For immediate release
Chicago, IL - November 27, 2024
WTTW announced the December 2024 slate of holiday programming to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa – spanning the genres of drama, comedy, kids, travel, cooking, and music and performance, and much more – that viewers across the Chicago area and beyond can enjoy together as a family.
New this year is a local special hosted by fan favorite Geoffrey Baer: A Celebration of Hanukkah, a heartwarming, nostalgic, and humorous exploration of the time-honored traditions of this joyous Jewish holiday. In this 60-minute program that may well be the first of its kind, Geoffrey shares the story of how Hanukkah came to be, the significance of the season’s delicious foods and fun activities, and how families celebrate together across generations. Watch on television and stream beginning Monday, December 23 at 8:00 pm.
“This time of year, viewers look to WTTW for a wide variety of holiday programming,” said Lisa Tipton, head of programming. “We are especially excited to offer families across the Chicago area a new and original Hanukkah special, and we hope they will make watching it one of their cherished family traditions for years to come.”
WTTW’s holiday programming lineup features (denotes WTTW Prime):
Drama & Comedy
All Creatures Great and Small: Christmas in the Dales
Celebrate the heartwarming series set in the stunning Yorkshire Dales with clips and behind-the-scenes memories of its Christmas finales.
Sunday, December 1 • 5:00 pm
A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong
Banned by the BBC after ruining Peter Pan, the members of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society force themselves back on the network with a “live” stage production of A Christmas Carol.
Friday, December 20 • 8:00 pm
Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas
This irreverent documentary tells the story of the unlikely Jewish immigrants who, enamored with Broadway and Hollywood, wrote some of the most popular songs in America: Christmas music.
Saturday, December 21 • 7:00 pm
Sister Boniface Mysteries: The Star of the Orient
In this holiday special, when a precious jewel is stolen from a snowbound train, the crime-solving nun Sister Boniface turns detective - uncovering murder, ancient curses, and dark family secrets.
Saturday, December 21 and 28 • 8:00 pm
Death in Paradise Christmas Special
It's Christmas in the Caribbean and Neville's larger-than-life mother is in town. Elsewhere, a wealthy business owner is found dead at the bottom of a ravine.
Saturday, December 21 and 28 • 9:00 pm
Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean
While Christmas shopping, Mr. Bean purchases a string of tree lights before making a shambles of a department store toy section. He later attempts to conduct a Salvation Army band.
Sunday, December 22 • 10:00 pm
Call the Midwife Holiday Specials Revisited
To celebrate Christmas, enjoy a mini-marathon of the Call the Midwife Holiday Specials from 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Wednesday, December 25 • 1:00-5:30 pm
Sunday, December 29 • 9:00 am-1:30 pm
Call the Midwife Holiday Special 2024
In this all-new holiday special set at Christmas 1969, the festive spirit at Nonnatus House is dampened by the spread of influenza alongside growing fears of an escaped prisoner.
Wednesday, December 25 • 7:00 and 9:00 pm
Sunday, December 29 • 1:30 pm
Music & Performance
Brenda Lee: Rockin' Around – American Masters (NEW)
Get the story behind Brenda Lee's iconic songs, including "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," and explore how her early fame and life of poverty shaped her artistry across pop, rock 'n' roll, and country.
Monday, December 16 • 9:00 pm
Joy: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir
The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra team up with Broadway's Michael Maliakel and Downton Abbey's Lesley Nicol for an evening of classic and popular Christmas music.
Tuesday, December 17 • 7:00 pm
Too Hot to Handel: The Gospel Messiah
Handel's 18th century masterpiece – arias, choruses, and orchestration – have been infused with gospel, jazz, and R&B in this reinterpretation of this Christmas favorite conducted by Marin Alsop.
Tuesday, December 17 • 8:30 pm
Wednesday, December 25 • 8:30 am
A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong
Banned by the BBC after ruining Peter Pan, the members of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society force themselves back on the network by hijacking a “live” stage production of A Christmas Carol.
