By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on Facebook & X.
Former editor of 4 TV magazines.
Max, the streaming service formerly known as HBO Max, plans to add 124 new TV shows and movies and 18 live sports events in December 2023. Here are the four most interesting, in my humble opinion. (Update, December 5: Max revealed on December 4 that Barbie, the massive box office hit starring Margot Robbie, will be added on December 15.)
4 Most Interesting Max Titles In December
Bookie (Season 1 Finale)
Sebastian Maniscalco (The Irishman) plays a bookie on the dark side of LA where gambling will soon be legal and gamblers are more psychopathic than ever. Maniscalco is a gifted comedic and dramatic actor so catch up with season one before the season finale airs on December 21.
The Gilded Age (Season 2 Finale)
The HBO original series, which stars Carrie Coon, Cynthia Nixon, Morgan Spector and Christine Baranski, chronicles high society in New York during the boom times of the 1880s. If you like Downton Abbey, and similar fare, this is right up your Jay Gould alley. Rotten Tomatoes gave season one a score of 79 out of 100. The season two finale is December 17.
NBA In-Season Tournament Group Play
The NBA this year is holding an in-season tournament beginning November 9 and culminating with the championship on December 9. As the sister of TNT, Max in December will stream quarterfinals and semifinals play on December 4, 5 and 7. The championship game will be December 9 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Time Bomb Y2K
The HBO original doc examines the hysteria that swept the nation leading up to the new millennium on January 1, 2000. Relatively sober people (and some not so sober) predicted everything from widespread computer shutdowns to possibly even a nuclear disaster because of a Y2K bug that would take over all machines with the turn of the clock. Debuts December 30.
Editor’s Note: The 4 ‘most interesting’ titles were chosen before news of the Barbie addition.
Complete List of New Titles Coming to Max In December 2023:
December 1
9 (2009)
Anna and the King (1999)
Behind Enemy Lines (2001)
The Biggest Little Farm (2019)
Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991)
Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)
The Box (2009)
Clear and Present Danger (1994)
The Color Purple (1985)
Curse of the Pink Panther (1983)
Cut Bank (2015)
Denial (2016)
Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003)
Die Another Day (2002)
Doomsday (2008)
Elektra (2005)
Eye in the Sky (2016)
Flipped (2010)
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
From Russia with Love (1964)
Goldfinger (1965)
Hereafter (2010)
Hitman: Agent 47 (2015)
How To Eat Fried Worms (2006)
The Hunt For Red October (1990)
I Am
The Informant! (2009)
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013)
Jurassic World (2015)
License to Kill (1989)
Live and Let Die (1973)
The Longest Ride (2015)
Love in the Time of Cholera (2007)
The Lovers (2017)
Low Tide (2019)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)
Meet the Batwheels, Season 1D (Cartoon Network)
Naked Lunch (1991)
Necessary Roughness (1991)
Notes on a Scandal (2007)
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Over Her Dead Body (2008)
Paranormal Activity (2009)
Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)
Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
Paranormal Activity 4 (2012)
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014)
Patriot Games (1992)
The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)
The Pink Panther (1964)
Prancer: A Christmas Tale (2022)
Ramona and Beezus (2010)
Red Dawn (1984)
Return of the Pink Panther (1975)
Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978)
Semi-Pro (2008)
Sergio Leone: The Italian Who Invented America (2022)
A Shot In The Dark (1964)
Skyfall (2012)
Son of the Pink Panther (1993)
The Souvenir (2019)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018)
The Sum of All Fears (2002)
Timeline (2003)
Trail of the Pink Panther (1982)
Trainwreck (2015)
