Our picks for the best new movies and TV shows hitting Crave in December 2021 include Olivia Colman and David Thewlis in Landscapers, post-apocalyptic drama Station Eleven and the Sex And The City sequel And Just Like That…
Santa Inc.
If you’ve seen all the holiday movies and specials a bunch of times, this new adult animated series could be a nice change. It’s about Candy Smalls (voiced by Sarah Silverman), who attempts to become the first female Santa Claus after the most recent one (Seth Rogen) is poached by Amazon on Christmas Eve. The voice cast is impressive and includes Gabourey Sidibe, Craig Robinson, Nicholas Braun, Joel Kim Booster and Maria Bamford. December 2
Landscapers
In this four-part drama – inspired by actual events – Olivia Colman and David Thewlis play Susan and Christopher Edwards, a middle-aged English couple who were arrested in 2013 for murdering Susan’s parents a decade and a half earlier. But this isn’t a true-crime drama; writer Ed Sinclair – Colman’s real-life husband – burrows into the Edwardses’ co-dependent relationship, using Susan’s fondness for Gary Cooper in High Noon to illustrate her frame of mind. The project also reunites Colman with director Will Sharpe, with whom she made the deadpan family comedy Flowers; she also provided the narration for his recent feature debut The Electrical Life Of Louis Wain. Expect eccentricity, intensity and at least one awkward bit of shovelling. Mondays from December 5
And Just Like That…
The influential HBO series that helped sell a zillion cosmopolitans and pairs of Manolo Blahniks and even spawned Sex And The City bus tours is back for a sequel that follows friends Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) as they navigate their 50s in New York City. Fans will be eager to see how the series deals with Samantha’s (Kim Cattrall) absence (apparently her character will be living in London). And it will be extra sad watching co-star Willie Garson (Stanford), who died a month after finishing taping. December 9
1 Queen 5 Queers
Brooke Lynn Hytes is branching out from the Drag Race world with this reboot of the MTV Canada panel show that saw a group of gay guys and one woman talking about sex, dating and everything else. The Toronto drag performer told us the format felt dated, so it’s been revamped to include more diverse voices from across the LGBTQ2S+ rainbow. And unlike on Canada’s Drag Race, no one gets eliminated at the end. “This show was just fun,” she said. “We got to sit, talk, laugh and sometimes cry. We left not feeling like ‘I just crushed that person’s dreams.'” December 9
Listening To Kenny G
HBO’s excellent Music Box series of documentaries continues with director Penny Lane’s critical dissection of the smooth jazz phenomenon and its inventor, Kenny G. Much more than a biopic, Lane goes deep into the pop cultural circumstances and music industry context that gave rise to one of the most polarizing and successful musicians in recent decades – and Kenny G himself is very much game to go along for the ride. A smart, funny and illuminating film. December 2
Station Eleven
The timing for this limited-series adaptation of Canadian Emily St. John Mandel’s acclaimed 2014 novel couldn’t be more appropriate. It’s set in a post-apocalyptic world where groups of survivors of a flu pandemic have to rebuild a new world. The cast includes Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel and Lori Petty, and the roster of directors includes Canadians Jeremy Podeswa and Helen Shaver. December 16
Who Killed Marie-Josée?
