The It List: Relive all 8 seasons of 'Game of Thrones,' Camila Cabello drops 'Romance,' 'The SpongeBob Musical' debuts on TV and the best in pop culture the week of Dec. 2, 2019
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. 2-8, including the best deals we could find for each. (Yahoo Entertainment may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page.)
WATCH IT: Bring the Iron Throne home with Game of Throne: The Complete Series box set on Blu-ray or DVD
Winter has come and gone, but Game of Thrones will endure as a success story — and cautionary tale — for decades to come, especially now that the entire run of HBO’s blockbuster fantasy series is collected in one handy box set for both Blu-ray and standard DVD players. Relive all 73 episodes, from “Winter is Coming” to “The Iron Throne” and marvel all over again at how successfully showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss adapted George R.R. Martin’s five books across the first five seasons... and then fell on their own swords once they ran out of pre-existing material. The box set comes with all the bonus features included on previous home entertainment releases, as well as new goodies like the feature-length documentary, The Last Watch, 10 audio commentaries for the final six episodes, deleted scenes and additional featurettes like "When Winter Falls," a 30-minute look at the Herculean efforts it took to make the Battle of Winterfell a reality. Maisie Williams's Arya Stark emerged as the clutch player in that particular fight, taking out the Night King with her signature "drop and stab" move that inspired its own social media challenge. (Williams describes her character's final season arc in an exclusive clip from the featurette that you can watch above.) Although the mothership series is officially history, HBO has big plans for the GoT franchise that includes prequels and other spinoffs, ensuring we'll be heading back to Westeros for many winters to come. — Ethan Alter
Game of Thrones: The Complete Series is available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Walmart.
HEAR IT: Camila Cabello showcases all sides of love on sophomore album Romance
The pop star and ex-Fifth Harmony member’s second solo album is already a hit, as it features her sexy duet with real-life boyfriend Shawn Mendes, “Señorita,” along with four other globally released, radio-tested singles: "Shameless," "Liar," "Cry for Me" and "Easy.” — Lyndsey Parker
Download on iTunes; buy on CD at Amazon.
WATCH IT: The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage! makes a splash on TV
Take a trip to Bikini Bottom... without ever leaving your couch! Nickelodeon, the animated show's home since it premiered in 1999, filmed the Tony-award winning stage adaptation in front of a live theater audience. It will air across three Nickelodeon networks at the same time. The cast includes several of the original Broadway actors, plus SpongeBob SquarePants favorite Tom Kenny, who voices SpongeBob and others in the TV series. Kenny will play Patchy the Pirate and sing a song penned by pop favorite Sara Bareilles. — Raechal Shewfelt
The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage! premieres Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. on Nickelodeon, TeenNick and Nicktoons.
HEAR IT: Taylor Swift’s Lover, like you’ve never heard it before
Casual fans of Taylor Swift’s latest dreamy set, Lover, and hardcore Swifties alike will appreciate this pretty pair of albums, available exclusively at Target. Swift’s seventh album features the fun “I Forgot That You Existed,” the touching track “Soon You’ll Get Better,” with the vocals of the Dixie Chicks, as well as 16 others. The set comes with a digital download, too, so you can be both retro and modern at the same time — if you can get your hands on this limited-edition set. — R.S.
The two-disc set of Taylor Swift’s Lover on vinyl is available exclusively at Target.
WATCH IT: Big Trouble in Little China finally hits Blu-ray
Well, you can finally put that scratched-up Big Trouble in Little China DVD you've had since God Knows When out of its misery. The 1986 Kurt Russell cult classic is hitting Blu-ray for the very first time this week, just in time for you to celebrate tough-talking truck driver Jack Burton. The Scream Factory release features new commentaries from producer Larry Franco and special effects artist Steve Johnson, as well as previously released interviews from Russell and director John Carpenter. And that's just Disc 1... a second disc has all new interviews with actors Dennis Dun, James Hong, Donald Li, Carter Wong, Peter Kwong, Al Leong, writers W.D. Richter and Gary Goldman and legendary movie poster designer Drew Struzan. As Jack Burton might say, this is some crackerjack timing. — Kevin Polowy
Buy Big Trouble in Little China: Collector's Edition Blu-ray on Amazon.