Friday, December 20 • 8:00 pm
Anthony Williams’ Urban Nutcracker
This special puts a modern spin on the 19th-century fairy tale and transports you to an enchanted world not unlike your own. Drawing upon classical ballet, urban tap, hip-hop, swing, flamenco, step and jazz, the performance uniquely retells a Christmas classic.
Saturday, December 21 • 10:30 pm
Season of Light: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir
The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra join with award winning artists Lea Salonga and Sir David Suchet for timeless carols, treasured songs, and a story of heroic service.
Sunday, December 22 • 8:30 pm
Wednesday, December 25 • 1:30 am
Purdue 90th Anniversary Christmas Show (NEW)
The ensembles of Purdue musical organizations perform holiday favorites.
Tuesday, December 24 • 7:00 am
Holiday Handbells: The Raleigh Ringers
The acclaimed community handbell choir based in Raleigh, North Carolina performs holiday favorites.
Tuesday, December 24 • 8:00 am
St. Thomas Christmas: Reflections of Gratitude
Continue the winter tradition with the University of St. Thomas and their annual Christmas concert.
Tuesday, December 24 • 9:00 am
Christmas Concordia: Gather Us In, O Child of Peace
Concordia College re-imagines the Christmas message with music embracing peace and reconciliation.
Tuesday, December 24 • 10:00 am
Thrill of Hope: A Concordia Christmas
Celebrate the sounds of Christmas with a performance at Concordia University.
Tuesday, December 24 • 11:00 am
Navidad: A Concordia Christmas (NEW)
A festive musical celebration of Christmas from Concordia University Irvine.
Tuesday, December 24 • 12:00 pm
20 Years of Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir
A 20th anniversary retrospective features Brian Stokes Mitchell and many amazing performances.
Tuesday, December 24 • 1:00 pm
A Christmas with Sir John Rutter Preston Hollow (NEW)
Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church of Dallas, Texas welcomes composer/conductor John Rutter, who leads the church's famed Sanctuary Choir, the Boy Choir of St. Mark's School of Texas, soloists Josefina Maldonado and Erin Hannigan, and the orchestra in his most popular works.
Tuesday, December 24 • 3:00 pm
Celebrate & Sing! Glory to the Newborn King!
This spectacular Christmas concert of secular and sacred music is performed by the Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church's Sanctuary Choir, orchestra, and organist Bradley Hunter Welch.
Tuesday, December 24 • 5:00 pm
Wednesday, December 25 • 3:00 am
O Holy Night: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir
Tony Award-nominee Megan Hilty and television and film actor Neal McDonough join The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra for this Irish-inspired edition of this heartwarming annual celebration.
Tuesday, December 24 • 8:00 pm
A Classic Christmas with the Bach Festival Society: Joyful Sounds
At Florida’s Rollins College, the Bach Festival Choir and Orchestra, along with guest soloists Mary Wilson and Stephen Mumbert as well as the Bach Festival Children's Choir, perform holiday classics.
Wednesday, December 25 • 4:00 am
NEXT at the Kennedy Center: Sara Bareilles – New Year's Eve with the National Symphony Orchestra & Friends
Acclaimed singer-songwriter and actress Sara Bareilles performs at the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra, with special guest Rufus Wainwright and other guests.
Tuesday, December 31 • 7:00 pm
Cooking, Travel, & Culture
Rick Steves’ European Christmas
From manger scenes and mistletoe to wintry wonderlands, travel expert Rick Steves celebrates the Christmas season throughout the European continent.
Sunday, December 1 • 1:00 pm
Mary Berry's Highland Christmas
Mary Berry spends Christmas soaking up her Scottish heritage and enjoying traditional festive delights with familiar faces, as well as cooking up some of her own indulgent dishes.
Sunday, December 1 • 3:00 pm
Holiday How-To Marathon
Enjoy holiday-themed episodes of New Orleans Cooking with Kevin Belton, J Schwanke’s Life in Bloom, New Scandinavian Cooking, A Chef’s Life, Cook’s Country, America’s Test Kitchen, Sara’s Weeknight Meals, and more.
