New month, new page on the calendar! In the blink of an eye, we land in the most wonderful time of the year! This means thick sweaters, hot chocolate, Christmas decorations and an updated series list. We’re telling you straight off that there are some incredible new releases that deserve your full attention.
The major streaming services and TV networks have aces up their sleeves for the month of December. From the highly anticipated second season of the veteran military investigator, Reacher, to Hulu’s new heist show, Culprits. The last month of the year offers more than just holiday specials, the line-up is loaded with action, adventure, drama and stories for the whole family.
In the coming weeks, we will enjoy new seasons of magnetic programs. These include the gruesome Peacock biopic, Dr. Death, and the return of the unpredictable animated series, What If…?
Likewise, it will be an exciting time for Percy Jackson fans, who will be able to have fun with a new series on Disney+, titled Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
If you want to make your viewing schedule for December 2023, you’re in the right place. Join us to find out what’s coming up for the most family-friendly time on the calendar.
Culprits
Hulu / Disney + | Season Premiere | Release date: Friday, December 08
Culprits is a darkly, funny British series revolving around a heist and a ruthless killer on the trail of the criminals.
In Culprits, Dianne (Gemma Arterton), a magnetic crime expert, persuades Joe (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) and his team to pull off the most daring heist of all time. But there’s a twist: years after the heist, someone is hunting them down one by one.
Culprits reluctantly reunites the group of ex-criminals who have moved on with their lives and distanced themselves from crime. The plot is precipitated when a masked killer tracks them down and begins to eliminate them. It is clear that someone knows what they have done and is targeting them. But who and why?
Soon enough, the former criminals realize that leaving their past behind may not be so easy after all.
One of the great attractions of the narrative is that Culprits moves back and forth in time, alternating between the present and the preparations for the crime. Critics have applauded the pace and depth of this bloody and thrilling series.
This heist thriller stars Gemma Arterton, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Eddie Izzard, Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Niamh Algar. Its creative team includes acclaimed executive producer Stephen Garrett (The Undoing, The Night Manager) and cinematographer J. Blakeson (I Care A Lot, The Disappearance of Alice Creed).
Culprits made its world premiere on Saturday, October 7, 2023, at the 67th BFI London Film Festival. The eight-episode series will be streamed starting December 8.
Reacher
Prime Video | Season 2 | Release date: Friday, December 15
Reacher follows the story of Jack Reacher, a former military policeman as he becomes embroiled in dangerous mysteries and conspiracies. Following the show’s victorious premiere in February 2022, fans of the character received the excellent news that the program would be renewed for a second installment.
The first season of Reacher was a loose adaptation of Killing Floor (1997), the novel in which Jack Reacher first appeared. It serves as a great way to establish the character and introduce his backstory. The action-packed crime thriller received numerous accolades from fans and critics alike.
However, the second season of Reacher is inspired by Bad Luck And Trouble, the eleventh book in the series; yes, they skip 10 books between the first and second seasons of the adaptation. This obviously leaves a huge gap in the sequentiality and creates some unease among fans of the character.
The official plot synopsis for Reacher season 2 reads:
“Reacher Season Two begins when veteran military police investigator Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) receives a coded message that the members of his former U.S. Army unit, the 110th MP Special Investigations, are being mysteriously and brutally murdered one by one. Pulled from his drifter lifestyle, Reacher reunites with three of his former teammates turned chosen family to investigate, including Frances Neagley (Maria Sten); Karla Dixon (Serinda Swan), a forensic accountant for whom Reacher has long had a soft spot; and fast-talking, switchblade-wielding family man David O’Donnell (Shaun Sipos). Together, they begin to connect the dots in a mystery where the stakes get higher at every turn, and that brings about questions of who has betrayed them—and who will die next. Using his inimitable blend of smarts and size, Reacher will stop at nothing to uncover the truth and protect the members of his unit. If there’s one thing Reacher and his team know for certain, it’s that you do not mess with the Special Investigators. This season, get ready for Reacher and the 110th to hit back hard.”
