What’s New in Pop Culture: November 25-December 1, 2024
Releases this week in TV, Music, Movies & Games
Get the details on the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Moana 2 releasing in theaters, and Trombone Champ: Unflattened on VR devices.
TELEVISION
Thursday 11/28: The Madness (Netflix; Drama, Suspense)
Colman Domingo (Oscar nominee for Best Actor in Rustin) stars with Deon Cole and Bradley Whitford (The West Wing) in this conspiracy-theory thriller about a media personality accused of murdering a white supremacist.
Thursday 11/28: Second Chance Stage (Max; Talent Competition)
This new talent competition features musicians, dancers, comedians, and other performing artists who have put their creative pursuits on hold competing for another shot at success, and $100,000. Judged by country superstar Martina McBride, Broadway icon Taye Diggs, and Saturday Night Live cast member Heidi Gardner.
Thursday 11/28: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (NBC/Peacock 8:30am-noon; Special Event)
Hoda Kotb may be exiting Today, but she’ll be hosting one last parade along with Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker. Expect 22 balloons (including newbie Minnie Mouse), appearances by Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo, Kylie Minogue, and Jennifer Hudson, and numbers from Broadway shows The Outsiders, Hell’s Kitchen, and Death Becomes Her.
Friday 11/29: The Agency (Paramount+/Showtime; Thriller, Action)
Michael Fassbender (X-Men and Alien franchises) becomes the latest movie star to move to the small screen — starring opposite Richard Gere, Jeffrey Wright, and Jodie Turner-Smith — as a covert CIA operative who is pulled from undercover assignment and thrust into an international plot of intrigue and betrayal.
Sunday 12/1: The Wonderful World of Disney: Holiday Spectacular (ABC 8pm; Holiday Special)
Dancing with the Stars hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough host this special in which Walt Disney World kicks off its annual holiday festivities, with performances by Elton John, Pentatonix, Ava Max, John Legend, and K-Pop sensation SEVENTEEN.
MUSIC
NOTE: Very little music will be released this week.
Friday 11/29: Juice WRLD The Party Never Ends (Hip-Hop/Rap)
This posthumous album releases nearly five years after the 2019 death of Juice WRLD, who had amassed an incredible fanbase prior to his accidental overdose.
MOVIES
Monday 11/25: Dear Santa (Paramount+; Holiday, Comedy)
Jack Black stars not as Santa, but as the OTHER well-known red guy with a similar name, who is called up after a child mistakenly sends his Christmas wish list to the underworld. From the director of Dumb & Dumber.
Wednesday 11/27: Moana 2 (Wide; Animated, Musical)
Moana and Maui reunite for a seafaring adventure after Moana is called to explore uncharted waters at the behest of her ancestors.
Friday 11/29: Nutcrackers (Hulu; Holiday, Comedy)
Ben Stiller stars as a middle-aged workaholic bachelor whose life is thrown into upheaval when his recently orphaned nephews need his help, just in time for the holidays. With Linda Cardellini.
Friday 11/29: Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary (HBO/Max; Documentary, Music)
This Music Box entry focuses on the soft but soaring 70s and 80s stylings of Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald, and others, exploring a genre that is became so uncool that it wrapped back around to be hip.
Friday 11/29: Beatles ‘64 (Disney+; Music, Documentary)
This documentary follows The Beatles as the group arrived to adoring U.S. fans in 1964, including footage from the band’s first American show in D.C., as well as the legendary appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
GAMES
Tuesday 11/26: Trombone Champ: Unflattened (Meta Quest, PS VR2, Steam VR; Music)
The trombone answer to Guitar Hero — yes that’s a thing! — gets the VR treatment, so you can toot your horn as though you were playing a trombone itself.
Thursday 11/28: Glitch Hero (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox S|X; Puzzle, Adventure)
In this educational-but-entertaining game, you play Ava, a young girl who has to use real-world coding skills to save Codeland, which has been besieged by bugs.
Thursday 11/28: Crystal Breaker (PC, Switch; Shmup, Action)
Pilot a starship and destroy unmanned weapons laying siege to a future Earth in this vertical-scrolling, fast-paced shooting game.
Thursday 11/28: Snow Bros. Wonderland (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch; Platformer, Arcade)
A third entry in the Snow Bros. series allows up to four players to play adorable snowmen who use snow pellets to turn enemies into snowballs in the hopes of rescuing captured princesses.
Friday 11/29: W.A.N.D. Project (PC, Switch; Roguelike, Shooter)
Play as a Japanese sorceress and create unique and increasingly powerful spells by combining various magical properties, augmented by different wands and spellcasters.