The best kids’ shows and movies to stream during school holidays

With brand-new family-friendly blockbuster films, the fourth biggest box office hit of 2024, Despicable Me 4, the award-winning Tiddler co-directed by South African Alex Bain, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, plus loads of superhero action, Showmax has put together a timely watchlist for your kids as they decompress this school holiday.

Tiddler | Stream now | Ages 3-6 PG

Adapted from the bestselling picture book by Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler, Tiddler tells the story of a little fish with a big imagination who gets lost in the deep, wide ocean – until he’s saved by his own storytelling.

From the BBC and multi-Oscar-nominated producers Magic Light Pictures, Tiddler is co-directed by South African Alex Bain and narrated by Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso’s Rebecca Welton). 

Tiddler was the 9th most watched title on BBC on Christmas Day, attracting over three million live

viewers. Daily Telegraph gave it five stars, calling it “a prize catch … precision-tooled to enchant children.”

Tiddler recently won the Audience Award at New York International Children’s Film Festival. 

The Famous Five S1 | Binge now | Ages PG

Nominated as Best Live-Action Series at the 2025 Kidscreen Awards, The Famous Five is based on Enid Blyton’s iconic children’s stories. 

Created and executive produced by BAFTA nominee Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive), The Famous

Five follows Julian, Dick, Anne, George, and their loyal dog, Timmy, as the daring young explorers encounter treacherous, action-packed adventures, remarkable mysteries, unparalleled danger and astounding secrets.

As The Spectator says, “The Famous Five is that very rare and special thing: a TV show that both children and adults can thoroughly enjoy.”

Despicable Me 4 | Stream now | Ages 7-9 PG

The fourth biggest box office hit of 2024, Despicable Me 4 sees Gru, Lucy and the girls welcome a new member to the family: Gru Jr, who is intent on tormenting his dad. 

The family is forced to go on the run when Gru faces a new nemesis: Maxime Le Mal and his femme fatale girlfriend, Valentina. 

The all-star voice cast includes Oscar nominee Steve Carrell and Kristen Wiig as Gru and Lucy, with Emmy winner Will Ferrell as Maxime Le Mal and Emmy nominee Sofia Vergara as Valentina. 

Fun fact: the screenplay is co-written by Mike White, Emmy-winning creator of Showmax favourite The White Lotus – which is definitely not for children.

The Wild Robot | Stream from Sunday, 13 April | Ages 7-9 PG V

The Wild Robot, based on Peter Brown’s bestseller, tells the story of Roz, a robot shipwrecked on an uninhabited island, who must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings. Gradually, Roz builds relationships with the animals on the island, becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.

Rotten Tomatoes’ best animated movie of 2024, The Wild Robot was nominated for three Oscars, including Best Animated Feature Film, having won the category at the Annie and Critics Choice Awards.  

Kenyan Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o voices Roz, leading a stacked cast that includes Emmy nominees Pedro Pascal and Ving Rhames, Emmy winners Mark Hamill, Catherine O’Hara and Kit Connor, Oscar nominees Bill Nighy and Stephanie Hsu, and BAFTA winner Matt Berry.

Harold and the Purple Crayon | Stream now | Ages 10-12 PG

Harold can make anything come to life simply by drawing it.

After he grows up and draws himself off his book’s pages and into the physical world, Harold finds he has a lot to learn about real life – and that his trusty purple crayon may set off more hilarious hijinks than he thought possible. 

The first feature film adaptation of Crockett Johnson’s children’s classic, Harold and the Purple Crayon stars Critics Choice nominee and Teen Choice winner Zachary Levi (aka Shazam and Chuck, and the voice of Flynn Rider in Tangled). 

MTV Movie Award winner Lil Rel Howery (Get Out) co-stars alongside Emmy nominees Zooey Deschanel (New Girl, and the voice of Bridget in the Trolls movies), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man’s Doc Ock and the voice of Agnarr in Frozen II), and Jemaine Clement (who voiced Moana’s Tamatoa), with Oscar-nominated Ice Age director Carlos Saldanha at the helm in his live-action/animation feature debut.

The Garfield Movie | Stream now | Ages 7-9 PG

Garfield, the world-famous, Monday-hating, lasagna-loving indoor cat, is about to have a wild outdoor adventure! After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father – scruffy street cat Vic – Garfield and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist.

