As the holiday season approaches, all eyes turn to the streaming services of HBO and HBO Max. Many hope to see a great deal of new content coming in December and perhaps a few holiday specials.
However, the December season on HBO and HBO Max is surprisingly sparse. There may be plenty of documentaries, a few movies, and some new episodes from ongoing shows but there's a surprising lack of holiday specials arriving to either platform. That being said, there are plenty of goodies coming to the streaming juggernaut.
Industry (New Episodes)
While there is plenty of new material coming in December, there's some old mixed in with the new. Several shows that began in either November or otherwise are still making their way through the pre-existing season.
Industry, a drama following a group of grad students competing for lucrative positions in a competitive business, continues its first season throughout the rest of November and into December, ending on the 21st of the holiday month with a two-episode finale.
Murder On Middle Beach (New Episodes)
HBO and its Max counterpart seem to have a knack for creating miniseries that dive deep into dramatic messages and ideas and the miniseries Murder On Middle Beach is such a series.
Following a young man attempting to uncover the mystery behind his mother's unsolved death, the series will run through its current four-episode run in November before concluding on December 6th.
The Flight Attendant (New Episodes)
Dark comedies are always a joy for anyone to come across and enjoy in some sense of the word. Time and time again, the idea of dark comedies have always worked in one way or another and The Flight Attendant is no different.
Following a flight attendant(obviously) who's thrown into a mysterious murder that she may or may not have committed. The Flight Attendant began in November and will continue until December 17th.
His Dark Materials Season 2 (New Episodes)
Everyone remembers when His Dark Materials, a far cry from The Golden Compass in the best way possible premiered on HBO back in 2019. Fans had been waiting eagerly for the next season to arrive and got their wish on November 16th, when Season 2 premiered, which will hopefully answer all of season 1's burning questions.
The second season will continue on throughout the rest of November before wrapping up on December 28th, with a third season renewal hopefully on the way.
Stargirl (December 1)
Now, ever since DC Universe bit the big one and became a comic only service, it's original shows like Doom Patrol(One of the best live-action DC shows and movies on HBO Max)and Harley Quinn (One of the best animated shows on HBO Max) were shuffled over onto HBO and HBOMax, with the latest series, Stargirl, arriving on December 1st.
Full of epic CGI, a unique coming of age story for the superhero genre, and some great DC heroes, Stargirl could make a splash on HBO Max before its second season arrives on the CW later next year.
Baby God (December 2)
Like with its miniseries, HBO has a tendency to develop eyecatching and revealing documentaries, sort of like Netflix and some of their best true-crime docuseries. So, it should be no surprise that Baby God is a documentary about a doctor using his own sperm to fertilize his clients...yeah, that's as gross as it sounds.
Baby God will follow the doctor's patients and their stories as they seek the truth and will pop up on the streaming juggernaut on December 2nd.
My Gift: A Carrie Underwood Musical Special (December 3)
Believe it or not, musicals being released on a streaming service like HBO is actually a pretty big deal and the Carrie Underwood special, My Gift, is among so many others that will be released on streaming services just like HBO Max.
Although not much is known about the special, all that can really be said is that it will feature music from Underwood's newest album of the same name and will be out on December 3rd.
Stylish With Jenna Lyons (December 3)
It's a little funny to think audiences need reality tv shows given the crazy year and reality they've been living through and yet, everyone needs a bit of fact among the fiction. Stylish With Jenna Lyons is a reality show with fashion stylist Jenna Lyons as she deals with fashion projects and home remodels.
It sounds like a fun look into a world many aren't used to and could be a good time when it drops on December 3rd.
The Photograph (December 5)
While perhaps February and Valentine's day would be the perfect time for love to be in the air, December still brings with it a sense of relationship struggles and ideas with The Photograph, arriving on December 5th.
Previously released in February of this year, The Photograph follows the relationship between a troubled journalist and a photographer's estranged daughter whose lives intersect and collide through the film. Ah, young love.
40 Years A Prisoner (December 8)
Documentaries carry an immense amount of power to them, capable of telling unique and untold stories on a larger scale and form and bring previously unseen topics into the light, like with 40 Years A Prisoner.
Some may recall the Revolutionary group MOVE but do they recall the story of a Philadelphia boy who tried to get his parents exonerated for being apart of the group? 40 Years A Prisoner tells the boy and his family's story on HBO and HBO Max on December 8th and maybe join HBOMax's collection of best and greatest documentaries.
Alabama Snake (December 9)
All it takes is one day, one moment and a story can be made all too easily. Such is the case with Alabama Snake, a story following the events of October 4, 1991, when a violent crime shook Scottsboro, Alabama.
The documentary details how a Pentecostal minister was accused of trying to murder his wife with a rattlesnake. The story that preceded the accusations will make up the documentary when it premieres on HBO Max on December 9th.
Let Them All Talk (December 10)
Meryl Steep and Steven Soderbergh making a dramedy about an author who comes to terms with their past. What doesn't sound good about that?
Let Them All Talk, coming out on HBO Max on December 10th, will follow Streep as the author who goes on a cruise with her nephew and while trying to have fun, confronts her past. Honestly sounds like a good time and maybe Streep's character can join others as being one of the funniest characters in HBO comedies.
The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart (December 12)
Just about everyone knows the iconic band known as the Bee Gees, well known for creating some truly memorable songs. On December 12th, the story behind the trio is unveiled with the musical documentary.
The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart, will showcase the peaks and pits of the band's career that spans nearly five decades of music, putting new meaning to the words "Stayin' Alive".
Wendy (December 19)
Every now and then, popular stories and movies need to be seen in a new light or method. These reimaginings can keep a show or movie's content and ideas alive while making them fresh and new at the same time.
Wendy, a film released earlier this year and arriving on HBO on December 19th, is a reimagining of the classic tale Peter Pan and follows a young girl stranded on an island where time doesn't exist and must fight for survival. Sounds like quite the epic tale and fit for the likes of HBO.
Wonder Woman 1984 (December 25)
This may be the biggest gift of the entire year. With 2020 being hailed as the worst year ever, movie theatres have been unable to release a lot of high budgeted films due to Covid-19.
However, HBO Max is releasing the DCEU film Wonder Woman 1984 on Christmas day, December 25th on both the streaming platform and in theatres. Perhaps Christmas miracles do happen and WW84 will be a smash hit on the small and big screen if it can avoid some past DCEU film mistakes.