Top 5 Best Series of December
The television premieres of the last month of 2024 are so intriguing and diverse that one might worry whether there will be time left to celebrate Christmas and New Year. A new post-apocalyptic sci-fi series Earth Abides is being released, the cult show Dexter returns as a prequel exploring the childhood of the noble serial killer, DC is presenting Creature Commandos, an animated continuation of Peacemaker and Suicide Squad, and the famous Pixar animated film Inside Out gets its own series, Dream Production. Additionally, a French series adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo and the sixth season of the adventures of private detective Cormoran Strike, based on J.K. Rowling’s detective novels, await us.
In our pre-Christmas list of must-watch shows, we have selected a spy thriller starring the beautiful Keira Knightley, a children’s adventure series about pirates set in a “galaxy far, far away,” the first ambitious attempt to adapt Gabriel García Márquez’s great novel, a heist comedy about stealing a vault full of maple syrup, and the second season of the Korean hit about the most famous survival game.
"One Hundred Years of Solitude" / Cien Años de Soledad, Netflix
The most ambitious project of not just 2024 but perhaps of the entire era: the first full-fledged adaptation of the quintessential magical realism novel by the renowned Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez, which earned him a Nobel Prize. Reality and fiction, loneliness and love, incest and betrayal, war and curses—at the centre of the narrative are several generations of the Buendía family, living in the mythical, isolated town of Macondo. The series is in Spanish, and filming primarily took place in Colombia, Márquez’s homeland. The project’s executive producers include the author’s sons, Rodrigo García and Gonzalo García Barcha, while Alex García López and Laura Mora directed. Rodrigo García commented:
"For decades, our father refused to sell the rights to adapt One Hundred Years of Solitude for film, believing it impossible within the time constraints of a feature film or in any language other than Spanish. However, now, during the golden age of series, with such high levels of screenwriting and directing talent, and with global audiences embracing content in foreign languages, there is no better time for a series adaptation, which Netflix will bring to life."
"Star Wars: Skeleton Crew", Disney+
After the resounding failure of The Acolyte, Disney's savvy marketers might need to admit the truth—most of the stories and plots they use to expand the Star Wars universe are meant for children. The only real exception is Andor, which genuinely fits the category of adult sci-fi. However, as soon as they released an honest children’s series (enhanced by Jude Law), it managed to captivate both kids and adults alike. The events of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew take place during the same timeframe as The Mandalorian, after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983). At the heart of the story are four kids from a suspiciously idyllic, peaceful planet seemingly untouched by the war between the Sith-led Empire and the Jedi and rebels. The four protagonists discover a starship buried underground, which, with them aboard, makes a hyperspace jump to an unknown destination. Returning home proves challenging—while none of the inhabitants of the New Republic's many worlds have heard of their planet, all are familiar with a new menace: space pirates.
"Black Doves", Netflix
Period drama heroine Keira Knightley takes on an unexpected role as a dangerous and combative super-spy, continuing the evident trend of female action heroes encroaching on the traditionally male domains of thrillers and action films. Set in London during Christmas, this thriller follows Helen Webb, the wife of a politician who has been secretly working for a covert organisation called Black Doves for years, passing on confidential information about her husband. Helen embarks on a passionate affair that threatens to expose her secrets. When her lover falls victim to criminals, Helen's employers send an old friend, Sam (played by Ben Whishaw), to assist her. Together, they uncover a vast conspiracy linking London’s criminal underworld to an impending geopolitical crisis.
"The Sticky", Prime Video
This comedic detective series about one of the most bizarre heists ever is produced by acclaimed actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who also plays a role in the show. The story centres on Ruth Landry, a Canadian farmer producing maple syrup. However, she risks losing her business due to government interference, dissatisfied with her not-always-legal methods of making money. Left with no other option, Ruth, along with a brazen gangster and a somewhat dim-witted security guard, devises a bold plan to pull off the heist of the year: stealing a massive stockpile of maple syrup stored in Quebec.
"Squid Game" (Season 2), Netflix
Another highly anticipated series of the winter returns with its second season, following the first season’s meteoric success on Netflix in 2021, which even inspired a real-life game show (albeit far less brutal and deadly than the original). This, of course, is director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s Squid Game. In the continuation of the story about a ruthless and cynical game created for the amusement of anonymous billionaires, the protagonist of the first season, Player 456—an irresponsible fool, loser, and gambler Seong Gi-hun—returns to the Squid Game with the intention of warning new players and saving their lives. Adding to the intrigue is the real-world political crisis in South Korea, with hints of a coup d'état, which serves as a massive promotional boost ahead of the season’s release.