December is a decidedly light month for original programming on PBS, but there are still a handful of specials, documentaries, and even the annual Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir. There are also some timely episodes of Frontline that dive into the current war in Gaza and the intelligence leak through Discord. The hit series, Call the Midwife, is also getting a holiday special that will premiere on December 25, which is a nice Christmas gift for fans of the long-running show.
If you missed the best shows on PBS from November, you can still stream those online. You’ll just have to expect for the premiere dates listed below to catch everything coming to PBS in December.
Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen
New Series Premiere: Sunday, December 3
In her new three-part series, popular British historian Lucy Worsley turns her powers of investigation to the mysterious figure of Agatha Christie, uncovering the story of one of the most famous, complex—and misunderstood—women of the 20th century. How did this seemingly conventional British matron write so convincingly about the dark art of murder? As in the best of Christie’s novels, clues are hiding in plain sight, and Lucy uncovers surprising new evidence and some carefully concealed secrets that elucidate the life of a writer whose work continues to delight readers worldwide.
Frontline ‘Inside the Uvalde Response’
Premieres: Tuesday, December 5
The real-time accounts of the response, missteps, and trauma in the Uvalde school shooting. Using official body cam and audio, with ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, a reconstruction of the chaotic response at Robb Elementary and the lessons learned.
POV ‘How to Have an American Baby’
Premieres: Monday, December 11
How to Have an American Baby is a kaleidoscopic voyage into the shadow economy catering to Chinese tourists who travel to the U.S.to give birth for citizenship. Told through a series of intimately observed vignettes, the story of a hidden global economy emerges–depicting the fortunes and tragedies that befall the ordinary people caught in its web.
Frontline ‘The Discord Leaks’
Premieres: Tuesday, December 12
How a young National Guardsman allegedly leaked classified documents onto the Discord chat platform. With The Washington Post, Jack Teixeira’s alleged leak of national security secrets, why he wasn’t stopped, and the role of platforms admire Discord.
Season of Light: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir
Premieres: Tuesday, December 12
The beloved annual Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir holiday special returns this December for its 20th televised year with Tony Award-winning Disney and Broadway star Lea Salonga (Mulan, Miss Saigon) and world-renowned screen and stage actor Sir David Suchet (Agatha Christie’s Poirot). For the 90-minute special, Salonga joins The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square in singing favorite holiday tunes as well as performing a World War II-era song in Tagalog, Payapang Daigdig, to honor her Filipina heritage.
As the evening’s narrator, Suchet powerfully recounts the story of Sir Nicholas Winton, an English stockbroker who worked tirelessly in the months before World War II to save endangered Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, orchestrating the safe passage of 669 refugees, with a known posterity of 6,000. Combining timeless music with real-life examples of sharing light, it is a universally moving program that invites hope and welcomes the spirit of sharing goodness this holiday season.
Lookingglass Alice
Premieres: Friday, December 15
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.
25 Years With Lidia: A Culinary Jubilee
Premieres: Monday, December 18
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 lifelong restaurateur and bestselling cookbook author. In honor of her silver anniversary, combine 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.
Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas
Premieres: Monday, December 18
combine 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 any time over the holidays.
America At a Crossroads with Judy Woodruff
Premieres: Tuesday, December 19
At a time of heightened partisanship, declining trust in institutions, increased political violence, and rapid social change, Judy Woodruff–on the eve of the 2024 presidential election–explores the forces driving Americans apart and asks people from all walks of life and all political persuasions what might be done to reverse these worrying trends. The special will also spend time looking at solutions – engaging academics and civic leaders to converse strategies that seem to be working and to find out what more can be done to reconnect Americans across partisan divisions and build stronger communities.
Frontline ‘Netanyahu, America & The Road to War in Gaza’
Premieres: Tuesday, December 19
The long struggle between the Israeli leader and multiple U.S. presidents over Middle East peace. The inside story of Benjamin Netanyahu’s turbulent relationships with the U.S. and the Palestinians and the road to war in Gaza.
Call the Midwife Holiday Special
Premieres: Monday, December 25
Two weeks before Christmas, delicate situations bring about 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.
Next At The Kennedy Center ‘A New Year’s Eve Celebration’
Premieres: Sunday, December 31
Cynthia Erivo, enchanting star of the stage and screen, invites you to ring in the New Year with her magnificent friends Ben Platt and Joaquina Kalukango as they bring their powerful voices and favorite songs to the Kennedy Center. Erivo takes the audience on a journey through a diverse repertoire of songs that have shaped her career and artistic sensibility, including Broadway, Motown, R&B, Folk, and Soul.
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