What’s new on DStv Now in December 2019

The holidays are going to be huge on DStv, with every channel from M-Net to BBC to Lifetime scheduling a yuletide log’s worth of Christmassy fare in December. (Skip to the end of this piece for the round-up). Also, now that Trackers is finished, the M-Net Sunday night movies are back at 8pm.

A reminder that we’ve only included titles available to DStv Premium subscribers watching DStv Now online or using the DStv Now app (Apple and Android) on The Plum List.

These are some of the series and a documentary we’re particularly looking forward to:

Catherine the Great, starts 2 December

The tumultuous story of how Catherine the Great rose to become a powerful ruler as she transformed the Russian Empire. Starring Dame Helen Mirren.

Butterfly, starts 7 December

Vicky and Stephen are separated parents who discover that their 11-year-old child Max is transgender. This causes tension in the family, especially with Max’s dad Stephen.

McKellen: Playing The Part, 8 December

A riveting documentary following the life and career of Sir Ian McKellen, including excerpts from a 14-hour interview, archival footage and dramatised scenes from his childhood.

Sunshine, starts 20 December

Follow the life of Jacob, a young, aspiring South Sudanese-Australian basketball player who is on the cusp of being picked up by US scouts for the US College league.

Season boxsets on DStv Now in December 2019

• Temptation Island S1, available to binge-watch until 12 Dec
• The Twilight Zone S1, until 13 December
• Godfather of Harlem S1, until 17 Dec
• Love After Lock Up S3, until 17 Dec
• Blue Bloods S9, until 18 Dec
• JC the Barber S1, until 20 Dec
• Watchmen S1, until 23 Dec
• La’t Wiel S2, until 24 Dec
• LA’s Finest S1, until 25 Dec
• Ons Boere, Ons Inspirasie S1, until 26 Dec
• I Blew It S2, until 28 Dec
• Abobaba S1, until 28 Dec
• Grand Hotel S1, until 28 Dec
• Ifalakhe S1, until 29 Dec
• Oppi Kassie S2, until 29 Dec
• The Shop S4, until 30 Dec
• Ithemba S1, until 30 Dec
• Liefde Sonder Grense S1, until 30 Dec
• Hier Gaan Ons Alweer, until 30 Dec
• Vat Jou Goed en Trek, until 30 Dec
• Yim’lo S2, until 31 Dec
• Fynskrif S2, until 31 Dec

What else is on?

Here is everything coming to DStv Now in December, ordered by date. Look out for our Plum Picks in bold.

1 December

• Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
• The Amazing Race S31

Around the World By Train S1

Wild Winter

My Pure Land (2017)

Judge Judy S14

Cheaters S6

Dog: The Bounty Hunter

2 December

• Catherine The Great S1

Feestyd met Taste S1

Extreme Cake Makers S1

The Expandables S1

Key and Peele S4

The Object of Murder

Botched S6

Wheeler Dealers S8

Wicked Tuna: North vs South S6

Border Security S7

3 December

• The Daily Show with Trevor Noah S25
• The Shop S2

Unpolished S1

Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs S8

Witless S2

Lights Out with David Spade S1

4 December

• Law & Order: SVU S21

History of Emirates

Monster Croc Wrangler

American Pickers S17

The Vet Life S2

Taskmasters: Champion of Champions

6 December

Pilgrimage: A Road to Rome S1

How Close Can I Beach? S1

Best Baker in America

7 December

• Butterfly S1
• Dumplin (2018)

Monster Motor Challenge Marathon S2

Chuck Norris: Guide To Military Vehicles S1

Ever Live 2 S1

Salvage Hunters S1

Unspouse My House S1

Paranormal Survivor S5

Are You the One S8

8 December

• McKellen: Playing The Part
• A Star is Born (2018)

Counting Cars S6 and S7

Counting Cars: Danny’s Detroit Special

The Lost Corvette S1

Battle of The 80s Supercars with David Hasselhoff S1

9 December

Wife Swap S12

Soviet Storm: WWII In The East S2

Botched: Jingle Bell Botched

Hip Hop’s Greatest Stories

Untold Stories of Hip Hop S1

10 December

Heartbreak Island

Agatha Raisin S1

Jersey Shore Family Vacation S3

11 December

• Ellen’s Greatest Night of Giveaways

Welcome to Plathville

Salvage Kings S1

13 December

• X Factor All-Stars S1

Buried Secrets of the Bible S1

14 December

Saturday night kids’ movie: A.R.C.H.I.E. 2 (2018)

15 December

• Sunday night movie: Fantastic Beasts The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

Man From Reno (2014)

16 December

Basketball Wives LA S8

19 December

• Wild Bill S1

20 December

• Sunshine S1
• Loudermilk S2
• Wrecked S3

21 December

Splitting Up Together S2

Saturday night kids’ movie: Elliot (2018)

22 December

• Sunday night movie: Dumbo (2019)

Minding the Gap

24 December

• David Bowie – Finding Fame (Holiday Special)
• The Coronation (Christmas Eve Special)

25 December

• Elton John Special

27 December

• The Voice S17

Ultimate Pompeii: The Fugitives S1

28 December

Secrets of a Psychopath

Sticks & Stones S1

Saturday night kids’ movie: Mission Kathmandu (2017)

29 December

Sunday night movie: Second Act (2018)

30 December

• A Secret Evening with Kylie (Holiday Special)

31 December

• Royal Variety Performance 2019

Note: these shows and the dates might change.