Listen out for Chris Pratt as Garfield, Samuel L. Jackson as Vic, and Critics Choice nominee Harvey Guillén (Guillermo in What We Do In The Shadows) as Odie, not to mention Emmy-winning Ted Lasso favourites Brett Goldstein and Hannah Waddingham. Snoop Dogg has a cameo too – as a cat.
The 26th biggest box office hit of 2024 globally, The Garfield Movie was nominated for the 2024 Kids Choice Award for Favourite Animated Movie.

Transformers One | Stream from Sunday, 20 April | Ages 10-12 PG V

Transformers One is the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron. Now known as sworn enemies, they were once friends, bonded like brothers, who changed the fate of Cybertron forever.

The first-ever fully CG-animated Transformers movie, the #1 box office hit features a star-studded voice cast, including People’s Choice winner Chris Hemsworth (aka Thor), Oscar nominees Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson and Laurence Fisburne, and Emmy winners Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi and Jon Hamm. Henry’s been nominated for Black Reel and Annie Awards as Megatron. 

Directed by Josh Cooly, who won an Oscar for Toy Story 4, Transformers One has an 89% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for Best Animated Film at the 2025 Saturn Awards, run by The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S1-2 | Binge now | Ages 13+ LV

A prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, Strange New Worlds follows Star Trek: Discovery fan-favourites Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), Science Officer Spock (Ethan Peck), and Number One (Rebecca Romijn) as they explore new worlds around the galaxy aboard the USS Enterprise.

Strange New Worlds was nominated for Best Drama Series at last year’s Critics Choice Awards, as well as for an Emmy, two Hugos, and three Critics Choice Super Awards, where the show was up for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Series, Actor (Mount) and Actress (Celia Rose Gooding). 

Strange New Worlds has a 98% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes – the highest in the franchise. Rotten Tomatoes praises the series for “recapturing the sense of boundless discovery that defined the franchise’s roots.”

Reënboogrant S1 | Wednesdays on Showmax | Ages 13+

Inspired by Louise van Niekerk’s best-selling 90s novels, Reënboogrant is a Tshwane-set teen telenovela centred on the Brink family. 

Minke Marais and Mila de Villiers co-star as Grade 10 sisters Shani and Sunette Brink, with Paul Strydom (Spooksoeker) as their older brother Dolf, the head boy.

SAFTA and Silwerskerm winner Desiré Gardner (Magda Louw) is the head writer, with André Velts heading up the directing team and Sonvelt Media producing. Sonvelt Media won the 2024 SAFTA for Best Made For TV Movie for ‘n Tyd van Waterpere.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes | Stream now | Ages 16+ V

The Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is set 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute. Decades before he would become the tyrannical president of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow is alarmed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, the girls’ tribute from impoverished District 12. But Snow thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favour. 

Led by Tom Blyth (Billy the Kid) as Snow and Golden Globe winner Rachel Zegler (Snow White) as Lucy, the film’s cast includes Oscar winner Viola Davis (The Woman King), four-time Emmy winner Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Hunter Schafer (Euphoria), and Jason Schwartzman (Asteroid City). Also look out for Kenyan-born newcomer Eike Onyambu as Tam Amber.

The fifth instalment in a multi-award-winning mega-franchise that’s grossed over $3 billion worldwide, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes was hailed by USA Today as “the best Hunger Games movie of them all” and named The Action Movie of the Year at the 2024 People’s Choice Awards, where Zegler won Action Movie Star of the Year.

You can also binge the first four movies on Showmax.

Kung Fu Panda 4 | First on Showmax | Stream now | Ages 10-12 PG

The sixth biggest box office hit of 2024 (so far), Kung Fu Panda 4 returns comedy icon Jack Black to his role as Po, the world’s most unlikely kung fu master. When Po is tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace, he needs to find and train a new Dragon Warrior, but a wicked sorceress plans to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm. Po finds help in the form of crafty, quick-witted thief Zhen, a corsac fox who really gets under Po’s fur, but the comedic odd-couple duo will have to work together if they’re going to protect the Valley of Peace from Chameleon’s reptilian claws.

Golden Globe winner Awkwafina voices Zhen in a star-studded voice cast that includes Oscar winners Dustin Hoffman, Ke Huy Quan and Viola Davis.

Kung Fu Panda 4 was nominated for the 2024 Kids’ Choice Award for Favourite Animated Movie, with Jack Black and Awkwafina nominated for Favourite Voice from an Animated Movie – Male, and Female, respectively.

