Stream It or Skip It: ‘Yoh! Christmas’ on Netflix, A Successful South African Remake of a Hit Norwegian Holiday Series

Netflix viewers around the world must have really loved their Norwegian 2019-2020 romantic comedy-drama series Home for Christmas, because Yoh! Christmas is their second international title to be based on the original in the last two years. Luckily, though the central story remains the same, Yoh! Christmas is a show that still stands alone as a fun festive title and makes enough changes for things to feel fresh and new.

YOH! CHRISTMAS: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: Our leading lady, Thando Mokoena (Katlego Lebogang), sits at a family dinner, stuck between two identically dressed babies while staring straight into the camera as she narrates via voiceover, introducing herself to the audience. Though “Thando” means love, she is a single, childless, and not getting any younger. The kids belong to her “very fertile” younger brother, and when he announces that he and his wife are going to have more twins, everyone (especially her mom) looks Thando’s way, continuing to judge her for her perpetually single status. But before we can get any further, Thando takes us back to how she got there in the first place.

The Gist: Thando Mokoena is a 30-year-old physiotherapist who has been completely single for the past three years. Though she claims to be a proud independent woman, she still seems a bit hung up on her ex, Sifiso (Fezile Mkhize), who left her on the day of their lobola ceremony, which is a South African custom done shortly before marriage. To make matters worse, since then, Sifiso has gotten married and had kids, even stealing the name that Thando has always wanted for her firstborn son to give his own kid with another woman. In the three years since the breakup, Thando has been living with her best friend, Charles (Siya Raymond Sepotokele). Though there seems to be nothing romantic between them, they’re pretty compatible and it’s clear that he’s been there for her through thick and thin.

His support is especially helpful in the face of the Mokoena family’s constant judgment and comments about Thando’s relationship status. Even though Thando is great at her job and doing well in life, her mom Nellie (Sthandiwe Kgoroge), in particular, can’t let go of her singleness. Thando’s older sister, Minnie (Lerato Mvelase), and younger brother, Lungile (Bongani Dube), are both married with multiple children. In fact, when Lungile tells everyone at a family dinner that he and his wife Mikayla (Laura-Lee Mostert) are about to have even more kids on the way with a set of twins, Thando announces that she has a boyfriend and will bring him for the family’s big Christmas Eve dinner celebration, much to her family’s glee. The only problem is that Thando is as single as can be. Now, she has 24 days to find a boyfriend to bring home for the holidays. No pressure!

What Shows Will It Remind You Of?: Yoh! Christmas will definitely remind you of Norway’s Home for Christmas and Italy’s I Hate Christmas, as these fellow international Netflix titles are all different versions of the same story (which all began with the Norwegian series in 2019).

Our Take: Every iteration of Home for Christmas so far has been full of festive fun, but Yoh! Christmas seems to be finding new ways to make the idea its own, making for an entertaining international holiday adventure. The new dynamic of the female lead having a male best friend, for example, is a really compelling change that adds new layers and intrigue to the series and its potential storylines. Even if Thando and Charles don’t end up having some sort of When Harry Met Sally-style romance, it’ll be nice just to see their depiction of a strong platonic friendship between a woman and man.

The cast itself is great from top to bottom, with plenty of strong and compelling performances, and an exceptional driving force in its star, Katlego Lebogang. Lebogang is as charming, funny, and lovable as Thando, which makes it even more discouraging to see so many people around her being so rude and judgmental over everything from her relationship status to her physical appearance (that shopkeeper lady was out of line for judging Thando’s size, especially when she definitely is at most a medium). It’ll make you want to yell through the screen for Thando to just move away to a place where people will just let her be. You deserve better, girl!

But Thando clearly isn’t as happily single as she claims. She’s still hung up on her ex who has completely moved on, and though she puts herself through a hellish “Single Jingle First Thursdays” mixer later on in the first episode, she may not be open to a relationship in the first place. After all, seemingly strong potential suitors like Charles and endearingly awkward new doctor Ben Bakare (Anthony Oseyemi) are right there but she refuses to even entertain the idea of them as romantic prospects. But it just goes to show how hard we sometimes make our own lives and how we can get in our own way, especially when we’re caught between wanting to appease others and please ourselves.

Sex and Skin: None in this episode.

Parting Shot: At the end of what has already been a disaster of a day, things go from bad to worse when Thando’s phone is stolen out of her hand. But then things take a sudden turn for the better when a gallant stranger named Simon (Tumisho Masha) comes out of nowhere to beat up the thief and return Thando’s phone. He says he’ll stay with her while she waits for her Uber, and as they shake hands over introductions, Thando is visibly into him. Perhaps this is the start of something more (but you’ll have to keep watching to know for sure).

Sleeper Star: Even in his limited screen time, Anthony Oseyemi shines as likable and slightly put upon doctor Ben Bakare. Ben clearly seems to be interested in Thando, so we’re looking forward to hopefully seeing more of him as they spend more time together at work (where potentially, sparks will fly).

Most Pilot-y Line: “No wonder you’re still alone, you can’t see what’s right in front of you.” Even Thando’s patients are passing judgment on her love life (or lack thereof).

Our Call: STREAM IT! Even though it’s technically a remake, Yoh! Christmas stands on its own as a series worth watching, in large part due to its talented cast, comedic moments, and unique takes on the original storyline. Check it out for some crowd-pleasing holiday fun!

Stream Yoh! Christmas on Netflix