FEATURED PROGRAMS on Blue Ridge PBS
Be sure to check our schedule for additional air times!
All Creatures Great and Small: Christmas in the Dales
Sunday, December 7 @ 9pm
Celebrate the heartwarming MASTERPIECE series with clips and behind-the-scenes memories of its Christmas finales. Experience the kindness, empathy and love in the magical village of Darrowby and the stunning Yorkshire Dales during the holiday season.
All Creatures Great and Small: Touring the Dales
Sunday, December 7 @ 7pm
Celebrate the popular MASTERPIECE series and the beauty of the Dales by touring the actual locations where filming takes place, including the Skeldale House, Heston Grange, The Drovers Arms, as well as scenic vistas, bridges and farms.
All Creatures Great and Small, Season 5, on Masterpiece
Back-to-Back Episodes! Sundays, December 14-28 @ 9pm
It is Spring 1941, and we return to Darrowby to find young baby Jimmy keeping everyone in Skeldale House on their toes. Helen is getting the hang of motherhood with James away at RAF Abingdon, Mrs. Hall and Siegfried are enjoying having a little one around and Carmody is now a full-fledged member of the Skeldale family. With World War II now fully underway, Siegfried is taking up the slack at the surgery, Mrs. Hall and Helen are considering their contribution within the community, and Carmody is eager to step up. Siegfried is keen to have everyone back, but Tristan’s surprise return won't be quite as straightforward as he hoped.
Ancient Skies
Wednesday, December 3
Discover how centuries of knowledge, experimentation and engineering helped our ancestors understand the mysteries of space. Expert contributors decode astronomical myths and uncover the science behind their origins.
8pm – Gods and Monsters
From our earliest ancestors we discover how we used the skies to navigate and tell time, and how we gave religious significance to the things we saw in it. We finish on the cusp of a revolution that gave birth to modern science.
9pm – Finding the Center
Follow the story of our earth as it takes shape and a place in the cosmos in the minds of great astronomers and scientists including Ptolemy, Copernicus and Galileo.
10pm – Our Place in the Universe
We complete the puzzle of our ancient skies, collecting the missing pieces required for an accurate model of our universe.
Brenda Lee: Rockin’ Around on American Masters
Tuesday, December 23 & 8pm & Saturday, December 27 @ 10pm
Discover the story behind Brenda Lee and explore how her early fame and life of poverty shaped her music, including the classic “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree.” The film features interviews with Keith Urban, Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo and more.
Call the Midwife Holiday Special 2025
Thursday, December 25 @ 8pm
Senior members of the convent embark on a mercy mission, swapping the snowy East End of London for the sun-drenched terrain of Hong Kong. The rise in hospital births, and wider changes in the NHS, have clipped their wings. But their mission to the Far East is a chance to take flight and work out what really matters. For her part, Sister Julienne suddenly finds herself excited about the Order’s future. After years of battling change, she decides to embrace it and see what love can do.
Gospel Live! Presented by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Friday, December 26 @ 9pm
GOSPEL Live! Presented by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is a concert celebration honoring the legacy of Gospel music in America. As a companion to GOSPEL, hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., secular and gospel artists sing their favorite gospel classics.
Happiness
Back-to-Back Episodes! Sundays December 14-28 @ 8pm
After 20 years away, Broadway director Charlie Summers finds himself back in his childhood room, helping his mother at the local theater. The eclectic cast and crew there may lack professional skills, but certainly don’t lack passion.
Hometowns – NEW EPISODES!
Thursdays @ 7:30pm
In this season of Hometowns, we uncover the soulful narratives behind diverse communities across the country. From our mountain roots in Central Appalachia to the Alaskan wilderness, we explore how these places came to life and why people choose to call them home. Travel far enough and you see it—every hometown is its own world, yet somehow, we’re all telling the same story.
December 11 – Wythe County, VA
Journey to Wytheville, Virginia, a town at the crossroads of history and community spirit. From Revolutionary roots to Main Street revival, Wytheville embodies the resilience of Appalachia and the enduring power of home.
December 25 – Grayson County, VA
Explore Grayson County, Virginia, where the Blue Ridge’s highlands shape music, craft, and life itself. Known for its natural beauty and strong traditions, it’s a place where community thrives against a wild and rugged backdrop.
Hope of the Season: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir
Monday, December 15 & Wednesday, December 24 @ 8pm
Tony Award-winner Ruthie Ann Miles and iconic actor Dennis Haysbert inspire in this holiday special that combines classic Christmas carols with a contemporary story of how giving back and uplifting communities is the true meaning of the season.
Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas
Monday, December 22 @ 9pm
Join Mary Berry as she travels to her mother’s homeland, Scotland, and is joined by her friends Andy Murray, Iain Stirling, and Emeli Sandé to cook indulgent Christmas dishes that can be enjoyed anytime over the holidays.
Mary Berry’s Ultimate Christmas
Monday, December 22 @ 10pm
Much Loved British Home Cook Mary Berry is joined by some famous friends for her ultimate Christmas feast, packed with tips to plan and get ahead for the big day. Planning is Mary’s top tip for a successful and enjoyable day and here she shares her definitive recipes perfected over 50 years.
Nature
Tuesdays @ 8pm
NATURE brings rich and rewarding stories from the wild to homes across America. Forty years on, it is the premier voice for the natural world, an essential lens on the creatures, great and small, that sustain us all on our living planet.
December 10 – Canada: Surviving the Wild North
Journey from Canada's high arctic to boreal forest and discover how polar bears, coastal wolves, lynx and more survive in the North. Timing and seizing opportunity can mean the difference between life and death in this wild and rugged outpost.
December 17 – Santa’s Wild Home
Get an intimate look at the wildlife of Lapland, a region in northern Finland, the fabled home of Santa Claus and actual home of reindeer, wolverines, eagles, wolves, Brown bears and more.
Nutcracker from English National Ballet
Tuesday, December 16 @ 8pm
Enjoy Tchaikovsky's holiday classic set in Edwardian-era London. Clara embarks on a fantastical adventure with her enchanted nutcracker, featuring over 100 dancers and a magical, dreamlike realm. Choreographed by Aaron S. Watkin and Arielle Smith.
Starring Dick Van Dyke on American Masters Season 39 PREMIERE!
Friday, December 19 @ 9pm & Tuesday, December 30 @ 8pm
Ahead of his 100th birthday, celebrate the life and career of legendary actor Dick Van Dyke. Known for iconic roles in Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and his classic CBS sitcom, he has delighted audiences on screen and stage for eight decades.
Too Hot to Handel: The Gospel Messiah
Wednesday, December 24 @ 9:30pm
Handel’s 18th-century masterpiece, “The Messiah,” has been reimagined and infused with Gospel, Jazz, and R&B. The result is an uplifting reinterpretation of this seasonal favorite, captured at its European premiere at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
We Heart Public TV
Monday, December 1 @ 7pm & Friday, December 12 @ 9pm
A star-studded cast will honor 55 remarkable years of public television – America’s trusted, free public media service that reaches every city, town, and rural community across the nation. Featuring music director Rickey Minor and appearances by Josh Groban, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ziggy Marley, Lily Tomlin, Noel Paul Stookey, Rick Steves, David Foster and Katherine MacPhee, Joe Bonamassa, Lucy Dacus, Celtic Woman, Lindsay Ell, Sarah Silverman, Martha Plimpton and so many more, this program celebrates the extraordinary musical artists and personalities who have graced PBS stages and screens, showcasing the cultural richness that public media and local PBS stations offer all Americans.