TV Watchlist: Julia Roberts Leads a Star-Studded Netflix Thriller, 'Fraiser' Says Goodbye (for Now)

Plus the return of Tony Shalhoub's Monk and a cheerful Batman holiday special Week of December 2 – 8 How is it already December? Feels like it was just Halloween and now we’re speeding towards Christmas! And as such there are plenty of festive offerings on television and streaming this week, including a yuletide animated Batman movie (“Merry Little Batman”) and a new “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” Christmas story (“Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Christmas Cabin Fever”). Plus there’s a new Hulu thriller (“Culprits”), a movie with Julia Roberts and Mahershala Ali (“Leave the World Behind”) and a documentary on Michael Jackson (“Thriller 40”). Plus a “Monk” movie (“Monk’s Last Case”) and the return of “Hilda.” What a week! On with the television! Culprits Friday, December 8, Hulu Source: Hulu J Blakeson, the English filmmaker behind whip smart thrillers like “The Disappearance of Alice Creed” and Netflix’s “I Care a Lot,” returns with an original series that he created and mostly wrote and directed. “Culprits” follows a group of thieves, led by Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Gemma Arterton, who, after committing a particularly impressive heist, find themselves getting picked off one by one. So “Watchmen” meets “Widows?” Sign us up. Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Niamh Algar, Kamel El Basha and Eddie Izzard also star. And even better the series, which premiered at the BFI London Film Festival and hit streaming in England earlier in November, will debut all at once on Hulu. Meaning that the show, which feels like a good old page-turner, can be binged all at once. “Culprits” could be your new streaming obsession and, at the very least, make your weekend that much more thrilling. [[TRAILER](] Frasier Thursday, December 7, Paramount+ Source: Paramount Network The season finale of the new “Frasier” series that also doubles as a Christmas episode (called “Reindeer Games” no less)? What a treat! One of the biggest streaming hits of the year, “Frasier” is a continuation of the beloved 1990s series (itself a spin-off of groundbreaking sitcom “Cheers”), with Kelsey Grammer returning as the psychiatrist-turned-radio-talk-show-host, who returns to Boston to reconnect with his son (Jack Cutmore-Scott) following the death of his father and dissolution of his longtime relationship. While a second season has yet to be officially announced, we’d bet it all that “Frasier” will return. But when will he go back to Cheers? He’s in Boston, after all. [[TRAILER](] Leave the World Behind Friday, December 8, Netflix Source: Netflix If you aren’t getting enough apocalyptic dread from simply existing in the world, have we got the movie for you! “Leave the World Behind” stars Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke as a Manhattan couple who take their family to a Long Island rental house. And while they’re attempting to have a relaxing weekend getaway something happens (no spoilers) and they are forced to figure out what is going on and how they can survive. Things are significantly complicated by the arrival of Mahershala Ali, who claims to be the home’s owner, and his skeptical daughter (Myha'la). Plus Kevin Bacon shows up as a weird doomsday prepper. Written and directed by “Mr. Robot” mastermind Sam Esmail, “Leave the World Behind” is full of truly edge-of-your-seat set pieces, terrific performances from everybody involved and inventive camerawork. If the world is coming to an end, hope that your Netflix subscription still works. You’ll want it to watch “Leave the World Behind.” [[TRAILER](] Thriller 40 Saturday, December 2, Showtime Source: Showtime This documentary, timed to the 40th anniversary of one of the best-selling albums of all time, is a Michael Jackson documentary that is decidedly more celebratory than some of the more recent nonfiction films about the fallen King of Pop. And, for some viewers, it might be tough to watch a movie that paints Jackson as a visionary musician, especially after learning about his darker side. This documentary features new talking head interviews with Usher, Brooke Shields, Mary J. Blige, Mark Ronson, Maxwell and John Landis, who directed the original “Thriller” music video (still considered by many to be the greatest video in the history of the medium). Directed