By Ishani Nath

Hi friends. My name is Ishani and I am that friend who is constantly suggesting TV shows and movies that are, by my barometer, an absolute must-watch. Unfortunately, Stacy Lee Kong refuses to follow through on my near-weekly recommendations, no matter how often I message, WhatsApp, FaceTime and call her. (Editor’s note: *Unscheduled* FaceTime calls, even!!!) Instead, she’s given me this page—a place to put my picks out into the world in the hopes that someone, somewhere, will benefit from them. Reader, I hope that someone is you.

The show I won’t shut up about: This month, like many people across Canada, and especially in Ontario, I ended up getting a COVID-19 test after experiencing cold-like symptoms. While I was self-isolating and attempting to pass the time, I discovered the British comedy drama series Ackley Bridge on CBC Gem. Three seasons later, this show has truly become one of my favourites to date. The Channel 4 series is set in a working-class U.K. town and a school that is created specifically to bring the local white and Pakistani communities together. Think edgier (and British) Degrassi, but not as wild as Skins. It is full of heart, wonderful characters and thoughtful storylines that are well-worth your time.

Watching all three seasons of Ackley Bridge in a matter of weeks felt like an escape, and it was one I needed. Between the U.S. election, approaching winter and tightening COVID-19 restrictions, November is not looking great. It’s rough out there folks, so take care and here are 15 more TV shows and movies to get excited about:

Netflix Canada

citation (premieres November 6)

A bright student in Nigeria takes on the academic establishment when she reports a popular professor who tried to rape her. Based on real events.

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (premieres november 13)

A musical adventure and a visual spectacle for the ages, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is a wholly fresh and spirited family holiday event. Set in the gloriously vibrant town of Cobbleton, the film follows legendary toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker) whose fanciful inventions burst with whimsy and wonder. But when his trusted apprentice (Emmy winner Keegan-Michael Key) steals his most prized creation, it’s up to his equally bright and inventive granddaughter (newcomer Madalen Mills)—and a long-forgotten invention—to heal old wounds and reawaken the magic within. From the imagination of writer-director David E. Talbert and featuring original songs by John Legend, Philip Lawrence, Davy Nathan, and "This Day" performed by Usher and Kiana Ledé, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey reminds us of the strength of family and the power of possibility.

the life ahead (premieres November 13)

In seaside Italy, a Holocaust survivor with a daycare business, Madame Rosa (Sophia Loren), takes in 12-year-old street kid Momo, the boy who recently robbed her. The two loners become each other’s protectors, anchoring an unconventional family.

the crown season 4 (premieres november 15)

In the 1980s, Elizabeth clashes with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher while Prince Charles enters a tumultuous marriage with Lady Diana Spencer.

Dance Dreams: hot chocolate nutcracker (premieres november 27)

From Shondaland, Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker spotlights the career of award-winning entertainer Debbie Allen and follows her group of young dancers as they prepare for Allen’s annual “Hot Chocolate Nutcracker” production.

Amazon Prime Video

love actually (premieres November 15)

From the makers of Bridget Jones's Diary and Notting Hill comes the ultimate romantic comedy about love's delightful twists and turns, starring some of Hollywood's brightest stars.

Dr. Seuss’ how the Grinch stole Christmas (premieres November 15)

In the 1966 animated classic, the small-hearted Grinch hates Christmas, and wants to make all the Whos in Whoville as miserable as he is.

waves (premieres November 18)

The epic emotional journey of a suburban African-American family—led by a well-intentioned but domineering father—as they navigate love, forgiveness and coming together in the aftermath of a loss.

the pack (premieres November 20)

A new global unscripted series that celebrates the unrivaled bond between dogs and their human companions. Hosted by gold medalist Lindsey Vonn and her canine co-host Lucy, the series features twelve teams of dogs and their humans on an epic adventure across multiple continents.

Crave

industry (premieres November 9)

HBO's new eight-episode drama series Industry follows a group of young graduates competing for a limited number of permanent positions at a leading international investment bank in London. The series gives an insider's view of the blackbox of "high finance" through the eyes of an outsider, Harper Stern, a talented young woman from upstate New York. Following a group of young grads fueled by ambition, youth, romance, and drugs, Industry examines issues of gender, race, class, and privilege in the workplace. The impressionable young minds begin to forge their identities within the pressure cooker environment and sensory blitz of Pierpoint & Co's trading floor, where meritocracy is promised but hierarchy is king. This series follows a weekly release schedule, with new episodes premiering Mondays at 10 pm. ET.

transhood (premieres November 12)

Four kids and their families unmask the intimate realities of how gender fluidity is reshaping the family next door, especially in America's heartland.

the flight attendant (premieres November 26)

Based on the novel by New York Times best-selling author Chris Bohjalia, HBO Max’s new Original Series The Flight Attendant depicts how an entire life can change in one night. The eight-episode limited series tells the story of Cassandra Bowden (Kaley Cuoco, The Big Bang Theory), a flight attendant who wakes up in the wrong hotel, in the wrong bed, with a dead man and no idea what happened. Joining Cuoco in this compelling mystery of a night of binge-drinking gone horribly wrong is Michiel Huisman (Game Of Thrones), Zosia Mamet (Girls), Rosie Perez (Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey), and T.R. Knight (Grey’s Anatomy).

CBC Gem

trouble in the garden (premieres November 7)

Raven (Cara Gee, The Expanse), a radical eco-activist, is jailed for protesting development on disputed Indigenous land. Long estranged from her adoptive family, she never imagined her brother Colin would be the one to bail her out. Compelled to stay at his suburban home, she discovers he’s in real estate—pre-selling houses on the very land she’s been trying to save. Adopted, disowned, and now under house arrest, this is a story of betrayal and reckoning—with love, land, and blood. 

Khoya (premieres November 27)

After the death of his adopted mother, a Canadian man (Rupak Ginn, Royal Pains) travels to rural India desperately searching for the birth family he's never known and seeking to unravel the mystery surrounding his adoption. Khoya had its world premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles.

NOUGHTS & CROSSES (premieres November 27)

Based on the young adult novels by Malorie Blackman, Sephy (Masali Baduza, Bhai’s Cafe) and Callum's (Jack Rowan, Peaky Blinders) love blooms against a background of tension in this thought-provoking look at racism and prejudice, set in an alternate society in which Africa has colonized Europe.