Whether you’re in the mood for Naughty or Nice, here’s your complete guide to What to Watch over the holidays. We’ve got the rundown on the best new crime dramas to stream this season. As a bonus, we’ve also got top picks for the best Christmas movies. So sit back with a cuppa, get cozy, and enjoy!

Naughty

If you’re looking for an escape from too much turkey, mince pies, and hectic holiday gatherings, we’ve got you covered. From a missing girl saga to a new Siobhan Finneran series, and a pair of moody Canadian police dramas — plus a brand new Harlan Coben on Netflix — there’s plenty to watch over Christmas on the telly or iPad. We go Down Under too for a highly rated Australian crime drama. Read on for our top Naughty picks!

Missing You – Netflix – 1 Jan

Over a decade after Detective Kat Donovan’s fiancé Josh disappeared without a trace, she’s never heard from him—until she spots him on a dating app! The latest Harlan Coben mystery stars Rosalind Eleazar (Slow Horses) and crime drama fav James Nesbit.

Reawakening – Available on Apple TV and Sky Store

A couple whose daughter aged 14 went missing and then reappears after a decade. But is it really her? Starring Jared Harris, Juliet Stevenson, and Erin Doherty

Lockerbie – A search for truth – Peacock and Sky – 2 Jan

A father’s (Colin Firth) search for justice after Pan Am Flight 103 explodes over Lockerbie 38 on Dec. 21, 1988, killing 259 on board and 11 on the ground.

Protection – BritBox, Prime – 29 Dec

Following a witness protection officer (Happy Valley’s Siobhan Finneran), who finds herself at the centre of a breach, compromised by an extramarital romance with a coworker, but resolute in her resolve to fight back and unearth the real cause of corruption within her unit.

Saint-Pierre – CBC TV – 6 Jan

After exposing corruption, a Newfoundland cop is exiled to French islands where he teams up with a headstrong deputy to solve baffling crimes beyond the idyllic locale’s facade.

Murder in a small town – Available on Hulu

Karl Alberg moves to the idyllic coastal town of Gibsons in British Columbia to become the new police chief but a string of murders and an interest in the attractive local librarian keep him busy.

Patience – Channel 4 – 8 Jan

Set in York, detective Bea Metcalf forms an unlikely duo with young police archivist Patience Evans, opening a door into a whole new world for Patience, who has autism and is able to spot clues that others do not see. Starring Laura Fraser (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) and Ella Maisy Purvis, it is based on hit French series Astrid.

Troppo – Season 2 – Available on Prime in select regions

An eccentric private investigator with a criminal past recruits a disgraced ex-cop to help solve the disappearance of a Korean tech pioneer in the wilds of Far North Queensland. The series is based on the New York Times best-selling Crimson Lake novels by Candice Fox, and stars Thomas Jane and Nicole Chamoun.

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Nice

For a crime drama breather and some festive cheer with the family, here are our picks for the best Nice feel-good Christmas movies and shows of the season — along with a couple of classics.

The Split Barcelona 2-part special – 29 and 30 Dec – BBC One and BBC iPlayer

Whisk yourself away to sunny Spain with the delightful Defoe sisters. Top British family lawyer Hannah Defoe (Nicola Walker) and her family gather for a destination wedding at a gorgeous vineyard in Catalonia’s wine region. Whose wedding is it, and will Hannah find love?

Death in Paradise Christmas Special – 22 Dec – BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Not warmed up enough yet? Head over to our favorite Fictional Caribbean island. When holiday maker Stuart Fullwell (Marcus Brigstocke), fresh from performing karaoke dressed as Santa, is found shot dead on the beach by a young boy Ollie – son of Jamie (Jim Howick) – the Saint Marie police team kick into action. But with no Detective Inspector in place of the recently departed Neville Parker, are they capable of tackling such a big case?

Land of Women – Now on Prime and Apple TV

A New York socialite is forced to flee to a charming Spanish wine town with her mother and daughter. She finds herself navigating small-town quirks while also confronting her deepest family secrets, and a pair of bumbling hit men. Starring Eva Longoria.

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Christmas family movie classic picks

The Holiday

Detective Knight: Redemption

Christmas in Notting Hill – Netflix

Love Actually

Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Mystery

Holiday in the Wild – Netflix

Must watch crime drama list

TV

Get Millie Black

Disclaimer

Day of the Jackal

Lioness

Showtrial Season 2

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Movies

Carry-On – Netflix – 13 Dec

An airport security officer races to outsmart a mysterious traveler forcing him to let a dangerous item slip onto a Christmas Eve flight. Edge of you seat stuff!

Juror #2 – Apple TV, Prime, Sky Store – 20 Dec

A juror for a high-profile murder trial finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma that could influence the verdict and potentially convict, or free, the accused killer.

