This Month on CPTV
Season’s Greetings! The holiday season has arrived, and Connecticut Public has new programs and feature presentations designed to delight and entertain audiences throughout the month. Tune in to CPTV and CPTV Spirit for exclusive behind-the-scene looks at some of PBS’s most popular shows, as well as holiday specials and a hearty sprinkling of music performances that illustrate the awe and excitement of what makes December such a magical month of celebrations. Enjoy!
On CPTV
Mexico Made with Love
Monday, December 2 at 8 p.m.
Explore Mexico's rich cultural landscape through the work of talented artisans who craft beautiful objects infused with warmth, color and soul. Experience a celebration of the artists' exceptional skills while discovering Mexico's captivating beauty.
WATCH WITH PASSPORT
Il Volo in the Valley of the Temples
Monday, December 2 at 9:30 p.m.
Join the acclaimed Italian trio for a stunning concert in a breathtaking Sicilian setting. The performance showcases their powerful vocals on a mix of beloved classics, operatic arias and popular songs, all infused with their signature style.
SEE A PREVIEW
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. - The Fabric of America
Tuesday, December 3 at 8 p.m.
Explore the work of one of the most renowned, respected and popular cultural historians with this new retrospective documentary, which explores his work and how it has made history come alive for tens of millions of Americans.
Behind the Scenes of Leonardo da Vinci with Ken Burns
Tuesday, December 3 at 9:30 p.m.
Explore the making of the groundbreaking documentary about the artist's towering achievements. Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon discuss their creative process and reveal the challenges of telling this 500-year-old story for today's viewers.
Vienna Blood: Analyzing the Hidden Truths
Friday, December 6 at 8 p.m.
Go behind the scenes of this thrilling murder mystery series set in dangerous and dazzling Vienna in the early 1900s. Interviews with the cast and creators explore the fascinating cases, characters and relationships featured in the series.
Broadway’s Leading Men: A Musical Celebration
Friday, December 6 at 11 p.m.
Join the American Pops Orchestra to pay tribute to Broadway's leading men. Featuring Christian Borle, Jacob Gutierrez, Christopher Jackson, Telly Leung, Norm Lewis, Alexis Michelle, Matthew Morrison, Nic Rouleau, Andre De Shields and Paulo Szot.
WATCH A PREVIEW
Brit Floyd: Pulse 2024
Saturday, December 7 at 8 p.m.
Experience the ultimate musical Pink Floyd tribute with Brit Floyd.
Leonard Cohen: Live in Dublin
Saturday, December 7 at 9 p.m.
Enjoy a peak performance from the singer-songwriter in this concert filmed on September 12, 2013, during his monumental sold-out world tour. Cohen sang songs from his 50-year career before an adoring audience at Dublin's 02 Arena.
WATCH ANYTIME WITH PASSPORT
Lucy Worsley’s Holmes vs. Doyle
Sundays at 8 p.m. beginning December 8
Sherlock Holmes is the most famous detective in the world. He made his author, Arthur Conan Doyle, rich and famous. But the writer came to hate his fictional character. Through the changing world of Victorian and Edwardian Britain, Lucy Worsley explores why.
SEE A PREVIEW
All Creatures Great and Small: Tricki & Friends
Sunday, December 8 at 9:30 p.m.
Revisit moments from the series where the animals always come first. Meet Tricki -- the biggest scene stealer and smallest cast member -- and the many other creatures that showcase the bond between humans and animals.
Death in Paradise | Series 13
Friday, December 13 at 10 p.m.
It's the team's most confounding puzzle yet when a passenger boards a flight to Dominica but then seemingly vanishes mid-flight, only to be found back on Saint Marie soil... shot dead. The pilot and flight attendant deny ever seeing the victim on their plane, raising the team's suspicions, until all the pieces of the puzzle finally fit together, revealing the startling truth.
Whitney Houston: The Concert for a New South Africa
Saturday, December 14 at 9 p.m.
In 1994, Whitney Houston took the stage in Durban, South Africa, becoming the first major Western musician to visit the newly unified, post-apartheid nation following President Nelson Mandela's winning election. This performance was more than a concert: it was a celebration of freedom, hope and unity. Now, 30 years after the historic visit, the digitally remastered and newly enhanced audio version of The Concert for a New South Africa (Durban) is available for viewers. The film captures every note, every cheer, every tear, immortalizing a night that transcended music and became a beacon of change and celebration.
