Plus, ring in the new year with Ryan Seacrest and others, the Rose Parade, a new season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” and more.

What to Watch this week: Stranger Things wraps up after 5 seasons with 2-hour series finale

Plus, ring in the new year with Ryan Seacrest and others, the Rose Parade, a new season of "RuPaul's Drag Race," and more.

By Gerrad Hall

Gerrad Hall is an editorial director at **, overseeing movie, awards, and music coverage. He is also host of *The Awardist* podcast, and has cohosted EW's live Oscars, Emmys, SAG, and Grammys red carpet shows. He has appeared on *Good Morning America*, *The Talk*, *Access Hollywood*, *Extra!*, and other talk shows, delivering the latest news on pop culture and entertainment.

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on December 29, 2025 6:00 a.m. ET

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'Stranger Things'; The Rose Parade; Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve host Ryan Seacrest. Credit:

Netflix; NBCUniversal; Disney/Maarten De Boer

In the penultimate episode of *Stranger Things*, the Hawkins gang hatched a risky plan to venture into the dark dimension known as the Abyss, find the kidnapped kids, and stop Vecna from colliding the Abyss into Earth via the Upside Down, which — spoiler alert — they've figured out is a wormhole. Now, they have to execute that plan in the 2-hour 8-minute series finale, titled "The Rightside Up," which will premiere in select theaters and on Netflix beginning Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Also coming to an end: 2025, so get ready to ring in the new year with Ryan Seacrest & Co. on *Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve*, or from *Nashville's Big Bash* — and the next day, watch a New Year's Day tradition, with the 137th Rose Parade.

And 14 new queens enter the Werk Room for the season 18 premiere of *RuPaul's Drag Race*.**

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

Monday, Dec. 29

'Below Deck Mediterranean' star Capt. Sandy Yawn.

Fred Jagueneau/Bravo

**Streaming*********Here Come the Irish* - Peacock*******Members Only: Palm Beach* (series debut) - Netflix*******Midsomer Murders* (midseason finale) - Acorn TV********

**8 p.m.*********90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way* - TLC*******Below Deck Mediterranean *- Bravo*******Don't Hate Your House With the Property Brothers* (season premiere) - HGTV*******WWE Monday Night RAW* - Netflix (5 p.m. PT)*******The Year: 2025* (special) - ABC (next day on Disney+ and Hulu)******

**8:15 p.m.*****Monday Night Football* (Los Angeles Rams at the Atlanta Falcons) - ABC / ESPN******

**9 p.m.*****Critical Incident* (doc) - HBO / HBO Max**

Tuesday, Dec. 30

Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in 'Wicked: For Good'.

Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

**Movies*****Wicked: For Good* - Digital******

**Streaming*********Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story* (doc) - Netflix*******Ricky Gervais: Mortality* (comedy special) - Netflix*******Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators* - BritBox*******Wolf* (series debut) - AMC+, Shudder******

**8 p.m.*********Fixer to Fabulous* - HGTV*******The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City *- Bravo******

**9 p.m.*********Baylen Out Loud* - TLC*******Hard Knocks: In Season With the NFC East* - HBO / HBO Max*******Vanderpump Rules* - Bravo******

**10 p.m.*****Baylen Out Loud* (season finale) - TLC**

Your guide to 2025 TV premiere dates

Your guide to 2025 movie release dates

Wednesday, Dec. 31

Millie Bobby Brown on 'Stranger Things'.

**Movies*****Together* (streaming debut) - Hulu******

**Streaming*********Fallout* - Prime Video*******Made in Korea* - Hulu*******Palm Royale *- Apple TV*******Percy Jackson and the Olympians* - Disney+

**8 p.m.*****Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2025* (part 1) - ABC*******New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash* (part 1) - CBS*******Stranger Things* (series finale) - Netflix (In select theaters)

**10:30 p.m.*****Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2025* (part 2) - ABC*******New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash* (part 2) - CBS*******A Toast to 2025* - NBC******

Thursday, Jan. 1

2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Cyndi Lauper; OutKast's Big Boi and André 3000; Soundgarden's Chris Cornell.

River Callaway/Variety via Getty; Prince Williams/WireImage; Paul R. Giunta/Getty

**Movies*****Barron's Cove* (streaming debut) - Paramount+*******The House on Haunted Grounds* - Digital*******Super Happy Fun Clown* - In theaters (limited release)******

**Streaming*****Run Away* (series debut) - Netflix*******Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale* - AMC+

**11 a.m.*****137th Rose Parade Presented by Honda* - ABC, NBC/Peacock******

**8 p.m.*********2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony* - ABC*******The Cult of the Real Housewife* (three-part docuseries debut) - TLC*******Hell's Kitchen* - Fox*******HGTV Dream Home 2026* (special) - HGTV / HBO Max*******I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not* (doc) - CNN

**9 p.m.*********The Cult of the Real Housewife* - TLC

**10 p.m.*********The Cult of the Real Housewife* (three-part docuseries finale) - TLC**

Friday, Jan. 2

'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 18 cast.

**Movies*****The Plague* - In theaters (wide release)*******We Bury the Dead* - In theaters********

**8 p.m.*****Friday Night Vibes *(*Barbie* and *The Wizard of Oz*) - TBS*******Gold Rush* - Discovery*******Power Book IV: Force* - Starz*******Ready to Love* - OWN*******RuPaul's Drag Race* (season premiere) - MTV******

**9 p.m.*********20/20* - ABC*******Dateline* - NBC*******The Last Woodsman* (season finale) - Discovery*******My Lottery Dream Home* - HGTV*******Spartacus: House of Ashur* - Starz*******The Unbelievable With Dan Aykroyd* - History

**9:30 p.m.*****Junk or Jackpot?* - HGTV*******RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked* (season premiere) - MTV******

**10 p.m.*********It's Florida, Man* (season finale) - HBO / HBO Max**

Saturday, Jan. 3

**8 p.m.*********Dinner and a Movie* - TBS*******Love & Marriage: Huntsville* - Oxygen*******Stolen Girl *(movie) - Lifetime******

Sunday, Jan. 4

Sam Elliott and Billy Bob Thornton on 'Landman'.

Emerson Miller/Paramount+

**Streaming*********Landman* - Paramount+******

**6 p.m.*****Snapped* (season premiere) - Oxygen******

**7 p.m.*********31st Annual Critics Choice Awards* - E!, USA*******America's Funniest Home Videos* (winter premiere) - ABC*******Killer Relationship With Faith Jenkins* - Oxygen

**7:30 p.m.*****60 Minutes* - CBS******

**8 p.m.*********90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days* - TLC*******Home Town* (season premiere) - HGTV*******Mama's Little Murderer* (movie) - Lifetime*******The Real Housewives of Potomac - Bravo******When the Heart Calls* (season premiere) - Hallmark*******Worst Cooks in America: Reality Check* (season premiere) - Food Network (next day on HBO Max)********

**8:15 p.m.*****Sunday Night Football* (Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers) - NBC********

**9 p.m.*****Celebrity IOU* - HGTV*******Krapopolis* (season finale) - Fox*******Married to Medicine* - Bravo********

**9:30 p.m.*****The Simpsons* - Fox******

**10 p.m.*********Sister Wives* - TLC**

*times are ET and subject to change

- What to Watch

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