Conclave – Prime and Peacock – 10 Oct

Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events — participating in the selection of a new pope. Surrounded by powerful religious leaders in the halls of the Vatican, he soon uncovers a trail of deep secrets that could shake the very foundation of the Roman Catholic Church

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Read on for more great shows streaming now!

Strike: The Ink Black Heart 

In season 6 of the series, Cormoran Strike, an injured war veteran turned PI, and secretary Robin Ellacott seek the truth surrounding a mysterious death in Strike: The Ink Black Heart. Edie Ledwell, the co-creator of a cult TV cartoon, The Ink Black Heart, is being harassed by an online figure, Anomie. She asks Robin to uncover Anomie’s true identity. But then Edie is found dead.

16 December. BBC.

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Landman

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7zxh49-bsIk

Yellowstone is back — and so is another another Taylor Sheridan series. Described by Paramount Plus as “a tale of fortune-seeking in the world of oil rigs,” the West Texas-set series is a modern-day Dallas starring big names like Demi Moore (Sue Ellen?) and Jon Hamm (JR?) as well as Billy Bob Thornton who plays the lead — Tommy Norris — an oil company crisis manager.


17 November. Paramount Plus.

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Black Doves

When a spy posing as a politician’s wife learns her lover has been murdered, an old assassin friend joins her on a quest for truth — and vengeance. It’s The Guardian’s “pick of the week’: “A slick, nasty festive thriller”. I’m in!

5 December. Netflix.

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Dalgliesh

Season 3 of the popular detective series starring Bertie Carvel debuts on Channel 5. Based on P.D. James Inspector Dalgliesh Mysteries, the new season consists of six episodes, divided into three adaptations of the books, starting with Death in Holy Orders.

5 December. Channel 5 and Acorn TV.

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Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey

This fascinating new Netflix docuseries revisits the infamous and shocking child murder case in Colorado, exploring blatant police missteps – and outright incompetency – so bad it’s almost unbelievable. The series examines what it would take to finally bring the killer to justice.

25 November. Netflix.

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Get Millie Black

Former Scotland Yard detective Millie-Jean Black returns to her hometown, Kingston, Jamaica, to work on missing persons cases. The five-episode HBO Original limited series stars Tamara Lawrance and was created and executive produced by Booker Prize-winning author Marlon James.

The reviews are in: “Get Millie Black is a vivid, pulsating reminder of how forcefully the cobwebs can be swept from even the stodgiest of plots if you find a location viewers haven’t tired of, introduce characters who rise organically from that environment and honor those elements as thoroughly as you do the inevitably rising body count and the unfolding conspiracy.‘’ ~ The Hollywood Reporter

25 November. HBO, Channel 4, Max.

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The Agency

The Agency follows a CIA agent ordered to abandon his undercover life and return to London. When the love he left behind reappears, romance reignites and he is thrown into a deadly game of international intrigue.

29 November. Paramount+

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Matlock

A terrifically cast Kathy Bates stars as lawyer Madeline ‘Matty’ Matlock, who decides to get back into the workforce in her 70s. But don’t let age and her unassuming approach fool anyone.

26 November. Sky Witness, fuboTV, Paramount+ Amazon.

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A Man on the Inside

For something light, funny, and just perfect for the holidays give A Man on the Inside a try; Starring Ted Danson as a retired professor who gets a new lease on life when a private investigator hires him to go undercover inside a San Francisco retirement home. Nine episodes in all.

21 November. Netflix.

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Shetland

Shetland reveals more about what the mysterious research centre is up to, as DI Calder and DI McIntosh investigate the murders of Annie Bett and Anton Bergen.

SPOILER ALERT: RECAP-REVIEW

(New episode) 20 November. Season 9. BBC One.

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Lioness

Lioness continues, in a tense new direction. Only one more episode left and what a tumultuous and deadly ride it’s been this season.

17 November. Season 2. Paramount+

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November 2023: More Top Crime Thrillers to Stream

The Day of the Jackal – Peacock in the US and Sky Atlantic in the UK

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Yellowstone – Paramount Network/Plus

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The Buckingham Murders – Netflix

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Say Nothing – Disney+/Hulu

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Hightown – Starz

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Ludwig. BBCiPlayer

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Whitstable Pearl Season 3. Acorn TV

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DI Ray Season 2. ITV1

SPOILER ALERT: RECAP-REVIEW

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The Lincoln Lawyer Season 3. Netflix

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The Cate Blanchette thriller Disclaimer. She is really good in it, but it’s Kevin Kline (remember him in The Big Chill, French Kiss – yes it’s really him) who really steals the show.

Apple TV+

SPOILER ALERT: RECAP-REVIEW