What's on TV this week—Squid Game, Doctor Who's Christmas special

Welcome to What’s On, our weekly roundup of notable shows. Here is what’s happening from Sunday, December 22 to Thursday, December 26. All times are Eastern. [Note: The weekend edition of What’s On drops on Fridays.]   

The biggies

Doctor Who: Joy To The World (Disney+, Wednesday, 12:10 p.m.)

Ncuti Gatwa resumes his duties as the Fifteenth Doctor in this holiday episode, in which he teams up with the titular Joy (Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan) at The Time Hotel (and meets his future self). Check out The A.V. Club‘s review.

Squid Game (Netflix, Thursday, 3:01 a.m.)

It took more than three years but Squid Game‘s next round is upon us like some sort of a dystopian Christmas present. In season two, lone survivor Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) seeks revenge on The First Man and everyone involved in creating the bloody games he participated in and won at the cost of 455 lives. His quest takes him right back into the battle zone, where he’ll face off against new competitors. The A.V. Club‘s episode recaps publish daily starting Thursday morning.

More newbies

Your Friend, Nate Bargatze (Netflix, Tuesday, 3:01 a.m.)

Nate Bargatze—who, according to Pollstar, is the highest earning comedian in the world—presents his third standup special for Netflix, in which he talks about wanting a second dog, going on boys’ nights, and why his wife is the responsible partner.

ChiefsAholic (Prime Video, Tuesday, 3:01 a.m.)

Dylan Sires directs the true-crime doc ChiefAHolic, unraveling the life story of boisterous Kansas City Chiefs superfan  Xaviar Babudar, who was known for being vocal on social media about his love for the team. As it turns out, he was also a serial bank robber in the Midwest who was sentenced to 17 and a half years in prison without parole in 2024.

Other picks

Back The Year Up With Kevin Hart And Kenan Thompson (Peacock, Monday, 3:01 a.m.)

As they have for the past couple of years, Kevin Hart and SNL‘s Kenan Thompson team up to revisit the important news events of 2024 and give their comedic takes on everything it, er, put us through.

Call The Midwife (PBS, Wednesday, 8 p.m.)

For Call The Midwife fans, it’s not Christmas until the show’s holiday episode airs. This year’s two-hour installment is set in 1969, when the festive spirit is dampened at Nonnatus House by the spread of influenza and break-ins after reports of an escaped prisoner.

Can’t miss recaps

Dune: Prophecy (HBO, Sunday, 9 p.m., season one finale)

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Disney+, Tuesday, 9:01 p.m.) 

Shrinking (Apple TV+, Wednesday, 12:01 a.m., season two finale) 

Arriving now

What If…? (Disney+, Sunday, 3:01 a.m., season three premiere) 

Ending soon

Invincible Fight Girl (Adult Swim, Sunday, 12 a.m., season one finale) 

Get Millie Black (HBO, Monday, 9 p.m., season one finale)

Bad Sisters (Apple TV+, Wednesday, 12:01 a.m., season two finale)