HBO Max’s new offerings embrace heartfelt holidays, music history, and kid-friendly comfort. Lunar New Year weekend is led by Edward Burns’ long-gestating sequel The Family McMullen, Wizkid: Long Live Lagos from Music Box’s documentary division, and OWN holiday film The Christmas Showdown. Toss fresh batches of animated favorites and reality staples into the mix, and it becomes obvious that the platform is programming for households dividing time between prestige and popcorn.
The Family McMullen Crowns the Programming Bill
Thirty years after “The Brothers McMullen” claimed the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, Edward Burns returns to the Irish American clan that jump-started his career. The Family McMullen isn’t a nostalgia play as much as a check-in: what love, faith, and family responsibilities look like across the decades. Burns supplies his signature rapid-fire banter, and Connie Britton and Halston Sage round out a cast that should span the generations.
Just don’t expect a “Home Alone” for adults — it finds its wit where the original found its sugar. Burns’ indie ethos — compact scenes, talky engagements, and emotional payoffs — slots in perfectly for people who want some seasonal warmth without the syrup. It is also a wise programming strategy: adult dramas in the middle of the season beget completion rates — which streamers monitor closely as a measure of whether subscribers are sticking around.
Documentary Pick: Wizkid — Long Live Lagos on HBO Max
HBO’s Music Box banner has become a comfortable space for music storytelling, with past entries covering everything from Woodstock ’99 to the sensation around Kenny G. Wizkid: Long Live Lagos extends that run, trailing Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun’s evolution from choirs in Lagos to stages around the world, ultimately centering on his landmark show at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Directed by Karam Gill (whose credits include “Supervillain: The Making of Tekashi 6ix9ine”), the film looks to have both archive depth and on-the-ground texture. The timing is savvy. Afrobeats has moved from a global curiosity to a chart force, while industry trackers like IFPI have seen continued streaming growth across sub-Saharan Africa. For Max, putting Wizkid under the spotlight taps into a fan base that’s international and highly engaged — a sweet spot when it comes to expanding reach without diluting editorial identity.
For viewers, the pull here is twofold: the music (consider “Essence,” the crossover smash that would remake a ton of playlists) and the city portrait. Lagos is not just a backdrop; it’s a character that imparts what is now a universal sound, which rattles from TikTok feeds to stadium speakers.
Holiday Spotlight: The Christmas Showdown on OWN
For the final note, OWN delivers a small-town twinkle in The Christmas Showdown. Amber Stevens West and Corbin Reid are estranged friends who find themselves in a holiday-themed face-off to design the annual celebration of their hometown, with Loretta Devine contributing authority and warmth. It’s comfort viewing with a competitive edge — paint is slung, or anyway applied, and feelings soar — high on décor, redemption arcs, and the elbow-rubbing you expect from reality television, but also of the sort that makes living rooms feel like town squares.
Seasonal movies offer slick audience traction; so is old wine in new bottles. Nielsen’s The Gauge has tracked streaming’s TV share running up against the 40% level in the U.S., and holiday months can push engagement past that as families co-view. The week’s heavier-hitting drama and doc get an easy group pick for households via the breezy title.
More New Arrivals for Every Viewer Mood and Taste
Kids receive fresh episodes of Batwheels and Bugs Bunny Builders — two Cartoonito standbys built for short attention spans and repeat value. These shows are algorithm-friendly by design, engineered to elicit rewatch behavior that boosts minutes streamed to incredible heights.
On the unscripted side, fresh editions of House Hunters and House Hunters International resume their decades-old battles over budget versus dream house around the globe. A new installment of “90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days” expands the reality universe that has turned into appointment viewing for live-tweeters on social media. And Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House, which is back on Friday for its second season, continues to benefit from Magnolia’s long shelf life as a brand that successfully transported the rustic-chic aesthetic popularized by the Gaines into high-altitude terrain.
Why This Mix of Releases Matters for HBO Max Users
Warner Bros. Discovery has leaned into breadth — prestige films, music docs, kids animation, and unscripted mainstays — in hopes of reducing churn. This kind of week is an example of the strategy: one buzzy adult film, a culture-forward documentary with potential global reach, and a few family and reality plays that keep profiles active at least once a night. It’s not just about what premieres; it’s about how the parts add up over sustained viewing streaks across tastes and ages.
What to Watch First from This Week’s HBO Max Slate
Craving an old-fashioned adult Christmas tale? Load up The Family McMullen, which is swift and emotionally articulate and perfect for watching after dinner. Music lovers will want to follow Wizkid: Long Live Lagos; the performance prep and Lagos scenes are catnip for documentary fiends.
You could watch The Christmas Showdown together as a group. Then toss in Batwheels or Bugs Bunny Builders for the littles, and save House Hunters and 90 Day Fiancé drops for simple weeknight background binges.
The takeaway: HBO Max isn’t flooding the zone, but there’s a sharp hand in play. Whether for adult conversation, a worldwide music moment, or echoes of a twinkle-light getaway, empathy and distraction are waiting in the wings.
