15 British Shows To Stream In December 2021

The holidays are in full swing here in the U.S. and across the pond. It's the time when Christmas and holiday specials inundate us from every corner of the screen, as between the immediacy of the season and the early sunset, most viewers are conveniently at home, on the couch, and looking for something warm to watch. As is becoming standard, not everyone is bringing new British content. Last month Netflix sat the month out; this time, it's PBS' turn. But that doesn't mean there isn't plenty to come home to.

So, what's coming to the U.S. in British TV this December? Let's run down the biggest titles arriving this month.

Acorn TV

Under The Vines

A sweet rom-com set in New Zealand, Under The Vines stars Rebecca Gibney (Wanted) as upper-class Australian Daisy and Charles Edwards (The Crown) as Louis, a U.K. lawyer. The two have moved to the island nation to make a go at running a winery and discover the pleasures of farming and love at the same time. Episodes premiere weekly on Mondays starting Dec. 6.

Mary Berry's Country House Secrets

Acorn TV's big holiday premiere features The Great British Baking Show's original judge Mary Berry. Not only will the streamer have all episodes of Country House Secrets arriving as a batch this month, but it's got Mary Berry's Country House at Christmas along with it, where Bill and Cathy Cambridge show up and cook a few recipes. All episodes arrive on Dec. 6.

The Larkins 

Acorn TV's other major debut is The Larkins, a new adaptation of H.E. Bates' classic novel The Darling Buds of May. Starring Bradley Walsh (Doctor Who), Joanna Scanlan (No Offence), and Sabrina Bartlett (Bridgerton), the show follows the warm-hearted, wheeler-dealing adventures of the iconic Larkin family in the idyllic Kent countryside. Episodes air weekly beginning Monday, Dec. 13.

Agatha Raisin: Kissing Christmas Goodbye 

The other female detective series Acorn TV rescued from the oblivion of cancelation after its first season, Agatha Raisin, scores its first holiday special. Agatha Raisin: Kissing Christmas Goodbye will see the detective trying to solve the murder of a woman who hired her believing the ghosts of Christmas past were coming to take her life. The special arrives Monday, Dec. 20.

AMC+

Silent Night

AMC+'s big debut this month is playing with the big boys with an awards bait feature film that's arriving in theaters and debuting on the streaming service simultaneously. This near-future sci-fi apocalyptic holiday film stars Keira Knightley (Pride and Prejudice) and Matthew Goode (Downton Abbey). The couple keeps calm and carries on, inviting their friends over to spend Christmas eve in their idyllic country manor for one last night of fun as the world ends Xmas day. The film arrives on streaming and in select theaters Friday, Dec. 3.

Anne Boleyn

The highly-anticipated super-controversial take on Anne Boleyn, the famous second wife of Henry VIII, arrives stateside just in time for the holidays. Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim) plays the unlucky monarch whose inability to bear a male child to term doomed her life, with all the focus on the sexist, patriarchial implications inherent in her story at the forefront. The three-part limited series streams weekly starting Thursday, Dec. 9.

BritBox

The Tower

Based on the acclaimed debut novel by former homicide squad detective Kate London, The Tower stars Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones) as DSI Sarah Collins. When a veteran cop and teenage girl fall from a tower block in London's East End, Collins must find rookie PC Lizzie Griffiths (Tahirah Sharif, The Haunting of Bly Manor) and the five-year-old boy who witnessed their deaths. All episodes arrive on Dec. 1.

Crime

Based on Irvine Welsh's best-selling novel, Crime stars Dougray Scott (My Week with Marilyn) as Detective Inspector Ray Lennox. The disappearance of a schoolgirl heralds a new serial killer in town, striking fear in the village and leading to inter conflict within the police department on how to handle it. All episodes arrive Tuesday, Dec. 14.

A Ghost Story for Christmas 

BritBox will, as always, carry live footage of most of the BBC's usual Christmas traditions, from the Queen's Speech to Carols From King's. But the new offering this year is the A Ghost Story for Christmas box set, an eleven title collection of BBC-produced short films based on MR James' chilling short stories. All eleven episodes arrive as a set on Monday, Dec. 20.

HBO/HBO Max

Landscapers

HBO's new limited series made in conjunction with Sky Atlantic, Landscapers is based on the real-life 1998 murders of Nottinghamshire residents William and Patricia Wycherley. Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter) and David Thewlis (Harry Potter) play Susan and Christopher Edwards, whose perfect marriage almost leads to the perfect crime after killing Susan's parents and burying them in the backyard. The four-part limited series begins Monday, Dec. 6.

Netflix

The Great British Baking Show: Holidays: Season 4

Coming on the heels of the regular season, Netflix brings last year's The Great British Baking Show Christmas and New Year's specials to the U.S. James, Ruby, Jamie, and Rosie will return for the Christmas-themed special. Previous winners Nancy Birtwhistle and Rahul Mandal are part of the New Year's set of competitors. Both episodes arrive Friday, Dec. 3.

Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas 

While some of us will never forget Wallace and Gromit, Aardman Animations has found real worldwide fame with their adorable Shaun the Sheep. The claymation cutie is a staple of Netflix's family lineup, and his newest holiday-themed feature film, Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas, is part of Netflix's "Here For The Holidays" lineup. The film debuts Friday, Dec. 3.

Stay Close

Based on the 2012 Harlan Coben novel, Stay Close is the fifth adaptation to come from Coben's 5-year deal with Netflix to adapt all 14 of his mystery novels. The eight-episode series boasts an a-list lineup, starring Cush Jumbo (The Beast Must Die), James Nesbitt (Bloodlands), Richard Armitage (North & South), and Eddie Izzard (Hannibal). All episodes arrive Friday, Dec. 31.

Sundance Now

The Pact

A six-part Welsh drama, The Pact boasts a cast of Laura Fraser (Breaking Bad), Julie Hesmondhalgh (Broadchurch), Eiry Thomas (Keeping the Faith), and Heledd Gwynn (Ordinary Lies). The four play a set of friends who accidentally get caught up in the death of the neighborhood pub owner and make a pact to keep silent. The series premieres weekly starting Thursday, Dec. 2.

Close To Me

A six-parter that just finished airing on Channel 4, Close To Me stars Connie Nielsen (Wonder Woman) as Jo, who tells herself she has the perfect life with her husband (Christopher Eccleston). But after a fall erases a year from her memory, she has to piece her life back together and discovers just how untrue that was. All six episodes arrive on Thursday, Dec. 16.