel like Christmas movies are dominated by the classics, with many a 21st-century offering struggling to compete with the likes of It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and the many versions of A Christmas Carol. Alas, one such movie to become underrated thanks to the nostalgia-weighted festive period is Sarah Smith's Arthur Christmas. Boasting an impressive certified fresh 92% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, as well as an audience score of 77%, Arthur Christmas can be fairly considered a modern holiday classic based on quality, and perhaps deserves better mention when discussing the greats.

The Paramount+ Holiday Collection ‘Tis The Season for Streaming returns to the service today with hundreds of seasonal movies and beloved specials for the whole household to enjoy, including the debut of the streaming service’s first original holiday film, Dear Santa.

The Farrelly Brothers holiday comedy Dear Santa stars Jack Black, Robert Timothy Smith, Keegan-Michael Key, Brianne Howey, Hayes MacArthur, and Post Malone in a story of a young boy who mails his Christmas wish list to Santa with one crucial spelling error, resulting in a devilish Jack Black’s arrival to wreak havoc on the holidays. The film premieres on November 25 exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and the following day in the UK and Australia.

Dear Santa

This year’s Paramount+ Holiday Collection will also include the debut of SpongeBob SquarePants – “SpongeBob & Sandy’s Country Christmas,” an all-new half-hour special where one of Sandy’s experiments...

Tubi, Fox’s free streaming service, has announced its list of December titles. The Tubi December 2024 slate features new Tubi Originals, TV series, and numerous action, art house, Black cinema, comedy, documentary, drama, horror, kids and family, romance, sci-fi and fantasy, thriller, and Western titles.

As a leading ad-supported video-on-demand service, the company engages diverse audiences through a personalized experience and the world’s largest content library of over 250,000 movies and TV episodes, a growing collection of exclusive Originals, and nearly 250 live channels.

You can watch the Tubi December 2024 lineup for free on Android and iOS mobile devices, Amazon Echo Show, Google Nest Hub Max, Comcast Xfinity X1, and Cox Contour.

You can also watch the service on connected television devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Vizio TVs, Sony TVs, Samsung TVs, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and on the Tubi site.

Tubi Originals...

December and the holidays are one month closer. Now, Freeform has released the schedule for its traditional “25 Days of Christmas” programming. Last year, Freeform was #1 for holiday viewership for the 11th year out of 12 years reaching almost 37 million viewers!

This year, fans can expect holiday classic films and movies from Disney, Rankin Bass, and more during this year’s “25 Days of Christmas” Event!

Here is the 25 Days of Christmas Schedule for 2024!

Sunday, Dec. 1

7:00 a.m. – “Prep & Landing”

7:30 a.m. – “Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas”

9:00 a.m. – “Mickey’s Twice Upon A Christmas”

10:30 a.m. – “Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You” – Freeform Premiere

12:30 p.m. – “Arthur Christmas”

2:35 p.m. – “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas”

4:15 p.m. – “Moana”

6:45 p.m. – “Home Alone”

9:15 p.m. – “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”

11:55 p.m. – “Home Alone 3”

Monday,...

Good tidings Freeform brings, as the network celebrates the adored seasonal tradition of 25 Days of Christmas. The programming event returns to spread holiday cheer starting on Sunday, December 1.

A delightful collection of Christmas favorites is being offered to make spirits bright, including Home Alone, The Santa Clause trilogy, and Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000). Select airings of perennial favorite Home Alone will incorporate “pop-up” facts about the classic holiday movie.

Jingle all the way with Disney family classics like Frozen, the Toy Story franchise, and Disney’s A Christmas Carol. Other holiday faves airing throughout the month include Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street (1994), Arthur Christmas, plus Rankin-Bass’ beloved specials, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, plus much more!

Plus, the merry lineup features a network premiere featuring the Queen of Christmas herself, Mariah Carey’s...

It’s November 1, and Freeform is already ready to start spreading holiday cheer.

The network released its 25 Days of Christmas schedule Friday, revealing all the programming coming up in December. There’s something for everyone, with things kicking off at 7 a.m. and extending through at least midnight every day from December 1 to 25.

The lineup includes classics like the Home Alone films, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, the Santa Clause movies, Miracle on 34th Street and multiple versions of The Grinch.

There’s also some non-holiday films sprinkled in, including Moana and Toy Story.