The first three episodes of the second season will premiere on Prime Video on December 15, 2023. The rest of the installment will air on Fridays, through January 19, 2024.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Disney+ | Season Premiere | Release date: Wednesday, December 20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHb7au6Gmls
Rick Riordan’s hit book series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians will be coming to Disney + later this year in a long-awaited television adaptation. In 2005, Riordan introduced us to a delightful fantasy book series revolving around Percy Jackson, a twelve-year-old boy who discovers he is a demigod, the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the synopsis of the series is as follows:
“Percy Jackson is just coming to terms with his newfound supernatural powers when the sky god Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt. Now Percy must trek across America to find it and restore order to Olympus.”
The first season will be based largely on the first novel in the series, The Lightning Thief. In it, Percy is accused by the Greek god Zeus of stealing his lightning bolt. Throughout the show, Percy and his two best friends, Grover and Annabeth, must travel beyond the mortal world to prevent a war that could destroy everything.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians will run for eight episodes, beginning with a two-episode premiere, followed by new weekly episodes.
Dr. Death
Peacock | Season 2 | Release date: Thursday, December 21
Dr. Death is an eight-episode television adaptation of the wildly popular podcast of the same name, hosted by Laura Bell. The crime drama premiered on July 15, 2021 and a year later, was renewed for a second season on Peacock.
The first season of Dr. Death dramatizes the true story of Christopher Duntsch (Joshua Jackson), a criminally dangerous neurosurgeon responsible for maiming and killing several patients.
The show, in addition to revealing Duntsch’s murderous tendencies and criminal behavior, attempts to unravel the serious flaws in the medical system. Dr. Death leaves us with powerful questions: how could Christopher Duntsch continue to get patients and operating privileges after numerous medical failures? How can we prevent future Duntsches in the system?
As for the second season, the thriller Dr. Death will also be based on Wondery’s hit podcast of the same name. This time, it delves into the story of Paolo Macchiarini, a charming neurosurgeon whose questionable practices are exposed by journalist Benita Alexander.
According to Variety reports, the synopsis for the second season of Dr. Death is as follows:
“Season 2 will tell the story of Paolo Macchiarini, a charming surgeon renowned for his innovative operations that earn him the nickname ‘Miracle Man.’ When investigative journalist Benita Alexander approaches him for a story, the line between personal and professional begins to blur, changing her life forever. As she learns how far Paolo will go to protect his secrets, a group of doctors halfway across the world make shocking discoveries of their own that call everything about the ‘Miracle Man’ into question”.
As for the cast, Venezuelan Edgar Ramirez will play the city’s new doctor, Paolo “Miracle Man” Macchiarini. Ramirez has been nominated for two Emmys, one for the miniseries Carlos and the second for The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.
Benita Alexander will be played by former pop star Mandy Moore, who has had a notable run in recent years with performances in This is Us, A Walk to Remember and Tangled.
Peacock will also premiere a documentary, Dr. Death: Cutthroat Conman, about the shocking rise and fall of Paolo Macchiarini on the same day as the season premiere.
What If…?
Disney+ | Season 2 | Release date: Friday, December 22
As we recall, Disney+’s animated anthology What If…? gives a brutal shake-up to the Marvel Cinematic Universe storyline as it revisits, reimagines and twists classic moments from the movies. Directed by Bryan Andrews, the first season of What If…? explores the different timelines in the multiverse and shows what would happen if specific moments in the MCU happened differently.
About the second season, the official press release reads:
“Season 2 of “What If…?” continues the journey as The Watcher guides viewers through the vast multiverse, introducing brand new and familiar faces throughout the MCU. The series questions, revisits and twists classic Marvel Cinematic moments with an incredible voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their iconic roles.”
In this animated series many MCU actors reprise their respective roles, such as Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Hemsworth, Michael B. Jordan, Karen Gillan, Sebastian Stan and Paul Rudd, among others.
The second season of What If…? will have a total of nine episodes and unlike the first installment, in which episodes were released weekly, the second installment will premiere daily, from December 22 through December 30, 2023.
What If…? is expected to be a fun experience for families during the holiday season.