The true-crime phenomenon continues this month with a three-part docuseries that should hit home for Canadians. On June 18, 1982, Quebec-born supermodel Marie-Josée Saint-Antoine was stabbed to death in her Manhattan apartment. There were no clues, but the main suspect was Alain Montpetit, a major TV star in Quebec. Now a team looks at this cold case to see if they can dig up any new answers. December 16
Shoplifters Of The World
Stephen Kijak’s shaggy ensemble picture – set over 24 hours in Denver on the day the news of The Smiths’ breakup reaches the band’s American fans in August 1987 – is about the usual teenage stuff: fandom, heartbreak, coming of age and storming a radio station to get the metal DJ to play your epic new-wave misery music. The Wilds’ Helena Howard and Boyhood’s Ellar Coltrane are among the Smiths fans sent reeling by the announcement, and Joe Manganiello (who also produced the film) is pitch-perfect as Full Metal Mickey, the beefy, cynical counterweight to their fervour. He knows angry young men can grow into cranky old bastards. December 10
Together Together
Ed Helms and Patti Harrison find an unlikely connection in Nikole Beckwith’s gentle two-hander about the friendship that blossoms between an older single guy and the 26-year-old woman he hires as his gestational surrogate. Helms is well-cast, but Harrison – a rising writer and performer who exploded as a comic force this year on Tim Robinson’s I Think You Should Leave – gets a part that makes full use of her spiky, hyper-alert energy. But this isn’t, strictly speaking, a comedy: it’s a smart drama about two lonely souls who drift into a supportive, moving friendship without ever becoming a couple. December 24
Here’s the full list of new titles available on Crave in December 2021. The * symbol indicates a TV show or movie that is only available with the Starz add-on.
TV shows
December 1
Adrienne
The Voice (season 21, episodes 21-22)
December 2
Canada’s Drag Race (season 2, episode 8)
The Center Seat: 55 Years Of Star Trek (season 1, episode 3)
Desus & Mero (season 3, episode 54)
Gossip Girl (season 1, episodes 10-12)
Music Box: Listening To Kenny G
Santa Inc. (season 1, episodes 1-4)
Sex Lives Of College Girls (season 1, episodes 6-8)
December 3
Bonacini’s Italian Christmas
Christmas With Bonacini
Holmes For The Holidays
How To With John Wilson (season 2, episode 2)
Mary Makes It Easy: Mary Makes It Merry
Roast Battle Canada (season 1)
Star Trek: Discovery (season 4, episode 3)
Wakefield (season 1, episode 8)
W5 (season 56, episode 9)
You’re Watching Video Music Box
December 4
Drew Michael: Red Blue Green
December 5
Curb Your Enthusiasm (season 11, episode 7)
Desus & Mero (season 3, episode 55)
Dexter: New Blood (season 1, episode 5)
Doctor Who (season 13, episode 6)
The Freak Brothers (season 1, episode 5)
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament Of Houses (season 1, episode 2)
Hightown (season 2, episode 7)
Kamikaze (season 1, episodes 7-8)
Insecure (season 5, episode 7)
Power Book II: Ghost (season 2, episode 4)
Succession (season 3, episode 8)
Vice (season 2, episode 12)
Vigil (season 1, episodes 1-2)
Yellowjackets (season 1, episode 4)
December 6
The Forever Prisoner
Grass Farmers: Regenerative Agriculture & The Canadian Grasslands
Landscapers (episode 1)
December 7
The Bold And The Beautiful (season 35, episodes 46-50)
The Slow Hustle
December 8
Dirty Tricks
The Voice (season 21, episodes 23-24)
December 9
1 Queen, 5 Queers (season 1, episodes 1-2)
And Just Like That … (season 1, episodes 1-3)
Canada’s Drag Race (season 2, episode 9)
The Center Seat: 55 Years Of Star Trek (season 1, episode 4)
Music Box: Mr Saturday Night
Sex Lives Of College Girls (season 1, episodes 9-10)
December 10
Cribs International (season 2B)
Double Shot At Love (season 3)
Floribama Shore (season 4B)
How To With John Wilson (season 2, episode 3)
Masterchef Canada: A Holiday Special
Ricky Powell: The Individualist
Spencer’s Big Holiday Special
Star Trek: Discovery (season 4, episode 4)
Teen Mom (season 9B, reunion part I&II)
Who Killed Marie-Josée? (season 1)
December 12
Curb Your Enthusiasm (season 11, episode 8)
Desus & Mero (season 3, episode 57)
Dexter: New Blood (season 1, episode 6)
The Freak Brothers (season 1, episode 6)
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament Of Houses (season 1, episode 3)
Hightown (season 2, episode 8)
Insecure (season 5, episode 8)
Power Book II: Ghost (season 2, episode 4)
The Real Charlie Chaplin
Succession (season 3, episode 9)