A View To Kill (1985)
Villeneuve Pironi: Racing’s Untold Tragedy (2022)
The Women (2008)
The World is Not Enough (1999)
December 3
Holiday Party with Andrew and Zoe (Magnolia Network)
Maori Kuhawa And The Floating Worlds Time Forgot
OWN Holiday Movie: A Christmas Serenade (OWN) (2023)
Pets and Pickers, Season 2 (Animal Planet)
Teen Titans Go!: Great Holiday Escape & Christmas Magic (Cartoon Network)
December 4
Murder In Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning (HBO Original)
December 5
Great Photo, Lovely Life (HBO Original) (2023)
Real Time Crime, Season 2 (ID)
December 6
Street Outlaws vs. The World: After Hours (Discovery Channel)
December 7
Boom Boom Bruno (Max Original)
Elmo & Tango Holiday Helpers (Max Original)
Vlad & Niki, Season 2C
December 10
OWN Holiday Movie: A Christmas of Yes (OWN) (2023)
White House Christmas (2023) (HGTV)
December 11
Peltz Beckham vs The Wedding Planners (discovery+ Original)
December 12
1000-lb Sisters, Season 4B (TLC)
sMothered, Season 5 (TLC)
Trees and Other Entanglements (HBO Original) (2023)
December 15
UPDATE: Barbie
The Giver (2014)
On the Tee, Season 1B
December 16
Leo Reich: Literally Who Cares?! (HBO Original)
Mysteries of the Abandoned, Season 8B (Discovery Channel)
December 17
OWN Holiday Movie: The Christmas Detective (OWN) (2023)
The Gilded Age (Season 2 Finale)
December 18
Good Cop Bad Cop (ID)
Gwyneth vs Terry: The Ski Crash Trial (discovery+ Original)
World’s First Battlefield (Science Channel)
Yellowstone Wardens, Season 3 (Animal Planet)
December 19
90 Day Pillow Talk: The Other Way, Season 5 (TLC)
Border Control: Sweden
Contraband: Seized at the Border, Season 2 (Discovery Channel)
December 20
American Masters: Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note (1998)
Daniel (HBO Original) (2023)
December 21
Engineering Catastrophes, Season 5B (Science Channel)
Gary Gulman: Born on 3rd Base (Max Original)
Bookie (Season Finale)
December 23
Bering Sea Gold, Season 12 (Discovery Channel)
December 24
OWN Holiday Movie: Christmas Revisited (OWN) (2023)
Spirited Away: Live On Stage (2023)
December 25
90 Day Fiance: Holiday Special 2023, #1 (TLC)
Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! (2023)
December 26
90 Day Fiance: Holiday Special 2023, #2 (TLC)
Building Outside the Lines (Magnolia Network)
Superchef Grudge Match, Season 2 (Food Network)
Why the Heck Did I Buy This House?, Season 2 (HGTV)
December 28
Married to Real Estate, Season 3 (HGTV)
Oprah and The Color Purple Journey (Max Original) (2023)
December 29
In With the Old, Seasons 5 (Magnolia Network)
Restoring Galveston: The Inn (Magnolia Network)
The Established Home, Season 3 (Magnolia Network)
December 30
Amina’s Way (OWN)
Time Bomb Y2K (HBO Original) (2023)
Live Sports Coming to Max In December:
December 2
Soccer: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. China, 3 p.m.
December 4
NBA In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals
Game 1: Teams TBA, 7 p.m. or 7:30 p.m.
Game 2: Teams TBA, 9:30 p.m. or 10 p.m.
December 5
NBA In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals
Game 1: Teams TBA, 7 p.m. or 7:30 p.m.
Game 2: Teams TBA, 9:30 p.m. or 10 p.m.
Soccer: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. China, 8 p.m.
December 6
NHL: Dallas Stars at Florida Panthers, 7 p.m.
NHL: Carolina Hurricanes at Edmonton Oilers, 9:30 p.m.
December 7
NBA In-Season Tournament Semifinals
Teams TBA, 9 p.m.
December 12
NBA: Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks, 7:30 p.m.
NBA: Golden State Warriors at Phoenix Suns, 10 p.m.
December 13
NHL: Boston Bruins at New Jersey Devils*, 7:30 p.m.
NHL: Buffalo Sabres at Colorado Avalanche*, 10 p.m.
December 19
NBA: Memphis Grizzlies at New Orleans Pelicans, 7:30 p.m.
NBA: Boston Celtics at Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m.
December 20
NHL: New York Islanders at Washington Capitals*, 7:30 p.m.
NHL: Seattle Kraken at Los Angeles Kings*, 10 p.m.
December 27
NHL: Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres, 7:30 p.m.
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.
