--- description: Here are TIME's recommendations of the best shows and movies to stream this December, from Fleabag and The Crown to BoJack Horseman. title: 9 Shows and Movies to Stream Over the Holiday Break image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # What to Stream Over the Holidays—No Matter Who You’re With by [Kate Samuelson](/author/kate-samuelson/) ## Kate Samuelson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 13, 2016 2:00 PM CUT by [Kate Samuelson](/author/kate-samuelson/) ## Kate Samuelson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 13, 2016 2:00 PM CUT Nothing screams ‘hibernate!’ more than dark, cold and snowy weather. So, over the holiday break, grab your laptop or remote and cozy up with Netflix, Amazon, HBO and Hulu. Here are our recommendations of the best shows and movies to stream depending on who you’re with or what you’re in the mood for. **What to watch…** ### …for exciting twists and turns [**_The Night Of_**](https://www.amazon.com/Part-1-The-Beach/dp/B01L3FAQCC/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined") You may well forget to take a breath during the first hour of this eight-part HBO crime series—it’s that gripping. The story begins with a young man (Riz Ahmed) making a journey to a house party at which he (spoiler alert) never actually arrives. In fact, it all gets pretty messy when sex, drugs and incarceration are thrown into the mix. Beautifully shot and genuinely thrilling, _The Night Of_ is a powerful commentary on the flaws of the U.S. legal system. Fair warning, watching will do everything but put you to sleep. Where to watch: Amazon Or try: [_Amanda Knox_ ](https://www.netflix.com/title/80081155 "undefined")(Netflix)_,_ [_Honorable Woman_ ](https://www.amazon.com/The-Honorable-Woman-An-Introduction/dp/B00M6PAHIM?tag=timecom-20 "undefined")(Netflix), [_Mr Robot_](https://www.amazon.com/eps1-0%5Fhellofriend-mov/dp/B00YBX664Q?tag=timecom-20 "undefined") (Amazon) ### ….for winding down [**_Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life_**](https://www.netflix.com/title/80109415 "undefined") Grab a pop tart, a Yale sweater and any friend who passably resembles [Kirk](http://gilmoregirls.wikia.com/wiki/Kirk%5FGleason "undefined") to re-watch _Gilmore Girls:_ _A Year in the Life_. (None of the above required, but still…) If you’re one of the few people who hasn’t seen this revival yet, it picks up nearly a decade after the original series finale and follows Lorelai, Rory and Emily Gilmore through four seasons of change. It’s recommended that you use at least 80% of your holiday to re-watch all seven seasons too, preferably pre-_A Year in the Life_, to ensure your _GG_ knowledge is up to scratch. Where to watch: Netflix Or try: [_Freaks and Geeks_ ](https://www.netflix.com/title/70253797 "undefined")(Netflix), [_High Maintenance_ ](http://www.hbo.com/high-maintenance "undefined")(HBO) ### …to make you laugh **_Everybody Wants Some!!_** Richard Linklater’s raucous campus comedy set at a fictitious Texas college in 1980 is the “spiritual sequel” to his 1993 blockbuster hit, _Dazed and Confused_. [_Everybody Wants Some!!_](http://time.com/4277525/everybody-wants-some-deserves-a-third-exclamation-mark/ "undefined") centers on promising pitcher Jake (played by Blake Jenner of _Glee_ fame) as he gears up to start his freshman year. A lighthearted flick is guaranteed to warm on even the coldest night. Where to watch: Netflix Or try: [_Catastrophe_ ](https://www.amazon.com/Episode-1/dp/B00X8UKOUK "undefined")(Amazon)**,** [_Jane the Virgin_ ](https://www.netflix.com/title/80027158 "undefined")(Netflix) ### …when you’ve got a long night to kill [**_Black Mirror_**](https://www.netflix.com/title/70264888 "undefined") Nothing says Christmas quite like disturbing dystopian satire that makes you take a long hard look at where this whole humanity thing is headed. Charlie Brooker’s [_Black Mirror_](http://time.com/4538883/black-mirror-netflix-rashida-jones-mike-schur/ "undefined"), a _Twilight Zone_ for the digital era, does just that. Netflix added six new installments of the popular British series last October, with each episode lasting the length of a short movie. (You’ll still want to binge.) Subjects explored in the always thought-provoking, sometimes frightening series include the obsessive rating and photographing of real-life interactions and a virtual reality game gone very, very wrong. Better not to watch alone. Where to watch: Netflix Or try: [_Fargo_ ](http://www.hulu.com/fargo "undefined")(Hulu), [_Barry_](https://www.netflix.com/title/80144803 "undefined") (Netflix), [_The Hateful Eight_](http://www.hulu.com/watch/1011621 "undefined") (Hulu) ### …when you just need a quick fix [**_Friends_**](https://www.netflix.com/title/70153404 "undefined") If you, like many people, have seen every _Friends_ episode at least 137 times then this is the perfect show to turn on in the background while you’re basting a turkey or wrapping presents—just make sure you don’t confuse the two. To particularly embrace the Christmas cheer, ‘The One Where Rachel Quits’ (season three), ‘The One With The Holiday Armadillo’ (season seven) and ‘The One with Christmas in