Everything on Showmax in December 2019

Holidays are – almost – here. It’s nearly time to put your feet up and relax, but even with all that extra time, you won’t be able to keep up with all the great content coming to Showmax in December. 

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Editor’s Choice: International series 

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The Righteous Gemstones S1 | First on Showmax | Binge from 2 December

The Righteous Gemstones follows a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed and charitable work. Creator Danny McBride (Vice Principals, Eastbound & Down) stars as Jesse Gemstone, the eldest of three grown Gemstone offspring, who is set to follow in his father’s footsteps but finds his past sins jeopardising the family ministry. Golden Globe winner John Goodman stars alongside Adam Devine (Pitch Perfect, Modern Family) and Emmy nominee Walton Goggins (Justified). 

80% critics rating, 89% audience rating, and #105 on Rotten Tomatoes’ Best TV of 2019 So Far; 8.1/10, IMDB; Recently renewed for a second season.

Good Trouble S2 | First on Showmax | Binge from 2 December

A spinoff of the multi-award-winning The Fosters, Good Trouble explores the trials and tribulations of the tenants of downtown LA’s hippest residence, The Coterie. This season, Callie (Maia Mitchell), Mariana (Cierra Ramirez), and the rest of The Coterie crew continue to navigate their early twenties as they deal with breakups, demand equality, find happiness and discover what it means to fight for what you believe in.

Nominated for three 2019 Teen Choice Awards: Drama and Best Actress (both Cierra Ramirez and Maia Mitchell); 100% critics rating, Rotten Tomatoes.

Family Guy S17 | Binge from 2 December 

Created by Oscar nominee Seth MacFarlane (The Orville, American Dad and Ted), this award-winning adult animated series has been running for twenty years. It follows the dysfunctional Griffin family: Peter (voiced by MacFarlane), Lois (Golden Globe nominee Alex Borstein from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), teens Meg (Golden Globe nominee Mila Kunis from Bad Moms) and Chris (Robot Chicken creator and multiple Emmy winner Seth Green), baby Stewie, and the family dog, Brian (both MacFarlane). 

This season’s highlights include the Stranger Things monster; Brian becoming trapped in a marriage with a dying woman; Peter landing a job as Donald Trump’s press secretary; Meg becoming an Internet influencer; Peter identifying as transsexual; and a majorly meta episode where the Griffins record DVD commentary on a fictional episode of Family Guy. Also listen out for the voices of Golden Globe-nominated comedian Denis Leary and Oscar nominee Sam Elliott (A Star is Born) in the episode Girl Internetted. 

8.1/10, IMDB; The series has won nine Emmys, two Annie awards, and six Teen Choice awards.

Vikings S6 | First on Showmax | New episodes every Thursday from 5 December

Season six sees the Vikings push further into Scandinavia as a victorious Bjorn returns from the battle of the brothers to find that being a hero and a leader comes with its own challenges. Torvi and Ubbe search for clues to Floki’s whereabouts in Iceland, while Ivar follows the Silk Road to Russia, where he encounters a ruler even more merciless and unpredictable than himself. Meanwhile, Lagertha’s hopes for a quieter life on her own farm are threatened by new dangers closer to home. 

Created by BAFTA-nominated writer/producer Michael Hirst (Elizabeth, The Tudors), Vikings stars Alexander Ludwig (Teen Choice Villain Award Winner for The Hunger Games) as Bjorn, Katheryn Winnick as Lagertha in a Critics’ Choice nominated performance and Gustaf Skarsgård (Westworld) as Floki. 

You can also buff up on your Viking trivia with the National Geographic documentary The Wild Way of the Vikings from 2 December. 

#29, Most Popular TV, IMDB; 91% critics score, Rotten Tomatoes; nominated for 13 Emmys.

Pure S1 | First on Showmax

Marnie is not OK. She’s had x-rated thoughts for the last 3672 days and she doesn’t know why or what they mean. When she jumps on a coach to London, she doesn’t know a soul there, not even herself… 

Of the six-part British comedy-drama, the Daily Telegraph wrote: “In 30 minutes, it removes as much stigma as it does clothing.”

85% critics rating, Rotten Tomatoes.

Bless This Mess S1 | First On Showmax | Binge the first six episodes from 6 December

Newlyweds Rio and Mike decide to move from big-city New York to rural Nebraska. After dropping everything (including their jobs and overbearing mother-in-law) to make the move from skyscrapers to farmhouses, they soon realize that the simple life isn’t as easy as they hoped. 

The series is created by Elizabeth Meriwether (who created the multiple Golden Globe and Emmy nominated series New Girl) and star Lake Bell (who wrote, directed and starred in Sundance Festival winner In a World and co-starred in It’s Complicated). People’s Choice nominee Dax Shepard (Parenthood), David Koechner (Anchorman), and Golden Globe and Emmy nominees Ed Begley Jr. (St. Elsewhere, A Mighty Wind) and Pam Grier (Jackie Brown) also star. 

Time praised Bless This Mess for “the most charismatic network comedy cast since The Good Place… Bell and Shepard make an utterly believable, sympathetic couple.”

