FEATURED PROGRAMS on Blue Ridge PBS
Be sure to check our schedule for additional air times!
1st to Fight: Pacific War Marines
Thursday, December 7 @ 7pm
On the Pacific island of Guadalcanal in 1942, the famed 1st Marine Division — the oldest, largest and most decorated division of the U.S. Marine Corps — defeated Japanese forces in a turning point of WWII. Narrated by actor Jon Seda the program documents the experiences of 1st Marine Division veterans who took part in the historic fight.
25 Years with Lidia: A Culinary Jubilee
Monday, December 18 @ 8pm
Beloved chef Lidia Bastianich is celebrating 25 years on public television. With one of the longest running cooking shows on PBS, Lidia is also a life-long restaurateur and bestselling cookbook author. In honor of her silver anniversary, join Lidia’s family and celebrity friends to roll back the years and get an intimate look at the memorable moments of her life, both on and off the screen.
A Chef’s Life Holiday Special
Sunday, December 3 @ 9:30pm
Join Chef Vivian Howard for a taste of the holidays as she serves up the best of her Southern cooking heritage and the Chanukah traditions her husband Ben grew up with. From a simple corned ham to an upscale oyster dressing, from humble Hoppin’ John to an elegant red velvet cake, sample one of the most charming and delicious holiday celebrations of the season.
Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on The Mystery Queen
Sundays @ 8pm
Lucy Worsley explores the enigma of Agatha Christie. Over three episodes, she applies her historian’s powers of investigation to the Queen of Crime. And she uncovers a complex woman whose life – and work – reflects the upheavals of the 20th century.
December 3 – Cat Among the Pigeons
Lucy Worsley turns detective to uncover how Agatha Christie developed her ingenious talent for murder. She delves into Agatha’s haunted childhood, knowledge of poisons, and wartime trauma. And she discovers that Christie kept much hidden from view.
December 10 – Destination Unknown
Lucy Worsley investigates Agatha Christie's disappearance in 1926. She visits the key locations, and reveals connections between Agatha's experiences and her novels. She also uncovers new evidence about Agatha's mental health.
December 17 – Unfinished Portrait
Rich, famous, successful… an enigma hiding in plain sight. Lucy Worsley explores how Agatha Christie found happiness in her second marriage. And she discovers how the author secured her reputation as the ‘Queen of Crime.'
American Experience - Sandra Day O’Connor: The First
Tuesday, December 5 @ 8pm
Discover the story of the Supreme Court’s first female justice. A pioneer who both reflected and shaped an era, she was the deciding vote in cases on some of the 20th century’s most controversial issues—including race, gender and reproductive rights.
Call the Midwife Holiday Special 2023
Monday, December 25 @ 8pm
Two weeks before Christmas, delicate situations cause uncertainty for the midwives. With the upcoming Apollo 8 launch and the festivity preparations starting, a treacherous heavy snowfall may complicate the holiday celebrations for everyone.
Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway’s Beston Great Performances
Monday, December 4 @ 8pm
Enjoy a revue of milestone Broadway shows and songs from 1973 to 2023 hosted by two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster. Features performances by Andre De Shields, Chita Rivera, Vanessa Williams and more from Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater.
Christmas at Belmont
Friday, December 8 @ 9pm
Christmas at Belmont 2021 features alumnus country/gospel singer Josh Turner and Belmont University students. Taped in Belmont's Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, the show includes holiday favorites and songs from Turner's new Christmas album.
Christmas at Westminster: An Evening of Readings and Carols
Thursday, December 21 @ 7pm
Recorded in the Princeton University Chapel, the program features more than 400 musicians in five different choirs. The musical numbers performed in the hour-long special encompass a variety of styles, including traditional Christmas carols with audience participation, beloved choral works, a diverse array of holiday standards, and contemporary arrangements that both surprise and delight. Together with a number of secular readings, the evening brings beauty and comfort to viewers at this special time of year.
Classic Cinema
Sunday, December 24 @ 8pm & Monday, December 25 @ 7pm – Scrooge (1935)
Charles Dickens’s classic holiday tale of greed, ghosts, redemption and the Christmas spirit is brought to the screen with Seymour Hicks as the world’s most well-known miser: Ebenezer Scrooge.
Sunday, December 24 @ 9pm – A Christmas Wish (1950)
A down-on-their-luck vaudeville family can’t afford to pay rent on a run-down ground floor apartment at Christmas. An unexpected guardian angel in the form of a squirrel comes into their lives, showering them with money. Jimmy Durante stars in this fun holiday feature.
Thursday, December 28 @ 8pm – Sherlock Holmes: Terror by Night (1946)
When the fabled Star of Rhodesia diamond is stolen on a London to Edinburgh train and the son of its owner is murdered, Sherlock Holmes must discover which of his suspicious fellow passengers is responsible.
Craft in America
Friday, December 29
Examine original hand-crafted works created by contemporary artists.
@ 9pm - PLAY explores the intersection of play and artistry, featuring Calder Kamin, Lorena Robletto, Roberto Benavidez, Schroeder Cherry, the Cotsen Children's Library, Chris Green, and the Skirball Cultural Center.
@ 10pm - MINIATURES explores the world of tiny objects and the artists that make them, featuring the International Folk Art Market, Leandro Gomez Quintero, Mark Murphy, Alexander Girard, and Gustave Baumann.