Tulsa’ (season nine) are classics. Could this _be_ any more of a multitasking opportunity? Where to watch: Netflix Or try: _30 Rock_ (NBC app), [_The Voice_ ](http://www.hulu.com/the-voice "undefined")(Hulu), [_Say Yes to the Dress_](http://www.hulu.com/say-yes-to-the-dress "undefined") (Hulu) ### …if you’re with your family [**_The Crown_**](https://www.netflix.com/title/80025678 "undefined") Reportedly Netflix’s most expensive program ever, [_The Crown_ ](http://time.com/4557482/the-crown-review-netflix-queen-elizabeth/ "undefined")is the big-budget period drama everyone’s talking about. With a perfect alchemy of history, adventure and romance it’s sure to be a hit for the whole family. The drama follows the life of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II ([Claire Foy](http://time.com/4547337/the-crown-claire-foy-netflix/ "undefined")), beginning with her marriage to Philip Mountbatten (former _Doctor Who_ Matt Smith) in November 1947 and ending with the death of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1965. Where to watch: Netflix Or try: [_Mascots_](https://www.netflix.com/title/80075476 "undefined") (Netflix), [_Sherlock_ ](https://www.netflix.com/title/70202589 "undefined")(Netflix), [_The Truman Show_ ](http://www.hulu.com/watch/1010448 "undefined")(Hulu) ### …if you’re on your own [**_Fleabag_**](https://www.amazon.com/Episode-1/dp/B01J4SST1K/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined") Too sad to be classified as a comedy, but too funny to be a drama. _Fleabag_, like its protagonist, does not fit inside any easy box. Written by and starring rising British actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge, this six-part, 30-minute-per-episode series follows the life of a troubled 20-something Londoner struggling to cope with the death of her best friend. Their guinea-pig-themed cafe is also on the verge of failure. (NB: Since an early scene involves someone _really_ enjoying footage of President Obama, this may be one to skip if you’re watching with the family.) Where to watch: Amazon Or try: [_13th_ ](https://www.netflix.com/title/80091741 "undefined")(Netflix), [_Easy_](https://www.netflix.com/title/80095699 "undefined") (Netflix), [_The Inbetweeners_ ](http://www.hulu.com/the-inbetweeners "undefined")(Hulu) ### …with a significant other [**_BoJack Horseman_**](https://www.netflix.com/title/70300800 "undefined") This irreverent cartoon comedy for adults follows the life of the anthropomorphic _BoJack_, a self-pitying horse voiced by Will Arnett of _Arrested Development_ renown. Once the star of 1990s sitcom _Horsin’ Around_, washed up former celebrity BoJack now wanders Los Angeles with dreams of one day making it back into the limelight. One episode, ‘Fish Out of Water,’ was [described by TIME’s television critic](http://time.com/4574935/top-10-tv-episodes-2016/ "undefined") Daniel D’Addario as “dazzlingly beautiful and among the most creative single episodes of TV in memory.” Where to watch: Netflix Or try: [_Friday Night Lights_ ](https://www.netflix.com/title/70136125 "undefined")(Netflix), [Amelie](https://www.netflix.com/title/60022048 "undefined") (Netflix, Amazon), [_Wet Hot American Summer_ ](https://www.netflix.com/title/60021299 "undefined")(Netflix) ### …on Christmas Day [**_The Nightmare Before Christmas_**](https://www.amazon.com/Tim-Burtons-Nightmare-Before-Christmas/dp/B003SI05PG/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined") Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a re-watch of Tim Burton’s iconic stop-motion masterpiece, now available on Hulu. _The Nightmare Before Christmas_, which follows Jack Skellington’s miserably comical journey from Halloween Town to Christmas Town, is packed with witty references and amusingly dark song lyrics: “There’s children throwing snowballs instead of throwing heads, they’re busy building toys and absolutely no one’s dead!” Where to watch: Hulu Or try: [_Miracle on 34th Street_ ](https://www.netflix.com/title/60002444 "undefined")(Netflix, Amazon), [_Doctor_ _Who_](https://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Who-Seven-Part-Two/dp/B00BXTH49M?tag=timecom-20 "undefined") (Amazon) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4593399/holiday-movie-tv-streaming-guide/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4593399/holiday-movie-tv-streaming-guide/"},"headline":"What to Stream Over the Holidays—No Matter Who You’re With","datePublished":"2016-12-13T14:00:28.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T10:29:23.935Z","description":"From standby classics to new comedies, there's a show to suit every mood or situation","url":"https://time.com/4593399/holiday-movie-tv-streaming-guide/","keywords":["Television","Netflix","movies"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Kate Samuelson","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/kate-samuelson/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4593399/holiday-movie-tv-streaming-guide/","name":"What to Stream Over the Holidays—No Matter Who You’re With"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"The Night Of Trailer - 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