PLUS (MT)

12:00 am 

Oregon Field Guide  "Portland Fish Story"  NULL

12:30 am 

Travelscope  "Chile - The Driest Place On Earth"  Joseph travels north to the driest place on the planet, Chile's Atacama Desert. He finds that the desert, though it appears dry and barren, is alive with varied wildlife and vibrant cultures. During his journey he encounters the friendly Atacameno Indians and witnesses spouting geysers, endless sand dunes and the area's breathtaking natural beauty. D

1:00 am 

European Christmas Markets   Discover Europe's Christmas Markets, where the town center, market square or just the narrow, cobblestone streets of the cities and towns of Europe come alive in winter with festively decorated wooden stalls offering all sorts of treats and delights. Travel through Germany, France and Switzerland and visit cities and towns and learn of their history, see their major sights, and visit their charming markets. The Kingston Trio provides special folk arrangements of traditional Christmas carols to add to the magic and enchantment.G

1:30 am 

Travelscope: Christmas In Switzerland   Host Joseph Rosendo journeys to Lausanne, Montreux and Basel to bask in the glow of a Swiss-style Christmas at holiday markets, on a scenic train ride, and atop a Ferris wheel. He witnesses a 600-year-old clock-tower tradition in Lausanne.G

2:00 am 

Christmas Concert from Norway   From the historic Vang Church in Hamar, Norway, international musicians present a concert of popular, classical and traditional holiday music. Her Highness Princess Martha Louise of Norway and Harold Zwart, film director, introduce performers who include Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman, the Grammy-nominated Trondheim Soloists and siblings Mari and Hakon Samuelsen, who also organize this annual event.G

3:00 am 

Outdoor Idaho  "Writers at Harriman"  Thirty-five teens from throughout Idaho gather at Harriman State Park in eastern Idaho for the six-day Writers at Harriman camp experience. In the tranquil setting surrounded by wildlife the students attend class with expert teachers and write.G

3:30 am 

MotorWeek  "Range Rover Evoque"  Road Test: 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque. Road Test: 2012 BMW Z4. Goss' Garage: Batteries. D

4:00 am 

Sesame Street  "Wing in a Sling"  Big Bird is happily roller skating along Sesame Street. Uh-oh! Crash! Big Bird falls down! Chris runs over to help Big Bird who has injured his wing. Chris suggests they visit Dr. Berger so she can take a look, while the Count offers to watch Hooper's store until Chris and Big Bird get back. D

5:00 am 

Sid The Science Kid  "Sid's Holiday Adventure"  Sid loves celebrating the winter holidays where he lives, because it's always sunny and warm. But this year, Sid and his family are visiting relatives where it's chilly and cold. Sid wonders why it can't be warm everywhere? At school, Sid discovers that temperatures are different all over the world!. D

5:30 am 

Martha Speaks  "Martha Speaks Martha Gets Spooked/Martha Changes Her Luck"  Martha Gets Spooked - Is someone fixing up the haunted house? If not, who ordered those flowers? Martha Changes Her Luck - Uh-oh. Martha walked under a ladder-and broke a mirror-so now she thinks she's jinxed.G

6:00 am 

Flight of Faith: The Jesus Story   Soaring over the Holy Land, this film focuses on the places connected with Jesus' life and ministry from an aerial perspective. Beginning in Nazareth, the scene moves across the Judean Desert to Bethlehem. Authors, scholars, archaeologists and local residents provide insight in this chronological story of the life of Jesus. Designations include the Mount of the Beatitudes, Peter's home in Galilee, Cana and Bethsaida.G

7:00 am 

Rick Steves' Europe  "England's Bath & York"  Rick takes in Medieval York and Georgian Bath, both easy sidetrips from London. He explores Roman hot springs, cruises canals, and marvels at England's finest Gothic church.G

7:30 am 

Smart Travels - Europe with Rudy Maxa  "A Music Lover's Europe"  For a totally different view of Europe, Rudy shows smart travelers how to organize a trip around a theme. Rudy discovers surprising and fresh takes on Europe as he sets out on a music lover's tour. Winning, live performances by the Sicilian folk band Diascouri, and by Groupo Emiliano, a zany, classically-trained quartet from Emilia Romagna, are the backbone of this offbeat trip. D