WATCH WITH PASSPORT
The Earthshot Report
Wednesday, December 18 at 8 p.m.
The global environmental prize, founded by Prince William, aims to spotlight, support and scale groundbreaking solutions and recognize organizations making an impact across the world.
WATCH THE TRAILER
NOVA | Lost Tombs of Notre Dame
Wednesday, December 18 at 9 p.m.
During restoration work after the devastating 2019 fire at Notre Dame de Paris, two lead sarcophaguses were discovered under the cathedral's stone floor. Who is buried in the anonymous sarcophaguses? And what secrets will these lead caskets reveal? Follow a team of archaeologists and historians as they attempt to solve centuries-old mysteries using the latest scientific investigation techniques.
Sister Boniface Mysteries – “The Star of the Orient”
Thursday, December 19 at 9 p.m.
Sister Boniface's faith in The Almighty is matched only by her passion for forensics. The crime-solving nun returns to duty when a precious jewel is stolen from a snowbound train. She quickly turns from passenger to detective -- uncovering murder, ancient curses and dark family secrets.
The First Lady
Saturday at 8 p.m. beginning December 21
Starring Viola Davis as Michelle Obama, Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford, and Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Roosevelt, this revelatory reframing of American leadership through the lens of former First Ladies highlights their personal and professional lives. Delve into the Ladies’ accomplishments, and discover the impact of the women of the White House.
WATCH WITH PASSPORT
Father Brown – “The Quill of Osric”
Thursday, December 26 at 9 p.m.
Father Brown. a kindly cleric who is dedicated to solving crimes in his community, must discover the culprit when a novelist is attacked at a crime-writing festival. Many years spent hearing his parishioners' confessions have given him an uncanny insight into the origins of evil and the workings of the criminal mind. But his results are not concerned with judgement - Father Brown is more interested in saving souls than in bringing the guilty to justice.
Sister Boniface Mysteries – “It's Just Not Cricket”
Thursday, December 26 at 10 p.m.
A village cricket match provides the crime-solving nun with an unlikely backdrop to investigate an embezzlement and murder.
POV: Who I am Not
Monday, December 30 at 10 p.m.
Sharon-Rose Khumalo, a South African beauty queen, faces an identity crisis after discovering she's intersex. Her path crosses with Dimakatso Sebidi, a masculine-presenting intersex activist, as they both navigate a journey marked by society’s stigma and inner struggles. Intertwining raw reality with poetic beauty, Who I am Not captures the heart-wrenching fight for acceptance in a binary world.
Next at the Kennedy Center | Sara Bareilles: New Year’s Eve with the National Symphony Orchestra & Friends
Tuesday, December 31 at 8 p.m.
Acclaimed singer, songwriter and actress Sara Bareilles takes the stage at the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra for an enchanting evening of song and celebration in this New Year's Eve special. From her first smash hit "Love Song" to her Broadway songwriting and later performing debut with the musical "Waitress," Bareilles' artistry has been recognized with multiple Grammy and Tony awards and nominations.
SEE A PREVIEW
On Spirit
Great Performances | Land of Gold
Friday, December 6 at 8 p.m.
Land of Gold explores the making of John Adams and Peter Sellars' San Francisco Opera premiere of their latest collaboration, Girls of the Golden West, dramatizing the turbulent history of the California Gold Rush. With the new opera's title referencing Giacomo Puccini's 1910 romantic favorite The Girl of the Golden West, Adams and Sellars' work tells a harsher and more accurate story through the letters of writer Louise Clappe, who lived in a miners' settlement for a year and a half.
WATCH WITH PASSPORT
Craft in America
Mondays at 10 p.m. beginning December 9
The newest season of this series explores the vitality, history and significance of the craft movement in the United States and its impact on our nation’s rich cultural heritage.
WATCH MORE EPISODES HERE
Velvet
Thursdays at 9 p.m.
In late 1950s Madrid, the golden age of haute couture, there is one place everyone would like to shop at least once in their lifetime: the Galerias Velvet. This love story between a humble seamstress and a young man destined to inherit the fashion empire ruled by his father showcases the depths they will go to follow their hearts.
