'I tried the Netflix Advent Calendar - it's the coolest looking and sounding one I've ever had'

The Netflix Advent Calendar is packed with super-cool memorabilia from the biggest shows like Stranger Things, Squid Game, and Bridgerton, making it the perfect purchase for any telly fan

December may be a few weeks away, but it’s never too early to think about which advent calendar will have you counting down the days until Christmas. As a 32-year-old man, sadly my mum will no longer buy me a traditional chocolate advent calendar.

Luckily, I was given the opportunity to sample something even better with a new product that’s the perfect purchase for any TV fan. I’m talking about the Netflix Advent Calendar, which is packed with TV memorabilia and collectables inspired by some of the streamer’s biggest titles.

You can pick it up from Debenhams and Amazon, which offer it for £99 and £99.99 respectively with free delivery. It’s also available from Menkind, where it’s currently £5 off at £94, but it’s worth noting there’s a delivery charge starting at £3.99.

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The advent calendar includes 24 exclusive items from Netflix shows like Stranger Things, Squid Game, Bridgerton, The Witcher, One Piece and Outer Banks, as well as Zack Snyder's film Rebel Moon. The product description says the advent calendar ‘combines fandom with luxury’ – and it’s not wrong.

While £94+ may sound steep for an advent calendar, it’s immediately clear where that money has gone. As soon as I removed it from its packaging, it was obvious that it’s a premium product; it’s a hefty item at almost 30cm tall and made with a smooth, matte black finish, while its sides are coloured in the style of the Netflix intro screen – there’s even a neat little bow to top it all off.

It looked so neat and pristine that I almost didn’t want to open each of the doors to find out what’s inside. But I had to bite the bullet to find out just how good it really is.

There’s 24 doors to see you through to Christmas Eve, each containing memorabilia from the aforementioned Netflix titles. While it’s fair to say not every item will appeal to every person, there’s enough from each to please any Netflix fan, whether you’re a Stranger Things stan or a Bridgerton aficionado.

You get three or four items from each title, with some even presented in their own series or film-themed wrapping. It includes a varied selection of displayable minifigures, magnets, postcards and wearable items of all shapes and sizes, as well as embroidered patches and a surfboard shaped bottle opener.

My top picks include the Demogorgon bobblehead from Stranger Things, the Front-Man bobblehead from Squid Game and a pen shaped like Geralt’s silver sword from The Witcher. Also included is an Eleven minifigure, accompanied by a guard and Young-hee (the freaky doll) from Squid Game.

There’s also a little gold-plated teaspoon from Bridgerton which – while admittedly not my cup of tea – would be pretty cool for fans of the series, as well as a pocket-sized Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers notebook. But for me, the most impressive thing about the Netflix advent calendar isn’t what’s inside or how it looks, but how it sounds.

If you’re thinking, ‘It’s an advent calendar, what does he mean by how it sounds?’, don’t worry, I was surprised too. When you open it up, a hidden sound chip makes the instantly recognisable Netflix ‘tudum’ sound which – though it may sound cheesy – made me say a pretty loud ‘wow’ upon first hearing it.

I had to close it back up and open it several times just to hear it again. If I had to point out a minor flaw, it’s that some of the items can be a bit tricky to take out once you’ve opened the doors as they’re a little too big to remove easily.

This resulted in several of the doors being torn around the edges – but I’m nit-picking. So is the Netflix Advent Calendar worth the money?

For me, yes. As a TV writer and self-professed cinephile, my life largely revolves around TV and film, so to kick off each dark December morning with an impressive collection of memorabilia is certainly worth the outlay. While the fun will sadly end after 24 days, the assortment of items can be used to make a fancy Netflix-themed display, while other contents like the Witcher pen and Outer Banks bottle opener would no doubt get plenty of use.

You can get the Netflix Advent calendar from Menkind (£94), Debenhams (£99) and Amazon (£99.99). Alternatively, Amazon offers a range of LEGO advent calendars ideal for film fans from a range of popular franchises like Star Wars and Harry Potter.

The new LEGO Harry Potter Advent Calendar has been reduced to £22.99, as has the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar, both of which are £7 cheaper than buying direct from LEGO.