BYUtv and BYUradio Celebrate the Spirit of Holiday Season

"O Holy Night: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir" featuring Megan Hilty and Neal McDonough; new holiday episodes of "Grace Notes," "Malory Towers," "Random Acts" and "Studio C"

PROVO, Utah, Nov. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Inspirational family entertainment network BYUtv, available nationally over cable, satellite and free streaming, and its companion network, BYUradio, today announced their 2022 schedule of original holiday programming, including the return of "Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir," featuring Tony Award-nominated Broadway star Megan Hilty and renowned television and film actor Neal McDonough; a new "Grace Notes" holiday special with Grammy-winning members of Pentatonix and Grammy-nominated musicians Cory Asbury and Matt Maher, as well as more than a dozen other Christian artists; a nostalgic holiday storyline on "Malory Towers"; a heartwarming special episode of "Random Acts"; a hilariously festive "Studio C" Christmas compilation with fan-favorite sketches from seasons past; and dozens more movies and specials to warm the soul this holiday season. All new shows, as well as a large selection of returning programming, will be available to stream anywhere, anytime on the free BYUtv and BYUradio apps and at BYUtv.org/Christmas and BYUradio.org/Christmas.

"There is no better way to celebrate the holidays than with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, and we are delighted to bring their iconic broadcast Christmas special back post-pandemic with two incredibly gifted and inspiring performers, Megan Hilty and Neal McDonough," said Andra Johnson Duke, head of content at BYUtv. "Audiences will be treated to this wonderful concert exploring the importance of heritage and tradition – especially during Christmas, as well as new holiday specials of BYUtv original series such as 'Grace Notes' and 'Random Acts' that will lift up the entire family and remind us why we celebrate the season."

Sunday, Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT: "Grace Notes" is an unscripted series, hosted by Elaine Bradley from Neon Trees, featuring performances and interviews with artists who are uplifted and changed by music. This Christmas it will feature the Grammy-winning Kevin Olusola and Matt Sallee of Pentatonix singing "What Child Is This?" and Grammy-nominated musicians Cory Asbury with "Amazing Grace" and Matt Maher with "He Shall Reign Forevermore." Other exclusive performances include Dante Bowe, Evan Craft, DOE, Anna Golden, Brandon Lake, Tasha Layton, Elle Limebear, Mali Music, Evvie McKinney, MORIAH, Naomi Raine, Rend Collective, Tye Tribbett, Rhett Walker, We Are Messengers, Phil Wickham and Zach Williams.

Sunday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT: "Malory Towers" is set in an all-girls boarding school in England after World War II – a nostalgic world of midnight feasts, lacrosse, ghost stories and lasting friendships. The Christmas special will feature the festive shenanigans of Darrell Rivers (BAFTA nominee Ella Bright) and her pals and welcomes Great Granny Mary to Malory Towers, played by Valerie Lilley ("Shameless," "Emma"), along with Ron's younger brother Fred Gilson (Charles Jackson), who is soon on hand to help the pupils with local pirate legends.

Thursday, Dec. 8 at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT: "Random Acts" is the long-running, unscripted hidden-camera reality show that highlights the altruistic nature of human beings by featuring real people who are the recipients of random acts of kindness. In this special episode, Cheryl Smith is a longtime autism advocate and founding member of the Autism Council of Utah. Unfortunately, Cheryl has to skip almost all family activities because her autistic son Carson requires constant care. Emilie, Jenna and Lisa get together at a unique location to plan a big holiday surprise to help Cheryl catch up on some much-needed grandkid time, and Emilie and Mason get permission from the North Pole to spread a little cheer.

Monday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT: Deck the halls with laughter as the cast of fan-favorite sketch comedy show "Studio C" (now in its 16^th season) brings audiences Christmas cheer. The hour-long Christmas compilation from "Studio C" is here with a sledful of humor and holiday Santa-sized belly laughs, hosted by original cast member Stephen Meek and current cast member Megan Rico. Enjoy top sketches from past Christmas episodes and spot favorite characters of seasons past. The festivities never end in this fun episode for the whole family.

Sunday, Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT: "O Holy Night: Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir" welcomes Tony Award-nominated performer Megan Hilty as guest artist and actor Neal McDonough as narrator. Hilty and McDonough, who each share Irish heritage and traditions, join The Tabernacle Choir to deliver a deeply personal program that weaves together well-known holiday tunes and classic Christmas carols. This year's program features traditional Irish musical numbers and storytelling about the role of family and celebrations at this time of year. With the music and musings intertwined, the result is an uplifting holiday and musical feast that inspires hope, stirs reflection, and invites the peace of the season for any viewer, regardless of background or belief.

Throughout the month of December, BYUtv will open the vault of Christmas movies and originals, including the BYUtv premieres of "Christmas with Felicity," "12 Days of Giving," "A Christmas Wish in Hudson," "A Christmas Carol," "A Christmas Star" and "A Cape Cod Christmas," as well as some of the network's popular Christmas programming from recent years, including "Christmas Under the Stars" concerts starring John Legend, Lauren Daigle, Pentatonix, Train, The Band Perry and Five for Fighting; past "Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir" concerts featuring Kelli O'Hara and Richard Thomas, Kristin Chenoweth and last year's retrospective "20 Years of Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir"; past "The Chosen," "Heartland," "Grace Notes," "Random Acts," "Studio C" and "Show Offs" Christmas-themed episodes; holiday movies "Christmas Jars," "A Christmas Wish," "Blizzard," "A Christmas Village," "Shoelaces for Christmas," "Miracle Maker," "A Christmas Tail," "A Very Corgi Christmas," "Instrument of War," "A Christmas Letter," "Christmas for a Dollar," "Silent Night," "48 Christmas Wishes," "Christmas Angel" and more. New and past programming will be repeated throughout the holiday season.

This year, BYUradio is bringing back countless hours of Christmas storytelling and devotionals, including an exclusive eight-part series called "The Christmas Chronicles" that recounts the astonishing life and legend of Santa; an original program called "BYUradio Family Christmas" that features family Christmas stories from the network's hosts; audio versions of past "Christmas Under the Stars" and "Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir" concerts; and joyful interviews and holiday music on "The Lisa Show" from a variety of renowned performers such as Donny Osmond, Lindsey Stirling, Neon Trees, The Piano Guys and more.

BYUtv is available across the country via cable, satellite and multiple digital media platforms. For a complete listing of BYUtv's programming and to view full episodes, visit www.byutv.org or download the app. BYUtv streams for free with no subscriptions, in-app purchases or ads. The network is always streaming live, and past and current seasons are all available to binge.

For more information on BYUradio and to listen, visit www.byuradio.org. Programming can be accessed nationwide on SiriusXM and free on the BYUradio app, and it is available on all major podcast services for download, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and other platforms.

BYU Broadcasting is a general entertainment broadcasting organization focused on improving families and connecting them through shared experiences that promote meaningful interaction between parents and children. Across BYUtv, BYUradio and its digital platforms, BYU Broadcasting presents uplifting entertainment that is both purposeful and engaging for the entire family. With a reach of approximately 40 million homes on broadcast and cable systems for BYUtv and another more than 30 million devices through SiriusXM for BYUradio, it serves national and local audiences with the most state-of-the-art live-linear and digital production and distribution facilities, reaching audiences where they consume media. By centering all of its resources on these two closely correlated, multiplatform products, BYU Broadcasting creates synergies and consistency between their content and focus to offer transmedia storytelling. As a noncommercial operation, it gives back to the local, national and international community by working with great partners throughout the world to provide edifying viewing and listening experiences that inspire children and parents alike.

SOURCE BYUtv