The It List: 'Cobra Kai' returns, 'Harry Potter' special reunites Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and the best in pop culture the week of Dec. 27, 2021
The It List is Yahoo's weekly look at the best in pop culture, including movies, music, TV, streaming, games, books, podcasts and more. Here are our picks for Dec. 27-Jan. 2, including the best deals we could find for each. (Yahoo Entertainment may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page.)
STREAM IT: Expecto Reunion! The Harry Potter kids reunite for a 20th anniversary Return to Hogwarts
Grab your magic wands and mugs of Butterbeer: It’s time to head back to Hogwarts. England’s premiere school of witchcraft and wizardry is re-opening its doors to welcome back three of its most famous alums: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. The three actors grew up together on the set of the eight-film Harry Potter series and are back together on camera for the first time since 2011’s franchise-capper, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, to reminisce about the old days. It’s HBO Max’s latest reunion special after the blockbuster Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Friends get-togethers and it’s similarly poised to reduce past and present fans to tears… provided none of them mention the words, “J.K. Rowling” that is. — Ethan Alter
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts premieres Saturday, Jan. 1 on HBO Max.
WATCH IT: Veteran character actor, Clifton Collins Jr., gets a too-rare star turn in Jockey
A reliable scene-stealing supporting player for thirty years and counting, Clifton Collins Jr. finally gets the spotlight to himself in Clint Bentley’s Sundance-endorsed debut feature. Collins plays veteran jockey Jackson Silva, who is facing the potential end of his riding career as his health takes a downward slide. That’s when a new rider (Moises Arias) turns up at the track and claims to be his son. Suddenly, Jackson feels reinvigorated, but it may be too little, too late. Fans of The Wrestler will notice thematic and narrative parallels to that acclaimed Darren Aronofsky film, but Collins’s sure, steady presence ensures that Jockey moves at its own distinct pace. Get a sneak peek at his powerful performance in this exclusive clip from the film. — E.A.
Jockey premieres Wednesday, Dec. 29 in theaters; visit Fandango for showtime and ticket information.
STREAM IT: Put some horror in your holidays with Britbox's new collection of Christmastime ghost stories
Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol is probably the most famous Christmastime ghost story, but other authors have spiked the holiday egg nog with supernatural tales as well. Britbox is celebrating that tradition with its new "A Ghost Story for Christmas" collection, which brings together some vintage BBC specials alongside an all-new spooky tale, The Mezzotint, written and directed by Doctor Who staple, Mark Gatiss. The half-hour yarn involves a seemingly ordinary engraving that may, in fact, hold the key to somebody's doom. Watch a clip from The Mezzotint above and stream some of Britbox's other ghost stories if you're in the mood for a good scare on New Year's Eve. — E.A.
The Mezzotint and other Christmastime ghost stories are streaming now on Britbox.
STREAM IT: Season 4 of Cobra Kai resurrects a fan favorite The Karate Kid Part III bad guy
It was only a matter of time until Terry Silver entered the dojo. Thomas Ian Griffith’s hilariously over the top villain is one of the most memorable parts of The Karate Kid Part III and he’s similarly a standout element of the show’s typically addictive fourth season. Brought back by his old pal John Kreese (Martin Kove) to once again wreak havoc on Daniel LaRusso’s life, Terry turns out to have other schemes up his sleeve as well. Meanwhile, Daniel and Johnny try to steady their uneasy alliance; Robby becomes a mentor for a new Cobra Kai recruit; Miguel and Samantha try to restart their high school love story; and the youngest LaRusso, Anthony, gets an actual storyline. Here’s to finally getting that Hilary Swank cameo in Season 5. — E.A.
Cobra Kai premieres Friday, Dec. 31 on Netflix.
WATCH IT: It’s a very Nashville New Year’s Eve
If country music is your favorite party soundtrack, tune in to see CBS throw Music City’s biggest New Year’s Eve soiree. New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash will run for five hours and will feature 50 back-to-back performances by Lady A, Ingrid Andress, Breland, Sam Hunt, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Jason Aldean, Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Gabby Barrett, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Elle King, Miranda Lambert, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Cole Swindell, the Zac Brown Band and more. — Lyndsey Parker
New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash airs Friday, Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. on CBS.
READ IT: Find fresh inspiration for 2022 in She Raised Her Voice!: 50 Black Women Who Sang Their Way Into Music History
From Beyoncé to Diana Ross and Tina Turner and Queen Latifah to Billie Holiday, this charming anthology, intended for middle-grade readers, features colorful illustrations and short biographies of each of the women, all of whom impress with their accomplishments. And it will no doubt send readers reaching for the record player (or at least their phones)! Music writer and journalist Jordannah Elizabeth and illustrator Briana Dengoue capture just how each of the honorees, as the publisher says, "pushed the boundaries of what's expected." "This book would have been very handy when I was growing up," Elizabeth told School Library Journal. "While discovering music has become easier, there's so much access, it's important for us to make sure that Black women artists of the past and present are documented in a manner where their legacies can continue by introducing them to young readers from the new generation." — Raechal Shewfelt
She Raised Her Voice!: 50 Black Women Who Sang Their Way Into Music History is available Tuesday, Dec. 28 on Amazon.
WATCH IT: Ring in the new year with Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2022
Y'all, it's almost time for another countdown! The traditional special, packed with musical performances, is celebrating its 50th year on TV. For the 2022 fete, Seacrest and YouTube star Liza Koshy head up the coverage from Times Square in New York City, while Ciara hosts the bash in Los Angeles and Billy Porter broadcasts from New Orleans. Meanwhile, for the first time, the show will do a Spanish-language countdown from Puerto Rico, with coverage there anchored by actress Roselyn Sánchez, who audiences know from Fantasy Island, Devious Maids and more. Jessie James Decker, D-Nice, Masked Wolf, French Montana, Avril Lavigne and Travis Barker, Walker Hayes and Big Boi are some of the other celebs scheduled to appear. — R.S.
Dick Clark's New Year’s Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2022 airs Friday, Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. on ABC.
BUY IT: Get a crash course in classic Hong Kong cinema with Arrow’s Shawscope: Volume One box set
The 1970s were a golden age for martial arts movies, and the Shaw Brothers were the first name in Hong Kong-made action classics. The first in a series of Blu-ray box sets put together by the genre movie gurus at Arrow Video, Shawscope: Volume One collects twelve vintage Shaw-produced favorites, including King Boxer (known in the U.S. as Five Fingers of Death), Mighty Peking Man, The Five Venoms and Heroes of the East. The limited edition set includes a 60-page collectors’ book with critical essays and appreciations; a myriad of new and archival cast and crew interviews and commentary tracks; and a pair of CDs with music from the various films. — E.A.
Shawscope: Volume One is available Tuesday, Dec. 28 at most major retailers, including Amazon.
— Video produced by Anne Lilburn and edited by John Santo
