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3 PBS shows you should watch in December 2023

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PBS may have a relatively light schedule of original programs in December, but it remains one of the best resources for TV shows, news programs, concerts, and documentaries because it’s free. Viewers can even stream most of PBS’ shows without having to register or donate.

Since it is the Christmas season, two of our picks for the three best PBS shows you should watch in December are holiday themed: Call the Midwife‘s annual Christmas special and the Season of Light: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir. Our other pick for the month is a documentary about one of the all-time great mystery writers, Agatha Christie. If you’re looking for more options, check out our roundup of everything new on PBS in December.

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Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen

Lucy Worsley holds an Agatha Christy book for Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen.
PBS

Agatha Christie’s mystery stories continue to be popular, with A Haunting in Venice hitting the big screen just this year. Her novels have also been a constant source of material for several mystery television series as well. Christie passed away in 1976, but her legacy has endured while several questions about her life remain, particularly about Christie’s disappearance in 1926 and her subsequent return shortly thereafter.

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Lucy Worsley’s new three-part documentary series, Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen, takes a broad look at Christie’s life in order to better understand who she was as both a writer and a person. Worsley also examines some of Christie’s “carefully concealed secrets” that shed additional light on her personality.

Watch Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen on PBS.

Season of Light: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir

Lea Salonga and The Tabernacle Choir.
PBS

This year marks the 20th anniversary of PBS’ annual Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir holiday special. This year, the choir was joined by Tony Award winner Lea Salonga (Mulan, Miss Saigon) and actor Sir David Suchet (Agatha Christie’s Poirot). Salonga performed a selection of her favorite holiday songs, as well as Payapang Daigdig, a World War II-era song that she sang in her native Tagalog.

One of the other key parts of this year’s concert was Suchet’s account of the late Sir Nicholas Winton, a man who helped save hundreds of Jewish children from the Holocaust shortly before World War II. It’s a moving tale that continues to inspire decades after it came to light.

Watch Season of Light: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir on PBS.

Call the Midwife Holiday Special

The cast of Call the Midwife.
BBC/PBS

It’s become a tradition for the British drama series Call the Midwife to have a Christmas special a few months before its upcoming season. Ahead of Call the Midwife‘s 13th season next year, PBS will air this year’s special, which takes place two weeks ahead of Christmas 1968.

According to the special’s official description, “delicate situations cause uncertainty for the midwives. With the upcoming Apollo 8 launch and the festivity preparations starting, a treacherous heavy snowfall may complicate the holiday celebrations for everyone.”

Watch Call the Midwife 2023 Holiday Special on PBS on December 25.

Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek…

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3 underrated (HBO) Max movies you should watch this weekend (February 28-March 2)
underrated hbo max movies this weekend february 28 march 2 2025 tom hanks sully

With the start of a new month, Max is getting a new slate of movies added to its library. One of the new additions is Heretic. The creepy thriller starring Hugh Grant arrives on March 7. Sing Sing, one of 2024's most critically acclaimed movies, finally hits Max on March 21. Colman Domingo received an Oscar nomination for his work in the drama about a prison arts program.
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No Sudden Move (2021)

