Britain’s Christmas Story

Gareth Malone and Karen Gibson reveal the story of Christmas in Britain from its origins to the banning of the celebration in the 17th century. With each presenter travelling the length of the country to meet historians and musicians, they learned about subjects as diverse as wassailing, plainchant, a Tudor Christmas dinner, the nativity scene, Charles Dickens’ famous story, pub carols, and the riots that followed the banning of Christmas in Cambridge. With a tight edit schedule, each episode also featured full music performances with Gareth and Karen’s own choirs.
Series Producer/Director: Karen Selway  Exec Prod: Rob Unsworth
2 x 60′  Commissioned by Daisy Scalchi for BBC One