Summer, sunshine and streaming: Take a break from sun worship to catch a show or two

It’s that time of year again. The sun is out, hours of daylight are longer, and retail outlets are playing Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” on repeat. That being said, there are some of us who are not particularly keen on the climate which comes with this season. So, for those of you who wish to join me indoors, whether it’s to escape the sun’s intensity or just to watch an occasional show of an evening, here are some summer viewing suggestions.

It’s worth checking out some New Zealand-made shows. We recently received an excellent Robyn Malcolm double bill starting with Far North (ThreeNow), the (almost) true story of how half a billion dollars’ worth of methamphetamine nearly made it to market in New Zealand, if it weren’t for the actions of ordinary couple Ed (Temuera Morrison) and Heather (Malcolm).

While Far North takes a comedic approach to crime, After the Party (TVNZ+) is a much darker tale. Malcolm plays Penny, an ordinary woman whose life is irreversibly changed after accusing her husband of a terrible crime. It’s five years later and he’s back, and Penny learns that most of the people around her either don’t believe her, or don’t want to.

If you’re after something a bit more family friendly, this month sees the arrival of a film some people have been waiting decades for. Back in 2000, Aardman Animations produced its first feature-length animated film, which followed a ragtag group of determined fowl escaping a dastardly fate. Now, 23 years later, Aardman has paired with Netflix to bring you the next chapter in their story. After escaping the farm and building a new home in a peaceful bird sanctuary, all seems right with the world. But Ginger and her friends will soon learn of a new threat to chicken-kind in Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (from 15 December).

Or, if you’re looking for a bit of a project for your summer viewing, maybe see why everyone went crazy over the finale of Succession (Neon), the drama with a Shakespearean scope about a family running a media empire.

You could always binge Ted Lasso (AppleTV+) and see if it is possible for a show about football to be as good as everyone says it is (trust me, it is). You might even want to catch up on The Crown (Netflix), before watching the final six episodes (from 14 December) of the decades-spanning royal biopic.

I will personally be checking out SAS: Rogue Heroes (TVNZ+), a drama series based on the origins of the famed Special Forces unit formed during WWII, before the second season arrives next year.

And don’t forget, it’s never too late to start Breaking Bad. All 11 combined seasons of it and the sequel/prequel series Better Call Saul are available to stream on Neon.

Doctor Who, the long-running British sci-fi series about an alien timetraveller, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, and a few familiar faces are returning for the celebration. David Tennant and Catherine Tate are returning to the show together, reprising their roles as The Doctor and companion Donna Noble for three special episodes. They last performed in tandem in 2009.

The official synopsis for the specials reads: “The Doctor and Donna parted ways when The Doctor had to wipe Donna’s memory, making her forget him, in order to save her life. He left her family with a warning: if she ever remembers, she will die. But with the two coming face to face once more, the big question is, just what brings The Doctor and Donna back together?” These specials also see Neil Patrick Harris play the Celestial Toymaker and Miriam Margolyes lends her voice to an alien known as Beep the Meep.

Joining Tennant and Tate is the man responsible for the show’s revival back in 2005; Russell T. Davies (It’s a Sin, Years and Years). Davies returns to helm the anniversary specials, as well as ushering the series into a new chapter, which will see Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education, Barbie) take over the role of the mysterious timelord, starting with a 2023 Christmas Special.

The specials will be available this month, streaming on Disney+. Going forward, Disney+ will hold exclusive streaming rights to Doctor Who in New Zealand.

From 1 December, The Shepherd arrives on Disney+. Based on the novella of the same name by Frederick Forsyth, it tells the story of an RAF pilot who gets lost mid-flight on his way home for Christmas. This tale of family and miracles is sure to be a heartwarming way to kick off the yuletide season.

In fact, Disney+ can easily be your one-stop shop for Christmas viewing with original film Dashing Through the Snow (from 17 December). Eddie Garrick (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) is a good-hearted man who has lost his belief in the wonder of Christmas. While spending time with his nine-year-old daughter Charlotte on Christmas Eve, he befriends a mysterious man in a red suit named Nick – and the fun begins.

There’s also the second season of The Santa Clauses, in which Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) continues in his ambition to turn the operation of the North Pole into a family business with his son taking over the role from him. However, the future-planning runs into a slight problem when the Mad Santa (Eric Stonestreet) is released, and is determined to take back the magical title, which he sees as rightfully his.

You could always revisit a classic, such as The Muppet Christmas Carol where Michael Caine plays the part of Ebeneezer Scrooge among a cast of felt falsettos, or maybe you’ve never seen the stop-motion, holiday extravaganza that is The Nightmare Before Christmas, in which Skeleton Jack, the Pumpkin King, becomes bored of the same old Halloween every year, and decides he could do as good a job as Santa when it comes to Christmas.

Other viewing options are given in the panel. Whatever you end up watching, here’s wishing you a happy, healthy Christmas and summer.

Nat Dolan is an Auckland actor and movie enthusiast