A magical month of viewing: festive favourites from movies to music

Get some quirky festive cheer with the 'Wellington Paranormal' team, tour a magical Christmas market or challenge yourself with a 'Quizmas' marathon: there's something for everyone across the SBS Network.

'All I Want For Christmas' Source: Distributor

Whether you're looking for someting where sparks are flying (don't worry - we're talking Forged in Fire, not dangerous Christmas lights!), a quiet night in amid the holiday hustle, or some ideas for what to cook for a festive gathering, it's here.

TRAVEL TIME: MARVELLOUS MARKETS AND CHRISTMAS ADVENTURES

Britain's Scenic Railways at Christmas

Britains's Scenic Railways at Christmas - Steam in Lights event

Source: SBS

Climb onboard for a magical journey through a winter wonderland along Britain's most scenic railways to join the teams protecting the tracks and the volunteers preserving Britain’s steam heritage as they celebrate Christmas. As the festive season approaches, enjoy the sparkling illuminations of Steam in Lights at the Severn Valley Railway, ride the footplate with Santa on a steam train through the Yorkshire Moors, take a stunning helicopter flight checking for snow drifts in the wild Scottish Highlands, and join the Cairngorms reindeer herd on a day trip to the Strathspey steam railway.

Airs Thursday 15 December at 8.30pm on SBS and will then be streaming at SBS On Demand.

Lapland: The Ultimate Winter Wonderland

'Lapland: The Ultimate Winter Wonderland' Source: SBS

Gregg Wallace is on the ultimate Christmas adventure - a magical journey through Lapland in the Arctic Circle, possibly the most festive place on earth. He'll discover a world of elves and magic in Santa's Secret Forest in the middle of the Finnish wilderness, ride a reindeer sleigh through Santa's Village and discover the magic of a traditional Christmas in Lapland with a host of local guides and experts.

Airs Saturday 17 December at 8.35pm on SBS and will then be streaming at SBS On Demand.

Copenhagen: Europe's Greatest Christmas Market

You can also join Gregg Wallace on a magical market adventure. Wallace is on a mission to discover all the ingredients that makes the perfect Scandinavian Christmas market by immersing himself in festive cheer on the streets of Copenhagen. He visits the spectacular street markets that drawn millions of visitors every year - from the impressive Tivoli Gardens in the heart of Copenhagen to a Christmas market themed around Hans Christian Andersen. Along the way he discovers the Scandinavian secrets to decorating the perfect Christmas tree, gate-crashes the Glögg mulled-wine championships and understands what makes Christmas amidst the markets of Copenhagen such a special festive treat.

Streaming now at SBS On Demand:

MOVIE NIGHT: FAMILY FARE + SOME JUST FOR ADULTS

All I Want for Christmas and All I Want for Christmas 2

Looking for some family viewing? In the PG-rated holiday adventure All I Want for Christmas, 12-year-old Lucia lives in the far north of Greenland with her mother Claudia and her father Julius, better known as Santa Claus. Lucia who goes to the International Christmas School, is set a challenge by her headmaster: she must find a cure for a mystery illness caused by the wicked Krampus. To find the cure, Lucia and her father head to Denmark to track down Krampus, a trip that turns into a special Christmas adventure. In the sequel, Lucia and her best friend, Oscar, try to find the Winter King's stolen crystal - and Lucia soon discovers Christmas itself could be at stake if they don't succeed.

Both films are streaming now at SBS on Demand. Start with All I Want for Christmas below, and then find the sequel at SBS On Demand
here
.

Get Santa

Get Santa Source: SBS

It’s days before Christmas and reindeer are found running loose through the streets of London. Meanwhile an astonished 9-year-old Tom (Kit Connor) discovers Santa (Jim Broadbent) in the garden shed. He has crash landed while test driving his new sleigh and enlists Tom and his father Steve (Rafe Spall) to help him get back to Lapland. But what happens when Santa is arrested and thrown into prison? Will Steve and Tom be able to break him out in time for Christmas?

See Get Santa on Saturday, 24 December at 8pm on NITV. It will be available at SBS On Demand for 7 days after it airs.

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

Rare Exports Source: SBS Movies

Rare Exports is told from a child's point of view but don't be fooled: this tale of a mysterious find in the mountains of Lapland is M-rated for a reason. This darkly hilarious Christmas tale follows the capture of 'Santa' during an archaeological dig in the depths of Finland’s mountains. But it soon seems that is a murderous Santa, and his psychotic elves are determined to free him.

See Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale on Saturday, 24 December at 10.20pm on SBS World Movies.

The Man Who Invented Christmas

In 1843 London, author Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens, Downton Abbey, Beauty and the Beast) finds himself in financial trouble after writing three unsuccessful novels in a row. Desperate for a hit, Dickens relies on real-life inspiration and his vivid imagination to create Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim and characters in in A Christmas Carol.