Debbie Gibson Holiday: A Soundcheck Special
Thursday, December 14 @ 7:30pm
Singer-songwriter, producer and actress Debbie Gibson shares insight and inspiration about recording her first holiday album, Winterlicious, and performs some classic and new holiday hits. The half-hour concert, filmed at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, New Jersey, includes performances of "The Gift," "Let it Snow," the "Christmas Dreams Medley" and "White Christmas," which Gibson performs as a duet with her father. In between songs, Gibson talks with host Jen Eckert about her creative process, writing original songs, her own holiday memories, and recording the new album. Singer Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block also discusses what it's like working and touring with Gibson.
The Great Polar Bear Feast
Wednesday, December 6 @ 10pm
See the astonishing story of an annual natural phenomenon that occurs in early September on the north slope of the Arctic. Every year, up to 80 polar bears gather on the frozen shores of Barter Island, near the village of Kaktovik, to feast on the hunter-harvested bowhead whale remains.
La Frontera with Pati Jinich
Friday, December 1
Savor the sights, sounds and flavors of the U.S.-Mexico border alongside acclaimed James Beard Award-winning chef Pati Jinich, host of PBS’s PATI’S MEXICAN TABLE, as she experiences the region’s rich culture, people and cuisine.
@ 9pm – Miles from Nowhere
Pati, travels from El Paso and Juarez to Big Bend National Park. She discovers the people, places, and food -- from burritos to middle eastern cuisine, that make this region unique.
@ 10pm – From Dos Laredos to Mars
Pati travels from Laredo and Nuevo Laredo to Brownsville, Texas. She learns how tight-knit family bonds are an underlying theme connecting everything in the Laredos, and throughout La Frontera.
Lookingglass Alice
Friday, December 15 @ 9pm
Created and performed by Chicago’s Tony-Award winning Lookingglass Theatre Company, Lookingglass Alice is a marvel for all ages, transporting audiences down the rabbit hole to a circus-infused playground for an exhilarating adventure inspired by Lewis Carroll’s beloved stories.
Lucy Worsley’s 12 Days of Tudor Christmas
Monday, December 4 @ 10pm
Join Lucy Worsley on a 12-day extravaganza as she discovers that much of what we enjoy in contemporary Christmas — from carols to turkey, gift-giving to mistletoe and mulled wine — has surprising Tudor origins, rooted in devotion and charity.
Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas
Monday, December 18 @ 9pm & Tuesday, December 26 @ 8pm
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.
Nature
Wednesdays @ 8pm
Experience the splendors and compelling stories of the natural world from all over the globe. The series delivers the best in original natural history films to audiences nationwide.
December 13 – Canada: Surviving the Wild North
Journey from Canada’s Arctic to the 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 20 – 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.
December 27 – Penguins: Meet the Family
A celebration of one of Earth’s most iconic and beloved birds, featuring footage of all 18 species of penguins for the first time, from New Zealand, Cape Town, the Galapagos Islands and Antarctica.
The Nutcracker and The Mouse King
Tuesday, December 26 @ 9pm
Join Alan Cumming for the real story of the Nutcracker and the Mouse King with the beloved music of Tchaikovsky. Featuring the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under the direction of John Mauceri, this new version is a rare holiday treat.
Pearl Harbor: Into The Arizona
Thursday, December 7 @ 8pm
On the eve of the 75th anniversary, join the first expedition to explore inside the USS Arizona since the date that will live in infamy, as state-of-the-art imaging technology reveals the aftermath and incredible story of the Pearl Harbor attack.
The Seabees on Iwo Jima
Thursday, December 7 @ 9pm
Narrated by CBS Sports' Jim Nantz, THE SEABEES ON IWO JIMA focuses on the story of the United States Naval Construction Battalions of World War II. The "Seabees," some of whom were in their 60s, were recruited from the construction trades to join special battalions that built the airfields and bases needed to stage a successful war effort. Best known for their work building runways out of jungles on the coral islands in the Pacific, these construction battalions helped the United States take the war to Japan's doorstep in 1945.
Season of Light: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir
Tuesday, December 12 @ 8pm & Friday, December 22 @ 9pm
Tony® Award-winning Disney and Broadway star Lea Salonga and renowned actor Sir David Suchet shine in this holiday special that weaves together inspirational music with a hope-filled story from World War II to welcome the spirit of the season.
Steve & Eydie: Memories of My Mom & Dad (My Music Presents)
Saturday, December 2 @ 7pm
For over six decades, the musical duo of Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme has brought back warm and nostalgic memories from the early days of '50s Rock and Roll, '60s Pop, Tin Pan Alley, Broadway and The American Songbook. Amazingly, there has never been a tv show celebrating their long illustrious careers as individuals and singing together.- that is, until now, exclusively for public television stations.
Ukraine Under Attack: 72 Hours in the Presidential Office
Thursday, December 14 & 21 @ 8pm
In this 2-part series, the critical first 72 hours of the Russian invasion on Ukraine are retold by those who were there, uncovering fresh revelations about how the event unfolded. Drawing on interviews with the president's closest aides, official government releases and global media reports, a new light is shed on events that have set in motion a new era of global polarization and instability.