From the beginning of the end to the start of new beginnings, this holiday TV season is a gift-wrapped smorgasbord of returning (and concluding!) favorites and hyped new entries. There’s a little something for everyone, from the finale of one of Netflix’s most popular shows to fantasy adventures to a series about a hilarious group of women of a certain age creating a rock band.

Here are nine shows to add to your watch list in the coming months; note that premiere dates are subject to change.

“Stranger Things” Season 5

Almost a decade since its premiere, Netflix’s acclaimed “Stranger Things” is coming to a close — or, at least it’s starting to. The final season of the horror/sci-fi/fantasy/coming-of-age series will be split into three parts, with Part 1 releasing Nov. 26, Part 2 on Christmas and the finale on New Year’s Eve. The latest trailer shows the stakes — “At long last, we can begin,” the opening line ominously intones — and they couldn’t be higher. With Queen’s chill-inducing “Who Wants to Live Forever” soaring in the background, the question becomes: Will our heroes survive one final battle? (Netflix, Nov. 26, Dec. 25 and 31)

“The Abandons”

Set in the 1850s, this Western drama set in Oregon focuses on the trials and tribulations of Fiona (Lena Headey) and her adopted family as they struggle to keep their home out of the hands of Gillian Anderson’s Constance Van Ness. The theme is simple: Family is more than blood, and family protects family — no matter what. (Netflix, Dec. 4)

“Spartacus: House of Ashur”

Did anyone else not have a “Spartacus” prequel on their 2025 TV bingo card? But here we are, a dozen years since the finale of Season 3. “House of Ashur” tells an alternative story in which Ashur (Nick E. Tarabay) isn’t killed at the end of Season 2 and instead his treachery is rewarded. The official tagline says to expect a “new kind of spectacle that shocks, disrupts and offends the elite with every drop of blood.” That sounds about right for “Spartacus.” (Starz, Dec. 5)

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” Season 2

The first season of “Percy Jackson” was a charming, enjoyable adaptation of the popular YA series, filled with solid action sequences and heartfelt dialogue. In Season 2, Camp Half-Blood is under threat, and Percy and Co. must embark on a dangerous mission to find a legendary item that can save the day — if the journey doesn’t kill them first. (Disney+, Dec. 10)

“Fallout” Season 2

Most video game adaptations are, well … the less said, the better. Not so with the phenomenal “Fallout,” a postapocalyptic adventure that impressed both newcomers and fans of the highly regarded game franchise. In its sophomore outing, Lucy (Ella Purnell) and Cooper (a scene-stealing Walton Goggins) travel to New Vegas — the setting of the popular 2010 entry in the video game franchise — to learn the truth about Lucy’s father (Kyle MacLachlan). Oh, and maybe a war is coming? As the show’s tagline says, maybe the end of the world isn’t over yet. (Prime Video, Dec. 17)

“The Copenhagen Test”

The always excellent Simu Liu stars in this new espionage thriller in which his character, a U.S. intelligence analyst, realizes his brain has been hacked. How, exactly, is still a mystery, but we do know that said hacking has put him in grave danger as his allegiance is called into question. (Peacock, Dec. 27)

“The Pitt” Season 2

“ER” was before my time, and I missed the boat on “Grey’s Anatomy,” but consider me thoroughly on the medical procedural drama train with “The Pitt.” Deeply engrossing thanks to its attention to realism and its stellar cast (led by Noah Wyle of, yes, “ER” fame), the award-winning series follows the staff of an emergency room during the course of a 15-hour shift. In Season 2, it’s a new day in the Pitt, which means more emergencies, more trauma and more blood — so much more blood. (HBO Max, Jan. 8)

“Riot Women”

In this British series, five women “of a certain age,” as they say in the show, come together to form a rock band. Created by Sally Wainwright (known for “Last Tango in Halifax” and “Happy Valley”), “Riot Women” is an examination of how society treats women in midlife, how they don’t have to be silent about it and finding themselves along the way. (BritBox, Jan. 14)

“Star Trek: Starfleet Academy”

The latest in the long-running “Star Trek” franchise follows the first new class of Starfleet cadets in more than a century. (The series is set in the 32nd century, like “Star Trek: Discovery” before it.) The coming-of-age drama promises all the sci-fi action you’d expect from a “Star Trek” series, along with the sense of optimism and hope “Star Trek” has long been known for. (Paramount+, Jan. 15)

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