And, as always, Freeform has a few network premieres planned, including one for Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You on December 1, after which it’ll repeatedly air through Christmas Day. Dashing Through the Snow and Santa’s Little Helper are also getting a Freeform debut on December 8.

See the full schedule below.

It’s that time of the year again: Freeform‘s 25 Days of Christmas is almost here, so the schedule is out! As always, the event begins on December 1 and runs through Christmas Day (December 25). It will feature a mix of classics, Rankin-Bass specials, and newer offerings. This year’s features the network premieres of Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You, Dashing Through the Snow, and Santa’s Little Helper. Get the full 25 Days of Christmas event schedule below. Sunday, December 1 7:00 a.m.: Prep & Landing (Disney Animated) 7:30 a.m.: Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas 9:00 a.m.: Mickey’s Twice Upon A Christmas 10:30 a.m.: Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You Freeform Premiere 12:30 p.m.: Arthur Christmas 2:35 p.m.: Tim Burton’s The ...

Freeform’s 25 days of Christmas is back for another year just in time for the holidays.

Kicking off on Dec. 1, the lineup will include classics like the “Home Alone” movies, “Miracle on 34th Street” (1994), “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “The Santa Clause” franchise, both versions of “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Frosty the Snowman” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

Disney family-favorites will also broadcast throughout the month, including “Frozen,” the “Toy Story” films and “Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” while “Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You,” “Dashing Through the Snow” and “Santa’s Little Helper” make their Freeform debuts.

Here’s the full schedule for Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas.

Sunday, Dec. 1

7:00 a.m. – “Prep & Landing”

7:30 a.m. – “Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas”

9:00 a.m. – “Mickey’s Twice Upon A Christmas”

10:30 a.m. – “Mariah Carey’s...

Plot: In this next installment, Gromit’s concern that Wallace is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a “smart” gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own. When it emerges that a vengeful figure from the past might be masterminding things, it falls to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master… or Wallace may never be able to invent again!

Review: Few words bring as much joy when paired together as Wallace & Gromit. Since they debuted in the 1989 short film A Grand Day Out, the cheese-loving duo have been the benchmark for claymation films and have inspired countless directors and animators. After three short films released through the mid-nineties, Aardman Animation’s signature creations were not seen until the 2005 feature film The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. With an all-star cast including Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter, that film won the...

Sometimes I think we put too much pressure on Aardman Animation. They’re the filmmakers who brought us “Wallace and Gromit,” “Chicken Run,” “Arthur Christmas” and “Shaun the Sheep,” so they have a very long legacy of high-quality and hilarious movies. Even their underwhelming films, like “Flushed Away,” aren’t nearly as bad as the worst movies made by their competitors. So we expect Aardman — like we expect Studio Ghibli (or like we used to expect Pixar) — to knock it out of the park every single time, and that’s not fair. They’re only human. It would be no great tragedy if the long-awaited, second feature-length “Wallace and Gromit” movie wasn’t very good.

Fortunately, the long-awaited, second feature-length “Wallace and Gromit” movie is great. So that whole first paragraph was just a big misdirect and I apologize. (It kind of got away from me.)

“Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl...

There are two kinds of people in the world: People who love “Love Actually” and people who want to give those other people such a pinch. Richard Curtis’ all-star Christmas classic (you can add quotes to “classic” if you want to) quickly became a perennial yuletide favorite for its treacly melodrama and/or its melodramatic treacle. Like many Christmas movies, it’s sappy to a laughable extreme. But also like many Christmas movies, that’s why people love it. Or hate it.

“Love Actually” is such a ubiquitous holiday staple now that even characters in Richard Curtis movies have to watch it. The new animated Netflix movie “That Christmas,” directed by Simon Otto, is based on three children’s books penned by Curtis — “That Christmas,” “Snow Day” and “The Empty Stocking” — which now take place at the same time, in the same town. It’s an idea that would be...

Blumhouse's Speak No Evil has earned James McAvoy's best Rotten Tomatoes score in a decade. The movie is a remake of the Danish film of the same name, following the Dalton family, who vacation in an isolated home with new friends Paddy (James McAvoy), Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), and their son Ant (Dan Hough), at which point a series of awkward incidents quickly grow sinister. The Speak No Evil release follows the original movie to theaters by just two years.

Ahead of the wide release debut of Speak No Evil, critics have been able to share their reviews of the movie online. Rotten Tomatoes has aggregated 45 of these reviews at the time of writing, giving the movie a debut score of 87% on the platform. While the score may fluctuate as more reviews are added over the weekend and beyond, it is currently the highest score for a James McAvoy movie...