DreamWorks Animation’s beloved action-comedy franchise has now earned over $2 billion at the global box office. The first and third films are also on Showmax, with Kung Fu Panda 2 completing the box set on 30 December 2024.

Tabby McTat | Stream now | Ages PG

Adapted from the bestselling Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler picture book, Tabby McTat is about the warm and wonderful friendship between a musical cat and a talented busker called Fred. One day when chasing a thief, Fred falls and breaks his leg and is whisked away in an ambulance. What will become of the busker’s cat, left alone on the streets of London?

Directed by South Africans Sarah Scrimgeour and Jac Hamman (Superworm), Tabby McTat stars BAFTA nominees Rob Brydon (Gavin and Stacey) and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísú (Gangs of London) as Fred and Tabby, with Critics Choice Super nominee Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who) as the narrator.

Produced by Magic Light Pictures (The Gruffalo, Snail and the Whale, Zog), Tabby McTat was one of the 10 most-watched shows on TV in England on Christmas Day 2023. It was the most-watched animated feature from UK broadcasters across the festive period, attracting over 8.6m viewers, with The Daily Telegraph hailing it as “pretty much purrfect.”

Tabby McTat won the 2024 International Emmy for Kids: Animation as well as the Preschool category at the BANFF World Media Festival and the Audience Award at the New York International Children’s Film Festival. It’s also nominated for a Rose d’Or Award in December 2024 and a Kidscreen Award in February 2025.

All 11 Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler adaptations will be available to binge on Showmax before Christmas, with The Smeds and the Smoos, Zog 1-2, The Gruffalo 1-2, The Snail and The Whale, Superworm and The Highway Rat available to binge now.

Wonka | First on Showmax | Stream now | Ages PG V

Inspired by Roald Dahl’s classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wonka stars Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (Dune) as the young Willy Wonka, chock-full of ideas and determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time.

From Paul King (writer-director of the Paddington films) and Harry Potter producer David Heyman, the magical musical comedy was the seventh biggest blockbuster of 2023.

Chalamet won the Kids’ Choice Award for Favourite Movie Actor, while Calah Lane was nominated for a Critics Choice Award, Keegan-Michael Key for a Kids’ Choice Favourite Villain Award, and Olivia Colman for a Critics Choice Super Award. Also look out for Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa.

Wonka has an 82% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with The Guardian hailing the family film as “spectacular, imaginative, sweet-natured and funny.”

IF | Stream now | Ages 7-9 PG

The #20 biggest box office hit of 2024 so far, IF is about a girl who discovers that she can see everyone’s imaginary friends (aka IFs) and embarks on a magical adventure to reconnect forgotten IFs with their kids.

Directed and co-written by John Krasinski (A Quiet Place), IF stars Cailey Fleming (Judith Grimes in The Walking Dead) as Bea and Emmy winner Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) as Cal, a role that’s already earned him a 2024 Kids’ Choice Award nomination for Favourite Movie Actor.

The all-star voice cast is led by Steve Carell as Blue, Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Blossom, and the late Louis Gossett Jr as Lewis, with Awkwafina as Bubble, and John Krasinski as Marshmallow. Also see if you can spot the voices of Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Blake Lively, Bradley Cooper, Emily Blunt, George Clooney, Jon Stewart, Matt Damon, Matthew Rhys and Sam Rockwell.

In their 4/5-star review, Common Sense Media recommends IF for ages 6+, hailing the film as “a mind-bending, eye-popping, musical extravaganza that’s truly unforgettable.”

Headspace | Stream now | Ages PG V

The most watched local film at South African cinemas last year, Headspace follows 14-year-old Norman, voiced by SAFTA winner Bonko Khoza (The Wife, Red Ink). 

When a freak accident sees three nanosized aliens take up residence inside his brain, Norman discovers they need his help to save Earth from Zolthard, an intergalactic villain who is stuck in the school principal’s head. 

Up for Best Animation at the 2024 SAFTAs, Headspace comes to Showmax after cinema runs in Australia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates. 

The first feature film from Joburg studio Luma (Shaka Ilembe), Headspace has also been dubbed into Afrikaans, Swahili and Zulu versions. 

