What to Watch This December: 20+ Programs You Can't Miss
Coming your way this December are new gripping dramas, like "RFDS: Royal Flying Doctor Service" and "River," and more eye-opening documentaries from "Independent Lens" and "American Masters."
Also, don't miss the best of KCET's holiday music program lineup, like "The 63rd Annual L.A. Holiday Celebration" and "The Thrill of Hope: A Concordia Christmas."
For a dedicated list of holiday programming, click here.
Now Streaming
RFDS: Royal Flying Doctor Service – Thursdays, 10 p.m.
A doctor escaping her past joins the Royal Flying Doctor Service on a day when a catastrophic emergency retrieval hits the team personally. Together they deal with the fallout, all while continuing their highly skilled work, fighting the clock and the elements to save people having the worst day of their lives. Watch Now.
Saturday, Dec. 3
Independent Lens: Attla – 11 p.m.
Discover the inspiring true story of Alaska Native dogsled champion George Attla, who, with one good leg and fierce determination, rose to international fame. His racing prowess and ability to identify and train exceptional dogs made him a legend. Watch Now.
More Winter Programming
Sunday, Dec. 4
AfroPop: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange – Sundays, 12 a.m./12:30 a.m.
The innovative documentary series on contemporary life, art and pop culture in the African Diaspora. Watch Now.
Saturday, Dec. 10
Independent Lens: Leftover Women – 11 p.m.
Meet three Chinese women labeled "leftover," a derogatory term for unmarried women in their mid-20s and 30s. Follow them as they struggle to stay true to their ambitions amid a state-sponsored campaign that stigmatizes women who aren't married. Watch Now.
Wednesday, Dec. 14
Christmas at Belmont 2021 – 9 p.m.
"Christmas at Belmont" features Belmont University students performing holiday favorites in the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville. This celebration of the season includes holiday favorites and classic songs. Watch Now.
American Masters: The Adventures of Saul Bellow – 10 p.m.
Explore Nobel Prize winner Saul Bellow's impact on American literature and how he navigated through issues of his time, including race, gender and the Jewish immigrant experience. Watch Now.
Thursday, Dec. 15
River – 9 p.m.
Stellan Skarsgård stars as John River, a brilliant police officer whose genius and fault line is the fragility of his mind. He is a man haunted by the murder victims whose secrets he must unlock, a man who walks a professional tightrope between a pathology so extreme he risks permanent dismissal, and a healthy state of mind that could cure him of his gift. Watch Now.
Saturday, Dec. 17
In a Different Key – 9 p.m.
A mother tracks down the first person diagnosed with autism to learn if his life holds promise for her own autistic son. She documents both cruelty and kindness, but also hope that more of us are learning to have the backs of those who are different. Watch Now.
POV: Let the Little Light Shine – 11 p.m.
National Teachers Academy (NTA) is a top-ranked, high-performing elementary school in a growing south side Chicago neighborhood. As the neighborhood gentrifies, a wealthy parents group seeks to close NTA and replace it with a high school campus. Watch Now.
Sunday, Dec. 18
Journeys of Harry Crosby – 4 p.m.
The life and work of renowned photographer and historian Harry Crosby, whose travels resulted in five classic books documenting the people, culture and natural scenery of Mexico's Baja California peninsula. Watch Now.
The Amazing Human Body – 8 p.m.
Explore the internal mechanics of the human body through pioneering graphics and captivating scientific case studies. Witness the fascinating and finely tuned systems that keep the body motoring and the scientists guessing. Watch Now.
American Masters: Groucho & Cavett – 10 p.m.
Discover the enduring friendship between television personality Dick Cavett and his mentor iconic comedian Groucho Marx. Their relationship is chronicled through interviews with Cavett, archival footage and interviews with George Burns and others. Watch Preview.
Wednesday, Dec. 21
The Thrill of Hope: A Concordia Christmas – 8 p.m.
A musical celebration from Concordia University Irvine. Watch Now.
Anthony Williams' Urban Nutcracker – 9 p.m.
Anthony Williams' Urban Nutcracker, a celebration of multi-cultural communities, puts a modern spin on the 19th-century fairy tale and transports viewers to an enchanted world not unlike their own. Watch Now.
Beyond the Stage: The Urban Nutcracker, Community & the Arts – 10:30 p.m.
A companion piece to the performance program, Anthony Williams' Urban Nutcracker. This special features behind-the-scenes footage of the production, and commentary on how accessibility and representation in the arts creates community and empowers youth. Watch Now.
Saturday, Dec. 24
For a complete list of Christmas Eve programming on KCET, click here.
Celebrate & Sing! Glory to the Newborn King! – 9 p.m.
This spectacular Christmas concert of secular and sacred music is under the direction of Steven R. Jobman and performed by the Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church's renowned 150-voice Sanctuary Choir, orchestra, and Organist/Artist-in-Residence, Bradley Hunter Welch. The program also features handbells, bagpipes, jazz ensemble, and soloists. Traditional favorites included in the program include "O Come, All Ye Faithful," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" and "Carol of the Bells." Watch Preview.
63rd Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration – 11 p.m.
"The 63rd Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration" from The Music Center offers Angelenos of all ages the opportunity to experience and honor the dynamic, rich cultures of the county. Enjoy a diverse lineup of L.A.-based artists with performances by choral groups, dance troupes and local artists. Watch Preview.
Sunday, Dec. 25
For a complete list of Christmas programming on KCET, click here.
O Holy Night: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir – 12 p.m.
Tony Award-nominee Megan Hilty and television and film actor Neal McDonough join The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square for this Irish-inspired edition of this heartwarming annual celebration of music and holiday traditions. Watch Now.
Saturday, Dec. 31
Frank Ferrante's Groucho – 10 p.m.
A laughter-filled, theatrical portrait of "America's most gifted funnyman." Written and performed by actor Frank Ferrante, this filmed play with music celebrates the style and spirit of comedian Groucho Marx, whose irreverent humor continues to influence artists today. Watch Now.