Veteran studio executive and producer Hannah Minghella has joined Netflix as head of feature animation and live-action family film, Variety can exclusively report.

Minghella joins the tech giant from Bad Robot, where she worked across live action, animation and documentary features. She’ll now report to Dan Lin, the recently installed chariman of Netflix’s film operation. In addition to Minghella, Sharon Taylor will return to Netflix to lead production at the unit. Based in Vancouver, Taylor was previously the CEO of Animal Logic studios.

“Hannah brings her unique skill set and experience to this role, along with strong relationships with top filmmakers. As a studio executive and producer, Hannah has overseen many franchise films across animation and live-action. I believe her expertise will deepen our efforts to bring variety and quality to both our animation and live action family film slate,” said Lin.

As a result of the change,...

The world of Disney Television Animation is getting ready to celebrate its 40th anniversary with a lineup of brand new television shows and specials aimed at both younger children with Disney Junior and older children with Disney Channel and Disney Xd.

Ayo Davis, the President of Disney Branded Television, made the following statement in regard to their upcoming programming at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in Annecy, France:

“Disney Branded Television is proud of our four-decade legacy of creating magical and visually stunning animation beloved by young audiences around the world. It’s a momentous year at Annecy, as we celebrate our studio’s milestone anniversary and showcase some of our most exciting new projects and creative talent that are ushering us into a new era of storytelling.“

They spoke about upcoming programming for younger children at Disney Jr., including SuperKitties: Su-Purr Adventures, Disney Junior’s Ariel, Season 2 of Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures,...

Actor, writer and director Aml Ameen is plotting a sequel to festive film Boxing Day, as well as thriller project Night And Day, here are the details.

While Britain has produced a number of films that grew into festive favourites like Scrooge, Love, Actually and Arthur Christmas, there are a number of festive films that flew under the radar, like Eddie Izzard’s Lost Christmas.

One such film is Boxing Day, which was released in 2019. Notable as being the first British Christmas film with an almost entirely black cast. It came from actor and writer Aml Ameen, who directed the film and co-wrote the script with Bruce Purnell.

He also starred as Melvin Mackenzie, a successful author who returns home to confront his chaotic family and his past. Aja Naomi King played Lisa, a Hollywood casting director who accompanies Ameen’s Melvin home to face Georgia, his chart-topping pop-star ex,...

Clockwise from bottom left: Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa (Miramax), Ed Asner in Elf (New Line Cinema), and Edmund Gwenn in Miracle On 34th Street (20th Century Flox)Graphic: The A.V. Club

Tis the season to talk movie Santas. With Christmas upon us, we decided to dig deep into...

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget briefly boasted the best Rotten Tomatoes audience score for an Aardman Animations feature-length film at 86%. Unfortunately, the audience score has dropped drastically ever since. Chicken Run 2 also has the dishonor of registering the second-worst Tomatometer rating of those same Aardman movies at 79%.

"Live free-range, or die frying!" Last time around, Rocky and Ginger were trying to escape the ghastly fate of becoming unwilling ingredients in those despicable pies. Today, the fowls have to save their daughter, Molly (Bella Ramsey), from becoming — wait for it... a chicken nugget at Fun-Land Farms. And the sequel ever so briefly set a Rotten Tomatoes record for Aardman Animations. 23 years after the first Chicken Run hit theaters in 2000, the follow-up, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget boasted an Rt audience score-best 86% for Aardman's feature-length films. However, the score has dropped drastically in virtually no time at all, but it's not all bad news.

We’re big fans of Aardman Animation here at Film Stories Towers. With the new Chicken Run sequel out soon, this week’s film quiz covers their cracking canon to date…

Why did the chicken cross the road? Well, since Netflix has cracked down on password-sharing, it’s might go and watch Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget at a mate’s house when the long-awaited sequel drops next week. It’s also in selected cinemas throughout the UK today, but whenever you’re watching it, we’ve got some Aardman-themed quiz questions to keep you going.

Once you’ve completed all three rounds, you’ll find a link to a separate post with the correct answers at the bottom of this post. As always, this is just for fun, but please let us know how you did in the comments (scores out of 30 this week!) and give us any other lovely feedback.

