Your Guide to 2025 Holiday Programming
Happy Holidays from your friends at CET and ThinkTV! There is no better way to soak up the joy and nostalgia of the season than cozied up on the couch with some hot cocoa in your hand and PBS programming on the TV. We’ve picked out our top five shows, and also included an extended list, from the festive variety of holiday programming airing on CET, ThinkTV16 and our other channels during November and December. Check them out below:
1. American Masters “Brenda Lee: Rockin’ Around”
Saturday, December 13, at 9pm on CET
Encore presentation Tuesday, December 23, at 8pm
Discover the story behind singer Brenda Lee’s iconic songs and explore how her early fame and life of poverty shaped her artistry across pop, rock ‘n’ roll and country. Known for her Christmas classic and Billboard hit “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” she is still a force in music today. The 2024 film features interviews with Keith Urban, Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo and many others. Watch it now with ThinkTV Passport: https://video.thinktv.org/video/brenda-lee-rockin-around-un3oq6/.
2. All Creatures Great and Small: Christmas in the Dales
Sunday, December 7, at 8pm on ThinkTV16
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. Stay tuned for the new season of All Creatures Great and Small, which premieres Sunday, January 11, at 9pm on ThinkTV16. Learn more about the series: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/shows/all-creatures-great-and-small/.
3. Hope of the Season: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir
Monday, December 15, at 8pm on ThinkTV16
Monday, December 15, at 9:30pm and Wednesday, December 24, at 8pm
Tony Award-winner Ruthie Ann Miles and iconic actor Dennis Haysbert star alongside a 360-member choir and 150-member orchestra as they share the songs and stories that make Christmas so memorable for millions across the world. This holiday special combines classic carols with a contemporary story of how giving back and uplifting communities is the true meaning of the season. Watch a preview: https://video.thinktv.org/video/christmas-with-the-tabernacle-choir-hope-of-the-season-3zqfis/.
4. Great Performances “Nutcracker from English National Ballet”
Tuesday, December 16, at 8pm on ThinkTV16
Encore presentation Tuesday, December 23, at 9pm
English National Ballet brings Tchaikovsky’s beloved holiday favorite to dazzling life in a new production featuring over 100 dancers and musicians. Reset in Edwardian-era London, the 1892 classic ballet’s young heroine Clara sets off on a fantastical Christmas adventure with her enchanted nutcracker doll to a magical realm where anything is possible. Learn more: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/the-nutcracker-about/17329/.
5. Call the Midwife Holiday Special 2025
Premiering over the 2025 holiday season
Call the Midwife follows the nurses, midwives and nuns from Nonnatus House, who visit the expectant mothers of Poplar, providing the poorest women with the best possible care. Set in both Poplar and Hong Kong, the 2025 holiday special follows the senior members of Nonnatus House on a mercy mission to the Asian city while the younger midwives remain in Poplar. Learn more about the series: https://www.pbs.org/call-the-midwife/.
The 2025 Holiday Guide
ThinkTV14 HD (Channel 14.1)
Liona Boyd: A Winter Fantasy
Friday, December 5, at 8pm
Spirit of Christmas II with Kevin Pauls and Friends
Friday, December 5, at 10pm
Celebration of Hanukkah
Tuesday, December 9, at 10pm
Joseph Rosendo’s Travelscope ““Christmas Celebrations Around the Globe”
Wednesday, December 10, at 10:30pm
Holiday Handbells: The Raleigh Ringers
Friday, December 12, at 8pm
Come and See! A Concordia Christmas
Friday, December 12, at 10pm
Call the Midwife Holiday Special 2023
Sunday, December 14, at 4:30pm
Christmas in the Cotswolds
Tuesday, December 16, at 8pm
Holidays at Murray State 2025
Tuesday, December 16, at 10pm
Joseph Rosendo’s Travelscope “Christmas in Switzerland”
Wednesday, December 17, at 10:30pm
Debbie Gibson Holiday: A Soundcheck Special
Friday, December 19, at 10pm
