BYUtv and BYUradio Ring in Holidays with Programming for Entire Family: Original Christmas Concert Specials with The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, Pentatonix and Top Christian Artists

PROVO, Utah, Nov. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Family entertainment network BYUtv, available nationally over cable, satellite and free streaming, and its companion network, BYUradio, today announced their 2021 schedule of original holiday programming, including "Christmas Under the Stars" with three-time Grammy® Award-winning and multi-platinum selling artist Pentatonix;  a special two-hour retrospective, "20 Years of Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir," filled with more than 40 beloved guest artists, from Gladys Knight and Angela Lansbury to Kristin Chenoweth and Richard Thomas; a "Grace Notes" holiday special featuring Grammy® winners Amy Grant, Michelle T. Williams, Michael W. Smith, CeCe Winans, Kirk Franklin and other Christian music favorites; new Christmas episodes of BYUtv's original series "The Canterville Ghost," "Studio C" and "Random Acts"; and many more holiday movies and specials.

"When we think of Christmas music, two treasures that immediately come to mind are The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, which has provided the soundtrack of the holidays for decades, and Pentatonix, one of the top-selling holiday artists in history," said Andra Johnson Duke, head of content at BYUtv. "This year, we are thrilled to produce festive and uplifting new specials that bring each of these iconic best-sellers to family rooms throughout the holiday season, as well as a host of others on "Grace Notes," including another Christmas music legend – Amy Grant, and to present them as part of a robust schedule of holiday programming the entire family will want to enjoy together."

Sunday, Nov. 14 and 21 at 9 p.m. ET: BYUtv's four-part contemporary reimagining of the classic Oscar Wilde comedy "The Canterville Ghost," produced in the U.K. by BBC Studios Productions, revolves around three families – the aristocratic Cantervilles, the Romani Lovells and the American Otises – who must come together to find redemption and heal the past. In the final two episodes of the limited series, "Autumn" (premiering Nov. 14) and "Winter" (premiering Nov. 21), the Otises host a Christmas ball, which becomes the centerpiece of the climactic finale. The accomplished cast includes Anthony Head ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), James Lance ("Ted Lasso"), Caroline Catz ("Doc Martin"), Laurel Waghorn ("Holby City"), Carolyn Pickles ("Broadchurch"), Haydn Gwynne ("The Windsors") and Jack Bardoe ("Belgravia"), among others.

Monday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. ET: Tucked in and snuggly in their bed, the cast of fan-favorite sketch comedy show "Studio C" (now in its 14^th season) listens to their favorite Christmas tales, such as the one where Scrooge discovers that Christmas feasts must be purchased in advance and the one where an entrepreneuring father pitches his idea for simplifying gift wrapping. They then hear the tales of Giuseppe, an Italian elf, who keeps accidentally making his mother's Italian food instead of toys, workers who pooled their resources to buy a co-worker a gift that drives home the Christmas spirit, and the most beloved tale of all – the one where The Grinch and Nicholas Cage unexpectedly run into each other on Christmas Eve. Charles Dickens' fictional brother Bartholomew hosts.

Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. ET: "Random Acts" is the unscripted hidden-camera reality show in its seventh season 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, a young family that unfortunately missed out on their first Christmas in their new Nashville condo in 2020 due to the tragic Christmas morning bombing, receives a Christmas they won't ever forget. In late spring of this year, "Random Acts" decorates the family's new home in Christmas lights and lawn decor, setting in motion an adventure that ends in chasing snow, finding a blizzard, and a special visitor.

Sunday, Dec. 5 at 12 p.m. ET: "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. We hear the stories behind the songs as musicians share their talent, their lives, their inspiration and their faith. This special holiday episode will feature songs such as "Breath of Heaven," "O Holy Night," "Welcome to Our World" and "We Three Kings," performed by Amy Grant, Michelle T. Williams, Michael W. Smith, CeCe Winans, Kirk Franklin, Ben Rector, Lecrae, Natalie Grant, Colton Dixon, Ellie Holcomb, Jamie Grace, Unspoken, Kierra Sheard, Michael McLean, Jonathan Traylor, Sidewalk Prophets, Francesca Battistelli, Jonathan McReynolds and Jordan Smith.

