Watch the ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 premiere and more this week
Watch the ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 premiere and more this week
The Netflix series is back with new episodes at long last, and other recommendations for the holiday week.
The holiday season has arrived at last. This week, a day that people across the United States — and the world — have been waiting for for a very long time. I speak, of course, of “Stranger Things” week — the show’s long-awaited fifth season will premiere at long last on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
What’s that? It’s Thanksgiving week as well? Then I guess readers will need a little more to keep them going as the week goes along than just one show, however bingeworthy it proves to be. See which titles we recommend for streaming each day of the week — including on the Thanksgiving holiday itself.
Monday, Nov. 24
‘Bel-Air’ Season 4 premiere | Peacock
Season 4 of “Bel-Air” will be the show’s last, giving fans a chance to say a proper goodbye. The series follows the journey of a talented teen whose life is forever transformed when he moves from the streets of West Philadelphia to live with his relatives in one of L.A.’s wealthiest enclaves.
In the show’s fourth season, Will, Carlton, and friends will no doubt face their share of drama. But there’s also plenty of excitement in the air, as the pair is getting ready to start their senior year of high school. What does the future hold for the pair? The answer may well hinge on what they do this season.
Tuesday, Nov. 25
‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 34 finale | ABC, watch with a five-day free trial of DIRECTV.
One of the first reality TV shows to capture the imagination of fans is wrapping its 34th season. The hit series in which celebrities are paired with trained ballroom dancers to compete in themed, choreographed dance routines that are judged by a panel of renowned ballroom experts, including Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough.
There are still five couples left on “Dancing with the Stars” this season: Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy, Robert Irwin and Witney Carson, Jordan Chiles and Erza Sosa, Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten, and Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach. Which couple’s routines will help them win it all?
Wednesday, Nov. 26
‘Stranger Things’ Season 5, Part 1 | Netflix
It’s been three years since the last season of “Stranger Things,” and the town of Hawkins is in pretty dire straits. Huge rifts to the Upside Down have been opened in the town, allowing demogorgons and other horrifying creatures to invade the town, despite the best efforts of Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, and Lucas.
The group knows they are the only chance to seal the rifts and save the world — not to mention their friend Max — from the power of Vecna. It will take all their cunning and all the power Eleven can muster to accomplish their goal, and even with those things by their side, it may not be enough.
Thursday, Nov. 27
The 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade | Peacock
With apologies to the day’s NFL games, the only matchup that will probably produce a good game is the Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions game. Football is a Thanksgiving tradition to be sure, but no more so than the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on NBC and Peacock.
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” “The Office,” and original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports and NBC programming, including the NFL, MLB, WWE, the Olympics, the Premier League, NASCAR, the French Open, college football and basketball, and the PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.
Adults can gather the kids together and watch the floats with their intricate lights, the big balloons like Snoopy and Woodstock, and of course — in a traditional kickoff to the holiday season — Santa will be in attendance as well! Make sure you don’t miss this time-honored Thanksgiving tradition!
Friday, Nov. 28
Black Friday NFL special, Chicago Bears vs. Philadelphia Eagles | Prime Video
You didn’t think I’d go through the entire week without offering up a football game to stream, did you? I was just waiting for the right game, and this one definitely qualifies. The Chicago Bears sit atop the NFC North as of the time of this writing, and they’ll be pitted against the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles.
Prime Video
Prime Video is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 10,000+ movies, TV shows, and Prime Originals like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and more. Subscribers can also add third-party services like Max, Showtime, STARZ, and dozens more with Prime Video Channels. Prime Video also offers exclusive live access to NFL Thursday Night Football.
Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit will call this clash of titans for Prime Video, which could well be a preview of the 2025-26 NFL playoffs. Will Bears quarterback Caleb Williams continue his season of ascension against Vic Fangio and a tough Eagles defense?
Saturday, Nov. 29
‘A Grand Ole Opry Christmas’ original movie premiere | Hallmark Channel, watch with a three-day free trial of Hulu + Live TV
Gentry Wade (Nikki DeLoach), daughter of late country music icon Jett Wade, abandoned her dream of a songwriting career and distanced herself from her father’s legacy following his tragic accident 30 years prior. When the Grand Ole Opry invites her to represent Jett at their centennial celebration at Christmas, she’s hesitant to return to the place steeped in bittersweet memories.
Encouraged by her good friends, Gentry visits the Opry and, while seated in one of the vaunted venue’s oak church pews, is suddenly transported to 1995. Gentry’s lifelong friend Mac (Kristoffer Polaha), a country music talent manager, finds himself in 1995 as well. Thanks to some Christmas magic, Gentry gets precious time with her father, creative inspiration to finish the song she began decades earlier as a teen, and learns surprising answers to questions about her father that have followed her for the last three decades.
Sunday, Nov. 30
‘The Chair Company’ Season 1 finale | HBO Max
“The Chair Company” tells the story of William Ronald “Ron” Trosper, a project manager who is in the midst of one of his biggest tasks in his career. But on the day of his major presentation, Trosper is humiliated in front of his colleagues when his chair collapses onstage during the event.
Unwilling to leave things at that, Trosper begins a hunt to find the chair company responsible for making the faulty seating implement. What follows is a search that takes him deeper and deeper into what soon unfolds as a vast and elaborate conspiracy. Where will his investigation lead Trosper in the end?