Vice (season 2, episode 13)
Vigil (season 1, episodes 3-4)
Yellowjackets (season 1, episode 5)
December 13
Landscapers (episode 2)
December 14
The Bold And The Beautiful (season 35, episodes 51-55)
Murders At Starved Rock
December 15
The Voice (season 21, episodes 25-26)
Murders At Starved Rock
December 16
1 Queen, 5 Queers (season 1, episode 3)
And Just Like That … (season 1, episode 4)
Canada’s Drag Race (season 2, episode 10)
The Center Seat: 55 Years Of Star Trek (season 1, episode 5)
Desus & Mero (season 3, episode 58)
Music Box: Juice Wrld: Into The Abyss
Par-Lay: The Fred VanVleet Story
December 17
Geordie OGs (season 4a)
How To With John Wilson (season 2, episode 4)
MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett And Lady Gaga
One Big Holiday Recipe
Rolling Like Thunder
Spencer’s Holiday BBQ
December 19
Curb Your Enthusiasm (season 11, episode 9)
Dexter: New Blood (season 1, episode 7)
The Freak Brothers (season 1, episode 7)
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament Of Houses (season 1, episode 4)
Insecure (season 5, episode 9)
Power Book II: Ghost (season 2, episode 5)
Vice (season 2, episode 14)
Vigial (season 1, episodes 5-6)
Yellowjackets (season 1, episode 6)
December 20
Hank Zipper (season one, episodes 1-13)
Landscapers (episode 3)
Pac-Man And The Ghostly Adventures (season 1, episodes 1-10)
Polly Pocket (season 1, episodes 1-13)
Reopening Night
December 22
Hello, This Is My Penis
December 23
1 Queen, 5 Queers (season 1, episode 4)
And Just Like That … (season 1, episode 5)
The Center Seat: 55 Years Of Star Trek (season 1, episode 6)
December 24
Day Of The Dead (season 1)
How To With John Wilson (season 2, episode 5)
Star Trek: Discovery (season 4, episode 6)
Tha God’s Honest Truth (season 1)
December 25
Curb Your Enthusiasm (season 11, episode 10)
Insecure (season 5, episode 10)
Letterkenny (season 10)
December 26
Vice (season 2, episode 15)
Yellowjackets (season 1, episode 7)
December 27
Landscapers (episode 4)
December 30
1 Queen, 5 Queers (season 1, episode 5)
And Just Like That … (season 1, episode 6)
The Center Seat: 55 Years Of Star Trek (season 1, episode 7)
December 31
The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies (season 7)
How To With John Wilson (season 2, episode 6)
Star Trek: Discovery (season 4, episode 7)
Tacoma FD (season 3)
Movies
December 1
A Christmas Carol (1951)
December 3
12 Gifts Of Christmas*
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2
Batman: Year One
Christmas In Washington
The Christmas Set Up
A Christmas Village Romance
Crutch
The Dangerous Lives Of Altar Boys*
The Deer Hunter*
DC Super Hero Girls: Hero Of The Year
Green Lantern: First Flight
The House Next Door: Meet The Blacks 2*
Justice League: The New Frontier
LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Gotham City Breakout
LEGO Scooby-Doo! Blowout Beach Bash
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World*
Stronger*
Superman: Unbound
The Violent Heart
The Virtuoso
Wander Darkly
Wonder Woman (2009)
December 8
Cardinals*
December 9
Sex And The City: The Movie
December 10
Christmas Ever After
Comedy Central’s A Christmas Clusterfunke
Dancing Through Christmas
The Doors*
Free Angela And All Political Prisoners*
The Glass Castle*
Joshy*
The Limey*
Murder She Baked #2: A Plum Pudding Mystery
Pitch Perfect 2*
Shoplifters Of The World
Space Jam: A New Legacy
You Make It Feel Like Christmas
December 11
Chaplin*
December 17
Christmas Is Cancelled
Comedy Central’s A Hot Holiday Mess
Coming Home For Christmas
Digimon Adventure Tri: Coexistence
Digimon Adventure Tri: Confession
Digimon Adventure Tri: Determination
Digimon Adventure Tri: Future
Digimon Adventure Tri: Loss
Digimon Adventure Tri: Reunion
Green Lantern*
An Ice Wine Christmas
Ladyhawke*
The Land Before Time*
Looney Tunes: Back In Action
Madagascar
The Matrix
Needle In A Timestack*
Prisoners Of The Ghostland
Reba McEntire’s Christmas In Tune
A Snowy Christmas
Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron*
Ted 2*
The Truffle Hunters
December 20
The Loneliest Whale
December 21
Siberia
December 22
Boss Baby: Family Buisiness
Contact*
December 24
The Neverending Story*
Norm Of The North*
Shrek
Shrek 2
Spirit Untamed
The Suicide Squad
Together Together
Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory
December 29
Uncle Drew*
December 31
The Gateway*
Singin’ In The Rain*
The Spy Who Dumped Me*
Stage Beauty*
Universal Soldier*
Last call
The following titles are leaving Crave in December 2021.