WATCH IT: The very merry Making It returns in the nick of time
Break out the saws, sewing machines and cake fondant, because former Parks and Recreation stars Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman are returning to TV screens for an abbreviated second season of this arts and crafts competition. This time around, 10 all-new contestants will tackle challenges over eight episodes in just two weeks. The bad news is that, if this season is anything like the first, the creations the artists come up with will make you feel a little guilty that you bought that holiday wreath. On the other hand, it’ll delight you to see Poehler and Offerman joking around together again. And maybe it’ll inspire you to get crafty when it’s time to wrap! — R.S.
The two-week event of Making It premieres Dec. 2 at 10 p.m. on NBC.
READ IT: Get the story of a TV family named Brady with The Way We All Became the Brady Bunch
There have been several books about The Brady Bunch — many of them written by the Bradys themselves! But you can officially consider Kimberly Potts’s delightful history of the classic ‘70s sitcom to be the definitive account of that lovely lady who was bringing up three very lovely girls, and the man named Brady who was busy with three boys of his own. Mixing archival interviews with new conversations with such Brady Bunch alums as Christopher Knight and Susan Olsen, as well as TV notables like Vince Gilligan and Faith Soloway, The Way We All Became the Brady Bunch tracks the show’s origins, five-seasons run and long, long afterlife. Some of the book’s best chapters chronicle what happened after the original series went off the air, but the Bradys hung around, finding their way into variety shows, cartoons and even primetime dramas. Much like the show it’s celebrating, Potts’s book both entertains and educates, dropping numerous pearls of wisdom about why the Bradys mattered then…and now. — E.A.
The Way We All Became The Brady Bunch is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
WATCH IT/READ IT: One Day at Disney gives you an all-access pass inside the Magic Kingdom
Get an unparalleled peek into the domain of Mickey Mouse with this feature-length Disney+ documentary, hosted by Sterling K. Brown, and accompanying coffee-table book, written by Bruce Steele. Chronicling a single day (Feb. 21, 2019, to be exact) across all corners of the Magic Kingdom — the amusement parks (from Anaheim to Shanghai), studios (including Disney Animation, Marvel and Pixar), networks (get up close with GMA’s Robin Roberts), et al. — One Day at Disney follows Imagineers, animators, actors and other creators behind the scenes. After the documentary debuts, there will be 52 additional four- to seven-minute shorts released weekly, each focusing on an individual cast member. — Marcus Errico
The One Day at Disney book is available Dec. 3 at Amazon; the documentary will also begin streaming that day on Disney+.
HEAR IT: The Who releases WHO, their first LP in thirteen years
The classic rock legends return with their first album since 2006’s Endless Wire — and their second with Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr and godson/student of late Who drummer Keith Moon, behind the drum kit. — L.P.
Download on iTunes; buy on CD/vinyl at Amazon.
WATCH IT: The period French romance, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, burns with the passion of love denied
After an acclaimed run on the festival circuit — where it made pit stops in Cannes, Toronto and New York — Céline Sciamma’s 18th century romance arrives in theaters ready to sweep general audiences away with its story of love denied. Set largely in a remote mansion in rural France, the film follows a young artist named Marianne (Noémie Merlant) who has been commissioned to paint a portrait of Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), whose hand in marriage has been promised to her sister’s former fiancé. That simple job is complicated by the intense feelings the women develop for each other, even as they know that any romance comes with an expiration date. Far from a stiff and staid period piece, Portrait of a Lady on Fire locates the beating heart of these women and the world they inhabit. Be prepared for the final five minutes: They’ll take your breath away. — E.A.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire opens in limited release on Dec. 6; visit Fandango for showtime and ticket information.
HEAR IT: Mary J. Blige drops gems (and remixes galore) on HERstory, Vol. 1
We needed a good reason to celebrate Mary J. Blige. Sure, she's won nine Grammys, four AMAs and 12 Billboard Awards, and even got into the Academy Awards mix a couple years ago with two nominations (one for acting, one for singing) for Mudbound — but we mean her entire musical catalog. With the release of HERstory, Vol. 1, we've got as good a chance as any. The dynamite collection, which comes in vinyl (double LP or 8 45's), CD or digital, has a boundless array of gems from the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul. Not only do we get staples like "Real Love," "What's thet 411" and "You Bring Me Joy," but a whole heap of rap-enhanced remixes featuring the likes of Notorious B.I.G., LL Cool J, Method Man, Keith Murray and more. So yes, consider joy brought. And the best part is apparently it's only Vol. 1. — K.P.
Buy Mary J. Blige's HERstory, Vol. 1 on her official site.
