
Sky Arts announces Christmas specials including Nutcracker: Backstage with English National Ballet, The Story of Panto with Gyles Brandreth, and Edward ScissorhandsThursday 3 October 2024
Edward Scissorhands: Matthew Bourne's dance version of Tim Burton's classic
The Story of Panto with Gyles Brandreth
Nutcracker: Backstage with English National Ballet
Edward Scissorhands: Matthew Bourne's dance version of Tim Burton's classic
The Story of Panto with Gyles Brandreth
A trio of festive specials are on their way to Sky Arts, spanning the quintessentially British world of the pantomime, Tchaikovsky's globally renowned Nutcracker, and Matthew Bourne's critically acclaimed dance production of Tim Burton favourite, Edward Scissorhands.
Phil Edgar Jones, Executive Director of Unscripted Originals at Sky, said: We have lined up the most Christmassy Christmas for our Sky Arts audience this festive season, with three special trips to the theatre for the very best in dance with a brand new Nutracker from English National Ballet; an innovative movie-to-dance adaptation of Edward Scissorhands courtesy of Matthew Bourne, and Gyles Brandreth's revealing tour of the world of pantomime. The back end of a horse was never so appealing.
This Christmas, Sky Arts goes behind the curtain with English National Ballet and their world premiere of a brand new production of Nutcracker. Having performed a version of the festive ballet every year since it was founded, this year sees the Company take a fresh approach, and the pressure is on to wow audiences more than ever before.
This new series, Nutcracker: Backstage with English National Ballet showcases what it takes to re-invent a globally renowned classic, seen through the eyes of all the key departments involved. Join the Company's own Artistic Director and Choreographer, Aaron S. Watkin, and Olivier Award-winning Choreographer, Arielle Smith, as well Designer, Dick Bird, the principal dancers, musicians, Music Director and costumiers as they unpack their craft and prepare to stage this iconic ballet. Two documentaries follow the meticulous preparations and the all-important rehearsals which build to the opening night. Audiences can then tune in to the full performance of Nutcracker, captured in all its magic at the London Coliseum.
English National Ballet's Artistic Director and joint Choreographer of Nutcracker, Aaron S. Watkin, said: Nutcracker holds a special place in English National Ballet's history and in the hearts of our audiences. In 1950, we were one of the first UK companies to introduce the production into our repertoire and we have performed a version every year since. It's wonderful to be able to open up the world of ballet as we work to bring new magic and wonder to this much-loved piece, offering real insight into what happens behind-the-scenes as a new production makes its way to the stage.
For many of us, a trip to the pantomime is our very first experience of live theatre and sparks a lifelong love-affair with the magic of performance. New one-off special, The Story of Panto with Gyles Brandreth, will see the author, broadcaster and all-round entertainer reveal some of the surprising origins of this uniquely British art-form.
Panto-aficionado Gyles will immerse himself in every aspect of the genre, from its roots in commedia dell'arte and Victorian music hall to scene painting, slapstick and the making of a pantomime dame. He'll be joined on his merry way (oh yes he will!) by pantomime experts including Julian Clary and Gary Wilmot, celebrating the panto in all its vibrant, joyful glory.
Gyles Brandreth said: Pantomime is the only uniquely British art-form and were telling the story of its past, present and future, exploring the state of panto in 2024 from the village hall to the London Palladium. Do join us!"
Also coming to Sky Arts this Christmas is Edward Scissorhands: Matthew Bourne's magical dance production based on Tim Burton's classic film. Captivating audiences since its premiere in 2005, the production features the hauntingly beautiful music of Danny Elfman and Terry Davies, and has been praised for its wit, inventiveness, and emotional depth. Filmed live in March 2024 at the Wales Millenium Centre in Cardiff, this arresting production tells the bittersweet story of an incomplete boy left alone in a strange new world.
Sky Arts programmes are commissioned by Phil Edgar-Jones, Executive Director of Unscripted Originals at Sky for C cile Frot-Coutaz, CEO of Sky Studios & Chief Content Officer for Sky.
Notes to Editors
Nutcracker: Backstage with English National Ballet (2x60, 1x120)
TX: Weekly from 9 December
Nutcracker: Backstage with English National Ballet is produced by Cornerstone Studios. Beren Money serves as Executive Producer, with Maureen MacPhee as Director of Production. The Commissioning Editor for Sky is Benedetta Pinelli.
For more information, please contact Molly.Wyatt@sky.uk
The Story of Panto (1x60)
TX: 16 December
The Story of Panto is produced by Factory Films. The Executive Producers are Lisa Fairbank and Julie Heathcote. The Commissioning Editor for Sky is Leanne Cosby.
For more information, please contact Lucy.Butterfield@sky.uk
Edward Scissorhands: Matthew Bourne's dance version of Tim Burton's classic (1x95)
TX: Coming this Christmas
For more information, please contact Oyinlola.Oyegunle@sky.uk
About Sky ArtsSky Arts exists to bring more art to more people across the UK. In 2020, with the creative industries under serious threat, we threw open our doors to make the channel free for everyone to watch. We've redoubled our mission to increase access to the arts and we're committed to getting everyone involved. The fact is, we need the arts like never before, and Sky Arts brings them straigh
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Thomson and the Center for News, Technology and Innovation (CNTI) convened a two-day workshop in Sarajevo bringing together more than 35 journalists, editors, p...
11/12/2025
ESPN's Aims for Spectacular With Heisman Trophy ShowEvent firsts include 1080p HDR production airing on both national broadcast and cableBy Dan Daley, Audio...
11/12/2025
SVG Students To Watch: Frankie Patton, University of ColoradoThe 2025 grad is hitting the ground running as a PA on national broadcastsBy Brandon Costa, Directo...