Clockwise from bottom left: A Very Harold And Kumar Christmas, Miracle On 34th Street, An American Christmas Carol, It’s A Wonderful LifeGraphic: The A.V. Club

Happy holidays from The A.V. Club to you! If you’re anything like us, the winter season is for curling up in front...

Flushed Away marked a departure from Aardman Animation's claymation style, using CGI instead due to extensive water scenes and the risk of damage to clay models. The use of CGI in Flushed Away opened up new creative possibilities, allowing for stunningly realistic water effects and faster-paced scenes. The film's successful blend of Aardman's humor and character design with CGI animation demonstrated the studio's adaptability and ability to evolve while still retaining its essence.

Flushed Away is one of Aardman Animations' most beloved movies, but is the animation style claymation? Aardman Animation has long been synonymous with the charm and creativity of clay animation. Rising to prominence with the beloved Wallace & Gromit series, Aardman established itself as a powerhouse in the world of stop-motion, mastering the art of claymation. This distinct animation style, where characters and sets are meticulously crafted from clay and filmed frame by frame, became Aardman's signature, enchanting audiences worldwide.

Aardman Animations has reassured fans that they have plenty of clay stock for future productions, dispelling concerns about running out. The studio is known for beloved franchises like Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run, and Shaun the Sheep, as well as other successful movies. The upcoming Wallace and Gromit movie, dealing with the duo's latest invention, the "smart gnome," will not be hindered by clay shortages.

Beloved animation studio Aardman Animations have released a statement which should put minds at ease following news of a panic that the company was running out of clay. Clay which, for a studio that specializes in stop-motion and clay animation as seen in the likes of Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run, is pretty crucial. Following reports that Aardman was running low on supplies due to their clay supplier having closed down (via The Telegraph), the studio has stated that, thankfully, they still have plenty of stock.

Aardman Animations, the renowned British studio known for their stop-motion movies, may be in trouble due to a shortage of the material they use. The material, Lewis Newplast, is only made by a factory that recently closed down, and Aardman Animations has limited stock left. Without a solution, the studio may only have enough material for their upcoming Wallace & Gromit feature, putting the future of their movies in jeopardy.

Aardman Animations, the studio behind Chicken Run, is facing a crisis. The British company was founded in 1972 and is primarily known for their stop-motion and claymation characters, including Wallace and Gromit. 2000's Chicken Run, which follows a group of chickens attempting to escape a prison-like farm, was their first feature-length movie. They have so far followed that with eight more movies, including Shaun the Sheep Movie, Early Man, and the upcoming sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.

Per The Telegraph,...

Christmas comes early on Max, as the streamer adds a bevy of holiday movies to its library for the month of November, alongside new TV debuts, a noteworthy documentary and more. “Elf,” “Christmas Vacation,” “Arthur Christmas,” “The Shop Around the Corner” and “Four Christmases” are some of the holiday films arriving on the streaming platform on Nov. 1.

This month also sees the Season 2 premieres of “Rap Sh!t” (on Nov. 9) and “Julia” (on Nov. 16) and the series premiere of “Two and a Half Men” creator Chuck Lorre’s new sitcom “Bookie” starring Sebastian Maniscalco (on Nov. 30).

On Nov. 11, check out the documentary “Albert Brooks: Defending My Life” in which the comedian, actor and filmmaker’s best friend Rob Reiner peppers him with questions about his life and career.

And Chip and Joanna Gaines renovate a 100-year-old building in “Fixer Upper: The Hotel,” which premieres on Nov. 8.

Check out the full list...

After Di Jimmy Perez deliberately sacrificed his career in the name of justice (if not the law) and went off to pastures new with nurse Meg at the end of series seven, Shetland now has a new sheriff in town. Sort of.

While DS Tosh performs the duties of acting Di at Lerwick Police Station, detective Ruth Calder has come up from London in search of a missing witness in a serious crime case. It just so happens that Calder is an old Shetlander who left the islands as a teenager and was glad to be rid of the place, where she’s confronted by some old ghosts.

Ugly Betty and Agatha Raisin’s Ashley Jensen plays Calder, along with a new guest cast of Scottish stars as well as Shetland’s returning favourites. The latter includes Alison O’Donnell as DS Alison ‘Tosh’ McIntosh, Steven Robertson as DC Sandy Wilson,...