Christmas movie festival on Lifetime (131)

Once Upon A Holiday, 1 Dec

A Christmas Wish, 7 Dec

A Mission For Christmas, 8 Dec

A Cinderellas Christmas, 14 Dec

Love for Christmas, 15 Dec

Reunited at Christmas, 21 Dec

A Veteran’s Christmas, 22 Dec

Radio Christmas, 25 Dec

Christmas Reservation, 28 Dec

Random Acts of Christmas, 29 Dec

Christmas movies on Universal (117)

A Gingerbread Romance, 4 Dec

Rooftop Christmas Tree, 12 Dec

Jingle Around the Clock, 19 Dec

The Mistletoe Promise, 25 Dec

Christmas specials on E! Entertainment

Botched: Christmas Special 9 Dec

Dating: No Filter Christmas Special, 16 Dec

Very Cavalli Christmas Special, 23 Dec

Christmas specials on ITV Choice

Celebrity Catchphrase Specials, 16 Dec

Tipping Point Lucky Stars Christmas Special, 23 Dec

Paul O’Grady For the Love of Dogs at Christmas, 24 Dec

The Chase: The Bloopers, 24 Dec

Christmas specials on BBC First

Call the Midwife 2017 Xmas Special, 25 Dec

Call the Midwife 2018 Xmas Special, 26 Dec

Last Tango in Hailfax 2-part Christmas Special, 26 Dec

BBC Brit Christmas Specials

Michael McIntyre’s Big Christmas Show, 23 Dec

Deal Or No Deal Christmas Specials, 23 Dec

Ab Fab Xmas Specials, 23 Dec

Live At The Apollo Xmas Special, 24 Dec

BBC Lifestyle Christmas Specials

Gordon, Gino and Fred’s Christmas Roast, 10 Dec

Classic Mary Berry Christmas, 12 Dec

Nadiya’s Party Favourites, 15 Dec

Jamie and Jimmy’s Food Fight Club Christmas Special, 17 Dec

Jamie’s Christmas Special 2019, 17 Dec

Nigella: At My Table Christmas Special, 19 Dec

Jamie’s Quick and Easy Christmas Special, 21 Dec

Jamie’s Italian Christmas, 22 Dec

20 Years of Jamie Oliver, 24 Dec

BBC Earth Christmas Specials

Inside the Factory XMas Factory 2016, 11 Dec

Inside the Factory XMas Factory 2017, 18 Dec

Inside the Factory XMas Factory 2018, 25 Dec

Reindeer Family & Me, 25 Dec

Holiday specials on 1Magic

Hip Hop’s Greatest Stories, 9 Dec

Chuck Berry, 24 Dec

2019 iHeartRadio Music Festival, 25 Dec

Chaka Khan: Keep on Holding On, 31 Dec

Animanzia kids’ movies

101 Dalmatians, 9 Dec

Hercules, 12 Dec

Ozzy, 16 Dec

Peter Pan, 21 Dec

The Lego Movie, 13 Dec

Ralph Breaks the Internet, 23 Dec

Incredibles 2, 24 Dec

Ninjago Movie, 27 Dec

Ratchet Clank, 27 Dec

Jetsons, 30 Dec

Nickelodeon holiday viewing

4 Weeks of X-mas, 2 Dec

Henry Danger Special, 7 Dec

Best Holidays Ever Marathon, 14 Dec

Christmas Marathon, 21 De

Disney Channel Original Movies for the Holidays

Cheetah Girls, 9 Dec

Cheetah Girls 2, 10 Dec

Cloud 9, 11 Dec

Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, 12 Dec

Adventures in Babysitting, 13 Dec

Princess Protection Programme, 14 Dec

Zapped, 15 Dec

Teen Beach Movies, 16 Dec

Fancy Nancy Clancy, 16 Dec

Teen Beach 2, 17 Dec

Invisible Sister, 18 Dec

16 Wishes, 19 Dec

Freaky Friday, 20 Dec

High School Musical, 21 Dec

High School Musical 2, 22 Dec

Kim Possible: The Movie, 23 Dec

Good Luck Charlie: The Road Trip Movie, 24 Dec

Descendants, 25 Dec

Zombies, 26 Dec

The Swap, 27 Dec

Twitches, 28 Dec

Twitches Too, 29 Dec

Geek Charming, 30 Dec

Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, 31 Dec

M-Net Movies All Stars holiday viewing

Marmaduke, 1 Dec

Elf, 4 Dec

Dirty 30, 8 Dec

A Christmas Hero, 11 Dec

Baggage Claim, 15 Dec

Christmas Grace, 18 Dec

Nothing Like The Holidays, 19 Dec

Fried Claus, 21 Dec

The Christmas Cure, 22 Dec

Fun Mom Dinner, 22 Dec

A Gift to Remember, 24 Dec

The Man Who Invented Christmas, 23 Dec

Home Alone 2, 25 Dec

Amanda and Jack Go Glamping, 29 Dec

What’s on TNT Movies?

Fun Christmas Stunt on 25 Dec: Labyrinth 1986, Hook 1991, Groundhog Day 1993, Shorts 2009, Beetlejuice 1988, The Mask 1994, Beverly Hills Ninja 1997, Little Nicky 2000, Spider-Man 2002

Fun Christmas Stunt on 26 Dec: Innerspace 1987, Fun with Dick and Jane 2005, 3 Ninjas 1992, Jumanji 1995, Spy Kids 2001, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 2005, Green Lantern 2011