82% critics rating, Rotten Tomatoes.

Silicon Valley S6 – The Final Season | First on Showmax | Binge from 9 December

A collaboration between Mike Judge (Beavis and Butthead) and Alec Berg (Barry), Silicon Valley takes a comedic look at the modern-day epicentre of the high-tech gold rush, where the people most qualified to succeed are the least capable of handling success. Thomas Middleditch stars in an Emmy nominated role as Richard Hendricks, a Silicon Valley engineer trying to build his own company called Pied Piper.

#184, Top Rated TV Of All Time and rated 8.5/10, IMDB; 94% critics rating, Rotten Tomatoes; Two-time Golden Globe nominee for Best TV Comedy or Musical; Winner of two Emmys, where it’s been nominated for another 35 awards.

Mrs. Fletcher S1 | First on Showmax | Binge from 13 December

Mrs Fletcher is a dual coming-of-age story chronicling the personal and sexual journeys of an empty-nest mother and her college freshman son, who both embrace their newfound freedom with mixed results. Emmy nominee Kathryn Hahn (Transparent, A Bad Moms Christmas) stars in the title role.  

South African Liesl Tommy (Insecure, The Walking Dead, Jessica Jones) is part of the all-female directing team, which also includes Oscar nominee Nicole Holofcener (Orange Is The New Black), nine-time Emmy nominee Carrie Brownstein (Portlandia, Transparent) and Gillian Robespierre (Silicon Valley). 

As Indiewire wrote after its premiere at Toronto International Film Festival this year,  “I could watch 100 episodes of Mrs. Fletcher… A smart, thoughtful, and hopelessly addictive adaptation… Ultra-charming.” 

#76 Most Popular TV, IMDB; 83% critics rating and #92 on Rotten Tomatoes Best TV of 2019 So Far.

Marvel’s Runaways S3 | First on Showmax | Binge from 16 December 

Every teenager thinks their parents are evil. What if you found out yours actually were? 

Marvel’s Runaways is the story of six very different teenagers who can barely stand each other but have to unite against a common foe – their parents.

Season 3 sees the Runaways searching for their captured friends Gert, Chase, and Karolina. An unstoppable enemy targets Leslie and the child she is carrying, and the Runaways are drawn into a dark realm ruled by Morgan le Fay (Elizabeth Hurley from Austin Powers and The Royals), the most wicked foe they have ever faced.

Runaways stars Ariela Barer (Atypical), Rhenzy Feliz (Teen Wolf), Lyrica Okano (The Affair), Teen Choice winner Gregg Sulkin (Faking It), and Virginia Gardner (The Goldbergs).

86% critics score and 89% audience score, Rotten Tomatoes; Nominated for two Saturn Awards (2018 and 2019) and the 2019 Teen Choice award for Choice TV Show: Drama.

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Editor’s Choice: Live Sport

Every week Showmax live-streams a selection of matches that include English Premier League, Italian Serie, LaLiga football, basketball and more. The sport catalogue is available to all subscribers at no extra cost.

In December, expect more brilliant international football with weekly live matches from the English Premier League, LaLiga and Italian Serie A. Plus, watch key matches from the MultiChoice Diski Challenge, as well as enthralling fight nights from EFC.

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Editor’s Choice: Movies

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A Star Is Born (2018) | 9 December

Seasoned musician Jackson Maine (seven-time Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper) discovers – and falls in love with – struggling artist Ally (Lady Gaga). She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer – until Jack coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally’s career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jack fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.

Cooper’s directorial debut won music awards at the Oscars, Golden Globes and BAFTAs, after earning best film, best actor and best actress nominations – among others – at all three. 

2019 Oscar winner for Best Achievement in Music, with a further seven Oscar nominations; 90% critics rating, Rotten Tomatoes.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) | 16 December

Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Oscar nominee Johnny Depp) has escaped and is gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.  

In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore (Oscar nominee Jude Law) enlists his former student Newt Scamander (Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne). Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.  

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is directed by David Yates (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), from a screenplay by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, who is also a producer. 

Nominated for two 2019 BAFTAs and three Teen Choice awards.

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Editor’s Choice: Documentaries 

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Icons: The Greatest Person of the 20th Century | Binge from 2 December

Have you always wanted to see Nelson Mandela whup Maggie Thatcher in a TV battle? Icons may be about to grant your wish. Historical documentary meets game show in this audience-vote showdown that pits the greatest icons of the 20th century against each other in a competition. Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr.? Muhammad Ali or Pelé? Neil Armstrong or Jane Goodall? Icons is sure to spark some heated debate!

The show’s presenters (aka “advocates”) include comedian Sanjeev Bhaskar, X-Factor presenter Dermot O’Leary and Oscar-nominated actress Kathleen Turner. Look out for naturalist Chris Packham’s unforgettable tribute to scientist and WWII codebreaker Alan Turing in round three!

Dead by Dawn

From The Walking Dead creator David Alpert comes the first-ever horror nature series. This genre-bending six-part series shows us the real-life horror that is reality in the wild when the sun goes down. 

