5 Must-Watch TV Shows And 5 Movies To Binge-Watch This Winter

You're going to want to see these!

Published December 11, 2023

photo collage of shows and movies to watch this winter season, virgin river, love again, best christmas ever, the supermodels

The Girlfriend Staff (Netflix (3); Apple TV+)

Whether you’re looking for something new to watch, or are wondering if the shows you're already addicted to will drop another season, you’ve come to the right place. Winter is the perfect time to get lost in a great reality show, movie or something sweet.

Here’s a list of five shows and five movies to add to your must-watch lineup.

1. Virgin River, Season 5: Netflix

If you haven’t watched this small-town romantic drama, snuggle up and get comfortable because you'll be hooked. If you have already devoured the show, good news. Season five had 10 episodes that aired in September, with two more holiday episodes that dropped on

November 30.

2. The Supermodels: Apple TV+

In the 1980s and 1990s, a lot of Gen Xers were mesmerized by Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington. Not only did they blaze the trail for many other supermodels, but they also shared a close bond. This documentary will take you back in time as each model tells their story of what life was like for them during this epic time.

3. The Great British Baking Show Holidays: Netflix

Put on your oven mitts because the newest season of our favorite UK cooking show is coming in hot! Join judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith as competitors from past seasons deck the halls with sugar, butter and chocolate to make their best Yuletide treats.

4. Love Is Blind: Netflix

If you like reality shows, you’ve probably already watched the first four seasons (even if you won't admit it). Season 5 follows 15 women and men, who can’t see each other until there’s a proposal. They spend weeks getting to know each other behind a wall that divides them, and they don’t know what the other looks like until they meet. From there, they decide if they are going to stay coupled or go their separate ways.

5. Faraway Downs: Hulu

Baz Luhrmann is at it again with his favorite dynamic duo: Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. In this six-part limited series, an English aristocrat (Kidman) must work with a gruff cowboy (Jackman) to save the million-acre cattle ranch owned by her recently deceased husband. Bonus: Australian accents!

MOVIES

1. Love Again: Netflix

This romantic comedy-drama is based on a novel by Sofie Cramer. Celine Dion portrays a fictionalized version of herself in this feel-good movie about a woman who has lost her fiancé and continues to text his old cell phone number to stay connected. When she meets the person she’s been texting, her entire life changes.

2. Family Switch: Netflix

Jess and Bill Walker are doing their best to keep their family connected as their children grow older, more independent, and more distant. When a chance encounter with an astrological reader causes the family to wake up to a full body switch, on the morning of the most important day of each of their lives, can the Walkers unite to land a promotion, college interview, record deal and soccer tryout? It stars Jennifer Garner and Ed Helms.

3. Nyad: Netflix

This drama, based on a true story, has heart and soul. It takes you through the life of world-class athlete Diana Nyad 30 years after she gave up marathon swimming to become a sports journalist. At 60, Nyad (played by Annette Bening) competes in a 110-mile swim. Her goal is to be the first person to complete the swim without a shark cage.

4. Best Christmas Ever: Netflix

This holiday movie is about two long-time friends, Jackie and Charlotte. Jackie, who always sends out a holiday newsletter that makes Charlotte feel like crap. But when Charlotte and her family find themselves on Jackie’s doorstep, she does everything she can to prove Jackie’s life can’t be as perfect as she makes it sound in her annoying holiday letter.

5. The Lady Bird Diaries: Hulu

This documentary about one of the most influential and often overlooked First Ladies in history is told in her own words from 123 hours of her riveting audio diaries. It includes Johnson family home videos and never-before-seen letters and notes.

What TV show or movie do YOU love right now? Feel free to make a recommendation in the comments below.

Katie Bingham-Smith is a longtime lifestyle, health, relationships, and parenting writer who’s spent the past seven years connecting with readers through her work at Scary Mommy. A regular contributor to AARP The Girlfriend Letter and Grown & Flown, she holds a BA in English Literature with a minor in creative writing from Green Mountain College. Her writing has appeared in multiple anthologies, Woman’s World, and Bangor Metro Magazine, and she’s currently finishing her first romance novel. Katie lives in Maine with her three kids, two ducks, and a Goldendoodle—and when she’s not writing, she’s reading, at the gym, redecorating, or doing a little too much online shopping.