See The Man Who Invented Christmas Saturday, 24 December at 10.20pm on SBS World Movies, or streaming now at SBS On Demand:

FESTIVE FOOD: IDEAS FOR ALL YOUR GATHERINGS

Ainsley's Christmas Good Mood Food

Ainsley Harriott can be relied upon to bring a happy note to everything he does, and if you're looking to get into the festive spirit, the man who's always smiling and often singing in the kitchen, too, is just the company you need. In this festive special, Ainsley is joined by a brace of special guests as he cooks up canapes, a festive duck dish and a very special trifle. And you can find the recipes

on his website

Streaming now at SBS On Demand:

The Cook Up with Adam Liaw

Adam and his guests, including Mitch Tambo, Courtney Act and Stephanie Alexander, are cooking up plenty of festive cheer in December, with special Christmas episodes from 5 to 9 December (also airing noon to 2.30pm on Saturday 17 December). They'll keep you entertained while sharing recipes for Christmas-themed snacks for parties, take-a-plate ideas, desserts and more (find links to the Christmas week recipes

here

The Cook Up with Adam Liaw
's third season airs weeknights on SBS Food (Ch.33) at 7.00pm, with episodes available at SBS On Demand after they air. Seasons 1 and 2 are also streaming
at SBS On Demand
. Get a taste with the 'Take a Plate for Christmas' episode, where Adam is joined by Samantha Harris and Karl Firla:

Dishing It Up Christmas

Magda and Sara in the festive edition of 'Dishing It Up' Source: SBS

The home cooks who put celebrity recipes to the test in SBS original series Dishing It Up are back, this time taking on the challenge to replicate Christmas dishes by celebrity chefs including Jamie Oliver, Rachel Khoo, Adam Liaw and Marco Pierre White.

Dishing It Up - Christmas will air as a one-off 1 hour special at 8.30pm on December 15. Catch up on all the episodes from the first series on
SBS on Demand
. Visit
the program page
for recipes and more.

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

One Night In Hamleys Xmas Special

Source: SBS VICELAND

Three comedians. One night. No grown-ups. In this festive special, Romesh Ranganathan, Rob Beckett and Tom Allen hang out after hours and unsupervised in the famous toy shop on London's Regent Street.

Airs Saturday 24 December at 8.30pm on SBS VICELAND and will then be streaming at SBS On Demand.

Silent Night: A Song For The World

A big fan of Christmas: Kelly Clarkson sings in 'Silent Night - A Song For The World'. Source: Moonlake Entertainment Rights

Now one of the world's best-known Christmas carols, Silent Night started as a simple poem, written by Catholic priest Joseph Mohr in 1818. How did it become a song given voice by billions around the world every year? Find out in this documentary, narrated by Narrated by Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey) and featuring interviews and performances from some big names in the international music scene including Josh Groban, Lina Makhoul, David Foster and Anggun.

Celebrate the world’s favourite Christmas carol in ‘Silent Night – A Song For The World’

Airs Saturday 24 December at 8.30pm on SBS VICELAND and will then be streaming at SBS On Demand for 30 days.

Travel Man Christmas Special

In this festive special, Joe Lycett heads to Iceland with comedian and dance champion Bill Bailey. In a packed four-day itinerary they embrace local cuisine, alfresco bathing and some of Iceland’s festive folklore. After exploring some of the delights of Reykjavik, including an immersive visit to a punk museum, they head to the secon city of Akureyri, then go husky sledding in the festive snowscape of Laugar. Later, in Husavik, they make snowflake bread, a kind of festive poppadom.

See the Travel Man special 24 December at 9.35pm on SBS VICELAND. The special is also streaming at SBS On Demand:

Forged in Fire

There's a strong chance sparks will fly when master bladesmiths are in action. See them take on special challenges in two Christmas-themed episodes of this popular show. In 'Forged in Fire Christmas', four smiths try get on the judges' nice list by forging blades using steel from 'Santa's sleigh'; In 'A Very Forged Christmas', after some Christmas cheer around the fire, and a challenge wittles four entrants down to two, the final duo get to spend a White Christmas at their home forges where they must recreate a 1796 English Light Cavalry Sword.

The double bill of Forged in Fire episodes airs Saturday 24 December from 10.20pm on SBS VICELAND. Both are also streaming at SBS On Demand. See Forged in Fire Christmas
here
or dive into A Very Forged Christmas:

TRICKY QUESTIONS AND HARD TASKS

Quizmas Jeopardy! All-Day Marathon

Christmas Day never was so satisfying: a whole day of Jeopardy! Yes. How many answers can you guess while over-indulging all day? Beginning at 9.30am, 42 episodes will air back to back, till 3am on Boxing Day. That is one enticing marathon.

Jeopardy! Quizmas marathon runs on SBS VICELAND from 9.30am, Sunday 25 December till 3am Monday 26 December, screening 42 episodes.

Taskmaster's New Year's Eve Treat (and a marathon, too)

In the long-running show's festive special, Taskmaster host Greg Davies and his Little Assistant Alex Horne welcome guests including John Hannah, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Nicola Coughlan and Shirley Ballas for some ludicrous challenges, as per usual, in Taskmaster’s New Year Treat. Fans can follow that up with a hefty marathon of Taskmaster episodes, keeping the challenges going across New Year's Eve and into the early hours of 2023.

Taskmaster's New Year's Eve Treat runs on SBS VICELAND on Saturday 31 December at 8.30pm. The Taskmaster marathon follows from 9.25pm.

Big Fat Quiz Of The Year 2022

Question master Jimmy Carr is joined by a panel of celebrity guests for a quiz that will make you laugh, scratch your head, and say 'was that THIS year? Blimey.' The Big Fat Quiz Of The Year panellists for 2022 include Jonathan Ross, Rose Matafeo, Katherine Ryan, Stephen Merchant, Richard Ayoade, and Maisie Adam.

See it Sunday 1 January at 7.30pm on SBS and also Saturday, 7 January at 8.30pm on SBS VICELAND.