With titles like “Night of the Living Dead”, “A Quiet Place”, “Swamp Things” and “The Hills Have Eyes”, every episode explores a different deadly place for nature’s inhabitants to spend the night. From the Arabian Desert to the forests of India, the jungles in Indonesia to the primal African savannah, darkness turns up the terror in the struggle to make it to dawn. 

Survivor S35 – S38 | First on Showmax | Binge from 16 December 

Four seasons of never-before-seen-in-SA Survivor to binge? Yes please! All four seasons were filmed in the tropical paradise of Fiji, and each has a special twist on the format. In S35, contestants are divided into Heroes vs Healers vs Hustlers; in S36, Ghost Island, selected contestants are exiled to an island of second chances; S37 is entitled David vs Goliath, pitting underdogs against overachievers. And in S38, four returning players try their luck against 14 newbies in a game entitled Edge of Extinction. 

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Editor’s Choice: Kids

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New Disney’s DuckTales S2 | Binge from 2 December 

Scrooge McDuck and his great-nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie, go on a series of crazy adventures in this fun series. In the second season, Scrooge and his rival, Flintheart Glomgold, compete to make the most money in a year, and Donald Duck’s twin sister reappears after years in captivity on the Moon. 

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic S8 | Binge from 5 December

Twilight Sparkle, her friends and her students at her School of Friendship go on magical adventures in the eighth instalment of this popular franchise. The Mane 6 will be joined by exciting new characters, including a dragon, a yak and a griffin! 

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Editor’s Choice: South African additions

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Sew the Winter to My Skin (2018) | First on Showmax | 2 December 

Sew the Winter to My Skin explores the story of the legendary stock thief  John Kepe (Ezra Mabengeza), a Robin Hood figure who, from the 1920s to the 1950s, is said to have stolen livestock and supplies from rich white people and given to the poor, indigenous people of the Karoo. 

Sew the Winter to My Skin is directed by Jahmil X. T. Qubeka (Knuckle City), who just won the inaugural Emerging Storyteller Award at the MultiChoice Africa’s Most-Loved Storytellers Awards at the Joburg Film Festival with his producer and editor, Layla Swart. 

82% critics rating, Rotten Tomatoes; South Africa’s official entry to the 2018 Academy Awards for best foreign language | SAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film- Zolisa Xaluva | Best Feature Film, Cape Town International Film Festival

Sisters of the Wilderness (2018) | First on Showmax | 2 December

Directed by former MIPDOC Trailblazer Karin Slater, Sisters of the Wilderness is set in South Africa’s iMfolozi wilderness, the oldest game park in Africa, where five young Zulu women undertake a journey of self-discovery, healing, and reconnection with the stillness and raw beauty of the natural world. 

KwaMashu-born Lihle Mbokazi, the first black South African female wilderness guide, is one of their guides as they sleep under the stars, encounter elephants and rhinos up close, and learn to survive in the wild on their first-time hike into the wilderness. 

Along the way, they learn about the plight of this pristine reserve, which is severely threatened by an open-cast coal mine on its border and by intensifying rhino poaching. 

Won Best South African Feature Documentary at the Oscar-qualifying Durban International Film Festival 2018.

Love Lives Here (2019) | First on Showmax | 2 December

Zinhle (Thando Thabethe from Generations: The Legacy) is a hard-working modern woman with strong traditional values who knows what she deserves, and believes she knows what kind of man she needs to be happy. She is not willing to play games and waste time; she is ready to take the next step in her life and get married.

When she meets Nkosinathi (Lungile Radu from Rhythm City), the chemistry they feel for each other is too hard to ignore. Can they overcome their baggage to find out where love truly lives?

The 7th biggest local movie at the South African box office this year

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Also launching on Showmax this December

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1 December

Famalam S1

A Very Merry Toy Store (2017) | Back to Christmas (2014) | Christmas in Wonderland (2018) | Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever (2014)| Heaven Sent (2016)

2 December

American Dad S14 | Bob’s Burgers S8 | Glee S1 – S6 | Grey’s Anatomy S1 – S15 | Guidance S1 – S3 | Taken Down S1 

1989: The Year That Made Us | Manson’s Lost Girls | Manson: The Lost Tapes | Sex Life S1 | The Bible S1 | Top Gear S24 – S26 | Who Killed JonBenet? | Wild Way of the Vikings

Deep End (2018)

5 December

Red 2 (2013) | Mortal Instruments: City of Bone (2013) | Wonder Park (2019)

Radio Raps Live: Genuine 

7 December

Disney’s Shake It Up S2-3 | Disney’s The Evermoor Chronicles S1-2

12 December

Eva (2018)

14 December

Joe All Alone S1

16 December

Nobody’s Fool (2018)

18 December

Redakai: Conquer The Kairu S1

19 December

Wrapped Up In Christmas (2017)

21 December

Teen Titans Go! S1 | Magiki S1

24 December

The Girl in the Spider’s Web (2018)

25 December

Adventure Time – New Episodes | Regular Show – New Episodes | Fort Boyard: The Ultimate Challenge S5-6

28 December

Wacky Races | Dorothy & the Wizard of Oz S1 | Pat the Dog S1

• Please note all shows and dates are subject to change.