Passport
Your guide to PBS Wisconsin’s 2023 holiday programming
November 28, 2023 Leave a Comment
Savor the sights and sounds of the holiday season with these new and encore presentations airing in December on PBS Wisconsin and streaming on the free PBS App!
New in December
All Creatures Great and Small: Christmas in the Dales
Premieres 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10 and 10 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12
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.
Season of Light: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir
Premieres 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12; 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15; 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 24
Prepare to be enchanted this holiday season when award-winning artists Lea Salonga and Sir David Suchet join forces with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra. Salonga and Suchet add a touch of magic to this year’s special, making it a truly uplifting and unforgettable holiday celebration.
Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas
7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 18; 11 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22
Mary Berry spends Christmas in her mother’s homeland of Scotland to enjoy a winter break soaking up her Scottish heritage and enjoying traditional festive delights with familiar faces, as well as cooking up some of her own indulgent dishes.
Holiday Concert from UW-Eau Claire
Image from the 2022 Holiday Concert at UW-Eau Claire. Photo credit: Bill Hoepner, UW-Eau Claire Photographer.
8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20; 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 24
PBS Wisconsin continues its tradition of celebrating the holidays with spectacular seasonal music across the state. Enjoy the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s 49th annual Holiday Concert. Hundreds of students from various ensembles will perform warm, holiday classics and new seasonal music, led by executive director Dr. John R. Stewart.
Call the Midwife Holiday Special 2023
7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 25
Christmas, 1968. All eyes are heavenwards as astronauts embark on their latest space exploration. But events on Earth continue to unfold at Nonnatus House. With Apollo 8 poised to orbit the moon, Sister Monica Joan believes this will be her last Christmas and decides she will not live to see a man walk on the moon.
Karamu: Feast for the 7th Day
9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 26
Explore the history, principles and symbols of Kwanzaa and celebrate the culinary traditions of West Africa, featuring dishes from Mali, Ghana and Nigeria. Host and lifestyle expert Sira Williams shares her personal story as a child born in Mali, West Africa to her American mother and Malian father.
Encore Presentations
Mary Berry’s Ultimate Christmas
8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3; 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7; 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19
Rick Steves’ European Christmas
11 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3; 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9
The Lawrence Welk Holiday Special: Great Moments and Memories
4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9
CLOWN by Quentin Blake
8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12; 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 24
Christmas at Belmont 2021
10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14
Lucy Worsley’s 12 Days of Tudor Christmas
5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17; 11 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19
The Savoy at Christmas
8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 18; 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22
Nature: Santa’s Wild Home
7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20; 11 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21
A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong
10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21
The Lawrence Welk Show: Christmas
5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23
Antiques Roadshow: Naughty or Nice
6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23
O Holy Night: Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir
11 p.m. Monday, Dec. 25
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 26
Roger Thorpe says:
I hope we can see the St Olaf choir next year. Afternoon or early evening.
Nancy Melin says:
I think it would be nice if programs like “ O Holy Night: Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir” would be scheduled earlier than 11pm in the future. I bet most of the folks who would enjoy that are asleep by then.
C Benson says:
Why suddenly dropping St Olaf Christmas Concert . Has been a family gathering occasion for many years.
Alyssa Beno says:
The FRONTLINE episode scheduled for that evening was expanded from 1 hour to 2 hours.
James Hemmen says:
I’m sorry we missed St. Olaf choir due to it being preempterd
Peter Nelson says:
Will the St Olaf Christmas Festival be rebroadcast as as Frontline ran two hours, not one. last night, December 19. Thanks.
Alyssa Beno says:
Hello Peter. Unfortunately there are no future air dates for The St. Olaf Christmas Festival. We’re sorry for the inconvenience.
Sandra Jeffers says:
Why wasn’t Rick Steves Christmas Special on last night 12/9/23 on PBS as the guide said?
Alyssa Beno says:
Hi Sandra, we had a schedule change due to our pledge programming. If you are a Passport member, you can watch “Rick Steves’ European Christmas” here: https://pbswisconsin.org/watch/rick-steves-europe/european-christmas-yoddfz/.
The special will also air on the Create channel at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 26; 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 26; and 9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 26. https://pbswisconsin.org/watch/rick-steves-europe/european-christmas-yoddfz/
Sherry Sinclair says:
Would love it if you would televise the Andy Williams Christmas Special like you used too.
Pam Wiler says:
Please show an ENCORE PERFORMANCE of CELTIC WOMAN 20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY CONCERT. An EPIC concert with the long-awaited return of “the original members”. Thank you PBS for your continued support of the greatest musical group on earth: CELTIC WOMAN!!!!
Louie hanisko says:
The ghost of Christmas eve was great please bring back