by music critic and filmmaker Nelson George, maybe there will be more emotional and psychological shading, but even if it just a documentary about the album that changed the world, it’ll probably still be pretty gripping. [[TRAILER](] Hawkeye Disney+ Source: Marvel Studios Just like “Die Hard” went from an is-it-a-Christmas-movie lighting rod to a bona fide holiday classic, so too should “Hawkeye.” The Marvel Studios series began life as a movie centered around Jeremy Renner’s ace archer and then transitioned to a Disney+ original series. And you know what? It works just as well in its expanded form, following Clint Barton (Renner) as he deals with an emergency while in New York City with his family. Soon he’s peeling away from his Christmas vacation to squash a crime ring run by the Tracksuit Mafia (with connections to a famous Marvel baddie) and mentor a new hero, Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) and her pizza-loving dog. If you haven’t seen “Hawkeye,” it's a Christmastime riot and top tier Marvel. A rewatch should be an annual tradition. [[WATCH](] Source: Peacock “The Archies” Thursday, December 7, Netflix Before you ask, yes, this is a Bollywood musical adaptation of the Archie Comics characters, set in 1960s India. And you know what? It looks like a total blast. At the very least, this Hindi-language feature, directed and co-written by Zoya Akhtar, will fill the hole that our dearly departed “Riverdale” has left. “The Archies” stars Agastya Nanda, Khushi Kapoor, Suhana Khan, Vedang Raina, Mihir Ahuja, Aditi Saigal and Yuvraj Menda. Could this be the “Grease” for a new generation? Probably might. But it still could be a ton of fun. [[TRAILER](] “Hilda” Thursday, December 7, Netflix This charming animated series, based on the graphic novel series by Luke Pearson, started off life as a miniseries but proved improbably popular, inspiring a second season and a spin-off animated feature (released in 2021). Its third and final season is airing more than three years after the second season, but that’s okay – “Hilda,” about a little girl (voiced by “The Last of Us” star Bella Ramsey) who moves to a rural town and interacts with all sorts of magical creatures, is one of the best animated series of the past few years. It'll tough to say goodbye. [[TRAILER](] “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Christmas Cabin Fever” Friday, December 8, Disney+ The third animated film in a series of adaptations of the books by Jeff Kinney (who also wrote the screenplay, and the first holiday-set adventure for the wimpy kid (with Wesley Kimmel replacing Brady Noon as Greg Heffley). Hunter Dillion, Erica Cerra and Chris Diamantopoulos. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Christmas Cabin Fever” should be some much-needed fun for the whole family this holiday season. [[TRAILER](] “Merry Little Batman” Friday, December 8, Prime Video It’s a Batman movie that was abandoned by HBO/Max/Warner Bros. (no, not that one). “Merry Little Batman” was given a second chance by Prime Video, who picked up the accompanying series “Bat Family.” And we are all the better for it. After watching “Merry Little Batman,” you will be even more baffled. The movie is terrific. It follows little Damian Wayne (Yonas Kibreab) who is forced to defend Wayne Manor and, later, the rest of Gotham, after his dad goes away. (For much of the movie Alfred is going to get marshmallows. Don’t ask.) “Merry Little Batman” is warmly rendered in a storybook art style (with animation by Finnish studio Gigglebug) that boasts strong character designs and vivid action set pieces. And Luke Wilson is surprisingly great as Batman. Just watch it. It’s a delight. [[TRAILER](] “Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie” Friday, December 8, Peacock Monk is back! Remember Monk? He had OCD and still managed to solve seemingly unsolvable crimes. Tony Shalhoub returns for this original movie, as does Ted Levine, Traylor Howard, Jason Gray-Stanford and Hector Elizondo, along with Caitlin McGee and James Purefoy. The official synopsis reads: “Monk returns to solve one last, very personal case involving his beloved stepdaughter Molly, a journalist preparing for her wedding.” Creator Andy Breckman returns as writer and executive producer, with Randy Zisk handling directing duties. Just remember to have your sanitizer handy. [[TRAILER](] 2034 Armacost Ave. | Los Angeles, CA 90025 [Unsubscribe](