Best Binge Watches For Twixmas: Box Sets, Thrillers & 2023 Favourites

What to do in that liminal space between Christmas and New Year? If you’re organised, you might have planned a festive(ish) escape. But the rest of us are left grappling to fill our time. Luckily, 2023 has been an incredible year of TV – and Twixmas (that is, ‘betwixtmas’: the space between Christmas and New Year) is the perfect time to catch up. Here are the best binge watches for Twixmas this year, from completed series to revision for 2024 releases.

Need More Twixmas Plans? Check Out Our Full Guide Here

Best Binge Watches For Twixmas 2023

Jeremy Strong in Succession (Peter Kramer/HBO)

Succession

A huge HBO show drew to an end in 2023: Succession. A slow-burner for the American channel, Succession grew from a cult-followed business drama to a mainstream hit that everyone was talking about. We follow the Roy family, who own and run the global media and entertainment conglomerate Waystar RoyCo under patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox). He has three children – but who should get control of the company amid uncertainty about his health? Renowned for its depiction of familial power dynamics and conflict, and at the forefront of the rise of one of 2023’s biggest fashion trends, quiet luxury, Succession is complex and addictive – making it the perfect binge watch for Twixmas.

Where Is It Streaming? UK viewers can stream every episode of Succession on Now TV.

Where Was Succession Filmed? (& Can You Visit?)

Jennifer Coolidge in The White Lotus season 1

The White Lotus

Another HBO drama on everyone’s lips in 2023 was The White Lotus, which rounded out its second season in December 2022. An anthology series focussing on the elite guests of luxurious hotels, the first season is based in Hawaii while the second whisked us off to Sicily. It has spawned a rich array of trends in both fashion and travel, as well as hilarious memes and varied uses of the hypnotic theme tune. Mainly, 2023 discussion of The White Lotus has been speculation about its third series, which has sadly been delayed due to the writers strike; we’ll be lucky to see season 3 in 2024, with 2025 more likely. If you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, Twixmas is a great time to find out.

Where Is It Streaming? UK viewers can stream every episode of The White Lotus on Now TV.

Where Are They Filming The White Lotus Season 3? (& How To Visit)

Dominic West as Noah Solloway and Ruth Wilson as Alison Bailey in The Affair. © 2014 Showtime

The Affair

This American series has two incredible British talents at the fore: Dominic West and Ruth Wilson. It follows the emotional fallout of an extramarital relationship between Noah (West) and Alison (Wilson) after they casually meet at the diner where Alison works. It is a standout, however, for its use of different perspectives, with episodes often told in two parts from two different points of view, really delving into the nitty gritty of marriage, betrayal and all the complexities therewithin. With five seasons available, it makes for an ideal Twixmas TV marathon.

Where Is It Streaming? The Affair is available to stream in the UK on Now TV, Paramount+ and Prime Video.

© Niko Tavernise/HBO

The Undoing

If you’re looking for a short binge watch, The Undoing is the one for you. A limited series of only six episodes, it debuted in 2020, quickly whipping up a dedicated audience who tuned in every week for new episodes. Starring an ensemble cast of Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, Édgar Ramírez, Noah Jupe, Lily Rabe and more, it is an adaptation of Jean Hanff Korelitz’s 2014 novel You Should Have Known, revolving around a wealthy New York therapist, Grace Fraser (Kidman), whose life is turned upside down after she and her family get involved in a murder case.

Where Is It Streaming? The Undoing is available to stream in the UK on Now TV.

Daisy Jones & The Six

Missed this big hitter earlier this year? Now’s the time to catch up – especially if you loved the Taylor Jenkins Reid novel it is based on. Daisy Jones & The Six sets the scene in 1970s America, where rock band The Six is vying for stardom while solo artist Daisy is grappling to navigate an alcohol-soaked adolescence and a sexist music industry. Together, they form the biggest rock concert in history – before rapidly descending from the high. This is the story of that fall from grace, told through retrospective interviews and flashbacks – all fictional of course. Starring Sam Claflin, Riley Keough, Suki Waterhouse and more, with only 10 episodes, it’s the perfect binge-watch (achievable in one day, if you dare).

Where Is It Streaming? Daisy Jones & The Six is available to stream exclusively on Prime Video.

Unconvinced? Read Our Review Of Daisy Jones & The Six Here

Bridgerton (L to R) Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Bidgerton and Regé-Jean Page as Simon Basset. Image courtesy of Liam Daniel/Netflix © 2020

Bridgerton

For a long time, we thought we’d be getting a third series of Bridgerton in time for Christmas so we could relive our Christmas 2020 whirlwind romance with Daphne and the Duke of Hastings. But alas, the SAG-AFTRA strikes have scuppered our dreams (for a good cause, of course). If you’re missing the reimagined Regency magic, Twixmas gives you ample time for a rewatch. Plus, the spin-off, Queen Charlotte, is totally worth the watch if you haven’t tuned in already.

Where Is It Streaming? Both seasons of Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story are streaming exclusively on Netflix.

Alisha Boe, Josie Totah, Kristine Frøseth, Aubri Ibrag and Imogen Waterhouse in “The Buccaneers,” now streaming on Apple TV+.

