1923 and 9 Other Shows to Watch This Week

Looking for your next binge-watch, or just need to fill an hour? Welcome to Your Weekly Watch List, our curated collection of the best shows on television. Here’s what to watch from Monday, December 12 through Sunday, December 18.

Festive holiday fare and a slew of major premieres make for a great week of TV. As 1923 and National Treasure: Edge of History expand the worlds of popular franchises, FX adapts Octavia Butler’s Kindred, Murderville investigates Santa’s murder, and more.

Notable TV Premieres This Week

National Treasure: Edge of History: Wednesday, Disney+

15 years after Nicolas Cage closed the book on National Treasure, the franchise gets a new adaptation told from the perspective of Jess Valenzuela (Lisette Olivera), a 22-year-old DREAMer who goes hunting for an ancient treasure linked to her late father. Original stars Justin Bartha and Harvey Keitel reprise their roles as tech whiz Riley Poole and FBI Agent Peter Sadusky, respectively, in the sequel, while Catherine Zeta-Jones joins the cast as Billie, a black market antiquities expert who becomes Jess’ main competition. Two episodes drop today.

1923: Sunday, Paramount+

The Yellowstone prequels keep coming. Following the success of 1883, Taylor Sheridan jumps forward in time to tell the story of a new generation of Duttons, played by Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. Set in a time of economic devastation and a historic drought, 1923 follows Jacob (Ford), the brother of James Dutton (Tim McGraw in 1883), and Cara (Mirren) as they fight to secure their family’s future on the ranch. One episode drops every week on Paramount+, but the premiere will also air Sunday at 9:00 PM ET on Paramount Network.

Full-Season Binge Releases

Kindred: Tuesday, Hulu

Don’t finalize those Best of the Year lists quite yet. FX brings Octavia Butler’s acclaimed 1979 novel to life in Kindred, a genre-bending drama about a young Black woman (Mallori Johnson) who finds herself pulled back and forth in time to a 19th-century plantation. As she fights to survive, she’s forced to confront secrets she never knew about her ancestors that send shockwaves through her modern-day life. The FX on Hulu drama also stars True Blood alum Ryan Kwanten, Gayle Rankin (best known for playing She-Wolf in GLOW), and Micah Stock (Escape at Dannemora).

Dr. Seuss Baking Challenge: Tuesday, Prime Video

Oh, the places you’ll go with $50,000... Prime Video transforms a regular kitchen into the City of Seuss in this baking competition that sees nine teams of pastry chefs and cake artists compete in challenges inspired by Dr. Seuss classics, including “The Cat in the Hat,” “Green Eggs and Ham,” and “The Lorax.” Host Tamera Mowry-Housley oversees the affair.

The Recruit: Friday, Netflix

After making his DC Extended Universe debut in Black Adam, Noah Centineo remains in action mode in spy thriller The Recruit. Fresh out of law school and eager to make his mark at the CIA, Owen Hendricks (Centineo) accidentally stumbles upon an international conspiracy when a former spy threatens to expose agency secrets. The show’s blend of lighthearted humor and high-stakes action is reminiscent of Killing Eve and Prime Video’s Reacher.

Finale Time

Survivor: Wednesday, 8:00 PM ET on CBS

An all-around sloppy season of Survivor comes to an end with one last Tribal Council. This fall’s competition has been marked by questionable strategy and sketchy editing, but a good finale has been known to wipe away the sins of a subpar season. There are still a few players worth rooting for in the finale, even as the “new era” of Survivor has us wishing Jeff Probst would walk back some of the show’s changes. Read more: Ahead of the finale, Primetimer’s resident Survivor expert Joe Reid chatted with former stars about who should win Survivor 43.

Harry & Meghan: Thursday, Netflix

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, continue to tell their story in three final episodes of their Netflix docuseries. The royal couple reflect on what led them to step back from their full-time roles in the institution, life as parents of two, and their fraught relationship with the British press.

Holiday Specials

Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Mystery: Thursday, Netflix

Detective Terry Seattle (Will Arnett) returns to Netflix to solve the biggest mystery of the holiday season: Who killed Santa Claus? Terry Seattle recruits celebrity guest stars Jason Bateman and Maya Rudolph to help investigate, but without a script, they must improvise their way through the case and identify the killer. The one-off special serves as a follow-up to the first season of Arnett’s delightfully over-the-top comedy, which debuted earlier this year.

Ghosts: The Christmas Spirit: Thursday, 8:00 PM ET on CBS and Paramount+

Merry #Ghostsmas! The hit CBS comedy celebrates the holidays in a big way with an hour-long episode. When Jay’s sister, Bela (Punam Patel), visits Woodstone Mansion and brings along an adoring male friend, Sam (Rose McIver) is inspired to spark a romance between them in the spirit of the holiday rom-coms she so adores. Ghosts has been serving low-key sexiness all season, so if Sam has her way, the holiday special should be no exception.

Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration: Thursday, 8 PM ET on ABC (Streams next-day on Disney+)

Can you believe it’s been 30 years since Disney released animated classic Beauty and the Beast? While it’s not technically a holiday movie, ABC still invites the family to gather ‘round and celebrate the occasion with a hybrid live-action/animated special. Josh Groban and H.E.R. will play the lead roles of the Beast and Belle, with David Alan Grier, Martin Short, Shania Twain, and Rita Moreno joining the cast as the film’s supporting characters.

If You Have...

An Hour

Baking It: Monday, Peacock
The Cleaning Lady Season 2 Finale: Monday, 8:00 PM ET on FOX
The Voice Season 22 Finale: Tuesday, 9:00 PM ET on NBC

An Evening

Pelosi in the House: Tuesday, 9:00 PM ET on HBO
Saturday Night Live: Host Austin Butler with musical guest Lizzo: Saturday, 11:30 PM on NBC

A Full Day

Too Hot to Handle Season 4, Episodes 6-10: Wednesday, Netflix

Up Next

Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas To All!: Tuesday, December 20, CBS
Emily in Paris Season 3: Wednesday, December 21, Netflix
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Season 3: Wednesday, December 21, Prime Video
The Witcher: Blood Origin: Sunday, December 25, Netflix

Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.