Best New Shows and Movies on Netflix This Week: Dolly Parton's Heartstrings, Merry Happy Whatever

Looking for something new to watch on Netflix? Here is a list of all the best new shows and movies released on Netflix the week of Nov. 22-28.

I know you're all into your Disney+ and Apple TV+ subscriptions, but let's not forget about our little friend Netflix, whose very existence led to the existence of all these other streaming services that you're paying for. Remember this when you're watching The Mandalorian or The Morning Show; they both owe everything to House of Cards. If it weren't for Netflix, you'd still be paying $100 a month for cable, instead of $200 a month for cable and seven streaming services. Thank you, Netflix. Side note: There's not a lot of good things on Netflix this week.

All titles are out Friday, Nov. 22 unless otherwise noted.

If you're looking for even more hand-picked recommendations, click over to our Watch This Now! page.

The Biggest Releases

Dolly Parton's Heartstrings, Season 1
The streaming wars have given us plenty of television, but not nearly enough of it centers around Dolly Parton. That changes Friday with the release of the country-music-themed anthology series (we have truly reached peak TV) Dolly Parton's Heartstrings, which turns eight of Dolly's songs into sappy mini-movies of all sorts of genres that go well with nothing better to do. I watched the "Joelene" episode, which stars Julianne Hough as a redhead who always wears cleavage-heavy crop tops and has affairs with married men, but she's really a misunderstood neo-feminist country music artist who helps a boring housewife regain her confidence and spice up her sex life. Dolly makes cameos in all the episodes -- and gives some backstory about each song at the top of the episode -- and she's in this one as a sassy bar owner.

Merry Happy Whatever, Season 1
Not content with limiting Christmas cheer to just original movies, Netflix mass produces this multi-camera comedy about a Philly family reconvening for Christmas with in-laws in tow, where the newest boyfriend of the family daughter learns that his potential new clan might be a little insane. Dennis Quaid, completing the resurrection of his career, stars as the mean dad who also happens to be a cop. There are laugh tracks, really bad jokes, and dumb two-second music bits that grease transitions between scenes, but there's a little bit of darkness underneath it all that might actually make it more palatable. Further seasons might cover other holidays. With Fox's upcoming The Moodys, we need just one more family holiday anthology series to officially have a trend. (Trailer)

Everything Else

Broken, Season 1
Capitalism takes a knee to the groin in this docuseries that shows how far companies are willing to go to sell you stuff -- they'll kill other companies, they'll kill the planet, heck, they'll kill you. It comes from the same team that made Rotten, which exposed nefarious practices in the food industry. I haven't eaten since I watched that. (Wednesday, Nov. 27)

Nailed It! Holiday
For f---'s sake, how many different editions of this are there going to be? (Trailer)

The Dragon Prince, Season 3
In this Netflix anime, a goofy human prince and an elf princess with an accent that sounds like a Japanese and Scottish blend team up to save a baby dragon prince so their parents don't go to war with each other. I'm sure it's perfectly OK. (Trailer)

High Seas, Season 2
This Spanish series is set in the 1940s on a cruise ship, so it's full of art deco and perfect hairdos. But it's also full of murder, and apparently ghosts. I watched the trailer for Season 1 and was all, "this looks pretty good!" Then I watched the Season 2 trailer and was all, "this looks less good!" (Trailer)

Mon Frere
A young man from a troubled home is sent to a custody center where he must stand up for himself in this French film. Fun fact: Mon frere doesn't translate to "my brother" as I thought, it translates to "bro." Now you know what to say to everyone when you go to Paris to see a Hoobastank concert. (Trailer)

Narcoworld: Dope Stories, Season 1
The biggest argument against decriminalizing drugs is we won't get cool shows like this one, in which documentarians do ride-alongs with cops trying to stop drugs and dealers trying to sell drugs. (Trailer)

Nobody's Looking, Season 1
You're one of the 10 people who have seen TBS's pretty decent Miracle Workers, so prepare to jajajajaja your butt off with this Brazilian comedy about a guardian angel who disobeys the rules of his boss. (Trailer)

Singapore Social, Season 1
This reality series that aims to show how regular millennials from Singapore behave and act follows a group of very abnormal and privileged young people acting like they're constantly in an Apple commercial, thus showing us a slice of life that is anything but reality, setting up an entire generation for bouts of depression and a deflated sense of self worth due to comparing themselves with social media influencers and the elite class. Listen to me: There's nothing wrong with living a quiet life as an electrician. (Trailer)

Trolls: The Beat Goes On!, Season 8
I swear to the friggin' Troll god that I have written a blurb for this show every other week! It's time to cancel this show and its ridiculous release schedule. Eight seasons in less than two years? (Trailer)

Mike Birbiglia: The New one
Mike Birbiglia seems like a cool guy with a quiet, measured form of stand-up comedy. In his new special, he talks about kids, just like all comedians in their 40s do because having kids sucks. (Trailer / Tuesday, Nov. 26)

Super Monsters Save Christmas
Maybe these cuddly, adorable little monsters should stay in their lane and leave saving Christmas to Candace Cameron Bure and Tim Allen. (Trailer / Tuesday, Nov. 26)

True: Winter Wishes
A cute little frost crystal creature from the ice kingdom comes to the rainbow kingdom, and let me tell you, True and her cat are royally f---ed when everything starts to freeze. Perhaps this is the lesson about strengthening borders that your kid needs. (Trailer / Tuesday, Nov. 26)

Holiday Rush
Romany Malco plays a successful radio DJ who has built a cushy life for his five kids, but when he's fired from his job, they have to start over... right around Christmas! This is the Christmas movie for all the single dad radio DJs who just lost their jobs. (Trailer / Thursday, Nov. 28)

Levius, Season 1
With a name like that, this is obviously anime about a young man who enters the world of metal boxing, where fighters have prosthetic limbs designed to cave in noses. (Trailer / Thursday, Nov. 28)

Mythomaniac
In this French series, a working mom who feels taken for granted fakes breast cancer to get the attention she deserves. I thought it would be a comedy, but it looks pretty serious AND, dare I say, recommendable! (Trailer / Thursday, Nov. 28)

Stop searching, start watching! TV Guide's Watch This Now! page has even more TV recommendations.

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