It’s a lean month for new original content on HBO/Max. November will see the return of two scripted series in Julia and Rap Sh!t, both of which are debuting their respective second seasons, but this month’s fresh highlight is likely to be Bookie, a new comedy series from the partnership of The Big Bang Theory creator Chuck Lorre, and Nick Bakay. The show tracks an LA bookie called Danny (Sebastian Maniscalco), whose business is in peril as California movies to legalize sports gambling.

Elsewhere in November, there quite a few interesting documentaries to keep an eye on, and two that jump out as “must watch”. The first is Albert Brooks: Defending My Life, which chronicles the aging comedian’s life and career. The second is the previously-released Little Richard: I Am Everything, which tries to peel back the whitewashed canon of Richard Penniman in a true...

Max out your November viewing with Max! The streamer is starting the new month with a wide variety of additions to its combined library of HBO and Max exclusives, plus titles from Food Network, Cartoon Network, HGTV, and more.

While also racing toward the official holiday season with dozens of Christmas classics like “A Christmas Story” and “Elf,” you can also stream new documentaries on Albert Brooks and Little Richard, catch the premieres of new seasons of “Rap Sh!t” and “Julia,” and much more.

Check out The Streamable’s top picks for what’s new this month on Max, and then continue below to see the full list of everything new in November!

7-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month Max via amazon.com

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What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Max in November 2023? “Rap Sh!t” Season 2 | Thursday, Nov. 9

Issa Rae is back on her “Rap Sh!

Sarah Lancashire and David Hyde Pierce in ‘Julia’ season 2 (Photograph by Sebastein Gonon/Max)

Max’s November 2023 schedule includes season two of Julia starring Sarah Lancashire as Julia Child and the return of Rap Sh!t with Aida Osman and Mia KaMillion. Bookie, a new comedy about sports gambling created by Chuck Lorre, makes its debut on November 30th with Sebastian Maniscalco starring as an LA bookie.

HBO documentaries Albert Brooks: Defending My Life and South to Black Power will stream on Max this November, along with CNN Films’ Little Richard: I Am Everything.

Series & Films Arriving On Max In November 2023:

November 1

Act of Valor (2012)

After the Thin Man (1936)

Aliens (1986)

The Ant Bully (2006)

Arthur Christmas (2011)

The Avengers (1998)

The Bachelor (1999)

The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)

Bells Are Ringing (1960)

Black Beauty (1994)

Boys’ Night Out (1962)

Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984)

Brigadoon (1954)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

A Christmas Carol (1938)

Christmas Cookie Challenge, Seasons...

Searchlight Pictures has released an official trailer for Flamin' Hot, an upcoming biographical picture that recounts the origin story of Flamin' Hot Cheetos.

Jesse Garcia, an American actor perhaps best known for his roles in From Dusk till Dawn: The Series and Narcos: Mexico, stars as Richard Montañez in Flamin' Hot. The trailer shows how Montañez, who worked for Frito-Lay as a janitor, channeled his Mexican American heritage and upbringing to create the iconic Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, "a snack that disrupted the food industry and became a global pop culture phenomenon," according to the film's official synopsis.

Related: Percy Jackson Disney+ Series Finally Locks in a Release Window

Flamin' Hot is based on the memoir A Boy, a Burrito and a Cookie: From Janitor to Executive by Montañez, as well as on the life stories of Montañez and his wife Judy. However, while Flamin' Hot stands to tell Montañez's account...

It feels just like last month we were complimenting Hulu on its true crime offerings. Well, with its list of new releases for February 2023, Hulu is staying in the true crime lane. Suppose that’ll happen when you push back the release date of a series or two.

February sees the arrival of three notable true crime series on Hulu. Taiwan Crime Stories premieres on Feb. 1 and presents four true tales from Taiwan’s criminal “dark underbelly.” That will be followed by ABC News Studios’ Killing County on Feb. 3. That three-episode series ponders the question “what happens when police kill?” The most interesting true crime offering premieres on Feb. 9. That’s when Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence College shares its four-episode saga of Larry Ray and the young college students he victimized.

As far as non true crime offerings go, the third and final season of Hulu...

With its beautiful countryside and vibrant cities, the UK makes a prime destination for any tourist, and any movie buff. Over the years, it's been the setting for tons of iconic films, and thanks to its reputation for cold weather, plenty of these are festive.

There may not be as many Christmas movies set in the UK as there are in America, but it still has an impressive —and magical—library of festive stories. Christmas movies set in the UK cover a range of genres, from romantic comedies to fantasy tales, in both live-action and animation. No matter the style, though, they're sure to entertain and delight.

