What’s Coming to Netflix: October 2023

Still from the Netflix show "I Work Up A Vampire"

Photo:

"I Woke Up A Vampire." Photo credit: Netflix

As we move into the cooler, darker nights of fall, the couch and a cozy blanket seem to call my name in the evening. When I turn on the television, my kids seem to magically appear and everyone is ready for a little post-school, post-homework relaxation.

This month there are action movies, nature documentaries and spooky specials coming to Netflix to keep everyone entertained on October’s dark and stormy nights.

Netflix

Oct. 1: “The Great British Baking Show” (Collection 11) – On your mark … get set … bake! Everyone’s favorite baking show from across the pond is back with new episodes Fridays starting in October. Get ready for steely blue eyes, handshakes and the dreaded soggy bottom.

Oct. 1: “One Piece” (New Seasons) – Action and adventure is around every corner in this live-action show based off the popular Manga comic of the same name. Follow the young sea captain as he sets out to become the Pirate King and find the mythical treasure known as “One Piece.”

Oct. 1: “The Adventures of Tintin” (2011) – More secret treasure and pirate legends await you in this computer animated movie. With its star-studded cast of voice actors (including Daniel Craig, Andy Serkis and Cary Elwes), this Oscar-nominated movie is sure to entertain fans of adventure. Rated PG.

Oct. 1: “The Amazing Spider-Man” (2012) and “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” (2014) – These popular superhero movies follows Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) — your friendly neighborhood Spiderman — as he faces off against the Lizard, Electro and Green Goblin. Like many superhero movies, these are best for tweens and older and are both rated PG-13.

Oct. 1: “Casper” (1995) – Who better to help ring in the spooky season than Casper the friendly ghost? In this combo live-action/animated movie, a father and daughter move into a crumbling mansion in order to get rid of wicked spirits, where they find themselves in silly battles with three annoying ghosts. Rated PG.

Oct. 1: “Drake & Josh: Season 1-3” – Two teenage boys become stepbrothers, one a nerd and one a cool musician, in this Nickelodeon series. Can the two brothers survive their little sister Megan’s attempts to make their lives miserable? You’ll have to watch to find out.

Oct. 1: “Kung Fu Panda” (2008) – Watch the movie that introduced everyone’s favorite Kung Fu master, Po (voiced by Jack Black). Much to Po’s surprise, he is selected as the protector for the Valley of Peace and must learn the ways of Kung Fu. This movie is fun for the whole family and is rated PG.

Oct. 1: “The Little Rascals” – This remake of the 1950s television show follows the adventures of a group of boys preparing for a big go-kart race. The boys are not fans of girls, so when Alfalfa has a crush on Darla, his friends do all they can to break up the couple. Silly adventure ensues, and it all turns out alright in the end. Rated PG.

Oct. 1: “Megamind” – Evil genius Megamind finally defeats his nemesis, Metro Man, but now he’s bored. So, he creates a new foe, Titan. Instead of using his powers for good, Titan turns against humanity, forcing Megamind to become the hero he was always meant to be. This movie has impressive voice actors, including Will Ferrell, Jonah Hill, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, David Cross, Ben Stiller and more. Rated PG.

Oct. 2: “Strawberry Shortcake and the Beast of Berry Bog” – Join Strawberry Shortcake and friends as they uncover a mystery at the Berry Scary Fright-Fall Carnival in this animated Halloween special.

Oct. 9: “Blippi’s Big Dino Adventure” – Extremely enthusiastic Blippi and his friend Meekah run into Park Ranger Asher at T-Rex Ranch and help him find a missing dinosaur egg. This live-action special is about one-hour long and was released in movie theaters in August 2023.

Oct. 12: “LEGO: Ninjago Dragons Rising” (Season 1 – new episodes) – Many realms have combined into one, and a Spinjitzu Ninja Master must train a new generation of heroes to help fight the Elemental Dragons. If that sounds like a foreign language to you, it’s time to watch “Ninjago.”

Oct. 13: “Spy Kids,” (2001) “Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams” (2002) and “Spy Kids 3: Game Over” (2003) – These family adventure movies about a brother/sister team that becomes spies, follows a simple formula: Stop an evil genius, rescue their parents and save the world. With tons of adventure and tech gadgets, these movies are all about kid power. As they say in the movie, “Never send a grown up to do a kid’s job.”

If your kids like these movies, but are hoping for some more current special effects, you’re in luck: The 2023 reboot, “Spy Kids: Armageddon” just hit theaters in September.

"Oggy Oggy characters trick-or-treating" — "Oggy Oggy," photo credit: Netflix

Oct. 16: “Oggy Oggy” (Season 3) – Kind and curious kitty Oggy Oggy wants to spread joy to all his friends and neighbors. But sometimes he gets into playful mischief instead.

Oct. 17: “I Woke Up A Vampire” (Season 1) – Becoming a teenager can sometimes feel like you have morphed into an entirely new being. For 13 year-old Carmie, it’s reality. Carmie discovers that she is half-human, half-vampire and that mythical powers make middle school way more complicated.

Oct. 23: “Princess Power: Season 2” – Princesses from the four Fruitdoms – Blueberry, Kiwi, Pineapple and Raspberry – come together to have fun and make their world a better place.

Oct. 24: “Minions” (2015) – Once side characters in the “Despicable Me” movies, the loveable yellow minions take center stage in this film. On their mission to serve the biggest, baddest villain around, minions Stuart, Kevin and Bob are recruited by a supervillain Scarlet Overkill who hatches a plot to take over the world. Rated PG.

