The Deep Dive: Make the Longest Nights Count

Every year, without fail, December sneaks up on me with ninja-like stealth. And every year I find myself wondering, “already?”— as if the calendar has pulled off some elaborate trick. Suddenly, everything feels loud — a whirl of lists, plans, and last-minute everything. I somehow missed the part where people around me shifted into high gear, and I’m left scrambling to appear organized and festive.

I like to think that December, tucked between the old and the new, also offers a chance to pause, to notice the frost on the grass in the morning and to savor that in-between moment before the noise reaches full volume. Nights are at their longest right now, and you know what that means? More time to settle in for an evening of drama! So, make a list for yourself this month. There’s plenty on offer: the wide skies of the Australian outback, the shadowy lanes of Victorian London, and the green dales of Yorkshire — just a few of the worlds waiting to help you exhale.

Until next year,
Anna Fort, Senior Digital Producer

P.S. For the full printable primetime schedule, visit gbh.org/explore — and sign up for the GBH Daily to get news and a daily reminder of programming you don’t want to miss.

Start Your List Here

Royal Flying Doctor Service

What’s it like to be a doctor when you have to cross an area roughly the size of France to get to the nearest hospital? In Royal Flying Doctor Service, the medicine comes by plane, and the backdrop is the vast, lonely beauty of the Australian outback. Season Three, which dropped at the end of November, proves the RFDS is still flying into danger — and somehow balancing love, loyalty, and the occasional emergency landing. Stream all three seasons now.

MASTERPIECE Miss Scarlet

Season Six is here and, never one to conform, Miss Scarlet continues to eschew needlework and polite society, running her own detective agency in the heart of Victorian London. All six brand new episodes are ready to binge with Passport. Miss Scarlet will face a host of foggy yet thrilling crime scenes, setting the stage for her sharp wit and cases that will test her signature nerve — all while navigating the trickier mystery of her own heart.

Step into Miss Scarlet, Season Six — Watch the preview and get the inside scoop!

Velvet

Set in a chic Madrid fashion house, Velvet, Season Four, moves into the early ‘60s — and it’s never looked more stylish. Ana is ready to make fashion history and tie the knot, but could an old flame spark new drama? It’s like watching a soap opera wrapped in silk. Your front-row seat to Season Four starts here.

Your Warm-Up Watchlist

Call the Midwife

No one knows how to do the holidays quite like the nurses, midwives, and nuns of Nonnatus House. Call the Midwife is a show that can make a breech birth feel festive, so if you’re looking for some warm fuzzies on a chilly night, catch up with four Call the Midwife holiday episodes, on Passport, as we count down to the newest holiday special premiering December 25 at 8pm on GBH 2. There is also an eight-episode broadcast marathon starting December 21, 12-8pm on GBH 44.

MASTERPIECE All Creatures Great and Small

You probably don’t need convincing to add this one to your list. All Creatures Great and Small is comfort viewing at its finest: rolling hills, heartfelt stories, and a cast — not all human — that you can’t help but love. Season Five rebroadcasts start December 14, with two episodes each week at 9 and 10pm on GBH 2, or stream them all and settle in for a Yorkshire escape.

MASTERPIECE Unforgotten

We think this show deserves a spot on your list, and it just so happens, The New York Times agrees. They’ve included Unforgotten in their list of best international shows of 2025. Here’s what they had to say:

“Across six seasons, Chris Lang and Andy Wilson have written and directed, respectively, every episode of this British police procedural, which probably goes a long way toward explaining the assurance of its execution and the warm comfort it provides. The show’s secret sauce, though, is the performance of Sanjeev Bhaskar as Sunny, the epitome of the empathetic and intuitive cold-case cop — scourge of the shifty perp, comfort to the twice-bereaved loved one, testy and amusing surrogate for the PBS 'Masterpiece’ viewer.”

You can catch all six seasons of Unforgotten on Passport.

Foyle’s War

When the world feels chaotic, there’s comfort in a detective who solves cases with such quiet precision. Foyle’s War is drama without the drama — endlessly watchable, now, back from the beginning. Starting December 22, Seasons One–Five air Mondays on GBH 44 at 9pm, and all nine seasons are streaming now.

Happiness

When life hands you lemons — and a cancelled Broadway visa — why not direct The Trojan Horse in a small New Zealand town? Happiness is a musical comedy in which ambition collides with community spirit. Tune in December 14 at 8pm and 8:30pm on GBH 2, with two episodes each week for three weeks; or stream it on Passport. It’s just right for the time of year, and sure to make you smile!

Watch Before They’re Gone

Sons of the Desert

Sibling rivalry gets way beyond petty in Sons of the Desert, a sweeping saga set in 1930s Chile, where two brothers torn apart as children meet decades later — one a smuggler, the other a police commissioner — unaware that they share more than a mutual dislike. Stream until Dec 31, 2025.

Agatha Christie on Passport

A little murder, a dash of intrigue, and enough Agatha Christie to keep you guessing for weeks. They’re all waiting for you on Passport. If you’re wondering whodunit, you might want to start with Miss Marple and Poirot.
Miss Marple, Seasons 1-6
Poirot, Seasons 1-6 and 9-13
Partners in Crime, Season 1
The Secret Adversary
Seven Dials Mystery
Why Didn’t They Ask Evans
Sparkling Cyanide

And Before You Go

MASTERPIECE Winter

There’s a chill in the air. Could it be the new crime drama coming to MASTERPIECE? Winter stars Richard Armitage and Annabel Scholey and will be filming in early 2026. It promises to be a smart, compelling, six-part police procedural, set against the backdrop of Bristol.

Recipe of the Week

Salmon with Herby Rice from Homemade Live! (recipe)

Chef Joel Gamoran’s salmon with herby rice is a seasonal favorite for cozy nights.

Off Topic

1. Two inexperienced cooks, one Julia Child video — what could possibly go wrong? Watch Gen Z take on Julia Child in the ultimate turkey showdown. (Instagram Reel)
2. The Fleet are headed to TD Garden for the first time — find out why this game matters. (article)
3. From classic specials to local events, explore everything GBH has planned for the holidays. (article)