Sunday, December 22 • 8:30 am-4:30 pm
The Magic of Christmas in Alsace
Christmas in the Alsace region of France is best experienced in the small towns and villages where each community has its own unique holiday traditions, celebrations, food, and of course…wine.
Sunday, December 22 • 4:30 pm
Christmas on the Danube
Traveling the majestic Danube river as it passes through stunning European landscape, history, and culture, visit cities along the way that are particularly spectacular at Christmas.
Sunday, December 22 • 5:00 pm
European Christmas Markets
Take a voyage of discovery of Europe's Christmas Markets, where the town center, market square, or just the narrow, cobblestone streets of the cities and towns come alive in winter.
Sunday, December 22 • 10:30 pm
A Celebration of Hanukkah (NEW)
Geoffrey Baer tells the story of Hanukkah, exploring the holiday’s time-honored traditions and culinary delights with the help of Chicago-area Jewish and interfaith families and children, musicians, and religious leaders.
Monday, December 23 • 8:00 pm, Thursday, December 26 • 7:00 pm, Saturday, December 28 • 6:00 pm
Tuesday, December 24 • 6:00 pm, Thursday, December 26 • 9:00 pm, Friday, December 27 • 9:00 am and 3:00 pm
Mary Berry's Ultimate Christmas
Join the beloved British home cook and three special friends as they prepare her ultimate Christmas feast with all the trimmings, from the traditional turkey to her classic Christmas pudding.
Monday, December 23 • 9:00 pm
Karamu: Feast for the 7th Day
Lifestyle expert Sira Williams explores the history, principles, and symbols of Kwanzaa and celebrates the culinary traditions of West Africa, featuring dishes from Mali, Ghana, and Nigeria.
Thursday, December 26 • 9:33 pm
Cultural Expressions: Kwanzaa
This documentary explores the seven principles that are the foundation of Kwanzaa by sharing seven real-life stories of impact that reveal how each principle plays a role in the Black community.
Saturday, December 28 • 9:00 pm
Sunday, December 29 • 1:00 pm
Kids & Family
Wild Kratts: A Creature Christmas
It's Christmas time, but when the Wild Kratts receive an alert that their favorite creatures are suddenly disappearing around the globe, their holiday party quickly turns into a rescue mission.
Tuesday, December 3 • 7:00 am (first airdate only)
The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas!
This adventure finds the Cat in the Hat, Nick, and Sally on a journey around the world to help a lost reindeer find his way home in time for Christmas.
Wednesday, December 4 • 12:00 pm (first airdate only)
Arthur’s Perfect Christmas
Plans are underway for the best holidays ever as Arthur, D.W., their family and friends prepare for a perfect Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.
Friday, December 6 • 6:00 am (first airdate only)
Peg + Cat + Holidays
This special holiday episode of Peg + Cat features “The Christmas Problem,” “The Hanukkah Problem,” and “The Penguin Problem.”
Monday, December 9 • 11:30 am (first airdate only)
Nature Cat: A Nature Carol
In the tradition of the Dickens holiday classic, Nature Cat is visited by the spirits of Nature Past (Daisy), Present (Squeeks), and Future (Hal) on Christmas Eve.
Tuesday, December 10 • 10:30 am (first airdate only)
Let’s Go Luna! Luna’s Christmas Around the World
Leo, Andy, and Carmen enlist Luna to help them save Christmas, learning about holiday traditions around the world along the way.
Thursday, December 12 • 6:00 am (first airdate only)
WTTW is the PBS member station in Chicago, committed to creating and presenting unique media content across distinct television and digital channels – WTTW, WTTW Prime, WTTW Create, WTTW World, WTTW/PBS Kids 24/7, wttw.com, and the PBS/WTTW video app. Recognized for award-winning journalism and local productions – such as Chicago Stories, Chicago Tonight, Chicago by ‘L’, digital-first series Firsthand and Urban Nature; and national productions Prehistoric Road Trip and Nature Cat – WTTW presents the very best in public affairs, arts and culture, nature and science, history and documentary, and children’s public media content. Connect with WTTW on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.