11/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Technology Exhibits Preview, Part 3By SVG Staff
Thursday, December 11, 2025 - 7:24 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The 2...
11/12/2025
SVG Sit-Down: What Makes Gen Z, X, and Y Fans Tick? Dave Gavant of WSC Sports Go...
11/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: 5G, MXL, Spectrum Loss, and Outerspace on Tap for Tues...
11/12/2025
2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: David Levy, Turner Titan and Master of Al...
11/12/2025
SVG Launches Follow the Money' Podcast: Go Inside the Sports Media Biz with...
11/12/2025
A Deep Dive Inside Game Creek Video's Bird and Magic Mobile Units, Home to A...
11/12/2025
How Sound Effects for Monsters Funday Football' Emulated the Sonic Soul of ...
11/12/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CSP Mobile Productions' Len Chase on Upgrading Tr...
11/12/2025
Having the right song soundtrack your moves can make all the difference when gam...
11/12/2025
It's been a big year for Taylor Swift. Her highly anticipated album The Life...
11/12/2025
New satellites for the SDA Tranche 1 Tracking program in production at L3Harris&...
11/12/2025
The Meadowlands system, a compact and mobile version of the CCS, uses ground-based radio frequency units to disrupt satellite communications....
11/12/2025
The L3Harris demonstration united tactical communications devices, counter-UAS c...
11/12/2025
Throughout 2025, L3Harris delivered innovative solutions to U.S. and allied warfighters across every domain.
With an unrelenting commitment to excellence, our...
11/12/2025
A Majority of the World's Population (51%) Identify As Soccer Fans
The 2025 MLB postseason notched 58.2 billion viewing minutes, up +24% from the prior y...
11/12/2025
WALTHAM, Mass. Video-over-IP software provider Zixi said Roi Sasson has joined the company as vice president, engineering....
11/12/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. In a move that highlights the growing competition between broadcasters and CTV platforms for local advertising, LG Ad Solutions has announ...
11/12/2025
Boston Conservatory Earns Several Best of Accolades in 2025 Highlights include a faculty Grammy win, a seventh consecutive year on Playbill's list of co...
11/12/2025
RASTATT, Germany Lawo and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) have partnered to launch the SMPTE ST 2110 Practical Lab, an immersive ...
11/12/2025
PHILADELPHIA Comcasts Xfinity operating brand has announced the launch of new national video plans with all-in pricing that the operator said will provide custo...
11/12/2025
After eight years of declines, MoffettNathansons new Cord Cutting Monitor for Q3 2025 shows that pay TV subscribers to linear TV packages rose by 303,000, the f...
11/12/2025
Happy Holidays from Berklee Enjoy this years holiday student-performance video.
December 10, 2025
By
Office of the President
Dear Berklee community,
As w...
11/12/2025
11 Dec 2025
VEON's Banglalink Receives Regulatory Approval to Launch Digita...
11/12/2025
Thursday 11 December 2025
Sky Arts paints a picture of Britain's beauty as ...
11/12/2025
Back to All News
Meet the Most Relatable Hero This Holiday: Main Trailer and Po...
11/12/2025
Back to All News
High Tides: Netflix Shares Release Date Final Season
Credit: Netflix / Thomas Nolf
Entertainment
11 December 2025
GlobalNetherlandsBelgium...
11/12/2025
Back to All News
Made in Texas: How Netflix House Dallas Is Leaving a Lasting Footprint
From left to right: America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerl...
11/12/2025
Back to All News
The Second Part of One Hundred Years of Solitude Will Arrive i...
11/12/2025
It's not every day we're asked to create a website for a classical musician!
So, we were delighted to help pianist Georgina Duncan as she embarks on he...
11/12/2025
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today announced additional programm...
11/12/2025
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Irish golfing hero Shane Lowry...
11/12/2025
RT Sport Awards 2025 live on RT One and RT Player at 8:05pm on Saturday 20 December
On Saturday 20 December live on RT One and RT Player at the earlier ti...
11/12/2025
Hunters, saddle up - adventure awaits in the cloud.
Journey into the world of M...
11/12/2025
Sash is ready to samba as Fair City star Stephanie Kelly is revealed as the late...
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
10/12/2025
Sound-Alike Commercials Are Part of Sports' Soundtrack Johnny Cash for Coca-Cola is the latest in a long litany of sonic approximationsBy Dan Daley, Audio ...
10/12/2025
Immersive Sound Is Logical Next Step for Sports VenuesSound-systems suppliers are sanguine, but the market has its challengesBy Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Wednes...
10/12/2025
The Romans Built Arenas for Immersive Sound 2,000 Years AgoThe historic Arena of Nimes in France is still in use todayBy Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Wednesday, De...
10/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Audio Workshop Hits on Immersive, Virtualized, and Next...
10/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Technology Exhibits Preview: Audio SpotlightBy SVG Staff
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 - 8:21 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlig...
10/12/2025
SVG Europe Audio: Listening to the sounds of powder and ice at Milano Cortina wi...
10/12/2025
Advancements in audio technology: Capturing the atmosphere of live sports By David Davies
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 09:27
Print This Story
Although wor...
10/12/2025
Everything smelled of popcorn: The art of bringing the complex sound of esports ...
10/12/2025
Top L-R: Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!, Hanging by a Wire, Broken English, Buddy
C...
10/12/2025
For the first time, Spotify is giving users the power to steer the algorithm. Gustav S derstr m, Spotify's Co-President, CPO, and CTO, shares the vision beh...
10/12/2025
L3Harris' new contract for Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System Insensitive ...
10/12/2025
L3Harris Meadowlands system has been designed with an open architecture software system that allows for more flexible and efficient software updates. This capab...