The holiday season is upon us and WETA UK is celebrating with great British Christmas specials. Not only do we have festive shows this week, but we begin new mystery adventures with our favorite detectives like Inspector Morse and the Waking the Dead team. We also begin Masterpiece Classic: Downton Abbey the successful PBS period-drama from the very beginning and continue our favorite British comedies including Coupling and Blackadder II. There are lots of exciting programs on WETA UK, so dive on in to our highlights for the week!

Monday at 9:00pm tune in for a new adventure with Foyle’s War: Bleak Midwinter part 1. When Grace Phillips dies in what appears to be an industrial accident, Foyle looks into her death for good measure. Grace had always been such a cheerful girl but recently something had been bothering her. Foyle establishes a link between this death and anothers, the latter who just found out her husband was having an affair. Could Grace have been the mistress? Is the adulterer the murderer? Come back next week for part 2 of this dynamic tale!

Tuesday at 5:00pm catch the first episode of All Creatures Great and Small season 3! Download our WETA UK ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL SEASON 3 EPISODE GUIDE here!

Tuesday at 8:00pm begin the story of Downton Abbey from the very beginning. Learn more about this program on the PBS website and tune in every Tuesday at 8:00pm to watch Downton Abbey.

Wednesday at 8:00pm join in on another investigation as Inspector Morse takes on Ghost in the Machine part 1! Morse investigates the reported theft of erotic paintings belonging to the now missing Sir Julius Hanbury, a local baronet who is one of those standing for election as the new Master of Courtney College, Oxford. Morse finds Sir Julius's dead body and at first it looks like murder, but police pathologist Dr Grayling Russell believes he killed himself. Return next week for part 2 of Ghost in the Machine.

Thursday at 9:00pm get mysterious with Waking the Dead: Fugue States part 1. In 1990, two 5-year-old twins, Jason and Cindy, disappeared from their home, and even after a nationwide search was launched, they are still no where to be found. Thirteen years later, Jason is found is in a hospital suffering from car accident related injuries. But where's his sister Cindy? Boyd and the team set out to find her with or without Jason’s help.

Friday we’re getting in the Christmas spirit with some of our favorite British holiday specials. At 4:30pm kick off the festivities with My Hero season 2 episode 1 Christmas. George tries to get into the spirit of Christmas by creeping into the houses of Janet's parents on Christmas Eve dressed as Santa to leave them all presents. This doesn't go down as well as he had planned, and Christmas dinner is a bit of a miserable affair until George appears with the real Father Christmas who has a special present for everyone! Repeats Saturday at 7:00am, December 28 at 3:30pm.

Friday continue the laughs and holiday merriment at 5:30pm with Good Neighbors: Christmas Special 1977! When Margo sends back the Leadbetters store bought Christmas gift, they are unable to entertain their high society friends. So as a result the Leadbetters go to share the holiday with their neighbors, the Goods. Who knows what antics this will bring about! Repeats Saturday at 6:00am, December 26 at 9:00am and December 28 at 2:00pm.

Friday at 9:40pm join us for the Outnumbered 2011 Christmas Special! Learn more about this holiday program and more in our blog post: An English Holiday in DC | British Christmas Shows on WETA UK!

Friday at 10:20pm begin watching the hilarious comedy Coupling from the very first episode! When a group of friends begin thinking about love, the results are a wild mix of one-night stands and two-timing and partner-swapping. Often compared to the American television sensation Friends, this British sitcom isn’t one to miss so tune in Friday for season 1 episode 1.

Saturday is loaded with back-to-back Christmas specials from 10:00am – 7:00pm! Click on this link to read more about the episodes on our blog post: An English Holiday in DC | British Christmas Shows on WETA UK!

Sunday at 9:00pm Blackadder II begins! A favorite at the Court of Elizabeth I, Edmund Blackadder keeps his head from being chopped off by the capricious Queen with rapier-sharp wit, cunning and bravado. Meanwhile, his rival Lord Melchett loses no opportunity to try to disgrace him. See what classic British actor Rowan Atkinson can do with these characters in the second season beginning Sunday! Download our WETA UK BLACKADDER II EPISODE GUIDE here!

There’s something magical about December in DC: Monuments towering in the grey, snow-flecked sky; holiday lights lining the busy streets; and a frozen glaze over the Potomac River. What’s more, WETA TV26 and WETA HD are delivering musical, traditional, and local holiday shows straight to your home all month long! The hustle and bustle of the season may still haunt you like the Ghost of Christmas Past but WETA hopes to bring your tidings of comfort and joy this holiday season.