Updated on December 23rd, 2022 by Stacie Rook: While there are more Christmas movies released every year, with titles like Spirited and Falling For Christmas new for 2022, it's often classic stories that people return to time and time again in the festive season, and...

Everyone has their own personal favorite Christmas movie. Some of them are traditional classics, while others are more non-traditional fare that include action and horror movies that take place at Christmas. But what Christmas movies are generally considered the best of the best?

The Rotten Tomatoes team compiled a list of the 62 Best Christmas Movies of All Time, and some of the inclusions may prove surprising. Their choices proved particularly interesting, as it's filled with some great picks, as well as some rather surprising ones.

Update: 2022/12/20 12:30 Est By Shawn S. Lealos

Christmas movies come in all shapes and sizes. The movies could be festive and joyful. They could be action and horror movies that have a Christmas background setting. These can also be dramas, with love stories or family conflict as the main storyline. In 2022, there was even a movie that had Santa Claus showing up and killing mercenaries...

Forget presents and festive cheer -- for many, the real gift of Christmas is that it allows us some precious downtime to revisit a few familiar festive faves. There's just something oddly soothing about knowing that, during the period between Christmas and New Year's when time slows to a crawl and we all collectively lose track of what day it is, the only thing we're actually expected to do is chill out, get comfy, and rewatch seasonal classics that we've all seen countless times before.

That said, what if you're craving something new to add to your annual Christmas rotation? After all, December can't always be about "Home Alone" and "The Muppet Christmas Carol." Sometimes you need to mix it up with something new and unexpected. If this sounds like you, then perhaps it's time you turned your attention to a Christmas movie or special that's gone underappreciated since its debut.

The market for holiday entertainment is one that continues to be oversaturated year after year, but there's no denying that there are some classic genres that work better than others. In particular, the demand for animated Christmas specials that appear to the whole family and not just children is a demand that will never subside.

Whether families prefer old classic animated specials or stories for a new generation, or whether they prefer 2D hand-drawn animation or computer-generated animation, there is truly something for everyone in this area of Christmas entertainment. But it's also true that there are some specials that are worth watching more than others - these ten included.

Updated on December 10th, 2022 by Colin McCormick: Every year, fans celebrate the holiday season by watching some of their favorite Christmas specials. From the older classics to the more recent gems, animated TV specials remain a draw for fans of all ages.

Though Hulu might not be the first streaming platform audiences would think of when it comes to Christmas movies, it holds its own against some of the bigger services. Disney+ might have Home Alone and HBO Max might have Miracle on 34th Street, but between some original content, a couple of 'so bad they're good' movies, and soon-to-be classics, Hulu is a major player in the streaming world when it comes to Christmas flicks.

Update: 2022/12/01 13:34 Est By Stephen Barker

The holiday season is now in full swing and the rotation of classic Christmas movies that are watched by millions of households annually has started. While Hulu doesn't have all that many festive classics, the streaming service still has a lot to offer when it comes to holiday movies with unique concepts. Arthur Christmas, The Holiday, and Santa Claus: The Movie are three of the greats that don't get mentioned enough,...

Violent Night is an upcoming movie starring David Harbour as the titular Santa. One unfortunate night, Santa finds himself amid a home invasion while delivering presents, and Santa must suddenly become a guardian. With the team behind the likes of Nobody and Bullet Train behind it, this Santa is a guaranteed badass.

Of course, Harbour is far from the first badass Santa. Making Santa a mighty man is a running trope that goes back as far as the 1950s. From Satan to terrorists, Santa has beaten quite the gallery of foes.

Fatman (2020) - Chris

In this black comedy, Mel Gibson plays a very jaded Santa Claus, now going by Chris, working for the American government to continue his annual trips. He spends most of his time drinking away his problems, as fewer and fewer children believe in Jolly Ol’ St. Nick. However, a spoiled little boy decides to hire a...

Christmas is just around the corner, and once again, images of the jolly old Santa Claus are popping up everywhere in movies, as the recent The Santa Clauses show can attest to. Santa has had a long history on both the big and small screen, but one important character in the Christmas mythos that needs more love is Mrs. Claus.

Through thick and thin, Mrs. Claus has stood by the Spirit of Christmas’ side, and her few appearances in mainstream media are always memorable. She’s a fantastic Christmas icon in her own right.

