Amazon Prime’s ‘best’ post-apocalyptic thriller – plus 5 more TV shows returning this December

If all of the upcoming Christmas TV specials aren’t enough to get you excited for December, there are plenty of stellar shows returning this month for you to feast on as well.

What’s more festive than a dose of sci-fi action in a post-apocalyptic wasteland?

That’s exactly what Amazon Prime’s major hit TV series Fallout is promising to deliver when it returns for season 2, starring The White Lotus actor Walton Goggins and Sweetpea’s Ella Purnell.

Fans raved over the first season when it was released in 2024, with some saying that it was one of the ‘best’ TV shows that they’d ever seen.

If you’d like a more light-hearted binge, then Netflix’s swoonworthy rom-com series Emily In Paris is also back, with a brand new love triangle for Emily (Lily Collins) to contend with.

So will the titular character decide that her heart still lies in Paris, or will she decide to lay down her roots in another European capital city?

Here are six binge-worthy shows to check out this December as they return for new seasons.

Emily In Paris

For a lot of us, December is a month where everything is in excess, from the lightbulbs on the local Christmas tree to the pairs of socks bought by relatives.

So what better time to celebrate the return of the TV show that is over the top in every sense – Emily In Paris.

It’s returning for a fifth series just before Christmas Day, but this time there’s a twist… Emily is in Rome.

Despite this, the key ingredients are staying the same. Emily still has an incredible array of clothes, bags and shoes – and once again, she’s choosing between two gorgeous lovers. It’s a tough life!

Last season of Emily in Paris ended with a cliffhanger, as her long-standing love interest Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) appeared ready to embark on a chase for the marketing executive who fled to Rome to start a new chapter.

Emily has accepted an opportunity in the Italian capital to run Agence Grateau’s new office, and luckily for her, there’s a man on the scene there too. Enter Marcello (Eugenio Franceschini).

The question on everyone’s lips: will she choose to stay with her new lover, or can Gabriel persuade her otherwise?

Fans have obsessed over this ‘feel-good series’ for several years thanks to its escapist quality. Rajesh Meena on Google Reviews said he ‘absolutely loved’ Emily in Paris, and the way it ‘beautifully blends fashion, culture, and ambition’.

Others agreed, Rashmi Adwani wrote: ‘This is quite an exquisite piece of series,’ while Tamara Babuhna said: ‘This show is just amazing!’

Emily In Paris season 5 premieres on December 18 on Netflix.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

For the action, fantasy and historical lovers, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is back for season two on Disney Plus this month.

Based on the books by Rick Riordan, the series follows a young boy who learns that he’s the son of a Greek god and embarks on epic quests with his other mythical friends.

The second series sees Percy journey into the Sea of Monsters on an odyssey to rescue his best friend, Grover (Aryan Simhadri), while also trying to save their camp.

After winning the Kids’ Choice Award for favourite kids’ TV show in 2024, fans have big hopes for whatever is next.

@kucuk_ocu on X said: ‘I’ve got chills! Season two already looks so much bigger and darker,’ while another person called Yomi simply said: ‘I’m sat.’

On the titular character, a fan called Julia said he was ‘truly one of [her] favourite characters of all time’.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2 premieres on December 10 on Disney Plus.

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft

Fans of the animated TV series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft will be pleased to hear that it’s back for season two very soon.

But they might be less happy to hear that this will also be the end for the Netflix adaptation, as in September, it was announced that the show is ending this year.

In the new season, Lara (Hayley Atwell) works together with her best friend Sam (Karen Fukuhara) – who previously appeared in flashbacks in season one – while searching for stolen African Orisha masks.

In the official synopsis for the second season, it reads: ‘Lara’s thrilling new adventure takes her around the globe as she delves deeper into the hidden secrets of Orisha history, dodges the machinations of a dangerous and enigmatic billionaire who wants the masks for herself, while discovering these relics contain dark secrets and a power that defies logic. Power that may, in fact, be divine.’

