The end of the year is looming, but TV isn’t slowing down a bit. This week we have all sorts of offerings to pad out the doldrums of this long dark we’re in (curse you, daylight savings time). If you’re looking for something more exciting, there’s Culprits, a heist murder mystery, or Blood Coast, a new crime thriller from Netflix. Or maybe you prefer the cozier comforts of Mr. Monk’s Last Case — the TV movie that, if the title is to be believed, will be the final farewell for the beloved Tony Shalhoub character.
Here’s the best new TV premieres and finales to watch this week:
New shows on Netflix
Blood Coast
Genre: Gritty police drama
Release date: Dec. 6, with all episodes
Showrunner/creator: Kamel Guemra
Cast: Tewfik Jallab, Jeanne Goursaud, Nicolas Duvauchelle, and more
We’re all familiar with the formula for dramatic police procedurals: A team with unusual methods who gets results runs up against an enemy who pushes them to their limits. Blood Coast — as the name might suggest — follows this formula, with what Netflix describes as a “rogue police captain and his daredevil team” taking on a brutal drug dealer.
Hilda season 3
Genre: Charming animation
Release date: Dec. 7, with all episodes
Showrunner/creator: Luke Pearson
Cast: Bella Ramsey, Rasmus Hardiker, Daisy Haggard, Ameerah Falzon-Ojo, and more
Hilda is back! The plucky, fearless girl who loves nature — and lives in a land populated with trolls, fairies, deerfoxes, and more — has returned along with her friends, to charm us and show us the benefits of exploring the natural world.
The Great British Baking Show: Holidays: season 6
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Image: Netflix
Genre: Cozy baking competition
Release date: Dec. 8, with both episodes
Judges: Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith
Cast: GBBO bakers of the past
The holiday season means bundling up, eating some good food, and watching the Great British Bake Off holiday specials. This year, the two episodes include bakers from seasons past competing to be the star baker of 2023, along with a separate competition for famous faces of Channel 4 — including Gaby Roslin, Sir Tony Robinson, Miquita Oliver, Terry Christian, and Claire Sweeney.
New shows on Hulu
Culprits
Genre: Crime thriller
Release date: Dec. 8
Showrunner/creator: J Blakeson
Cast: Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Gemma Arterton, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Niamh Algar, Kamel El Basha, and more
A killer is targeting the crew of a high-stakes heist. Now it’s up to Joe — a dad who’s been living a double-life — to track down his old gang and figure out what the shadowy criminal who brought them all together might know about what’s happening to them.
New shows on Prime Video
Coach Prime
Genre: Sports docuseries
Release date: Dec. 7, with two episodes
Cast: Deion Sanders
Former multi-sport star Deion Sanders has taken the college football world by storm since turning his attention to coaching. He brought talent and success to Jackson State during his time there, and has since gone on to bring his quotability, charisma, and controversy to Colorado. This season follows his first year at Colorado, after the show’s first season documented his third and final year at Jackson State.
New shows on Peacock
Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie
Genre: Murder mystery
Release date: Dec. 8
Showrunner/creator: Andy Breckman
Cast: Tony Shalhoub, Hector Elizondo, Ted Levine, and more
Mr. Monk is back and on the case. Like all the greats before him, Monk is being called out of retirement for one last case — this time involving his stepdaughter Molly (Caitlin McGee). She’s also preparing for her wedding and he’s dealing with life post-COVID, so there should be a whole bunch of shenanigans outside of just the murder.
New shows on Paramount Plus
Frasier (reboot) season 1 finale
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Image: Paramount Network Television/CBS Television Distribution
Genre: Sitcom reboot
Release date: Dec. 7
Showrunner/creator: David Angell
Cast: Kelsey Grammer, Jack Cutmore-Scott, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Toks Olagundoye, Jess Salgueiro, Anders Keith, Peri Gilpin, and more
Frasier’s first year in Boston is over! Him being Frasier, not much is emotionally sorted (yes he’s a therapist, but he doesn’t always love to bring his work home with him), but hey! Them’s the breaks. Will Frasier set up a season 2 for Seattle’s Boston’s favorite curmudgeonly therapist?