The Buccaneers

If Bridgerton isn’t quite scratching the itch, time to binge something new. How about Apple TV’s The Buccaneers? Just renewed for a second series, eight episodes were released weekly on the streaming platform in November and December. If you haven’t tuned in yet, you’re just in time to binge all of them at once. Based on an unfinished Edith Wharton novel, the series is set in the 1870s and is split between the US and the UK, and the culture differences are a key topic. A gaggle of boisterous American teenage girls – daughters of America’s newly rich – travel to London with the aim of securing marriages to dashing aristocrats. And, of course, the culture clash ensures. Annoying to some yet strikingly endearing and refreshing to others, the girls navigate life among the British elite with many laughs, cries and squabbles in between.

Where Is It Streaming? The Buccaneers is exclusively streaming on Apple TV.

Where Was The Buccaneers Filmed? (& Can You Visit?)

(L-R) Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie in ‘Kin’ (season 1, episode 6), The Last of Us.

The Last Of Us

Another much-adored series getting a second season very soon is The Last Of Us – one of 2023’s breakthrough hits. Based on the action adventure video game of the same name, The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic series following Joel (Pedro Pascal) as he smuggles teenager Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across a barren wasteland of a nation riddled with zombies. Praised for its fresh take on zombies – people are converted when they catch a fungal infection – the storytelling is truly incredible, with intense, thought-provoking and intimate storylines backdropped by the end of the world as we know it. Who knew a zombie video game adaptation could be so gripping?

Where Is It Streaming? UK viewers can stream every episode of The Last Of Us on Now TV.

Idris Elba in “Hijack,” now streaming on Apple TV+.

Hijack

2023 was a big year for Apple TV’s original series, with Hijack also making a splash. A perfect British thriller with more of a Hollywood scale budget, the seven-part series tells the hour-by-hour story of a hijacked plane travelling from Dubai to London. One of the passengers aboard is Sam Nelson – a corporate business negotiator played by Idris Elba – who simply refuses to die today, utilising his skills to broker a peaceful end to the horrifying ordeal. But will he be successful? Are his motives totally pure? And how will the other passengers react to him seemingly playing along?

Where Is It Streaming? Hijack is exclusively streaming on Apple TV.

Intrigued? Read Our Interview With Series Star Aimee Kelly For The Inside Scoop

David Tennant as The Doctor. © BBC Studios

Doctor Who

The BBC’s shiny new partnership with Disney on its long-running, much-loved sci-fi series Doctor Who is drawing new fans to the series. We recently watched a three-part 60th anniversary special with a surprise ending, and Ncuti Gatwa’s first series as the Doctor will kick off on Christmas Day. But if you’re looking to relive the magic or learn the Whoniverse lore for the first time, Twixmas is the perfect time to binge watch Doctor Who. You could go deep: every episode ever (that’s from 1963–present) is available on BBC iPlayer. Or you can keep it simple and watch from 2005’s revival; that’s more than 150 episodes, fyi.

Where Is It Streaming? UK viewers can stream every episode of Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer.

Outlander

Fancy joining a new fandom? Historical fiction fans should tune into Outlander, an addictive series led by Caitríona Balfe, based on Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling book series of the same name. Claire Randall (Balfe) is a former WWII military nurse in Scotland who falls through a time loop and is transported from 1945 to 1743. There, she encounters Highland warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan), falling in love and marrying him – despite having a husband in 1945. The series follows her 18th century adventures, including becoming embroiled in the Jacobite rising and the complexities of her relationships in the past and present.

Where Is It Streaming? UK viewers can stream Outlander on Prime Video and Lionsgate+.

Joey Phillips: ‘Caitriona Balfe Is The Best Woman In Every Sense’ – Interview

The Crown: Netflix

The Crown

Another show that has drawn to an (underwhelming) end this year is The Crown, Netflix’s brazen fictionalisation of the late Queen Elizabeth’s time on the British throne, chronicling various family scandals backdropped by iconic moments in British history. Spanning a whopping 58 years, the series covers everything from Elizabeth’s Coronation to Winston Churchill’s resignation, Thatcher’s rule to Diana’s arrival, Diana’s death to William and Kate’s early romance – and featured three star-studded ensemble casts to boot, with Claire Foy passing the baton to Olivia Colman, and Colman passing it onto Imedla Staunton to play the staunch role of Queen Elizabeth II.

Where Is It Streaming? The Crown is streaming exclusively on Netflix.

Emma D’Arcy as ‘Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen’ and Matt Smith as ‘Prince Daemon Targaryen’ in House of the Dragon.
Photograph by Ollie Upton/HBO

House of the Dragon

Set to return to our screens in summer 2024 is House of the Dragon, HBO’s wildly successful prequel to its even more wildly successful long-running series, Game of Thrones. If you didn’t tune into the first series, Twixmas is the perfect time to binge watch so you’re all scrubbed up for season 2. Set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, we centre on the Targaryen family – and its famed fall from grace – told by an ensemble cast including Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Eve Best and many more. If you’re really behind and you never watched Game of Thrones, Twixmas is the perfect time to catch up on that, too (no judgement here).

Where Is It Streaming? All episodes of House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones are available to stream on Now TV.