Migration | Stream now | Ages 6+

Take flight into the thrill of the unknown in Migration, another #1 blockbuster from Illumination, the studio that gave us Despicable Me, Minions, Sing and The Secret Life of Pets. 

Overprotective mallard duck dad Mack just wants to keep his family safe in their pond, but his family wants the holiday of a lifetime. 

At the 2024 Annie Awards, Tresi Gazal was nominated for Outstanding Voice Acting in an Animated Feature for her feature film debut as the voice of little Gwen. The cast also includes Oscar nominee Kumail Nanjiani and three-time Emmy nominee Elizabeth Banks as Gwen’s parents, not to mention the likes of Emmy winner Keegan-Michael Key, Emmy nominee Awkwafina and Oscar nominee Danny DeVito. 

Despite a screenplay by Emmy winner Mike White (The White Lotus), Common Sense Media recommends Migration for ages 6+ in their 4/5-star review, calling the animation, “a charming choice for all ages to watch together.” 

Twende S1 | Stream now | Ages 7+

Up for Best Animation at the 2024 SAFTAs, Twende follows a pangolin of the same name, the slowest moving animal in the savannah. Twende’s belief that, “Life is about the journey, not the destination” is constantly at odds with his job as a motorbike taxi driver. 

The Showmax Original is produced by London-based Braintrust and Johannesburg-based Mind’s Eye Creative, with Greig Cameron (Seal Team, Supa Strikas) as the showrunner and an all-star writing team that includes the likes of Supa Team 4 creator Malenga Mulendema and Kizazi Moto’s Vanessa Kanu. Junior Nyong’o voices Twende. 

Twende’s pilot screened in competition at Annecy, the world’s premier animation festival. As Yalezo Njuguna says on his All That Yazz podcast, “Twende is genuinely my highlight of things I’ve watched within African animation. It is so funny.”

Blue Beetle | Stream now | Ages 12+

In Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña from Cobra Kai and Parenthood) stumbles upon an ancient alien tech called the Scarab. When the Scarab picks Jaime to be its host, he gets an epic suit of armour with wild and unpredictable powers, flipping his life upside down. 

Blue Beetle was nominated for Best Superhero Movie at the 2024 Critics Choice Super Awards, where Maridueña was up for Best Actor in the category. 

Recommending Blue Beetle for ages 12+, and listing it among the Best Movies of the Year: 2023, Common Sense Media calls the film, “a breath of fresh air in a packed superhero market,” saying, “A Latino superhero is long overdue in the DCEU, and this warm, funny adventure makes it worth the wait.” 

Blue Beetle also features Oscar winner Susan Sarandon, Oscar nominee Adriana Barraza (Thor, Dora and the Lost City of Gold), Critics Choice nominee Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), Emmy-winning comedian George Lopez, and singer Becky G. 

Knuckles S1 | First on Showmax | Ages 9+

For the Sonic the Hedgehog and Idris Elba fans

The most-watched kids and family title ever on Paramount+, this Sonic The Hedgehog spinoff follows Knuckles as he tries to teach his protegé Wade the ways of the echidna warrior.

Knuckles is once again voiced by Emmy nominee Idris Elba, with Critics Choice nominee Adam Pally as Wade.

IGN Movies says, “Knuckles is an absolute riot”, calling the six-part miniseries “laugh-a-minute.”

Barbie | First on Showmax | Ages 11+

For everyone who’s owned a Barbie. And the haters too.

To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken.

With two-time Oscar nominee Margot Robbie in the title role, Barbie was the biggest blockbuster of 2023 globally and is the highest-grossing live-action comedy of all time.

Barbie won more than 190 awards and was up for seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Screenplay (for director Greta Gerwig and co-writer Noam Baumbach), Supporting Actor for Ryan Gosling as Ken and Supporting Actress for America Ferrera as Gloria.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts | Ages 11+

The fifth-biggest movie in South Africa in 2023, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts centres on ex-military electronics expert Noah Diaz and artefact research intern Elena Wallace as they work with the Maximals and the Beasties to fight an invasion that threatens to consume Earth. It’s both a prequel to 2007’s original Transformers and a standalone sequel to 2018’s Bumblebee.

Directed by Black Reel winner Steven Caple Jr (Creed II), Transformers: Rise of the Beasts stars Emmy nominees Anthony Ramos (In the Heights) and Dominique Fishback (Swarm, Judas and the Black Messiah) as Noah and Elena, with Grammy nominee Tobe Nwigwe as Reek. Also listen out for the likes of Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage, Colman Domingo and award-winning Zimbabwean actor Tongayi Chirisa as transformers.