PLAY IT: Make your next game night a nostalgia night with new board games about The Office, Friends and Blockbuster Video
Everything old is new again thanks to the game makers at Big Potato and Spin Master Games. With vintage TV hits Friends and The Office being rediscovered — or discovered for the first time — thanks to Netflix, old and new fans alike can bond over their shared love of Ross & Rachel and Jim & Pam through party games. The Office Downsizing Game allows you to assume the identity of the Dunder Mifflin character you love (or love to hate) and try to make it through a typical week by completing various tasks and dodging inter-office sabotage without getting the axe. Friends: The One with the Ball Game is based on that Season 5 episode where the Central Perk gang kept an ordinary ball in the air for an obscenely long length of time. Spin Master’s version comes with 50 different challenges that’ll keep you on your toes. And even though Blockbuster Video is gone, the store’s legacy lives on with a game that combines a buzzer battle with a charades component. It’s like renting Air Force One and Blue Velvet… in other words, a night you’ll never forget. — E.A.
The Office: Downsizing Game, Friends: The One with the Ball Game and the Blockbuster Party Game are all available on Amazon.
WATCH IT: The L Word: Generation Q serves up the dyke drama on Showtime
Girls in tight dresses who drag in mustaches, chicks drivin' fast, ingenues with long lashes… Original L Word fans were famously torn over that dissonant series theme song — but fully in love (or at least forgiving) with pretty much everything else about the show, which followed a group of tight-knit lesbian friends through love and lust and heartache in early-aughts Los Angeles. Portrayals of lesbian life were still pretty much a rarity in pop culture when the series kicked off in 2004 (which maybe hasn't changed so much today), and the L Word generously answered demand for the Sapphic storylines that folks were starving for — infidelity, bisexuality, breast cancer, fame and the closet, gender fluidity, miscarriage, child abuse, racism, military service, parenting, butch identity... you name it. Now, a full decade after signing off, this updated, anticipated spinoff returns, with original characters Bette (Jennifer Beals), Shane (Kate Moennig) and Alice (Leisha Hailey), as the gay elders, inspiring those of a new generation as they negotiate what it means to be LGBTQ in L.A. in 2019. Expect plenty of queer, trans, non-gender-binary themes and love stories, as it looks like Generation Q will be stretching the lesbian boundaries as far as they can go. — Beth Greenfield
The L Word: Generation Q premieres Dec. 8 at 10 p.m. on Showtime.
HEAR IT: Alanis Morissette goes the Great White Way with the original Broadway cast’s recording of Jagged Little Pill
The singer-songwriter’s iconic, 33-million-selling 1995 album gets the much-hyped rock musical treatment. Perhaps Morissette will soon be adding a Tony Award to the three Grammy trophies already on her mantel. — L.P.
Download on iTunes; buy on CD at Amazon.
READ IT: Continue your journey through Thra with a line of Dark Crystal novels, guides and comic books
Have you already binged The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance multiple times? Venture beyond Netflix’s prequel series to Jim Henson’s 1982 cult favorite with a collection of new tie-in books and comics. Penguin Random House’s Heroes of the Resistance and Aughra’s Wisdom of Thra provide helpful guides to the many characters and creatures that inhabit Thra, where simmering tensions between the virtuous Gelflings and the villainous Skekis has broken out into open warfare. The company also recently published Flames of the Dark Crystal, the fourth installment in a series of prequel-to-the-prequel novels. Jim Henson’s daughter, Lisa Henson — who is one of the creative forces behind Age of Resistance — contributes a forward to Insight Edition’s behind-the-scenes book, Inside the Epic Return to Thra, which features a wealth of on-set photography and information about the show from the people who made it. Finally, Boom Comics is overseeing the official Age of Resistance comic series, taking place just before the events of the show. We’re still waiting to find out whether the show will return for a second season, but thanks to these books there’s no reason to delay your return to Thra. — E.A.
Heroes of the Resistance, Aughra’s Wisdom of Thra, Flames of the Dark Crystal and Inside the Epic Return to Thra are all available for purchase on Amazon; the Age of Resistance comic book can be found on Comixology.
HEAR IT: Liam Payne drops debut solo album LP1
The former One Direction member gets into the solo game with his collab-heavy, urban-leaning debut album, featuring guests Rita Ora, Cheat Codes, Zedd, J Balvin, Quavo and many others. — L.P.