Based on the incredibly successful video game series, the animation has also proved to be a hit with some fans.

@roland9958 on YouTube exclaimed: ‘This looks amazing and I’m so ready for it to air’. Another user, @levinemgl1, joined in with the hype: ‘It looks so bloody damn awesome, and it is great to see Sam again.’

@thetuftedpuffin1025 agreed: ‘So excited to see Sam and Lara sharing a screen together again!’

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft season 2 premieres on December 11 on Netflix.

Fallout

The post-apocalyptic drama, Fallout, is back for season two.

It’s another game adaptation, which received high praise upon release in 2024, in addition to an impressive seven Emmy nominations.

Walton and Ella lead Amazon’s hit show, and they’re returning alongside Aaron Moten, Kyle MacLachlan, Moisés Arias and Frances Turner.

In the second season, viewers will be introduced to a new location, the New Vegas Strip, which is ruled by Robert Edwin House (Justin Theroux, previously played by Rafi Silver in season one).

Speaking about the new season, Walton told Nine in Australia: ‘Yes, this is an original story within the canon of Fallout.

‘But to live up to the expectations of the fans of this game is a fool’s errand. You have to craft a story that you believe in, and then you have to turn yourself over to this imaginary set of circumstances and just not be result-oriented.

‘You can’t think about that, you just have to be as authentic as you possibly can and ask the best from everyone around you, and that’s what we did. And as fate, or luck, or all the rest of it would have it, people dug it.’

Fans couldn’t get enough of season one.

Jay Neill on Google Reviews said: ‘From the very first episode, Fallout drew me into its post-apocalyptic world with stunning visuals and a richly crafted atmosphere.’

Five-star reviewer, MrPaull0324, also expressed his love for the show: ‘I binge-watched the entire series in two days, and I wasn’t disappointed at all.’

Peirce Elsberry also left a glowing review: ‘Fallout on Amazon Prime Video is hands down one of the best shows I’ve watched in a long time!’

Fallout season 2 premieres on Prime Video on December 17.

The Accident

Mexican thriller The Accident is coming back to Netflix for its second season.

In the first season of the drama, a children’s party turns into every parent’s worst nightmare when a traumatic event occurs.

The people in the community are left wondering if it was actually an accident or if something more sinister is going on.

The second season revisits the families who were affected as they try to cope with the trauma that they’re experiencing, but their feelings of pain and guilt surface when new twists unfold.

The series originally debuted in the number one spot on Netflix’s global top 10 chart for non-English language shows, receiving 10.4 million views during its first week.

Fans enjoyed series one. @VisionUnkown1 wrote on YouTube: ‘This series was so so good. So many twists and turns.’

Another user, @Amazigh_Sammy, said: ‘Literally binge-watched the whole thing!’

‘This show is drama after drama’, noted @ANPM6.4.

The Accident season 2 premieres on December 10 on Netflix.

Stranger Things

Warning: spoilers for Stranger Things season five volume one ahead.

Stranger Things season five volume one has just aired, but not to fear – there’s more to come in December.

With volume two arriving on December 26 in the UK, it’s the perfect excuse to stay on the sofa after a busy Christmas day.

At the end of episode four, after fighting the Demogorgons, Will is seen having a nosebleed that looks similar to the ones Eleven has after using her powers, hinting he may have adopted similar abilities.

This has massive implications for the remainder of the series, as it could lead to the ultimate defeat of Vecna.

Reacting to Will wiping blood from his nose, @jegulusmoony on X stated: ‘I think this is objectively one of the best scenes in the history of Stranger Things. This is MONUMENTAL.’

Elkka was also taken aback: ‘I couldn’t breathe for like two minutes straight during this.’

Tyler Belden congratulated The Duffer Brothers, writing: ‘This was the BEST way to leave us for a month!’

Stranger Things 5, volume 1 is available on Netflix now. Further episodes follow on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day in the UK.

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