8:00 am 

The Desert Speaks  "Goat Packing in the Red Desert"  Natural historian and eccentric scientist John Mionczynski (also known as "Mr. Red Desert") "invented" goat packing nearly 30 years ago in the high and cold Red Desert of Southwest Wyoming. He guides host David Yetman on a journey through the "heart" of the desert - the Honeycomb Buttes, which boast extremely colorful honeycomb rock formations. Along the way, they get to know their four-legged companions and experience the adventures involved in goat packing, including searching for wild cilantro, onion and garlic in the desert and using the excretion from ants as salad dressing. D

8:30 am 

Ciao Italia  "Have A Cookie/Avere Un Biscotto"  Cookie jar empty? Time for Mary Ann make the most delicate Orange-Scented Madeleines you've ever tasted. But she doesn't stop there. The enticing smell of fresh-baked Little Hazelnut Cookies soon fills the kitchen and fills her cookie jar as well. D

9:00 am 

Baking Made Easy  "Holiday - Christmas Morning"  Get a rise out of family and friends when they taste your homemade bread created with a few techniques and inspiration from Lauren's kitchen; Christmas Morning Cinnamon Buns, Snowy-Mixed Nut Butter Buttons. D

9:30 am 

Kimchi Chronicles  "The Pork Chronicles"  As opposed to the lean-is-better preference in the United States, Koreans love their pork full of fat - and flavor. In this episode, Marja, her dear friend, the actress Heather Graham, and an expert food blogger named Daniel eat classic pork barbeque at Heukdonga restaurant in Seoul. They also stop by Songgane Gamjatang, where Seoul's taxi drivers convene for pork bone soup and the grand pork dish known as bo ssam. D

10:00 am 

America's Test Kitchen from Cook's Illustrated  "Southern Fare, Reinvented"  Test cook Bridget Lancaster shows host Christopher Kimball how to make pulled pork without using a grill! Next, equipment expert Adam Reid reviews electric pressure cookers in the Equipment Corner. Then, science expert Guy Crosby teaches Chris about the science behind brining. And finally, test cook Julia Collin Davison reveals a recipe for Easier Fried Chicken. D

10:30 am 

Hey Kids, Let's Cook  "Taco Salad"  Who doesn't love tacos? A healthy Mexican meal that includes the meat, lettuce, cheese, and salsa all stuffed together in a crunchy shell. And today we're going to show you a little twist to that recipe, it's taco salad. D

11:00 am 

Tonic Sol-Fa: Greatest Time of Year   This new special from one of the nation's top vocal groups features tight harmonies, outstanding arrangements of holiday favorites and behind-the-scenes footage that showcases the chemistry among the group's members. The quartet performs an eclectic mix of songs from traditional holiday fare to contemporary covers of Lindsey Buckingham's "Holiday Road" and Vanilla Ice's "Ice, Ice Baby."G

12:00 pm 

Sesame Street  "Amphibian Show"  Elmo and Abby are resting when suddenly it's time to play the game show, "Find that Amphibian." Elmo and Abby must find an amphibian before the game show's tadpole turns into a frog. They don't know what an amphibian is, but the announcer gives them a clue- an animal that starts out living in water. D

1:00 pm 

Dinosaur Train  "One Big Dinosaur/Play Date with Annie"  One Big Dinosaur - Tiny and Buddy visit a dinosaur family called Argentinosaurus, some of the biggest land creatures ever! The kids find out there are great things about being really big, and that it's also great being their own size. Play Date with Annie - Buddy is excited that his friend Annie Tyrannosaurus is coming to the Pteranodon nest to visit and play with them. After Tiny feels left out, Buddy and Annie show her that they can all be friends!. D

1:30 pm 

Super Why!  "Rapunzel"  Princess Pea's kitten is stuck in the top of a tree! The Super Readers jump into a book and meet Rapunzel, who is also stranded high up in her tower. When climbing Rapunzel's hair proves to be (ouch!) a hair-raising idea, the Prince works together with the Super Readers to come up with a brand new rescue plan! Princess Pea discovers the value of a helping hand.G

