From a Dua Lipa concert special to a Friends-inspired game show, we round up our top 10 shows to watch this week
1. Saturday Night’s Main Event – Saturday, December 14, NBC
Back in the 1980s, WWE (then known as WWF) exploded into the pop-culture consciousness, transforming professional wrestling from seedy sideshow to “sports entertainment” spectacle. At the time, NBC played a big role via Saturday Night’s Main Event, a series of specials airing between 1987 and 1992 that drew big ratings. Now, thanks to the WWE’s new five-year domestic media rights partnership with NBCUniversal, this live special — which, technically, is Saturday Night’s Main Event XXXVII — brings wrestling fans all the action from Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island, New York.
2. Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo – Sunday, December 15, History | Series Premiere
Danny Trejo — that’s right, Machete himself — hosts this eight-episode series exploring how some of the world’s most significant discoveries were made in highly unexpected ways, from hidden treasures to astounding animal artifacts to secret underground tunnels. Click here to watch trailer.
3. Yellowstone – Sunday, December 15, Paramount+ | Series Finale
One of the most buzzed shows of the past decade rides into the sunset this weekend. The gritty, soapy exploits of the power-ranching Dutton clan come to an end after an exceptionally bloody fifth season, the second half of which has found siblings Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Kayce (Luke Grimes) on the hunt for whoever assassinated family patriarch John (Kevin Costner).
Discussing this farewell episode with TVLine, Grimes was, as you might expect, a bit cryptic — telling the website that fans “won’t feel like they’ve wasted their time for the past six years.”
What’s more, talking about his own experience opening the final script, he explained: “I wanted to save reading that episode for the very last second . . . I was a mess. It’s beautiful. It’s profound. It’s heartbreaking.”
That said, this is far from the end for the Yellowstone universe. In addition to existing spinoff 1923, multiple other series are in development — including The Madison, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Suits alum Patrick J. Adams, and a possible continuation of the original Yellowstone centred on Beth and her true love Rip (Cole Hauser).
4. An Evening with Dua Lipa – Sunday, December 15, CBS
And the TV concerts just keep on comin’! Though this one isn’t a Christmas concert so much as a concert that just happens to be airing at Christmastime.
Back in October, perennial chart-topper Dua Lipa did a one-night show at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall to promote her 2024 album Radical Optimism (a concept that, in light of recent events on the world stage, is needed now more than ever). During that performance, she was accompanied by a 53-piece orchestra and no less a music legend than Sir Elton John, who joined Lipa onstage during the encore for a duet of their 2021 hit “Cold Heart.”
This Sunday, that tuneful evening will be broadcast to homes across North America via CBS. As the singer exclaimed on Instagram: “I wanted to remember this show forever, so we captured it to share with you too.”
5. What We Do in the Shadows – Monday, December 16, FX Canada | Series Finale
Just one day after the finale of Yellowstone, TV will bid adieu to another of its most singular, most popular creations.
FX’s ghoulish mockumentary has spent six seasons mining chuckles from the simple yet potent juxtaposition of ancient, self-aggrandizing vampires living in modern-day Staten Island — forced to contend with not only witches, werewolves and their fellow bloodsuckers, but the mundane horrors of the Chore Wheel.
To date, this farewell chapter has been a deliciously unpredictable ride, giving us an homage to Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, and some unexpectedly poignant character development, as our undead heroes have been forced into various levels of existential crisis — largely via entering the human workforce after their familiar Guillermo flew the coop.
Details are scant for tonight’s final episode. The network’s official synopsis only divulges that: “A surprising twist leads to a change of plans.”
Speaking with Awards Radar at New York Comic-Con earlier this year, showrunner Paul Simms further teased: “Without telling any details, I think the finale is one of our best episodes ever. And I think it’ll be very satisfying if people have watched it forever. If it was the first episode you ever watched, you would laugh . . . It’s funny and there’s good surprises in it. It’s our crown jewel. Our pinnacle.”
Meanwhile, speaking with Screen Rant, star Kayvan Novak (a.k.a. Nandor the Relentless) said: “I guess a lot of shows end badly, or end s****ily or unsatisfyingly, or kind of ‘What the f*** was that?’ I’d say there was a lot of anxiety . . . You want to end on a high, you want to end strong, and [the writers have] absolutely done it. We were like, ‘Wow.’ It surpassed our expectations.”