Sunday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. ET: An annual BYUtv holiday tradition, "Christmas Under the Stars" showcases Grammy Award-winning group Pentatonix in a mix of big performance numbers and intimate, cinematic musical moments. This exclusive special, produced by BYUtv in partnership with Kaleidoscope Pictures, features beloved classics like "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," "Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!," "The First Noel," and "Oh, Come All Ye Faithful," as well as songs from their new holiday album "Evergreen." Past performers have included John Legend, Lauren Daigle, Train, The Band Perry, Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson, Patti LaBelle, Yolanda Adams, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, and Five for Fighting.

Thursday, Dec. 16 at 9 p.m. ET: This December, The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square's beloved annual Christmas concert tradition celebrates its 20^th anniversary with a special new two-hour retrospective. "20 Years of Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir" welcomes Tony® Award-winner Brian Stokes Mitchell as guest artist and narrator. Intimate ballads, behind-the-scenes views and storytelling by Stokes combine with highlights from the past two decades featuring soul-stirring performances from more than 40 world-renowned artists, including Kristin Chenoweth, Audra McDonald, Kelli O'Hara, Gladys Knight, Angela Lansbury, the Muppets® from Sesame Street®, Hugh Bonneville and Richard Thomas. The anniversary special reminds viewers of how this tradition has touched audiences for years and evokes the love, unity and peace of the season.

BYUradio's special holiday programming includes an eight-part series called "The Christmas Chronicles" that tells the astonishing life and activities of Santa. Already available to stream on demand, two parts will air each day, Dec. 20-23, at 9 p.m. ET. An original storytelling hour called "BYUradio Family Christmas" will feature Christmas family stories from the network's hosts, premiering Dec. 17 at 9 p.m. ET. In addition, "The Lisa Show" will feature interviews and holiday music from a number of performers, including The Piano Guys (Nov. 30), Donny Osmond (Dec. 2), Lindsey Stirling (Dec. 14), James Valentine of Maroon 5 (Dec. 16), Neon Trees (Dec. 21) and Jim Brickman (Dec. 23), all airing at 10 a.m. ET. Throughout the season, BYUradio will also broadcast audio versions of BYUtv's "Christmas Under the Stars" with Pentatonix and other past specials in the series, as well as past "Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir" concerts.

Throughout the month of December, BYUtv will open the vault of Christmas movies and originals, including the BYUtv premieres of "The Miracle Maker," "Christmas for a Dollar" and the Annie Moses Christmas special as well as some of the network's popular Christmas programming from recent years, including "Christmas Under the Stars" concerts starring Lauren Daigle, John Legend, Train, The Band Perry, Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith with Jordan Smith, and Five for Fighting; "Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir" concerts featuring Kristin Chenoweth, Sutton Foster and Hugh Bonneville, and Kelli O'Hara and Richard Thomas; Ballet West's "The Nutcracker" and "Celtic Family Christmas" specials; past "Studio C," "Random Acts," "Show Offs," "Making Good," "Hetty Feather," "Heartland" and "Highway to Heaven" Christmas-themed episodes; holiday movies "Christmas Jars," "Shoelaces for Christmas," "Winter Thaw," "Christmas on Division Street," "The Christmas Cabin," "Instrument of War," "A Christmas Tail," "Deck the Heart," "Christmas Angel," "48 Christmas Wishes," "Silent Night," "A Christmas Village," "Blizzard," "A Christmas Snow," "A Very Corgi Christmas," "The Christ Child" and "Christmas Oranges"; and more. New and past programming will be repeated throughout the holiday season.

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.

About BYU Broadcasting
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 more than 50 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 BYU Broadcasting