TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31 @ 12:30AM
Return to Downton Abbey savors fond memories from the past three seasons and offers a taste of season four of Downton Abbey. Hosted by actress Susan Sarandon — a devoted fan of the series who especially admires the writing of Julian Fellowes — the program includes a mix of behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with creators and cast members, and video clips of favorite moments.
NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC GALA WITH YO-YO MA
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31 @ 6:00PM & 11:00PM
Join us for a New Year’s Eve tradition on PBS, as this year cellist Yo-Yo Ma joins maestro Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic in an evening of Latin dance-inspired orchestral music. Highlights include a ravishing performance of the cello concerto Azul, written by Osvaldo Golijov, one of the world’s most celebrated living composers, expressly for Yo-Yo Ma; and a thrilling new version of Maurice Ravel’s Boléro.
HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30 @ 7:30PM
In the dark days of 1987, America was six years into the AIDS epidemic, a crisis that was still largely being ignored both by government officials and health organizations — until the sudden emergence of the activist group ACT UP in Greenwich Village, New York, largely made up of HIV-positive participants who refused to die without a fight. Along with TAG (Treatment Action Group), and emboldened by the power of rebellion, they took on the challenges that public officials had ignored, raising awareness of the disease through a series of dramatic protests. More remarkably, they became recognized experts in virology, biology, and pharmaceutical chemistry.
HOLIDAY SPECIAL
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25 @ 6:00PM & 11:00PM
In Poplar, Christmas 1958 is not just about the opening of presents, but also about the closing of deep wounds. Wartime trials are relived – and a new enemy confronted – before peace and love are restored to center stage.
Fairy lights festoon the streets as Jenny’s relationship with Alec continues to blossom and Shelagh prepares for her quiet wedding to Dr Turner.
Suddenly, Nonnatus House are awoken by a hammering on the door. But this time, it’s not a panicking father, it’s the police. Just around the corner, an unexploded bomb has been uncovered and the district has to be evacuated.
DOWNTON ABBEY SEASON 3 FINALE
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29 @ 7:00PM @ 11:20PM
Episode 7
The Crawleys head to a Scottish hunting lodge, while the downstairs staff stays behind at Downton Abbey. New romances flare up, and a fresh crisis unfolds.
The much-loved cast of Downton Abbey Season 3 includes Maggie Smith, Elizabeth McGovern, Hugh Bonneville, Dan Stevens, Michelle Dockery, Jim Carter, Penelope Wilton, and a host of others. Written and created by Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey, Season 3 marks the return of one of television’s most beloved and anticipated drama series to MASTERPIECE on 26.1
WITH GWEN IFILL
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27 @ 9:00PM
THIS WEEK: THE STORIES THAT SHAPED 2013
We take pause for the holidays to look back at the big stories of 2013. The start of President Obama’s second term, the continued partisan deadlock in Washington, and attempts by the GOP to reorganize after the elections of 2012 were all predictable when the year began. But there were also unexpected developments that had a big impact throughout the year. The Edward Snowden-NSA revelations; the bungled rollout of the Affordable Care Act, the Supreme Court decisions giving the green light to same sex marriages; and new diplomatic initiatives with a decades-long adversary, Iran.
MARVIN HAMLISCH: WHAT HE DID FOR LOVE
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27 @ 7:00PM & 12:00AM
Composer, conductor, genius, mensch: Marvin Hamlisch (June 2, 1944 – Aug. 6, 2012) earned four Grammys, four Emmys, three Oscars, three Golden Globes, a Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize before his untimely death, making him one of only two PEGOT winners ever. Hit after hit — “The Way We Were,” “Nobody Does It Better” and scores for The Sting, Sophie’s Choice and the Broadway juggernaut A Chorus Line — made him the go-to composer and performer for film, Broadway, every U.S. President since Reagan and concert halls worldwide. With exclusive access to Hamlisch’s personal archival treasure trove and complete cooperation from his family, Dramatic Forces and THIRTEEN’s American Masters explore his prolific life and career.
LIFE’S MILESTONES
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26 @ 7:00PM & 12:00AM
Join celebrity chef and television host Lidia Bastianich as she celebrates life’s milestones across the country!
“This December I’m continuing my journey through the US to experience American culture through food in my next Lidia Celebrates America special: Moments and Milestones.
I hope you’ll join me as I experience four families’ special rites of passage: A French-Cajun sweet-sixteen birthday party and country music debut in Nashville, a Greek Orthodox baptism for triplets, a Brazilian-American culinary student’s college graduation, and a Navajo house blessing ceremony.”
WITH THE ST. OLAF CHOIR
MONDAY, DECEMBER 23 @ 7:00PM & 11:00PM
Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway, is the magnificent setting for an all-new Christmas special with the renowned St. Olaf Choir. This new concert pairs the internationally acclaimed mixed-voice choir from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, with the Nidaros Cathedral Girl Choir, Jentekor. The production, recorded in high definition with 5.1 surround sound, showcases the cathedral’s spare gothic beauty — it is one of the oldest gothic cathedrals in the world — and its stunning acoustics that complement the distinctive style of a capella singing for which the St. Olaf Choir is well known.
JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI
MONDAY, DECEMBER 23 @ 11:00PM
Despite humble appearances, the tiny Tokyo sushi restaurant presided over by 85-year-old owner and meticulous chef Jiro Ono is the first of its kind to be awarded a prestigious 3-star Michelin review, and sushi lovers around the world call months in advance for a reservation. This intimate documentary is an elegant meditation on work, family, and the art of perfection.