Netflix is giving subscribers almost too much variety to select from in this week’s fresh lineup. And it’s a bittersweet one, given that Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman’s final movie has arrived. Then Dua Lipa and Nine Inch Nails drop some wisdom on how their musical magic happens, and that’s far from all that the streaming service has to offer. There’s also a series resembling Black Swan and the beginnings of Netflix’s new Afterparty show that will fully take flight next year.
Here’s everything else coming to (and leaving) the streaming platform this week.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix film streaming 12/18)
Chadwick Boseman left this world far too soon, but before he departed, he left us a lasting performance alongside Oscar winner Viola Davis. She portrays the legendary “Mother of the Blues,” and he’s her ambitious trumpeteer, Levee. Together with his fellow musicians, they will conquer a blazing hot 1920s Chicago recording session, and Levee will help inspire his colleagues to unleash truth-revealing stories that will alter their lives and, possibly, history itself. It’s a testament to the blues’ transformative power and adapted from two-time Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson’s play of the same name with Denzel Washington onboard as producer.
Song Exploder: Volume 2 (Netflix streaming 12/15)
Following Volume 1’s popularity (with a line-up including Alicia Keys, Lin-Manuel Miranda, R.E.M., and Ty Dolla $ign), more of the world’s greatest musicians arrive to divulge secrets about how they created one of their tunes. This round features Dua Lipa (whose Future Nostalgia made our Top Albums of 2020 list), Nine Inch Nails, The Killers, and Natalia Lafourcade. They’re all sharing insight into their inspirations while breaking down the layers of their highlighted songs.
The Netflix Afterparty: The Best Shows Of The Worst Year (Netflix streaming 12/13)
No can argue that this has been a hellish year for humanity, but it’s still been a pretty great year for TV. We’ve ranked our favorites, and Netflix is now celebrating the most crowd-pleasing shows that the streaming service had to offer. Expect appearances from Anya Taylor-Joy of The Queen’s Gambit, Lily Collins of Emily in Paris, Emma Corrin and Josh O’Connor of The Crown, and more. On tap as hosts? David Spade, Fortune Feimster, and London Hughes. And next year, this shall become a full-fledged weekly comedy panel show with the Cobra Kai cast and Bill Burr hosting the first 2021 episode.
Tiny Pretty Things (Netflix streaming 12/16)
Dance into the world of a Chicago-set elite ballet academy in this series based upon the book by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton. Once inside, this show will introduce an oasis for young adults who adapt to a new world, far away from home, while preparing for the city’s renowned professional dance company. All walks of life will unite through their passion for dance and their desire to fulfill lifelong dreams.
Here’s a full list of what’s been added in the last week:
Avail. 12/14
A California Christmas
Hilda: Season 2
Tiny Pretty Things
Avail. 12/15
Black Ink Crew New York: Seasons 1-2
The Challenge: Seasons 10 and 13
Grizzlies
The Professor and the Madman
Pup Academy: Season 2
Song Exploder: Volume 2
Teen Mom 2: Seasons 1-2
Avail. 12/16
Anitta: Made In Honorio
BREAK IT ALL: The History of Rock in Latin America
How To Ruin Christmas: The Wedding.
Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Nocturnal Animals
The Ripper
Run On
Vir Das: Outside In – The Lockdown Special
Avail. 12/17
Braven
Avail. 12/18
Guest House
Home for Christmas: Season 2
Jeopardy! Champion Run V
Jeopardy! Champion Run VI
Jeopardy! Teacher’s Tournament
Jeopardy! College Championship
Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Sweet Home
Avail. 12/20
Rhys Nicholson Live At The Athenaeum
And here’s what’s leaving next week, so it’s your last chance:
Leaving 12/22
The Little Hours
Leaving 12/24
The West Wing: Seasons 1-7
Leaving 12/25
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Leaving 12/27
Fifty
Leaving 12/28
Lawless