6. The Simpsons: O C’mon All Ye Faithful – Tuesday, December 17, Disney+
The latest Disney+-exclusive special for this iconic Fox sitcom finds Homer, Marge and the rest of Springfield searching for a little holiday cheer. An added yuletide treat for fans: O C’Mon All Ye Faithful is twice the length of your average episode.
7. The Secret Life of Animals – Wednesday, December 18, Apple TV+ | Series Premiere
Apple TV+ serves up this 10-episode nature docuseries featuring never-before-seen footage of rare and remarkable animal behaviours, highlighting the brilliant intelligence of the natural world. Narrated by Downton Abbey alum Hugh Bonneville, the series highlights 77 unique species in 24 different countries, filmed over the course of three years. Each episode delves into pivotal moments in the life cycles of various animals — from birth and leaving home to raising a family, and from finding food to growing old — while showcasing the creatures’ striking intelligence and adaptability. Click here to watch trailer.
8. Beast Games – Thursday, December 19, Prime Video | Series Premiere
Already a phenomenon on YouTube, MrBeast (a.k.a. Jimmy Donaldson) brings his online shtick to television with what’s billed as the biggest reality competition series in history, as 1,000 contestants compete in outlandish challenges with a cash prize of $5 million awaiting the winner at the finish line. “My goal is to make the greatest show possible and prove YouTubers and creators can succeed on other platforms,” said MrBeast, who is both host and executive producer of the show. “Amazon gave me the creative control I need to try and make it happen. I hope to make the YouTube community proud.” That said, the show has already been hit with a class-action lawsuit brought by contestants who alleged they experienced mistreatment, claiming they were “shamelessly exploited,” subjected to “unreasonable, unsafe” conditions and “infliction of emotional distress,” while being denied food, sleep, medical care and “the necessities of basic hygiene.”
9. Nate Bargartze’s Nashville Christmas – Thursday, December 19, CBS
Of all the standup comics we’ve spotlighted on the “Comedies” spread this and every other week, Nate Bargatze may well be the guy least likely to draw the ire of a broadcast network’s “standards and practices” department. That’s because, in addition to being very funny, Bargatze has a reputation for jokes that are very clean . . . which means he can easily slide into CBS’s primetime lineup for an evening with this clever yet wholesome holiday variety special.
Following multiple hit standup sets streamed on Netflix and Prime Video, as well as two roundly acclaimed hosting stints on Saturday Night Live, here the 45-year-old returns to his native Nashville to emcee an hour of yuletide entertainment that features, per the press release, “a mix of standup comedy, pre-taped comedy shorts, sketches and musical performances.” All told, it’s a program designed to “shine a spotlight on the heart and spirit of Nashville during the holiday season, highlighting family, fun and feel-good moments that resonate with audiences of all ages.”
Said Bargatze: “I’m extremely excited to be creating this special, as I have long been a big fan of variety and we don’t see enough of it! I want to make a great show for families to gather around and watch together . . .”
10. Fast Friends – Thursday, December 19, Crave1 | Series Premiere
One of the most celebrated and successful TV comedies of all time, Friends has only grown in popularity since it went off the air in 2004. Difficult though this may be to believe, the show reportedly still brings in over $1 billion per year for studio Warner Bros. in syndication and streaming revenue.
Clearly, there’s still a healthy appetite among viewers for the misadventures of Rachel, Ross, Phoebe, Monica, Joey and Chandler. Now, U.S. streamer Max is primed to feed that appetite with a four-part quiz show.
Taking place at New York City tourist attraction The FRIENDS Experience — a 17,000-foot recreation of the show’s various sets — Fast Friends will challenge super-fans to test their mettle and prove their devotion to their TV besties. As the press release teases: “From racing through Rachel and Monica’s apartment to darting across Joey and Chandler’s bachelor pad and grabbing a coffee at Central Perk, fans will relive their favourite moments while being put to the test with trivia, puzzles and games that will keep even the most diehard Friends fans on their toes.” It’s all hosted by comedian Whitney Cummings (pictured above), who says: “After 30 years, the fandom surrounding this beloved series only continues to grow, and now I have the great pleasure of awarding the ultimate fans with bragging rights for life.” Click here to watch trailer.