WATCH ANYTIME WITH PASSPORT
Violent Femmes: 40th Anniversary with the Milwaukee Symphony
Friday, December 13 at 10 p.m.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of their self-titled debut album, the folk punk group Violent Femmes invited the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra to be their “back-up band” in this electrifying concert that mixes classical and rock music.
Great Performances at the Met | Cinderella
Friday, December 27 at 9 p.m.
Experience mezzo-sopranos Isabel Leonard as the rags-to-riches princess with Emily D'Angelo as Prince Charming in this staging by Laurent Pelly. Maestro Emmanuel Villaume leads Massenet's work with soprano Jessica Pratt as Fairy Godmother.
SEE A PREVIEW
Holiday Programming
All Creatures Great and Small: Christmas in the Dales
Thursday, December 5 at 8 p.m. on CPTV
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.
Rick Steves’ European Christmas
Monday, December 9 at 8 p.m. on CPTV
Celebrate the Christmas season throughout the European continent as Rick visits friends and families in England, France, Norway, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy to reveal their customs and practices of the holiday season.
WATCH WITH PASSPORT
Mary Berry’s Ultimate Christmas
Thursday, December 12 at 9:30 p.m. on CPTV
Mary Berry shares her ultimate Christmas feast with all the trimmings. Friends and Chefs Angela Hartnett and Monica Galetti join her to share favorite festive recipes from their heritage and Mary and TV host Rylan Clark try and convert some kids to Brussels sprouts.
WATCH WITH PASSPORT
JOY: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir
Tuesday, December 17 at 8 p.m. on CPTV
Filmed before a live audience at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Broadway star Michael Maliakel and actress Lesley Nicol (Downton Abbey) showcase their talents in this inspiring holiday special that weaves Christmas classics with the story of Victor Hugo to show that opening hearts to all is the true meaning of the season.
WATCH A PREVIEW
Anthony Williams’ Urban Nutcracker
Friday, December 20 at 8 p.m. on CPTV Spirit
Anthony Williams’ Urban Nutcracker puts a modern spin on the 19th Century fairy tale. Strains of Duke Ellington dovetail with the buzz of neon, driven by the heartbeat of Tchaikovsky, blending classic ballet, urban tap, hip hop, step and jazz into something special. You could say it is a fusion of modern and classical dance....but it's more! It's a celebration of our multi-cultural community!
WATCH WITH PASSPORT
Spirit of Christmas with Kevin Pauls and Friends
Sunday, December 22 at 11 p.m. on CPTV Spirit
Experience the magic of Christmas in this exciting hour-long special musical special featuring a line-up of world renowned and beloved artists singing popular Christmas classics. Hosted by Gaither homecoming artist Kevin Pauls the program features performances with Grammy award-winning artist Steve Archer, Grammy-nominated and Gaither Homecoming Concert artists - The Martins, pop band Newworldson, angelic vocalist Alynthia, and multi award-winning artist Jacob Moon. This musical special is a Christmas classic not to be missed!
Christmas in New England
Monday, December 23 at 10 p.m. on CPTV
From the coast of Maine to the hills of the Berkshires, New England is a uniquely magical place to celebrate the holidays. Join host Lindsay Paris as she visits eight regional destinations to take a look at the tradition and events that make Christmas in New England so special.
WATCH NOW
Ball and Vase
Tuesday, December 24 at 10 p.m. on CPTV
An ailing professor and magician named Ed Coleman is desperate to get through the holidays. He is a 92-year-old, widowed World War II veteran who lives alone in a small apartment in Hoboken, N.J. He has been all but forgotten, but Ed has one thing that keeps him going -- an upcoming visit by his grandson on Christmas. When a change in those plans finds Ed alone at a local pub he used to visit with his late wife, he discovers one last opportunity to reconnect with the world.
WATCH HERE
Call the Midwife Holiday Special 2024
Wednesday, December 25 at 8 p.m. on CPTV
It’s Christmas 1969, and the funfair and carol concert add color to frosty Poplar. Yet, the festive spirit at Nonnatus House is dampened by the spread of influenza alongside growing fears of an escaped prisoner after a spate of break-ins.
MORE MIDWIFE HERE