By Ishani Nath

Every month, Ishani Nath, pop culture expert, journalist and the most avid tv-watcher I have ever met, is sharing her top picks for new shows, movies and documentaries to stream on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, CBC Gem, Crave and Netflix Canada, plus the one older release she thinks you should check out. Here’s what she’s recommending this month.

Friends, not sure about you, but I am ready for the holidays. Bring on cheesy Christmas movies, peppermint everything and rosy cheeks. It’s been a long year, and frankly, we deserve a rest. 

The show I can’t shut up about: Sort Of. Set in Toronto, this CBC and HBO Max original series follows Sabi Mehboob (Bilal Baig), a gender-fluid millennial trying to figure out life, love, family and friendship. The humour is dry. The storylines are rich. And the show is spectacular. The entire season is available (for free) on CBC Gem, and this is easily one of my favourite shows of the entire year. If you haven’t watched it, consider this my holiday gift to you. 

In addition to Sort Of, there are plenty of new shows and movies coming to Canadian streaming services this December. So pour yourself a hot beverage, snuggle up on the couch and give yourself a well-deserved break. 

Apple TV+

Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues (Premieres December 3) 

Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues is a highly anticipated holiday special that will reveal the first and only performance of the multi-Grammy Award-winning global icon’s new single, “Fall in Love at Christmas.” Mariah Carey is joined by Grammy-nominated worldwide artist Khalid and Grammy-winning legend Kirk Franklin, as they bring the spirit of Christmas to fans around the world. The Queen of Christmas will also ring in the holidays with a dazzling, new rendition of fan favorite, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).”

Swan Song (Premieres December 17) 

Set in the near future, “Swan Song” is a powerful, emotional journey told through the eyes of Cameron (Mahershala Ali), a loving husband and father who is expecting his second child with his wife Poppy (Naomie Harris). When Cameron is diagnosed with a terminal illness, he is presented with an alternative solution by his doctor (Glenn Close) to shield his family from grief. As Cameron grapples with whether or not to alter his family’s fate, he learns more about life and love than he ever imagined. Written and directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Benjamin Cleary, Swan Song explores how far we will go, and how much we’re willing to sacrifice, to make a happier life for the people we love.

Amazon Prime Video

Harlem (Premieres December 3) 

From writer Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip), Harlem is a new comedy following four stylish and ambitious best girlfriends in Harlem NYC, the mecca of Black culture in America. Camille is a popular young anthropology professor at Columbia with extensive knowledge of the dating norms of many cultures, but has a hard time navigating her own love life; Tye is a successful, queer dating app creator who prefers keeping vulnerability—and romantic partners—at arm’s length; Quinn is a hopeless romantic and trust fund fashion designer who is trying to give back to the world while running a struggling business; Angie is a confident, vibrant, and filter-free singer and actress who also lives rent-free and fabulously with Quinn. Together, they level up from their 20s into the next phase of their careers, relationships, and big city dreams.

Encounter (Premieres December 10)

Featuring an adrenalized lead performance from Riz Ahmed, this is a thriller for the age of cultural division and seemingly endless existential threat. A decorated marine, Malik Khan (Ahmed) is trained to identify risk. But what if the risk appears totally ordinary? Malik sees bugs. Evil bugs. Alien bugs that seem to be seizing control of people, one after another. Malik can’t convince the world to sound the alarm, but he can at least protect his two young sons from global parasitic invasion — which might involve kidnapping them from the home of Malik’s estranged wife.

Being the Ricardos (Premieres December 21)

Directed by Aaron Sorkin, Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem) are threatened by shocking personal accusations, a political smear and cultural taboos in Being the Ricardos. A revealing glimpse of the couple’s complex romantic and professional relationship, the film takes audiences into the writers’ room, onto the soundstage and behind closed doors with Ball and Arnaz during one critical production week of their ground-breaking sitcom I Love Lucy.

Queenpins (Premieres December 31)

A frustrated suburban housewife and her best friend hatch an illegal coupon-club scheme that scams millions from corporations and delivers deals to legions of fellow coupon clippers. Hot on their trail is an unlikely duo, a hapless loss-prevention officer and a determined U.S. postal inspector – both looking to end their criminal enterprise.

CBC Gem

Four Senses (Premieres December 3)

Hosted by Christina Ha, the first blind contestant of MasterChef and the winner of its third season in 2012, and Carl Heinrich, the winner of the Food Network's Top Chef Canada in 2012, the celebrity pair team up with special guests for an exciting cooking show with an accessibility twist.