The National Christmas Tree Lighting

Tickets to this event are sparse but no need to fret because WETA Presents The National Christmas Tree Lighting December 7!  Celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, well-known entertainers and the United States Military Band will perform and the President will deliver a holiday message of peace to all. Watch the statuesque National Christmas Tree, along with 56 smaller trees (representing the 50 states, five territories, and the District of Columbia) as they are magically lit and illuminate the White House. Check out this interactive Christmas Tree Lighting timeline!

Watch The National Christmas Tree Lighting on Friday, December 7 at 9:00pm on WETA TV26 and WETA HD.

Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir: King Singers

Through the years, audiences have been enchanted by the melodious sounds of the Mormon Tabernacle choir and this year, we invite you to join us for Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle: King Singers. The King’s Singers is a vocal group highly sought-after worldwide and they’re right here on WETA for you to enjoy this holiday season. The program features holiday songs from the past and present as dancers accompany the harmonious and inspirational singing for a perfect Christmas experience.

Watch Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir: King Singers on Sunday, December 16 at 7:00pm on WETA TV26 and WETA HD.   

Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir: Jane Seymour & Nathan Gunn

British actress Jane Seymour and Opera singer Nathan Gunn join the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in Salt Lake City for this holiday event. Listen to the season’s most-loved songs at this annual concert, attracting thousands to Temple Square each December. As usual, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir showcases a perfect pairing of classical holiday songs and modern Christmas tunes.

Watch Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir: Jane Seymour & Nathan Gunn on Monday, December 17 at 10:00pm on WETA TV26 and WETA HD.

WETA Guide to Christmas

Let WETA TV be your guide to Christmas in DC! In the one-hour special, the WETA Guide to Christmas, WETA TV presents an enticing list of ideas of how Washingtonians and visitors can celebrate the holiday season well before Santa slides down the chimney. What makes the holidays so much brighter in the nation’s capital? Get the inside scoop on Christmas festivities, activities, and traditions specific to the Washington area. Let us do the investigating, so you can enjoy every moment. We’ll tell you where the best neighborhood light displays are that will bring out the child in anyone. Explore historic locations and iconic destinations with the most elaborate and beautiful holiday décor.  And what would the holiday season be without taking some time to help those in need? We’ll highlight organizations, people, and volunteer opportunities tailored toward this time of giving right in your own backyard.

Watch WETA Guide to Christmas on WETA TV26 and WETA HD at the following dates and times below:

Tuesday, December 18 at 5:00pm

Wednesday, December 19 at 8:00pm

Thursday, December 20 at 2:00pm

Sunday, December 23 at 1:30pm

Monday, December 24 at 8:30am

Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir: Natalie Cole

Multi-faceted singer Natalie Cole has tackled R&B, jazz, and pop, and now she takes the stage with the Mormon Tabernacle choir where she will headline the event, Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir: Natalie Cole. Natalie Cole’s signature vocal style fused with the sounds of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir-who annually perform for over 85,000 audience members-will surely put you in the Christmas spirit.

Watch Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir: Natalie Cole on Monday, December 24 at 9:00pm on WETA TV26 and WETA HD.                          

Christmas at Luther: Tidings of Comfort and Joy

Straight from the state of Iowa, the highly talented choirs of Luther College bring you an unforgettable holiday concert with 500 choir members, complete with a symphony orchestra. Thousands line up each year to be part of the audience privileged enough to be exposed to the musical and vocal talents of Luther College’s world-renowned musicians. Give yourself the gift of sweet music this year, as the Luther College choir celebrates another year performing their traditional Christmas concert.

Watch Christmas at Luther: Tidings of Comfort and Joy on Monday, December 24 at 10:00pm on WETA TV26 and WETA HD.

Christmas on Christmas! 

Only on WETA, enjoy children’s Christmas programs and musical performances featuring world-renowned choirs, orchestras and singers alike all day long on December 25, Christmas Day.  Sustain that warm, jolly feeling with WETA’s Christmas programming.

Tuesday, December 25 from 7:30am to 6:00pm on WETA TV26 and WETA HD.

7:00am             Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas

8:00am             Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas!

9:00am             Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir: Brian Stokes Mitchell & Edward Herman

10:00am          Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir: David Archuleta & Michael York

11:00am          Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir: Natalie Cole

12:00pm          Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir: Jane Seymour & Nathan Gunn

1:00pm            Christmas at St. Olaf  

2:00pm            Christmas at Belmont

3:00pm            Christmas at Luther: Tidings of Comfort & Joy

4:00pm            WETA Guide to Christmas

5:00pm            Lidia Celebrates: Holiday Tables & Traditions