"Image from the Netflix show, “Life on our Planet”" — “Life on our Planet,” photo credit: Netflix

Oct. 25: “Life on our Planet” (Season 1) – Have you ever wished you could watch a nature documentary about dinosaurs? Well, now you can. Sort of. This new documentary series rewinds the clock on Earth to see how now extinct animals survived, and tells the story of the epic battle to conquer the planet. This series uses the latest technology to bring long extinct creatures back to life. You aren’t going to want to miss this one.

Looking for more spooky shows? Check out Netflix’s Halloween collection. This collection of family-friendly films and series is the perfect addition to everyone’s “must-watch” list for viewers of all ages.

For grown-ups: Jordan Peele’s movies, “Get Out” (which had four Oscar nominations and won Best Original Screenplay) and “Us” (which won tons of awards, including the Critics’ Choice awards for Best Actress and Best Sci-Fi Horror movie) are both coming to Netflix on Oct. 1. If you are looking for a smart, scary Halloween movie, these should do the trick. Both are rated R.

Disney+

Oct. 2: “Mickey & Friends Trick Or Treats” – In this stop-motion Halloween special, Mickey and his friends decide to trick-or-treat at a spooky house. The owner of the house (Witch Hazel) casts a spell on them and transforms them into their Halloween costumes. This special is fun for the whole family, and features new music you’ll be humming all day.

Oct. 4: “Haunted Mansion” – After five successful movies based on a certain pirate themed ride, Disney decided it was time to do it again. This movie (with some big stars, including Danny DeVito, Jared Leto, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tiffany Haddish and more) is inspired by the classic theme park attraction, the Haunted Mansion. A single mom hires a tour guide, a psychic, a priest, and a historian to help exercise their newly bought mansion; after discovering it is inhabited by ghosts. This movie looks pretty spooky with lots of jump-scares and is best for tweens and older, rated PG-13.

Oct. 4: “Hailey’s On It!” (S1, 5 episodes) – Follow the adventures of the resourceful, though risk-averse, teenager Hailey as she works to complete every item on her list to save the world. This animated show will entertain and inspire as Hailey works through challenges from performing a musical to realizing her complex and changing feelings toward her best friend, Scott.

Oct. 4: “SuperKitties” (S1, 3 episodes) – This Disney Junior show for the littles fans follows the adventures of kitties Ginny, Sparks, Buddy and Bitsy. Not only are they super cute and cuddly, they are also brave, smart, strong and kind. And oh yeah, superheroes!

Oct. 4: “The Villains of Valley View” (S2, 4 episodes) – Amy Madden and her family are super villains living undercover lives in the unsuspecting town of Valley View. The family must work together to protect their secret and overcome new challenges, while an enemy they thought they defeated plots her revenge.

Oct. 6: Mrs Doubtfire – In this classic comedy, the late Robin Williams plays a dad desperate for more time with his children after a divorce. He disguises himself as a British nanny who is adored by his children, and tries to become the parent he should have been all along. This movie deals with some mature subject matter (including a messy divorce and child custody) and is rated PG-13.

Oct. 6: 2023 is Disney’s 100-year anniversary – As part of the celebration, Disney is releasing classic cartoons, including the following in October:

Camping Out (1934)
Chips Ahoy (1956)
Fiddling Around (1930)
Inferior Decorator (1948)
Old MacDonald Duck (1941)
When the Cat’s Away (1929)
Wynken, Blynken and Nod (1938)

Oct. 11: “4EVER” – Is anyone in your house looking for a new boy band to crush on? If so, this show may be your answer. Young musicians Andy, Ian, Ciro and Dario meet by chance and find themselves caught up in the disappearance of a valuable guitar. The only way time find it? Put together a band, of course.

Oct. 11: “The Simpsons” (Season 34) – Bart Simpson has been driving Homer craze and wreaking havoc in Springfield since 1989, making this the longest running scripted TV show. Season 34 marks an impressive milestone – the show’s 750th episode. That’s a lot of episodes, but don’t have a cow man!

Oct. 11: “Alice’s Wonderland Bakery” (S2, 7 episodes) – On your marks, get set, bake! Oops, wrong baking show, sorry. Alice and her friends work together to bake magical treats for her friends and neighbors, with the help of enchanted kitchen tools of course.

Oct. 11: “Broken Karaoke” (Shorts) (S2, 3 episodes) – This series of shorts features characters from a variety of animated Disney shows singing song parodies.

Oct. 18: “PJ Masks: Power Heroes Music Videos” (Shorts) (S1, 10 episodes) – Watch your favorite nocturnal kid superheroes in music video shorts. Not only can they fight crime, they sing and dance too!

Oct. 20: Marvel Studios’ “Werewolf By Night” – A group of monster hunters gather together following the death of their leader and find themselves in a deadly competition for a powerful relic, and face to face with a dangerous monster. This looks pretty creepy, so best for the tween and older crowd looking for a good Halloween scare. Rated TV-14

Oct. 25: “Big City Greens” (Season 4) – A boy from the country moves to the big city with his family and tries to adjust to a new lifestyle. This silly, fast-paced animated series will keep your kids laughing. The fourth season will include the show’s 100th episode!

Oct. 25: “Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge” (S2, 8 episodes) – Famed survivalist Bear Grylls is teaching his celebrity guests (including Bradley Cooper, Daveed Diggs, Benedict Cumberbatch and more) essential survival skills. Watch as Bear makes celebrities jump off high things, get wet and muddy and eat a variety of gross stuff. What could be more fun?

Oct. 27: “LEGO Marvel Avengers: Code Red” – As usual, there is trouble in the multiverse. This time, it is being threatened by the Red Phantom, and the LEGO Marvel Avengers must work together (and with some new quirky friends) to save their friends, family and the world. This animated special is rated TV-G and will entertain your whole superhero-loving crew.