December 2
The Fast And The Furious
2 Fast 2 Furious
The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift
Fast & Furious
Fast Five
Fast & Furious 6
December 3
The Kindness Of Strangers
December 4
Intrigo: Dear Agnes
Looks Like Christmas
December 5
Eddie Griffin: E-Niggma
December 6
Corner Gas: The Movie
December 7
Counterpart (season 2)
The Jesus Rolls
December 11
Intrigo: Samaria
Just Mercy
December 14
Coopers’ Christmas
December 16
The Quarry
December 17
Annie
December 19
Jimmy Two-Shoes (seasons 1-2)
December 21
Night Moves (2013)
December 22
Clemency
December 23
The Addams Family
December 26
Duran Duran: There’s Something You Should Know
New Order: Decades
December 28
Vivarium
The Voice (season 21)
December 30
Funny As Hell (season 6)
December 31
Abby Hatcher (season 3)
The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
Bad Boys
Bad Boys II
The Bagheads
Bee & Puppy Cat
Blackford Manor
Blue Bloods (seasons 1-10)
Boots
Bong Appetit: Cook Off
Both Brothers
Cave Rescue
Christmas Lovers Anonymous
City Dwellers
Chainsaw Richard
Dark Side Of Football (season 1)
Dark Side Of The 90s
Dark Side Of The Ring: Confidential
Doctor Lollipop
Fear Of A Black Quarterback (season 1)
F*ck, That’s Delicious
Gaycation (season 1)
The Green Mile
Hate Thy Neighbor (season 1)
HIV: The Neglected Pandemic
How To Train Your Draagon 2
Huang’s World (seasons 1-2)
Inescapable
It’s A Wonderful Life
It’s Suppertime! (season 1)
Jann (seasons 2-3)
Keyhole
Kid Arthur
Leon: The Professional
Little Fish
Meatballs
Meghan Markle Escaping The Crown
Moka’s Fabulous Adventures
Most Expensivest (seasons 1-3)
Munchies Guide To … (season 1)
Nebulous
(Not) Hero (season 1)
Oggy And The Cockroaches (season 1)
Oliver!
Open Season
The Pizza Show (seasons 1-2)
The Polar Express
Pottyhorse
The Pretty One
Rachel And Her Grandfather Control The Island
Reba McIntire’s Christmas In Tine
Rocket Dog
Scary Godmother
Slutever (seasons 1-2)
The Stanford Prison Experiment
Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand: Building Back America Great Again Better
The Stranger Experiment (season 1)
The Summoning
28 Days Later …
A Thousands Times Goodnight
This Means War
Touched With Fire
Trashin’ USA
The Trixie & Katya Show
Troy
Tyler & Co.
Underwater
Weediquette (season 1)
Weekend At Bernie’s
Welcome To Doozy
A West Wing Special To Benefit When We All Vote
Zig & SHarko (season 2)