Holiday Storybook: Theater of the Mind
Friday, December 19, at 8pm
Ball and Vase
Friday, December 19, at 10:30pm
Call the Midwife Holiday Special 2024 12/21 Sun 4:30pm
Sunday, December 21, at 4:30pm
Nature “Santa’s Wild Home”
Monday, December 22, at 8pm
Magic of Christmas in Alsace
Tuesday, December 23, at 10:30pm
Stephanie’s Recipe Journal “Holiday Make-Ahead Appetizers”
Tuesday, December 23, at 12pm
Season of Light: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir
Tuesday, December 23, at 8pm
Magic of Christmas in Alsace
Tuesday, December 23, at 9:30pm
Classic Christmas with the Bach Festival Society: Joyful Sounds
Tuesday, December 23, at 10pm
Noel Triumphant
Wednesday, December 24, at 10pm
Cultural Expressions: Kwanzaa
Friday, December 26, at 10pm
ThinkTV16 HD (Channel 16.1)
All Creatures Great and Small: Christmas in the Dales
Sunday, December 7, at 8pm
Celebration of Hanukkah
Monday, December 8, at 10pm
Craft in America “Celebration”
Friday, December 12, at 9pm
Purdue 91st Anniversary Christmas Show
Friday, December 12, at 10pm
American Masters “Brenda Lee: Rockin’ Around”
Saturday, December 13, at 9pm
Encore presentation Tuesday, December 23, at 8pm
Southern Celtic Christmas Concert
Saturday, December 13, at 11pm
Christmas in New England
Sunday, December 14, at 3:30pm
The Art Show – New Episode
Sunday, December 14, at 5:30pm
Hope of the Season: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir
Monday, December 15, at 8pm
Encore presentation Monday, December 15, at 8pm and Wednesday, December 24, at 8pm
Debbie Gibson Holiday: A Soundcheck Special
Monday, December 15, at 11:30pm
Great Performances “Nutcracker from English National Ballet”
Tuesday, December 16, at 8pm
Encore presentation Tuesday, December 23, at 9pm
Magic of Christmas in Alsace
Tuesday, December 16, at 9:30pm
Liona Boyd: A Winter Fantasy
Tuesday, December 16, at 11pm
Nature “Santa’s Wild Home”
Wednesday, December 17, at 8pm
NOVA “Polar Extremes”
Wednesday, December 17, at 9pm
All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914
Thursday, December 18, at 9:30pm
United States Army Field Band: Sound the Bells
Thursday, December 18, at 11pm
Christmas with Sir John Rutter
Friday, December 19, at 9pm
Holidays at Murray State 2025
Friday, December 19, at 10pm
Stephanie’s Recipe Journal “Holiday Make-Ahead Appetizers”
Saturday, December 20, at 12:30pm
Holiday Handbells: The Raleigh Ringers
Saturday, December 20, at 8pm
Nutcracker at the Jacobs School of Music
Sunday, December 21, at 2pm
Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas
Monday, December 22, at 9pm
Mary Berry’s Ultimate Christmas
Monday, December 22, at 10pm
European Christmas Markets
Tuesday, December 23, at 10:30pm
Magic of Christmas in Alsace
Monday, December 22, at 11:30pm
Too Hot to Handel – The Gospel Messiah
Wednesday, December 24, at 9:30pm
Cultural Expressions: Kwanzaa
Friday, December 26, at 10pm
Karamu: Feast for the 7th Day
Monday, December 29, at 11:30pm
Great Performances “The Magic of Spirituals”
Saturday, December 27, at 8pm
King of Them All: The Story of King Records
Sunday, December 28, at 4:30pm
Call the Midwife Holiday Special 2025
Premiering over the 2025 holiday season
ThinkTV16 Again (Channel 16.2)
Christmas on the Danube
Wednesday, December 3, at 4:30pm
Call the Midwife Holiday Special 2023
Friday, December 26, at 8:30am
Call the Midwife Holiday Special 2024
Friday, December 26, at 10am
ThinkTV16 Life (Channel 16.3)
Joseph Rosendo’s Travelscope “Christmas Celebrations Around the Globe”
Wednesday, December 10, at 8:30pm
PBS KIDS Holiday Specials on ThinkTV16
Arthur’s Perfect Christmas
Friday, December 5, at 11:30am on ThinkTV16
Wednesday, December 24, at 4:30pm on ThinkTV14
Friday, December 26, at 1pm on ThinkTV16
Peg + Cat + Holidays
Thursday, December 18, at 11am on ThinkTV16
Monday, December 22,at 1pm on ThinkTV16
Thursday, December 25, at 11am on ThinkTV16
Wild Kratts: A Creature Christmas
Wednesday, December 24, at 1pm on ThinkTV16
Thursday, December 25, at 12pm on ThinkTV16
Thursday, December 25, at 5:30pm on ThinkTV14
For a complete list of airdates and shows, search our schedules at https://www.thinktv.org/schedule/.