Superfan: The Nav Bhatia Story (Premieres December 3)

Nav Bhatia has attended almost every Toronto Raptors home game since the team's first season in 1995. The new documentary Superfan: The Nav Bhatia Story tells the story of how he went from the “only guy with a turban and beard” at early Raptors games to one of the most famous basketball fans in the world — with an NBA championship ring and a place in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to prove it.

The Great New Year’s Baking Show (Premieres December 10)

The Great New Year’s Baking Show sees Noel, Matt, Prue and Paul reunited after Christmas and back in the tent. Joining them are Helena and Henry from 2019, Nancy from 2014, and 2018 winner Rahul, all hoping to impress the judges with their skills and creativity and take home the coveted Festive Star Baker title. Together they’ll see in the New Year with a cosy sing-song round the piano.

Crave Canada

Landscrapers (Premieres December 6) 

Inspired by real-life events, Landscrapers tells a unique love story involving Chris and Susan Edwards (Thewlis and Colman), a seemingly ordinary British couple who become the focus of an extraordinary investigation when two dead bodies are discovered in the back garden of a house in Nottingham. Will Sharpe (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain) directs the exploration of love and fantasy, which is created and written by screenwriter Ed Sinclair.

And Just Like That… (Premieres December 9)

From executive producer Michael Patrick King, the series follows Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) as they navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s. The following eight episodes will premiere weekly on subsequent Thursdays.

Space Jam (Premieres December 10)

When NBA champion and cultural icon LeBron James and his young son Dom are trapped in a digital space by a rogue A.I., LeBron must get them home safe by leading Bugs, Lola Bunny, and the whole gang of notoriously undisciplined Looney Tunes to victory over the A.I.’s digitized champions on the court: a powered‐up roster of NBA and WNBA stars as you’ve never seen them before. It’s Tunes versus Goons in the highest‐stakes challenge of his life, that will redefine LeBron’s bond with his son and shine a light on the power of being yourself. The ready‐for‐action Tunes destroy convention, supercharge their unique talents, and surprise even “King” James by playing the game their own way.

Station Eleven (Premieres December 16)

Created for television by showrunner Patrick Somerville, the HBO Max Original limited drama series Station Eleven, is a post-apocalyptic saga spanning multiple timelines, and tells the stories of survivors of a devastating flu as they attempt to rebuild and reimagine the world anew, while holding on to the best of what's been lost.

Netflix Canada

Decoupled (Coming Soon)

A misanthropic writer and his startup-founder wife juggle their impending divorce with the absurdities and annoyances of life in their affluent world.

Single All the Way (Premieres December 2)

Peter asks his best friend to pose as his boyfriend on a Christmas visit home, but their plan — and feelings — change when his family plays matchmaker.

Cobalt Blue (Premieres December 3)

When an aspiring author and his free-spirited sister both fall for the enigmatic paying guest at their home, ensuing events rock their traditional family.

Coming Out Colton (Premieres December 3)

Former professional football player and star of THE BACHELOR Colton Underwood embarks on a journey of self-discovery coming out as a gay man, including addressing his past and embracing his place in the LGBTQ community.

Money Heist: Part 5 Vol 2 (Premieres December 3)

The stakes couldn't be higher for the embattled Professor as he races to get the gold — and more importantly, his team — out of the bank.

The Unforgivable (Premieres December 10)

Released from prison into a society that won't forgive her, a woman convicted of murder searches for the little sister she was forced to leave behind.

Selling Tampa (Premieres December 15)

The agents at the all-female, Black-owned Allure Realty mix business with fun as they rule the waterfront of a hot Tampa luxury real estate market.

Emily in Paris: Season 2 (Premieres December 22)

More fun. More fashion. More faux pas. As Emily finds her footing in Paris, the fallout from a night of passion could send her stumbling into trouble.

Don’t Look Up (Premieres December 24)

Two astronomers go on a media tour to warn humankind of a planet-killing comet hurtling toward Earth. The response from a distracted world: Meh.

Minnal Murali (Premieres December 24)

A tailor gains special powers after being struck by lightning, but must take down an unexpected foe if he is to become the superhero his hometown needs.

Queer Eye: Season 6 (Premieres December 31)

The Emmy® Award-winning Queer Eye returns in a search for a whole new roster of heroes in need of a little TLC. Get ready, y’all! This season, Queer Eye’s fearless ambassadors head to the Lone Star state with a homebase in Austin, TX. Watch as they work their life-changing magic yet again and transform the lives of deserving Texans.