2:00 pm 

Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That!  "Chasing Rainbows/Follow The Prints"  The kids are painting a picture of a rainbow but can't remember all the colors to use. Luckily for them, Cat takes them to Color-ga-lore to meet King Kaleidoscope, an expert on rainbows! Nick and Sally are enjoying a backyard picnic when they discover their last strawberry has gone missing! Who could have taken it? Cat's friend Cluey Looey can help them!G

2:30 pm 

Wild Kratts  "Polar Bears Don't Dance"  While in the Arctic, Martin and Chris are on a mission to discover how animals move around in different environments. Their new knowledge comes in handy when they discover that Zach Varmitech has kidnapped a Walrus calf and a Polar bear cub. The Wild Kratts team must do what it takes to return the baby animals to their mothers. D

3:00 pm 

Dialogue for Kids  "Flight"  How do planes stay up in the air? We have to overcome four physical forces to fly, so do birds and bugs and anything else that wants to soar. So, what are those forces? Why does the shape of a wing make a difference in flight? Why are birds especially built for flight? Joan Cartan-Hansen and her guests, Frank Lester, education coordinator for the aeronautics division of the Idaho Transportation Department and Pilot Lori MacNichol answer questions about flight.G

3:30 pm 

Piano Guy   The program theme is Rock & Roll. Host Scott Houston and guests show viewers how to play Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock," The Beach Boys' "California Girls" as well as a great Boogie Woogie Riff made famous by Jerry Lee Lewis. Featured artists include Dave Powers and Nat Kerr. D

4:00 pm 

The Desert Speaks  "Ageless Mud: Adobe Homes in the Desert"  Host David Yetman and expert architect Bob Vint travel around Tucson, Arizona, to see how adobe - the perfect desert building material - was used in the past and is still used today. Adobe not only has a remarkable period of longevity, but also has thermal capabilities, making it ideal for the hot dry desert. Yetman and Vint spend time at the San Xavier Mission to watch a restoration crew use new adobe to repair and restore the existing adobe exterior. D

4:30 pm 

Outdoor Idaho  "Writers at Harriman"  Thirty-five teens from throughout Idaho gather at Harriman State Park in eastern Idaho for the six-day Writers at Harriman camp experience. In the tranquil setting surrounded by wildlife the students attend class with expert teachers and write.G

5:00 pm 

PBS NewsHour   NULL

6:00 pm 

Nova  "Darwin's Darkest Hour"  NOVA and National Geographic Television present the human drama behind the birth of a great idea seen through the inspiration and personal sufferings of its originator. The scripted drama features Henry Ian Cusick as Charles Darwin and Frances O'Connor as his wife, Emma. Darwin, having spent years penning his book, On the Origin of Species, in 1858 learns another naturalist is about to publish similar ideas. Darwin faces obscurity if he does not publish first and the threat of conflict with orthodox religious values of his day and dissention with his devoted wife if he does publish.G

8:00 pm 

Alan Alda in Scientific American Frontiers  "Coming to America"  Who were the first Americans, and when did they arrive? Did they get here by land or sea? Did a single group populate the continent, or did many? Experts used to agree that the first Americans walked across the Bering land bridge from Asia about 12,000 years ago, then found their way south, eventually colonizing all of North and South America. But exciting recent finds at sites on both continents have triggered new theories. Alan Alda tries to find out who's saying what, and why. D

9:00 pm 

Space Age: Nasa's Story  "From The Ground Up"  Born of a Cold War fear, NASA moves from disastrous rocket tests to the glorious conclusion of the Gemini Program. Despite many setbacks and six epic flights, the astronauts prove the most important component of any NASA mission would be the human being. Part 1 of 4G

10:00 pm 

Nova  "Darwin's Darkest Hour"  NOVA and National Geographic Television present the human drama behind the birth of a great idea seen through the inspiration and personal sufferings of its originator. The scripted drama features Henry Ian Cusick as Charles Darwin and Frances O'Connor as his wife, Emma. Darwin, having spent years penning his book, On the Origin of Species, in 1858 learns another naturalist is about to publish similar ideas. Darwin faces obscurity if he does not publish first and the threat of conflict with orthodox religious values of his day and dissention with his devoted wife if he does publish.G