Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Being Santa | 20091221 | 20251219 (BBC7) | Alan Dein unwraps the oral history of Santa Claus, hearing the true stories of those who have donned the red and white costume, from war-torn Hungary to the icy wastes of Alaska. Alan finds out why some men see it as a 'calling' to don the red suit and white beard and hears how they became Santa. With a red suit and bushy white beard, why wouldn't some men want to be Santa? Alan Dein talks to some of those donning the red suit and white beard to become Santa around the world. From 2009. |
| 01 | Santa Of The Lighthouses | 20091221 | Alan Dein unwraps the oral history of Santa Claus, hearing the true stories of those who have donned the red and white costume, from war-torn Hungary to the icy wastes of Alaska. Of course Santa flies, but this one arrives by helicopter. For 80 years, the lighthouse and coastguard families of New England have been waiting for him to touch down. | |
| 02 | White Beard | 20091222 | 20251222 (BBC7) | Alan Dein unwraps the oral history of Santa Claus, hearing the true stories of those who have donned the red and white costume, from war-torn Hungary to the icy wastes of Alaska. Playing Santa is often the last job in a lifetime of work. Donning the red and white costume is often a way to reconnect with a new generation in the age of want, as Alan Dein discovers. Playing Santa is often the last job in a lifetime of work, as Alan Dein discovers. From shops to parades, in hospitals and on high streets, Santa is a busy man, much in demand. A man, it turns out, with as many pasts as presents. And now Santa unwraps his multiple life stories from across the decades. Alan Dein discovers how Santa can connect with a new generation. From shops to hospitals, Alan Dein finds that Santa can reconnect us with a new generation in the age of want. From 2009. |
| 03 | Shop Store Santa | 20091223 | 20251223 (BBC7) | In one of Britain's oldest grottos, Santa finds the present very different to the past. Alan Dein unwraps the oral history of Santa Claus From shops to parades, in hospitals and on high streets Santa is a busy man, much in demand. A man, it turns out, with as many pasts as presents. And now Santa unwraps his multiple life stories from across the decades. In Liverpool, in one of Britain's oldest grottos, Santa finds Christmas present very different to his Christmas past. Alan Dein travels to Liverpool to interview Santa in one of Britain's oldest grottos. In Liverpool, in one of Britain's oldest grottos, Santa finds Christmas present very different to his Christmas past. From 2009. |
| 04 LAST | Santa's Everywhere | 20091225 | 20251224 (BBC7) | Alan Dein catches up with Santa as he crosses the globe. Alan Dein unwraps the oral history of Santa Claus From shops to parades, in hospitals and on high streets Santa is a busy man, much in demand. A man, it turns out, with as many pasts as presents. And now Santa unwraps his multiple life stories from across the decades. From shops to parades, Santa is a busy man. But Alan Dein manages to catch up with him as he crosses the globe. From 2009. |