PLUS (PT)

12:30 am 

Masterpiece Classic  "Downton Abbey (S2 E7)"  In the finale, the family gathers at Downton Abbey for Christmas. D

2:30 am 

Dialogue  "Behind The Scenes at POV"  Host Marcia Franklin interviews Simon Kilmurry, executive director and producer of the documentary film series POV, during his recent visit to Idaho. They discuss how films are chosen for the series and the state of independent non-fiction film.G

3:00 am 

Sesame Street  "Zoe Loves Rocco"  Zoe is hanging out with her pet rock, Rocco, when Alan stops by and sings Rocco's favorite song, "Rocco and Roll." Zoe leaves to get Rocco's hat, and asks Elmo, who's playing astronaut with Baby David nearby, to watch Rocco while she's gone. As Elmo plays with David, a flying disc knocks Rocco to the ground. D

4:00 am 

Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood  "Something Special for Dad/I Love You, Mom"  Something Special for Dad - Daniel notices how happy Dad is to have received a letter from Grandpere. Daniel really loves Dad, so he decides to send him a letter that will make him glad too. He goes to the Post Office with Mom, where he learns how letters are sorted and mailed. D

4:30 am 

Martha Speaks  "Escape From Flea Island/No Dogs Allowed"  Escape from Flea Island - Carolina is determined to outdo Tiffany Blatsky on the science project. No Dogs Allowed - Tiffany wants to make Helen's treehouse into a girls' clubhouse.G

5:00 am 

NOVA  "Doomsday Volcanoes"  The eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajkull volcano in 2010 turned much of the northern hemisphere into an ash-strewn no-fly zone. But Eyjafjallajkull may be just the start. Katla, an Icelandic volcano 10 times bigger, has begun to swell and grumble.G

6:00 am 

Rick Steves' Europe  "The Best of Slovenia"  In the little-visited and underrated alpine country, Rick begins in the capital city of Ljubljana, enjoys the mountain resort of Lake Bled, ventures into the Julian Alps, goes spelunking in a gigantic cave, and swims with Slavs in a charming Adriatic port.G

6:30 am 

Smart Travels - Pacific Rim With Rudy Maxa  "Seattle"  A hip, happening urban center surrounded by natural beauty, Seattle combines city life with the great outdoors. Rudy explores the vibrant downtown, samples microbrews and lattes, noses around Seattle's neighborhoods and hops aboard a ferry. Excursions take us hiking at magnificent Mount Rainier and boating through the San Juan Islands in search of whales. D

7:00 am 

The Desert Speaks  "Baja Boojums: Bizarre Plants"  Turning inland, the intrepid travelers begin a thorough investigation into the weird, wild plants of Baja California. They quickly encounter the mystical, mythical Boojum tree. One of the oddest plants imaginable, the Boojum tree is leafless for most of the year and looks like a bit like an upturned turnip. D

7:30 am 

Ciao Italia  "Exquisite Plums/Susine Squisite"  The plums are ripe for the picking at Butternut Farm, and Mary Ann takes to the ladder to gather a bushel full for her kitchen, where she creates a moist and tender Fresh Plum Tart topped with a dizzying spiral of sliced prunes and then creates a moist and tender Dried Prune Cake that melts in your mouth. D

8:00 am 

Taste of History  "Birds of America - John James Audubon"  Join Chef Walter as he tours artist/illustrator John James Audubon's farm and bird sanctuary near Valley Forge. Originally from France, Audubon toured his vast new country, capturing and drawing in vivid detail the amazing array of bird life he encountered along the Mississippi. Chef Walter prepares a very unusual poultry recipe, Stuffed Cock's Comb. D

8:30 am 

Simply Ming  "Making Sausage with Guest Chris Cosentino"  On this episode of Simply Ming - how to grind your own meat and make your own sausage with the help of a man who can teach most butchers a thing or two, Chef Chris Cosentino. Ming and Chris cook on the fly together creating two very different dishes: San Francisco Sausage and Peppers and Chicken Mushroom Sausage Patties with Orange Snow Pea Salad. D

9:00 am 

Christina  "Light Dishes for Life"  Wow, have we lost sight of what a proper portion looks like! Most restaurant meals could feed a small country! No wonder we're too heavy! How could we possibly avoid it? In this class, we'll look at portion sizes and cook to create perfectly seasoned food that is so satisfying, a few bites do the trick. D

9:30 am 

Martha Stewart's Cooking School  "Eggs"  Want to know how to cook the perfect soft- or hard-cooked egg? Or the fluffiest scramble? Martha shares these and other secrets as she teaches viewers all they need to know about eggs, the world's most versatile protein. Whether you like your egg over easy or sunny-side up, Martha shows you how to prepare them properly every time, with easy-to-master techniques and tips. You'll learn a clever method for frying eggs, a surefire omelet recipe, and the key to a foolproof frittata. D

10:00 am 

Austin City Limits  "Sonic Youth/The Black Keys"  Elder statesmen of alternative/indie/punk rock, band members re-create the wall of guitars. Then the Black Keys exhibit the muscular, no-nonsense sound of their minimalist blues-rock.G

11:00 am 

Sesame Street  "Don't Wake The Baby"  Leela hums as she rocks her sleeping baby niece, Nila, in a bassinet in the arbor. Telly and Elmo come bounding in loudly trying to offer their help, but Leela insists that she doesn't need any assistance. She's hoping Nila will stay asleep as long as there aren't any loud noises on Sesame Street. D