Geeks hails it as “perhaps the best Transformers movie since the first.”

Also watch the first six Transformers movies on Showmax, starting (chronologically) with Bumblebee.

The Flash | Ages 13+

The #20 biggest movie of 2023, DC’s The Flash sees worlds collide when Barry Allen uses his super speed to change the past. But his attempt to save his family creates a world without superheroes, forcing him to race for his life in order to save the future.

The Flash is directed by multi-award winner Andy Muschietti (the It films), with Ezra Miller reprising their Justice League role as Barry Allen. The stacked support cast includes Oscar nominees Michael Keaton and Michael Shannon as well as cameos from the likes of Ben Affleck, George Clooney, Jeremy Irons, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, and more.

CNN.com says The Flash “wears its love for the comics that inspired it on its crimson-streaked sleeve. Funny, action-packed and effectively touching…” while Rotten Tomatoes calls it, “one of the best DC movies in recent years.”

Showmax is also home to DC Comics favourites like Aquaman, Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, Black Adam, Man of Steel, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

Trolls Band Together | Ages 6+

Poppy and Branch are finally a couple: #broppy. As they grow closer, Poppy discovers that Branch and his brothers were once her favourite boyband, BroZone. When Branch’s closest brother is kidnapped, he and Poppy go on a journey to reunite his family, get the band back together, and rescue Floyd.

Oscar nominees Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake voice Poppy and Branch, with Joburg-born Grammy nominee Troye Sivan as Floyd.

RogerEbert.com says Trolls Band Together is the best of the three Trolls movies – “sweet without being sugary, colourful, and very charming, with terrific voice talent and a lot of music.”

Fun fact for parents: Timberlake’s 90s boy band NSYNC reunited for the movie with their first song in more than 20 years, the award-winning Better Place.

Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie | Ages 5+

When a meteor crashlands in Adventure City, it gives the Paw Patrol superpowers, transforming them into The Mighty Pups.

In their 4/5-star review, Common Sense Media says, “The adorable rescue pups continue to charm little kids and their parents, and this sweet sequel reminds all viewers that even the tiny can be mighty.”

Listen out for Emmy nominee Mckenna Grace (Ghostbusters: Afterlife) as Skye and multi-award-winning Sweet Tooth star Christian Convery as Chase.

Showmax is also streaming Paw Patrol S3-9 as well as the specials Jet To The Rescue; Mighty Pups; and Ready, Race, Rescue.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem | Ages 8+

After years of being sheltered from the human world, the teenage mutant ninja turtles set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers by taking on a mysterious crime syndicate.

This year, Mutant Mayhem was nominated as Best Animated Film at the Annie and Critics Choice Awards, as well as Best Superhero Movie at the Critics Choice Super Awards, where Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) was up for Best Actress.

Also listen out for the likes of Paul Rudd, John Cena, Jackie Chan, Post Malone, Ice Cube, Emmy winner Maya Rudolph, YouTube phenomenon Mr. Beast, and Emmy nominees Giancarlo Esposito, Rose Byrne,
and Seth Rogen, who also wrote the script.

Mutant Mayhem is the best reviewed film (or series) in the franchise yet, with a 95% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes as “an animated treat for the whole family.”

The Amazing Maurice | Ages 8+

Based on Terry Pratchett’s Carnegie Medal-winning novel The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents (which was in turn inspired by the Brothers Grimm’s Pied Piper of Hamelin), The Amazing Maurice follows a sassy, street-smart ginger cat with a sneaky disposition. Together with his band of rats and pied-piper friend Keith, he travels across the countryside, swindling villagers with a staged rat plague. But when the gang sets its sights on a scenic market town, they quickly realise that someone else got there first… 

The all-star voice cast is led by Emmy nominees Hugh Laurie (House M.D.) as Maurice, Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones) as story narrator Malicia, Himesh Patel (Dr Watson in Enola Holmes 2) as Keith, and David Thewlis (Professor Lupin in the Harry Potter movies and Grail in Enola Holmes 2) as the dastardly Boss Man, with Emmy winner David Tennant (Doctor Who, Crowley in Good Omens) as Dangerous Beans. 

