What to Watch: December

by Julian Spivey

Photos: Netflix & Disney

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My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman: Adam Sandler (Netflix) – Monday, December 1
David Letterman’s Netflix interview show, “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction,” has seemingly dropped the season format of releasing multiple episodes at once and gone to one-off episodes. His latest features comedian and actor Adam Sandler, and is perfectly timed for Monday, December 1, just a few days before Sandler’s latest film, “Jay Kelly,” which is receiving potential Oscar buzz for Sandler, premieres on the streamer on Friday, December 5. Sandler was always a fun interview on Letterman’s ‘Late Show,’ and a longer interview should provide many laughs and insight into Sandler’s life and career.

The Abandons (Netflix) – Thursday, December 4
“The Abandons,” which premieres on Netflix on Thursday, December 4, sees creator Kurt Sutter trading in the outlaws of “Sons of Anarchy” for a different kind of outlaw: the American West's in the 1850s. “The Abandons” sees Lena Headey as Fiona Nolan, an Irish woman unable to conceive, who builds her own family by adopting four orphans, only to see English aristocrats, led by Gillian Anderson’s Constance Van Ness, claim her Oregon home.  
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Jay Kelly (Netflix) – Friday, December 5
Writer/director Noah Baumbach’s latest film, “Jay Kelly,” premiering on Netflix on Friday, December 5, is garnering potential Oscar buzz in multiple categories, including Best Picture. “Jay Kelly” sees Oscar-winner George Clooney as the titular character, an aging movie star, who embarks on a European trip with his longtime manager, played by Adam Sandler (also drawing Oscar buzz), and contemplating choices they have made throughout their career. 
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Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix) – Friday, December 12
“Wake Up Dead Man,” the latest in writer/director Rian Johnson’s ‘Knives Out’ mystery series featuring Daniel Craig’s glorious Benoit Blanc character, finds Blanc trying to solve the murder of a Catholic Monsignor, with a former boxer, turned Catholic priest, as the main suspect. Josh O’Connor is getting rave reviews as said priest, and the supporting cast – as in the other ‘Knives Out’ whodunnits – is amazing with Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Mila Kunis and Jeffrey Wright. 
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Taylor Swift: The End of an Era (Disney+) – Friday, December 12
To be frank, I have zero interest in Disney+’s “Taylor Swift: The End of an Era” documentary, which follows the massive pop star behind the scenes of her Eras Tour over six episodes. Many of us are Swifted out, especially when it comes to that tour, but the pop sensation knows how to keep her large and loyal fanbase happy with constant content. This docuseries will undoubtedly be one of the biggest pop culture moments of the year as it comes to an end. The first two episodes drop on Friday, December 12, with two more coming each subsequent Friday. 
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Sarah Squirm: Live + In The Flesh (HBO/HBO Max) – Friday, December 12
Sarah Sherman has been one of the most unique cast members in “Saturday Night Live” history with her humor, including wild, wacky and out there aspects, largely featuring body horror. It has made her a bit of a “love her or hate her” cast member among fans of that show. But for those who love her, her HBO special “Sarah Squirm: Live + In The Flesh,” premiering on Friday, December 12, should be disgustingly hilarious.

Breakdown: 1975 (Netflix) – Friday, December 19
Netflix’s documentary “Breakdown: 1975,” directed by Morgan Neville, will be a “can’t miss” for film buffs, as it focuses on how the social and political upheaval of the early to mid-1970s led to films like Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver,” Sidney Lumet’s “Network” and Milos Forman’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” The documentary, narrated by Oscar-winner Jodie Foster, features interviews with Albert Brooks, Ellen Burstyn, Josh Brolin, Scorsese, Oliver Stone, Seth Rogen and more.

Stranger Things: Part 2 & Finale (Netflix) – Thursday, December 25 & Wednesday, December 31
The first four episodes of the “Stranger Things” fifth and final season dropped on Netflix over Thanksgiving week and immediately became the talk of the pop culture and television world. After a decade, a ridiculously prolonged decade, the story of Eleven, Mike, Hopper, and all of our favorite Hawkins, Ind., characters comes to an end, first with three episodes coming on Christmas Day, and the nearly two-hour-long series finale dropping on New Year’s Eve. So, ring in the New Year by seeing if Vecna can be defeated!