Ho, Ho, Ho, December is here and the magic of the holidays has only just begun. In the blink of an eye, dear chubby St. Nick will be coming down chimneys all over the world to the joy of the believers.
As we grab our themed sweaters and dust off the tree ornaments, the mood is just right for a marathon of enjoyable and fun holiday series.
The problem, if you can call it a “problem,” is that every year an avalanche of new series is added to the holiday catalog and the supply is overwhelming. But, you don’t have to worry. That’s exactly where our list of the best Christmas series comes in handy: we’re here to lend you a hand and offer a guide to some holiday gems that are well worth a marathon.
From Disney’s witty series The Santa Clauses to Netflix’s romantic adventure Dash & Lily, here’s a list of five titles that are sure to warm the hearts of the whole family.
Below are our favorite holiday series and where to watch them.
Odio il Natale (2022)
Created by: Davide Mardegan, Clemente De Muro
Starring: Pilar Fogliati, Beatrice Arnera, Fiorenza Pieri, Massimo Rigo, Sabrina Paravicini
Where to Watch: Netflix
Created and directed by Davide Mardegan and Clemente De Muro, the Italian Netflix series Odio Il Natale (I Hate Christmas) is based on the Norwegian fiction titled Hjem Til Jul (Home For Christmas, 2019) by the talented Per-Olav Sørensen.
Over the course of six episodes of less than half an hour, we follow Gianna, a nurse in Chioggia (known as “Little Venice”), who lies to her family about having a boyfriend to avoid the stress of being single during the holidays.
According to the official synopsis, Gianna is “the only single one in her family” and her somewhat nosy mother is especially concerned about her biological clock. “Are you dating anyone now?”; “Why are you single?”; “I know a guy who would be perfect for you, should I plan a date for you?” inquires the mother, always dissatisfied with Gianna’s dating life.
But, things get interesting when Gianna comes up with a somewhat harebrained plan. With only 24 days until Christmas, she decides to embark on a frantic search for love or something resembling it. Her mission is to find a suitable man she can take to the family Christmas dinner.
However, finding a good romantic partner in that time frame is not easy, even for a beautiful, hard-working woman like her.
Netflix’s Italian adaptation encapsulates the pressures and irreverent scenarios of modern bachelorhood during the festive season.
Odio Il Natale has a second installment.
The Santa Clauses (2022)
Created by: Jack Burditt
Starring: Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Austin Kane, Elizabeth Allen-Dick, Matilda Lawler
Where to Watch: Disney+
The Santa Clauses fantasy comedy miniseries is a direct sequel to the beloved Santa Clause film franchise, which made its debut in 1994. Fortunately, actors Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Eric Lloyd and David Krumholtz reprise their roles from the original saga.
First of all, let’s do a little recap on this iconic Christmas trilogy. Over the course of 30 years, the Santa Clause feature film has been a holiday favorite, spawning two popular sequels: The Santa Clause 2 (2002) and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006). And, just when we thought this merry tale was over, Scott Calvin returns with his own limited series for Disney+.
Created by Jack Burditt, The Santa Clause focuses primarily on Scott Calvin’s eventual retirement. And the fact is, on the verge of turning 65, Scott is looking forward to hanging up the Santa suit. On the one hand, he feels his magical powers beginning to dissipate. On the other, he believes that his children, born and raised at the North Pole, should make a new life in Chicago.
As you might expect, Christmas cannot exist without someone to embody the figure of Santa Claus. So, before retiring, Scott Calvin must take on the difficult task of finding a perfect replacement. Overall, the main theme of the series is: who will be worthy of donning the red suit on Christmas Eve?
The Santa Clauses has a second season and a third installment could land in 2025.
Christmas Flow (2021)
Created by: Henri Debeurme, Marianne Levy,Victor Rodenbach
Starring: Tayc, Shirine Boutella, Marion Séclin
Where to Watch: Netflix
It’s no secret that opposites attract, and that’s what the French miniseries Christmas Flow is all about.
Directed by Nadège Loiseau, Christmas Flow tells the romantic story of two diametrically different people, who hate each other but gradually discover love. On one side is Marcus (Tayc), a famous rapper who sings sexist lyrics, and who is being sued for libel and incitement to violence against women. And on the other side is Lila (Shirine Boutella), a committed and enthusiastic feminist who is willing to speak uncomfortable truths.
As the Netflix synopsis says, between Marcus and Lila there is “hatred at first sight”. Their paths, however, keep crossing again and again. Will they be able to make the relationship work despite their differences? We’ll have to watch it to find out if Christmas magic works a miracle and Marcus and Lila get to be together.
The 10-episode series transports us to the French capital and is an aesthetic delight.
Dash & Lily (2020)
Created by: Joe Tracz
Starring: Austin Abrams, Midori Francis, Dante Brown, Troy Iwata
Where to Watch: Netflix
Starring Austin Abrams and Midori Francis, this Netflix series is based on Rachel Cohn and David Levithan’s 2010 teen novel Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares, and features a screenplay by Joe Tracz as creative lead.
Dash (Abrams) and Lily (Francis) don’t know each other. While he moves through Manhattan’s more affluent environments, she leads a more humble life. While he hates Christmas, she loves it passionately. But, their lives come together through a peculiar notebook in which they exchange challenges, dreams, desires, and even fall in love.
This romantic comedy explores an epistolary relationship between two heartbroken teenagers.
By the way, if you’ve ever wanted to experience a New York Christmas, this series may exponentially increase your desire to make the trip.
Merry Happy Whatever (2019)
Created by: Tucker Cawley
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Bridgit Mendler, Brent Morin, Ashley Tisdale, Siobhan Murphy
Where to Watch: Netflix
Created and written by Tucker Cawley, Merry Happy Whatever is an endearing situation comedy with valuable family lessons.
The eight-episode series takes place shortly before Christmas and follows Don Quinn (Dennis Quaid), a fussy, strict cop as he struggles with the various chores and unexpected runs of the holidays.
It all gets complicated when Emmy (Bridgit Mendler), the youngest of the family, brings home her boyfriend, the musician and hard-core dreamer Matt (Brent Morin). This is the first time Matt has met Emmy’s family, including the family patriarch. However, from the beginning, it’s pretty clear that Don doesn’t like Matt, much less his artistic profession.
The challenge for Matt is to get the approval of Don and the inseparable family pack in order to be able to propose to Emmy on Christmas Day. From here, it’s easy to guess that, after an intense cat-and-mouse game between father and future son-in-law, they eventually make peace and become one big family.
With elements such as packaged laughter and the constant use of wide shots, Merry Happy Whatever is certainly reminiscent of series from the 80s and 90s, so it can be a hit for the eternally nostalgic.