‘Tis the season for ye olde yule log (fa la la la la, la la la la)! And if you’ve ever wanted to cozy up by a fire in the worlds ofSquid Game,Bridgerton, orSpellbound, your time is now. Because this year,Netflixis bringing three different, themed iterations of the classic holiday program — literally just a fire in a fireplace burning on your screen — to its streaming platform just in time for your seasonal shindigs.
Don’t worry, you’re not alone in thinking that it might be a little odd to cozy up to a fireplace in the office of the Front Man fromSquid Game. But that subversive, unsettling energy is probably exactly why they did it (also because the series’ second season is premiering on August 11, 2025 — aka the day after Christmas. Also known as Boxing Day if you’re in the United Kingdom).
That said, there will be a few other yuletide offerings featuring fires roaring in thematically adorned fireplaces (which we first read about inThe Hollywood Reporter), should you appreciate a more Regency-era living room or animated fire on the hillsides of Lumbria vibe. And according to the report, “All the Netflix themed Yule Log streams include Easter Eggs and bits of animation inspired by the shows along the way.”
What Is A Yule Log And Where Did The Tradition Originate?
Though the idea of a yule log is a tradition that goes back centuries, thetelevised iterationof it is a quintessentially American offering, with a history that dates back to the 1960s. Originally airing from 1966 to 1989 in New York City on its local television station WPIX, the station revived the broadcast in 2001 and found a resurgence of appreciation among Christmas celebrators. Running anywhere between two and four hours in duration, airing on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas morning, the program was meant to offer a break to news station employees to be able to spend time with their families during the holidays.
Typically just a loop of a yule log burning in a fireplace, the broadcast would also feature music playing in the background and no commercial interruption to kill the immaculately festive vibes. It was invented by president and chief executive officer of WPIX at the time, Fred M. Thrower, in 1966. It has gone on to spawn hundreds (if not thousands) of iterations across the world and online — includinga silly Adult Swim onefrom 2022, and aHome Alonethemed onea few years prior. Nick Offerman even did one in the style of hisParks and Recreationcharacter, Ron Swanson, in 2015.
Why Adult Swim’s Yule Log Is Worth Watching This Holiday Season
Adult Swim turns a holiday tradition into an unexpected horror with Casper Kelly’s latest live-action Yule Log, also known as The Fireplace.
All three of Netflix’s themed fireplaces are available to stream on your screens right now — and you’re able to clickhere for theSquid Gameone,here for theBridgertonone, andhere for theSpellboundone. If the idea of a yule log sounds appealing, but you want a more traditional vibe, fear not: Netflix has one of those, too, called “Fireplace For Your Home.”