The Santa Clause 2 (2002) Stream On Disney+

The Santa Clauses showed the return of Elizabeth Mitchell to the role of Mrs. Claus, making it a great time for people to rewatch her version’s cinematic debut in The Santa Clause 2. In that movie, it’s revealed that Santa Claus needs to find a wife soon,...

Trying to find a new movie to watch on Amazon Prime Video? Something you haven’t seen before, or maybe a film you haven’t seen in a long time? We’ve got you covered with our curated list of some of the best movies newly added to the streaming service in November, including two bona fide new releases streaming exclusively on Prime Video, a far superior director’s cut of a historical epic, and two excellent Christmas movies just in time for the holiday season.

Check out our list of the best new movies on Amazon Prime Video in November 2022.

My Policeman Parisa Taghizadeh/Amazon

One of Amazon Prime Video’s biggest new releases this month is the Bethan Roberts adaptation “My Policeman,” which finds Harry Styles playing a policeman in 1950s Brighton who marries a schoolteacher (Emma Corrin) while also being in a relationship with a male museum...

Both 2018’s The Grinch and 2000's How The Grinch Stole Christmas were huge box office hits, but which version of the classic Yuletide Dr. Seuss story has the best Grinch? Both versions of the Grinch movies received reasonably solid critical receptions, and each was a huge hit with audiences. The 2000 live-action Jim Carrey Grinch movie made over 345 million at the box office. For almost two decades, How The Grinch Stole Christmas was the second-biggest Christmas movie in cinema history. However, 2018's animated Grinch Benedict Cumberbatch movie, The Grinch, surpassed it with a whopping 511 million box office take. Box office isn’t everything, however, and fans remain split over which is the best Grinch movie.

There are a lot of criteria to take into account when deciding the definitive movie version of Seuss’s anti-Christmas antihero. Worth noting too is that having a better version of the Grinch doesn’t necessarily...

Exclusive: BAFTA winning writer-director Sarah Smith has signed with Verve for representation in all areas.

Smith recently wrote, directed, and executive produced Locksmith Animation’s first animated feature, Ron’s Gone Wrong. The film follows Barney (Jack Dylan Grazer) and his dysfunctional robot pal Ron (Zach Galifianakis). The film also includes the voice acting talents of Ed Helms, Olivia Colman, Rob Delaney, and Justice Smith.

Sarah Smith began her career in British television, writing, directing, and producing hit series such as The League of Gentlemen and Fist of Fun. Smith made the move to animation in 2005, along with writer Peter Baynham, to create the adult animated series I am Not an Animal.

Her debut animated feature was the 2012 Arthur Christmas, which she directed and co-wrote Baynham for Aardman Animations. In 2014 she co-founded Locksmith Animation with Julie Lockhart, which is the UK’s only dedicated feature animation studio.

The new year is continuing apace at Hulu. The streamer’s list of new releases for February 2022 is highlighted by one very interesting project.

Pam and Tommy is set to premiere on Feb. 2. Perhaps the Groundhog Day release date is intentional as the show will cover a particular moment of celebrity, sex, and exploitation from the early ’90s that seems to have repeated itself over and over. Sebastian Stan and Lily James star as Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson and the series follows the events and fallout of their homemade sex tape being stolen and unleashed on a nascent internet. If nothing else, getting the promo photos of Stan and James as the ’90s stars was worth it.

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Another Hulu original,...

Further Christmas releases include ‘Silent Night’, ‘CBeebies Christmas Show’.

Aml Ameen’s romantic comedy Boxing Day heads the new titles at the UK-Ireland box office, as one of six Christmas-themed releases this weekend.

Released in 439 sites through Warner Bros, Boxing Day is inspired by Ameen’s own experiences, and follows a UK author who returns home from Los Angeles to introduce his US fiancée to his eccentric British-Caribbean family at Christmas.

The film is produced by Screen Star of Tomorrow 2020 Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor, alongside Damian Jones of DJ Films, plus Ameen, Dominique Telson and Matthew G. Zamias; backing came from the BFI Film Fund and Film4.

Freeform is set to deck the halls with its annual 25 Days of Christmas programming extravaganza.

The festive schedule includes multiple showings of Home Alone (and its various sequels), Jingle All the Way, Love Actually, The Preacher’s Wife and the Santa Clause trilogy. You’ll also find beloved Rankin/Bass classics — including Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town — and marathons of The Simpsons and Family Guy.

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