12:00 pm 

Dinosaur Train  "Dinos A to Z, Part 3, Classification/Dinos A to Z, Part 4, A To Z Picnic"  The Pteranodon family rides the Dinosaur Train - now with extra cars attached -- as it continues picking up more dinosaurs that are in the `Dinosaurs A to Z' song. The Pteranodon family reunites with some dinosaurs they've met before, and are introduced to species they've never met! The Pteranodon kids also learn about classification, and Don leads the way organizing the dinosaurs on the Train by their species, features, and size. The Pteranodon family is on the Dinosaur Train, now very crowded with all 26 dinosaurs mentioned in the `Dinosaurs A to Z' song. D

12:30 pm 

Super Why!  "Bedtime for Bear"  Baby Joy is afraid of the dark! To show her there's nothing to fear, Super Why and his literacy friends fly into Bedtime for Bear and meet Charlie - a bear who is scared of just about everything! The super readers shed a little light on the problem (literally) while Charlie discovers a bit more about the world outside his cozy cave. Educational Objectives: To experience a familiar bedtime routine. Preschoolers will practice the alphabet, rhyme with AR words, learn what the word "fireflies" means, and use the power to read to change the story. D

1:00 pm 

Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That!  "Jump!/Slow Down for Sloths"  Jump! - Nick and Sally can't jump high enough to get their balloon that is stuck up in a tree. Good thing The Cat knows some of the best jumpers ever! Off they go to Jumpalaroo to learn how to jump from nature's masters: grasshoppers, a kangaroo, and even a flea! Slow Down for Sloths - Nick and Sally are trying to draw a picture of a butterfly but can't get close enough to see it. Cat takes them to meet Onslow the Sloth, who teaches the kids that when you slow down, the world comes to you. D

1:30 pm 

Wild Kratts  "Let The Rhinos Roll!"  The Wild Kratts team is on an important mission to unearth why Rhinos are mysteriously disappearing from the African Savannah. They soon discover that Zach Varmitech has been kidnapping them to create a new super Rhino Dozers so the creature adventurers devise a plan to rescue them - and it just might work! Along the way, they explore the nature of symbiotic relationships and learn that animals have different structures and behaviors that help them defend themselves. Rhinos use their size, sharp horn, mud bathing and their relationship with a small bird for defense. D

2:00 pm 

Sara's Weeknight Meals  "Holiday Food Gifts"  A thoughtful gift you make yourself speaks volumes, and food is the present everyone loves! Sara releases your creative spirit by teaching how to make Homemade Marshmallows with a Hot Chocolate Mix. For the wine enthusiast, her Homemade Cheese Crackers pair beautifully with some cheese and wine. Peppermint Bark looks very expensive but couldn't be easier to make. D

2:30 pm 

Rick Steves' Europe  "The Best of Slovenia"  In the little-visited and underrated alpine country, Rick begins in the capital city of Ljubljana, enjoys the mountain resort of Lake Bled, ventures into the Julian Alps, goes spelunking in a gigantic cave, and swims with Slavs in a charming Adriatic port.G

3:00 pm 

Song of the Mountains   David Holt & the Lightning Bolts; The Roys. D

4:00 pm 

PBS NewsHour   NULL

5:00 pm 

My Hero  "Thermoman's Greatest Challenge"  Piers throws a party to thank Thermoman for saving Janet, whose parents insist both Janet and George attend.G

5:30 pm 

Are You Being Served?  "Closed Circuit"  The store enters the video age with advertisements displayed on a closed-circuit television system.G

6:00 pm 

As Time Goes By   The American mini-series is in production. The producers reveal some of the "improvements" they made in Lionel's original script.G

6:30 pm 

Red Green Does New Year's   Red and the guys from Possum Lodge approach New Year's resolutions in their own ways. The special includes an animated film from Ranger Gord called "A Forest New Year."G

7:30 pm 

Keeping Up Appearances - The Memoirs of Hyacinth Bucket   Convinced Emmet is too overawed by her personality to invite her to join the cast of a musical, Hyacinth invites him to coffee and bursts into song.G

8:00 pm 

The Thin Blue Line  "Fire and Terror"  Grim and the CID initiate a counter-terrorism operation. Fowler deals with mythomaniacs, and Habib becomes attracted to a fireman.G

8:30 pm 

Downton Abbey Revisited   This special presents some favorite scenes from the series' seasons 1 and 2 to savor before Season 3 begins in January. Key actors and creative staff tell their stories of the depiction of life on an English country estate from 1912 into the 1920s. There are also behind-the-scenes footage and a sneak peak at what is yet to come.G

9:00 pm 

My Family  "A Difficult Undertaking"  Ben's mean Uncle Norris dies and Ben learns he needs to be at the reading of the will. However Ben's inheritance is not as expected while his winning lottery ticket heads underground.G

9:30 pm 

My Hero  "Thermoman's Greatest Challenge"  Piers throws a party to thank Thermoman for saving Janet, whose parents insist both Janet and George attend.G

10:00 pm 

Are You Being Served?  "Closed Circuit"  The store enters the video age with advertisements displayed on a closed-circuit television system.G

10:30 pm 

As Time Goes By   The American mini-series is in production. The producers reveal some of the "improvements" they made in Lionel's original script.G

11:00 pm 

Red Green Does New Year's   Red and the guys from Possum Lodge approach New Year's resolutions in their own ways. The special includes an animated film from Ranger Gord called "A Forest New Year."G