Caranfindel sent the following in (thanks!):

National Geographic EXPLORER is showing “Beyond the Movie: Lord of the Rings” on MSNBC on
Sunday, Dec. 23 at 8 p.m. ET
Friday, Dec. 28 at 9 p.m. ET
Sunday, Dec. 30 at 6 p.m. ET

An examination of the imaginary world created by J.R.R. Tolkien — how do his hobbits, elves and wizards reflect reality? With footage from the motion picture “The Fellowship of the Ring,” we draw fascinating parallels between the myths, events, and languages created by Tolkien to history.