New Aussie drama and family-friendly entertainment are the highlights of December—although there are some thrills to be had too if you want to end your streaming year with a bang.
Here are the new shows Jenna Guillaume is most excited about this month…
Paper Dolls
Bardot were a short-lived but fondly-remembered iconic Australian girl group that emerged from the reality show Popstars at the turn of the millennium. Now one of the former members, Belinda Chapple, is the brains behind this fictionalised drama based on her experiences. It follows the five members of a group called Harlow as they are catapulted into the spotlight via a reality show called Poprush. The show is juicy, nostalgic fun with some dark moments that expose the downsides of the pop machine.
Strife
Mia Freedman is a divisive figure in Australian media but there’s no doubt her story is an interesting one. Her memoir, Work Strife Balance, is the basis for this fictional dramedy that follows a woman named Evelyn Jones as she launches her own website and builds a media empire—with many mishaps along the way. Asher Keddie plays Evelyn, and she’s joined by an incredible cast including Jonathan LaPaglia, Matt Day, and Emma Lung. It just might be your new drama obsession.
My Life with the Walter Boys
Okay, this show looks kind of terrible. But like, the good kind of terrible. Think: Sweet Magnolias and Virgin River meets The Summer I Turned Pretty. A cozy, cheesy American drama in a beautiful setting full of love triangles, teen angst, and a side helping of tragedy. It’s perfect December viewing, when you just want to switch your brain off and eat a bunch of cheese and/or ice cream and maybe have a cry.
The Famous Five
This show, created by Nicolas Winding Refn, is set to introduce Enid Blyton’s classic series to a whole new generation, while also hitting the spot for nostalgic older (ahem) generations at the same time. It features a diverse young cast as the titular Famous Five, a group of children who go on a series of adventures in a genre-defining narrative. Jack Gleeson, James Lance, and Diana Quick make up the adult cast. With three 90-minute episodes, it’s ideal school holiday viewing.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
This is a fresh and exciting adaptation of Rick Riordan’s bestselling fantasy series of the same name, that was previously turned into two heavily-criticised but nevertheless popular movies in the early 2010s. The series seems to be more faithful to the books—it helps that Riordan himself is a writer for the show (he famously was not a fan of the films). The story follows a tween boy named Percy who discovers he’s actually a demi-god and must go on a quest to prove he didn’t steal Zeus’ thunderbolt. With high production quality and an epic plot, it’s something fantasy fans of all ages can get into.
Gyeongsang Creature
Set in Gyeongseong (the former name of Seoul) in Japanese-occupied Korea in 1945, this historical thriller follows Jang Tae-sang, a wealthy informant, and Yoon Chae-ok, a specialist in finding missing people, as their paths converge and they look into a series of missing person cases before discovering a strange monster they must do battle with. It has a fantastic cast including Park Seojoon and Han Sohee in the lead roles, with Wi Hajoon, Soo Hyun, Kim Haesook, and Jo Hanchul also starring. A second season has already been filmed, so you can get safely get sucked in.