In their four-star review, Common Sense Media recommends the film for ages 8+, saying, “This fun-packed animation captures the [Terry Pratchett] magic that appeals on multiple levels to kids and adults alike.”

Fright Krewe | Ages 9+

An ancient prophecy and a Voodoo queen put misfit teens in charge of saving New Orleans from the biggest demonic threat it’s faced in almost two centuries. 

The team is catapulted into discovering the town’s biggest secret – that vampires, rougarous, ghosts, monsters and demons are in fact very real. But, honestly? Saving the world might be easier than becoming friends… 

Co-created by Fangoria Hall of Famer Eli Roth (The House With A Clock In Its Walls) and Black Reel Award nominee James Frey (I Am Number Four), Fright Krewe is a Peacock Kids Original from DreamWorks Animation. 

In their four-star review, Common Sense Media recommends the series for ages 9+. As Polygon says, “Fright Krewe has all the makings of a show that could be the next big thing — and maybe even redefine audience expectations for all-ages animation.” 

Dragons: The Nine Realms S1 | First on Showmax | Ages 8+

The future of dragons is here, with the Emmy-nominated animated adventure series Dragons: The Nine Realms.

Set 1 300 years after the events of DreamWorks Animation’s How To Train Your Dragon, dragons are now just a legend to the modern world. When a geological anomaly opens up an immense, miles-deep fissure in the Earth’s surface, scientists from all over the world gather at a new research facility to study the mysterious phenomenon. But it’s not long before a group of misfit kids uncovers the truth about dragons and where they’ve been hiding – a secret they must keep to themselves to protect what they’ve discovered.

Recommending the series for ages 8+, Common Sense Media gives Dragons: The Nine Realms a 4/5-star rating, saying, “super fun for kids and grown-ups alike… Dragons: The Nine Realms has a great mixture of awesome dragon scenes, teenage friendships, and scientific mystery,” and adding that, “Families who enjoyed the original movies will have a great time watching this series together.”

You can also watch the Oscar-nominated How To Train Your Dragon 2 on Showmax.

Fireheart | Ages 7+

The animated family film Fireheart is set in 1930s New York, where girls can’t be firefighters. But 16-year-old Georgia Nolan (Teen Choice nominee Olivia Cooke from Ready Player One) dreams of changing that.

When Broadway is hit by a series of mysterious arson attacks and firemen start disappearing, Georgia’s former-firefighter dad, Shawn (Oscar winner Kenneth Branagh, who played Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets), is brought out of retirement to lead the investigation. Desperate to help her father and save her city, Georgia disguises herself as a young man called “Joe” and joins a group of misfit firefighters determined to save the day.

Also listen out for the voices of Emmy winner William Shatner (Star Trek’s Captain James T Kirk) and Screen Actors Guild Award nominee Laurie Holden (The Americans).

In its 4/5-star review, Common Sense Media recommends Fireheart for kids aged 7+, saying, “A celebration of courage, teamwork, family, and empathy, this splendid animated adventure is a roaring success.”

His Dark Materials S1-3 | Ages 13+

The third and final season of the HBO and BBC One fantasy epic, His Dark Materials, is based on The Amber Spyglass, the final novel in Philip Pullman’s Carnegie-winning book trilogy, which was listed among Time Magazine’s 100 Best Young-Adult Books of All Time.

Season 3 follows Lyra (MTV Movie Award winner Dafne Keen from Logan) and Will (Emmy nominee Amir Wilson from The Secret Garden) as they journey to a dark place from which no one has ever returned. As her father’s great war against the Authority edges closer, they will learn that saving the worlds comes at a terrible price.

Oscar nominee Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, tick, tick… BOOM!) returns as Lee Scoresby, with BAFTA winner Ruth Wilson (Saving Mr. Banks, Luther) as Mrs Coulter, and BAFTA nominee James McAvoy (X-Men’s Charles Xavier) as Lord Asriel. British-Nigerian Black Reel nominee Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Thor: The Dark World, Lost) joins the cast this season, along with the likes of Emmy nominee Sian Clifford (Fleabag) and Ghanaian-British actor Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Superworm and Mary Poppins Returns).

Season 3 ended with a series high rating of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Radio Times hailing it as “a stunning end… a thrilling, immersive treat… crammed with fist-pumping and eye-moistening moments.

Classics on the couch

Showmax also hosts a host of kids’ classics, including all the Harry Potter films and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Watch Barbie movies online »