What To Watch This Week: Bird Box, Watership Down, Runaways and more

Welcome to What To Watch, your weekly guide to recommendations for television viewing. There is so much broadcast on the small screen these days, it can sometimes be daunting to figure out how to spend your hard-earned time. Well, worry no more! We at JoBlo.com are TV fanatics and have prepped a handy guide for you to follow over the next seven days. Each week, we will bring you picks catered to your viewing mood. If you have recommendations you think we missed, let us know in the comments below or email your selections to [email protected].

OUR PICKS FOR December 17th – 23rd

Wanna watch something….with the most popular daytime talk show host?

ELLEN DEGENERES: RELATABLE (Premieres December 18th on Netflix) – Comedian Ellen DeGeneres has been the biggest talk show host since Oprah Winfrey's show went off the air. But, aside from her lead role in Pixar's FINDING DORY, Ellen has not done much else aside from the daytime format. This new stand-up special, her first in fifteen years, will get a wide audience when it premieres on Netflix. While the trailer makes it look like her familiar style and material, some of her fans may find a different tone to what they see on her network show.

Wanna watch something….serving as the series finale of a cult favorite?

TIMELESS (Premieres December 20th on NBC) – Timeless is one of those rare shows that has a devoted fanbase who do everything to keep their series on the air. While it worked for Chuck a few years back, Timeless managed to get a second season and that was it. This two-episode finale is being presented as a movie length close to the time travel drama. So, if you are a fan, check it out. Otherwise, see what else is on.

Wanna watch something….about a notorious music producer from a major Hollywood director?

AMERICAN DREAM/AMERICAN KNIGHTMARE (Premieres December 21st on Showtime) – Director Antoine Fuqua has shot up in credibility in Hollywood over the last few years thanks to successful projects like THE EQUALIZER an THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. That clout has earned him the ability to make this passion project documentary about Suge Knight. Airing on Showtime means it will be a down and dirty look at one of the most notorious figures in rap music over the last thirty years.

Wanna watch something….that is a big screen apocalyptic thriller from the comfort of your own home?

BIRD BOX (Premieres December 21st on Netflix) – The buzz around director Susanne Bier's BIRD BOX is that it could be an Oscar contender for Sandra Bullock's role as a mother protecting her children from an apocalyptic epidemic. Doing for sight what A QUIET PLACE did for sound, this could be derivative and silly or it could be a breakout hit. In either case, debuting on Netflix means you don't have to venture to your local multiplex to see a studio caliber thriller.

Wanna watch something….with teenage Marvel superheroes?

MARVEL'S RUNAWAYS (Premieres December 21st on Hulu) – The first season of Runaways was a bit of a letdown for me because the characters took half the season to actually run away, but now that the action has shifted to the teens being on the run, Marvel and Hulu have tapped into what made the comic series so good. There looks to be more action than in the first run plus we get Julian McMahon finally playing a worthy comic book character since his dastardly performance as Doctor Doom in the first two FANTASTIC FOUR movies.

Wanna watch something….about killer scents?

PERFUME (Premieres December 21st on Netflix) – The Tom Tykwer film of the same name is one of the best movies you probably have never seen. This updated version of the story moves the action to a contemporary time period and presents a larger group of characters obsessed with killer scents. Being a foreign production may turn off some viewers, but if you aren't afraid of subtitles, this could be a unique alternate viewing experience worth checking out.

Wanna watch something….dark and intense (with rabbits)?

WATERSHIP DOWN (Premieres December 23rd on Netflix) – Netflix and the BBC partnered on this CGI version of Richard Adams' acclaimed novel about a group of rabbits searching for a new home. Dark, violent, and definitely not for children, Watership Down is a story everyone should experience once. This event series is the most faithful take on the source material yet even if the animation should have been a hell of a lot better. The stellar voice cast including James McAvoy, Ben Kingsley, and Nicholas Hoult should be enough to keep you captivated.

Wanna watch something….friggin scary in time for the holidays?

DIABLERO (Premieres December 21st on Netflix) – A priest, a demon hunter, and a superhero lead this Mexican series that has the premise of a bad joke but the look of a network drama. I am not sure how I feel about the tone of the trailer as it could be a blend of Ash Vs Evil Dead and The Exorcist, or it could be a pile of crap. Either way, I am intrigued enough by the premise to give it a shot.

And check out the JoBlo TV Show Trailer channel on YouTube for the latest trailers and clips from your favorite shows!