Since coming out of retirement in 2017, Steven Soderbergh has released nearly one movie per year. Hollywood is a better place when an innovative filmmaker like Soderbergh works at such a prolific rate. One of his more underrated offerings during this post-retirement phase is No Sudden Move, a period piece set in 1950s Detroit about a heist gone wrong.
A group of petty criminals — including Curt Jones (Don Cheadle), Ronald Russo (Benicio del Toro), and Charley (Kieran Culkin) — are tasked with stealing an important document. The group is supposed to hold an accountant's family at gunpoint so he can then steal the document from his boss's safe. Eventually, Curt and Ronald learn they've been set up. Why? That's what they need to find out, including who hired them. It's not Ocean's Eleven, but No Sudden Move is a fun time at the movies, thanks to an eclectic cast and a filmmaker who knows this genre inside and out.
Stream No Sudden Move on Max.
Sully (2016)
Sully - Official Trailer [HD]
In your best Michael Rapoport voice, "Are you the pilot, Sully?" Tom Hanks plays pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger in the dramatic retelling of the Miracle on the Hudson in Sully. On January 15, 2009, Sully and First Officer Jeff Skiles (Aaron Eckhart) are piloting a flight from LaGuardia Airport to Charlotte. Shortly after takeoff, a flock of birds crashed into both engines.
With little time to react, Sully successfully executes an emergency landing in the Hudson River. All 155 crew and passengers survived. It's a miraculous accomplishment, but the story doesn't stop there. An investigation into Sully's life-saving maneuver tries to smear the pilot's reputation. With a steady Clint Eastwood behind the camera and a stoic Hanks on screen, Sully is a fitting tribute to a humble hero who deserves praise despite never seeking it out.
Stream Sully on Max.
Reality (2023)

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3 underrated Netflix movies you should watch this weekend (February 28-March 2)
Suzume holding a chair in front of a door in the movie.

Sometimes, the best movies aren't the ones trending on your Netflix homepage — they’re the hidden gems waiting to be discovered. Big-budget blockbusters and buzzy originals from the streamer may be the natural first option, but some movie nights call for lesser-known flicks that can pleasantly surprise and captivate any cinephile.
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Suzume (2022)

Suzume is a great anime movie worth streaming from director Makoto Shinkai. It follows the titular 17-year-old protagonist (voiced by Nanoka Hara) as she stumbles upon a mysterious door that stands alone in an abandoned house. She discovers that the door is a gateway to another realm, unwittingly setting off a chain of supernatural events in the process. As the door begins unleashing calamities across Japan, Suzume joins forces with a young stranger, Sōta (Hokuto Matsumura), a "Closer" tasked with sealing these portals. But when Sōta is transformed into a three-legged chair — yes, a literal wooden chair — their journey takes a surreal turn.
Despite its stunning animation and unique storytelling, Suzume remains criminally underrated compared to its predecessors from Shinkai, Your Name and Weathering with You. Perhaps it's because the 2022 film leans more into Japan's historical wounds — referencing the 2011 earthquake and tsunami — making it feel deeply personal for domestic audiences but less immediate for international viewers. Suzume also subverts expectations with its romantic storyline that defies traditional tropes. Those who appreciate its appeal understand that its moving narrative reflects trauma, growth, and all the messiness that comes with it.
Suzume is streaming on Netflix.
Upgrade (2018)

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3 underrated (HBO) Max movies you should watch this weekend (February 21-23)
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HBO is about to dominate Sunday nights again with the return of The White Lotus. Season 3 heads to Thailand for another weeklong vacation. As always, murder isn't too far away. Meanwhile, The Pitt was recently reviewed for a second season on Max. Television remains Max's strong suit.
Don't forget about movies. The Warner Bros. library is one of the deepest of the major studios. Max's vault provides viewers with countless hours of programming — classics, Oscar winners, blockbusters, and franchises. If you're looking for something off the beaten path, try watching some underrated movies, including a hysterical rom-com, a charming dramedy, and an action blockbuster.
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Yes Man (2008)

The world misses Jim Carrey. The Canadian comedy was as A-list as it gets for over 20 years. Now, Carrey only acts in Sonic movies. The only way to experience Carrey's liveliness is to revisit his old movies like the underrated Yes Man. Bank loan officer Carl Allen (Carrey) is in a downward spiral. Carl has failed to recover from his divorce, and his pessimism leads to the dissolution of his friendships.
Desperate for a change, Carl attends a self-help seminar, where he agrees to say yes to anything asked of him. Carl takes this advice quite literally, refusing to say no to any task. Carl's "say yes" attitude leads to a job promotion, a new girlfriend, and a happier outlook on life. Are these happy coincidences, or does Carl truly believe he can never say no? Either way, enjoy Carrey's charisma.

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