What's on TV this week—The Witcher: Blood Origin, Matilda The Musical, and Letterkenny returns
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Welcome to What’s On, our weekly picks of must-watch shows. Here’s what you need to watch from Sunday, December 25, to Thursday, December 29. All times are Eastern. [Note: The weekend edition of What’s On drops on Fridays.]
The biggies
The Witcher: Blood Origin (Netflix, Sunday, 3:01 a.m.)
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The Witcher: Blood Origin | Official Trailer | Netflix
The Witcher franchise expands with Blood Origin, a four-part prequel set 1200 years before the original. It will chart the creation of the first Witcher and the events leading to the Conjunction of the Spheres, and explore the ancient Elven civilization before its demise. The cast includes Sophia Brown, Michelle Yeoh, and Lenny Harry. You can check out The A.V. Club’s review here.
Roald Dahl’s Matilda: The Musical (Netflix, Sunday, 3:01 a.m.)
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical | Official Trailer | Netflix
Roald Dahl’s beloved Matilda The Musical gets another movie treatment in 2022. Directed by Matthew Warchus, the adaptation will follow the extraordinary Matilda Wormwood (Alicia Weir), who uses her sharp mind and vivid imagination to take a stand against her oppressive parents and teacher. The ensemble includes Lashana Lynch, Emma Thompson, Andrea Riseborough, Sindhu Vee, and Stephen Graham. And if you need to prep before watching, here’s The A.V. Club’s ranking of the best Dahl adaptations so far.
Letterkenny (Hulu, Monday, 12:01 a.m.)
Letterkenny Season 11 | Official Trailer | Hulu
The revered Canadian sitcom Letterkenny returns for its 11th season on Hulu. Developed by Jared Keeso and Jacob Tierney, the comedy is set in a rural town of the same name and follows a group of friends as they coast through life. In the new episodes, the small-town residents contend with lost dogs, an influencer invasion, a mystery at the church bake sale, and a beer league, among other entertaining issues.
Hidden gems
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox And The Horse (Apple TV+, Sunday, 12:01 a.m.)
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse — Official Trailer | Apple TV+
Based on Charlie Macksey’s book of the same name, the short film The Boy, the Mole, the Fox And The Horse feature his illustrations brought to life in full color with hand-drawn animation. The story follows the unexpected friendship between, well, a boy, a mole, a fox, and a horse traveling together. The voice cast includes Idris Elba, Tom Hollander, Gabriel Byrne, and Jude Coward Nicoll.
Call The Midwife: Holiday Special (PBS, Sunday, 9 p.m.)
Call the Midwife: Holiday Special 2022 - Preview
The popular British drama Call The Midwife continues its tradition of emotional holiday episodes. Set in the ’60s in East London, the cult-favorite series follows a group of midwives dealing with issues like miscarriage, stillbirth, and poverty. In 2022’s Christmas special, the midwives move to their maternity clinic and are delighted to learn the identity of their first patient.
Treason (Netflix, Monday, 3:01 a.m.)
Treason | Official Trailer | Netflix
Charlie Cox is ending an excellent 2022 with a brand new TV show. The actor, who reprised his role as Daredevil in She-Hulk earlier this year, leads the new spy thriller Treason. In this five-episode drama, he plays MI6 officer Adam Lawrence, whose past tryst with a Russian spy catches up with him when he becomes the acting chief of his department. Cox will be joined by Oona Chaplin, Ciaran Hinds, Olga Kurylenko, and Alex Kingston.
More good stuff
Vir Das: Landing (Netflix, Monday, 3:01 a.m.)
Landing - Vir Das | December 26th | #Shorts
In his fourth stand-up special for Netflix, titled Landing, comedian Vir Das focuses on the personal reflection and existential turmoil he went through after giving a controversial speech last year at the Kennedy Center about growing up and living in “Two Indias.” Das, who also co-starred in Whiskey Cavalier and The Bubble, received an Emmy nomination for his previous special in 2021.
Chelsea Handler: Revolution (Netflix, Tuesday, 3:01 a.m.)
Chelsea Handler: Revolution | Official Clip | Netflix
Chelsea Handler is teaming up with Netflix again after the streamer canceled her talk show in 2017. In the standup special Revolution, which was taped in Nashville earlier this year, the comedian opens up about her choice to remain childless, dating during the pandemic, and her vision for a future where men don’t wear flip-flops.
The Circle (Netflix, Wednesday, 3:01 a.m.)
The Circle: Season 5 | Official Trailer | Netflix
Michelle Buteau returns to host season five of The Circle. In this reality series, contestants get to know each other without meeting in person. They communicate through a simulated social media interface, portraying themselves in any way they choose, so it’s the perfect outlet for those who love to catfish. The episodes will air over four weeks, with the finale dropping on January 18.
Can’t miss recaps
Welcome To Chippendales (Hulu, Tuesday, 12:01 a.m.)
Willow (Disney+, Wednesday, 3:01 a.m.)
Mythic Quest (Apple TV+, Friday, 12:01 a.m.)
Slow Horses (Apple TV+, Friday, 12:01 a.m, season two finale)
Ending soon
Ziwe (Showtime, Sunday, 11 p.m., season two finale)
His Dark Materials (HBO, Monday, 9 p.m., series finale)
Fleishman Is In Trouble (FX on Hulu, Thursday, 12:01 a.m., season one finale)
South Side (HBO Max, Thursday, 3:01 a.m., season three finale)
Star Trek: Prodigy (Paramount+, Thursday, 3:01 a.m., season one finale)
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