#Streaming: Our pick of the most interesting Christmas specials

There’s an unusual Santa origin story, an old-timey meet and greet show, a woke Norwegian series and an evening with a curmudgeonly dad.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for the Christmas movie fan. There’s the usual fare of films so bad they’re almost good (Netflix’s Christmas Chronicles is one). But elsewhere in the virtual world, Santa turns up in surprising new avatars, and there are new, more multicultural takes on celebrating the season. Here’s a list of five things to stream, watch and play this holiday season.

Aside from the unusual story, there’s some stunning art in the Netflix Christmas movie, Klaus.

Klaus: Directed by the Spanish filmmaker Sergio Pablos, this is a touching and decidedly unusual Santa origin story — and a first-of-its-kind animation original for Netflix. In a remote town called Smeerensburg is an aging toymaker who, for reasons we can’t go into, has a house full of toys. From those rather sad beginnings come, well, the rest of the Santa legend. The film is never preachy and is largely entertaining and well-paced, and yet manages to take on White privilege, the perils and joys of giving, the indefinable nature of friendship. It’s been in the making since 2010 and is inspired by a slew of other origin stories. Think Batman Begins and Hannibal Rising. We can’t tell you more without risking spoilers. Check it out.

Home for Christmas: This Norwegian mini-series follows a 30-year-old nurse named Johanne who has a great job, lovely friends, and a loving family — but all the family wants for Christmas is for her to have a boyfriend. So she lies, says she has one and then begins a hectic search. It’s a Christmas romcom with woke undertones. She bumps into an ex who’s now married; the dating sites are no help, and then the film takes a turn. Its whip-smart humour flips Johanne’s search into one that is almost inward, as she struggles to define and find happiness for herself. Catch the film on Netflix.

The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show: Currently streaming on Amazon Prime, this special is a throwback to the Dolly Parton Home For Christmas one of 1990, where she sang and chatted with friends and family on a holiday-ready set. Here, country singer Musgraves plays host to a roster of celebrity guests as she frantically preps for a Christmas party. There’s a Christmas duet with Zooey Deschanel (and a ukulele). Lana Del Rey launches into I’ll Be Home for Christmas, quite a number of times. James Corden sings, with disastrous results. There’s sitcom and self-aware snark delivered by Schitt’s Creek creator and star Dan Levy, who was supposed to bring the ‘Christmas cheer’. The 45-minute show is whimsical, kitschy fun.

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Jack Whitehall’s Christmas with My Father: After three successful seasons of Travels with My Father, the UK comedian takes a Christmas break with his dad Michael Whitehall, a retired talent agent. They watch old movies, look at family photos, discuss gender fluidity (his dad doesn’t get it). Queer Eye hosts Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France and Antoni Porowski are roped in to help revamp Michael’s closet. There’s a guest appearance by Downton Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville, a Grinch parody, and an elaborate musical sequence. It’s largely hokey, partly woke, and certainly all in good fun.