This winter, Netflix and Prime Video are giving us epic premieres, from an all-female western starring Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson to the return of Fallout to Emily’s romance in Paris.
1. The Abandons
Photo by Fiona Nolan/Netflix
In 1854, a war for land and power has broken out in the Wild West. Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey play two widows, each ready to go all the way.
Lena Headey is Fiona Nolan, a rancher and the nucleus of a close-knit exile family. Gillian Anderson is wealthy Constance Van Ness, who is committed to preserving her husband’s legacy and will not stop at taking someone else’s land.
“The Abandoned,” according to producer Christopher Kaiser, is not just a story about murder, revenge and passion. It’s a story about family bonds, moral choices and the struggle for there is an ancient species called Homo Aqua – sea devils familiar to fans of the series – and a global crisis begins. Their sudden appearance and interaction with humans brings humanity to the brink of disaster.
At the centre of the action is unit agent Barkley, played by Russell Tovey, who tries to tame the chaos and contain the conflict. Gugu Mbathu Rowe plays Salt, the aquatic ambassador of these creatures, and Gemma Redgrave appears as Kate Lethbridge as Stuart, the head of CONNECT.
“It’s a grand Christmas present: heroes and monsters, battles and romance against the backdrop of a world teetering on the brink of disaster,” says Davies.
But behind the spectacular battles and special effects lies a profound message about today’s threats: “We’re already in a climate war. This story just dramatises it,” he explains.
Premiering on 7 December on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK, as well as being broadcast internationally al was based on Sarah Vaughan’s 2020 bestseller of the same name, which is about friendship, betrayal and motherhood.
But there’s more to the film’s allure than that: when the series was released in Britain earlier this year, the Telegraph newspaper called it “irresistibly gripping, thanks largely to the insanely luxurious lives shown on screen”.
Little Trouble premieres on 11 December on Paramount+ in the US and Canada and will be available on Paramount+ in the UK
4. Taylor Swift: End of an Era
Photo by Getty Images
This six-part documentary looks behind the scenes of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, which ran from March 2023 to December 2024.
The singer appears during rehearsals, planning and combining training with crew, family and backing singers.
A stellar cast of guests accompanying Taylor both on and off stage are also featured, including Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams, Ed Sheeran, Florence Welch and her fiancé Travis Kelsey.
On the day of the series premiere, Disney+ will air The Final Show, which recorded the last Eras Tour concert in Vancouver in December 2024. A complete set of The Tortured Poets Department album will be released after the original 2023 tour film.
Judging by the endless stream of footage from the tour, Taylor’s wedding date certainly won’t go unnoticed by fans.
The film will premiere on 12 December on Disney+
5. Fallout
Photo: Amazon MGM Studios
The first season of the series based on the popular video game was a real hit on Prime Video. The new season of most of the city, and Macaulay Culkin appears as a mysterious “mad genius”.
Leslie Uggams and Zach Cherry are also returning to the series.
The series premieres on December 17 on Prime Video
6. Emily in Paris
Photo: Netflix
Some shows try to stay interesting through new characters or dramatic twists. “Emily in Paris” keeps things simple: the heroine simply travels the world.
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The end of last season, love and work strangely merged, leaving Emily (Lily Collins) in Rome – in a romantic relationship with Marcello (Eugenio Franceschini) and at the helm of the Rome office of marketing agency Agence Grateau.
In season five, Emily is still in Rome, but also finds herself in the equally spectacular locations of Paris and Venice. Regular flights are making a comeback: Ashley Park in the oh so popular.
It is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on 18 December
7. Amadeus
Photo by Sky
1984 gave the world Amadeus, a tale of composer Antonio Salieri and his (fictionalised plot) envy of his genius rival Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The film won an Oscar and is now considered a classic.
The new, larger adaptation deserves special attention – especially because of Will Sharp’s brilliant performance as Mozart. Whereas in the classic film Tom Galls showed the character as a ridiculous genius, Sharp comes across as an energetic, egotistical but conscious artist of his actions.
Paul Bettany plays Salieri, a role played by F. Murray Abraham in the original film, and Rory Kinnear appears as the Austrian monarch Joseph II. The plot impresses with lavish costumes and sets, transfers at the end of November with three more episodes for Christmas, and the final series will be released on Netflix on 31 December.
“We’ve done everything we wanted to do with Demogorgons, Mind Eater, Vekna and Upstairs Drig”, said Matt Duffer, who created the show together.
If those names seem like a set of letters to you, the good news is that you don’t have to worry anymore. And if you’re a fan, you can welcome 2026 with the feeling that all the questions are finally answered.
“That’s the whole story. The end,” Matt Duffer emphasised. But the Duffer brothers are already working on a spin-off with other characters, so even if the villain Vekna is finally defeated, who knows what will happen next.
Season 5 will premiere on Netflix on 26 November, with three more episodes airing on 25 December and the finale on 31 December
9. The Copenhagen Test
Photo: Peacock
Simu Liu is a double agent.
“Viewers will be taken through this incredible string of Truman Show-style spy intrigue,” Liu said of the show’s plot.
The series also stars Melissa Barrera and Brian D’Arcy James.
The series is set to premiere on 27 December on Peacock