CBS viewers have been complaining about the network ditching the rights to iconic Christmas specials like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman. (It even abandoned the star-studded Robbie the Reindeer specials.) So how exactly is CBS filling the void? The Paramount-owned channel has revealed its other Christmas programming for the season, and there are no comparable specials in sight.
In November, it aired two obscure specials: the new holiday movie Nugget Is Dead? and the returning animated program Reindeer in Here. It’s safe to say neither has exactly grabbed the cultural zeitgeist.
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CBS’ upcoming pushes are celebrity-based specials. Dua Lipa, Josh Groban and Nate Bargatze all got TV specials this year. While it’s too soon to say if these holiday specials are any good, their hype is paling in comparison to the biggest celeb-backed holiday special of the year, Netflix’s A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter.
Find the official synopses for these celebrity specials below.
An Evening With Dua Lipa
Date: Dec. 15
Time: 8:30-10 p.m. ET
Synopsis: “CBS presents A Evening With Dua Lipa, a new primetime concert special featuring live performances of the GRAMMY Award-winning artist’s latest album, Radical Optimism, along with many of her greatest hits, and a special duet with legendary artist Elton John. Filmed in London on Oct. 17 at Royal Albert Hall, the special features Dua Lipa’s reimagined hit songs accompanied for the first time by the Heritage Orchestra, interspersed with her personal reflections on the pivotal moments that shaped her life and illustrious career.”
Nate Bargatze’s Nashville Christmas
Date: Dec. 19
Time: 9-10 p.m. ET
Synopsis: “Nate Bargatze will guide audiences through a mix of stand-up comedy, pre-taped comedy shorts, sketches and musical performances. The show will shine a spotlight on the heart and spirit of Nashville during the holiday season, highlighting family, fun and feel-good moments that resonate with audiences of all ages.”
Josh Groban & Friends Go Home for the Holidays
Date: Dec. 20
Time: 9-10 p.m. ET
Synopsis: “Building on its 25-year history celebrating family and raising awareness of adoption from foster care, this year’s holiday special is led by Josh Groban and his special guests as they perform from The Bram Goldsmith Theater at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles.”