As another year winds down and we all take comfort in the fact that the world hasn’t fallen into chaos (as of yet), the television offerings are slim. Many of the month’s premieres aren’t exactly……filled with festive cheer, but as the saying goes – quality over quantity. Below are our top eight picks of December to binge in intervals in the broom closet to escape from one’s family and friends.
“Dark”
Synopsis: A family saga with a supernatural twist, this series is set in a German town, where the disappearance of two young children exposes the underlying relationships between four families.
What You Need To Know: Netflix’s first German original series, co-created by Baran do Odar and Jantje Friese, has drawn many “Stranger Things” comparisons. However, while the series has a definite Stephen King atmosphere, it feels more like a dark, supernatural suspenseful fairy tale than a nostalgic throwback; fitting with Germany being the birthplace of the Brothers Grimm. With a cast including Louis Hofmann, Oliver Masucci, Anatole Taubman, and Mark Waschke, hopefully “Dark” will deliver on its potential.
Release Date: December 1st
“Easy”
Synopsis: Intertwined groups of friends in Chicago fumble through the modern maze of love, sex, technology and culture.
What You Need To Know: Joe Swanberg’s (“Drinking Buddies,” “Digging for Fire”) “This Is Us”-esque dating/relationships anthology series, returns for a second season, once again trying to figure out the intricacies of life, love and relationships. From exploring the possibility of open marriage to wrangling a neighborhood package thief, “Easy” proves that relationships are simultaneously life’s ultimate Gordian knot and genuine joy. Michael Chernus, Elizabeth Reaser, Kate Micucci, Jane Adams, Zazie Beetz, Jacqueline Tobini, Aya Cash and Marc Maron return, along with plenty of new faces such as Aubrey Plaza, Kate Berlant, Judy Greer, Danielle Macdonald, Michaela Watkins and Joe Lo Truglio.
Release Date: December 1st
“Happy!”
Synopsis: A hitman is left for dead but is resuscitated; as a result he can now see a blue winged unicorn named Happy.
What You Need To Know: You know Syfy’s latest series is going to be twisted once you realize it came from the high octane minds of comics legends Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson and is directed by Brian Taylor (“Crank”). Christopher Meloni (“Oz,” “Wet Hot American Summer”) plays Nick Sax, a cynical, alcoholic ex-cop hitman, who after surviving being shot and left for dead, can now see a perky, flying unicorn named Happy, voiced by Patton Oswalt (“Young Adult,” “United States of Tara”). Happy is the imaginary friend of a young girl, who has been kidnapped by a deranged man wearing a Santa Claus getup, and he enlists Nick to help find her. This series will blow “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” and “Bad Santa” out of the water as gonzo, bonzo Christmas themed entertainment, and is the perfect fix for fans waiting for “Deadpool 2” – buckle up and enjoy the hilarious insanity!
Release Date: December 6th
“Knightfall”
Synopsis: A birds-eye view of the final days of the Catholic military order, the Knights Templar, during the 14th century.
What You Need To Know: There are few organizations with a bloodier history than the Knight Templars, so it is fitting that they came about an equally bloody, protracted end. The History Channel series, executive produced by Jeremy Renner (how random!), focuses on Templar leader Sir Landry (Tom Cullen), a warrior discouraged by the Templars’ failures in the Holy Land, who is reinvigorated by news that the Holy Grail has resurfaced. Landry, joined by his fellow knights (Sam Hazeldine, Simon Merrells, Padraic Delany), becomes embroiled in the fall, persecution and burning at the stake of the order’s followers by Philip IV of France; never has a foregone conclusion been so bittersweet.
Release Date: December 6th
