A Trio of Disney Holiday Specials Plus NBC’s Christmas in Rockefeller Center Fav Reality Stars Kelly Clarkson, Jordan Smith, Tori Kelly, Julianne Hough and Derek Hough
And speaking of Kelly. Ms Clarkson is appearing all over TV during the coming season. Besides guesting on the Pentatonix special for NBC, She’ll be doing triple duty for a trio of Disney specials on ABC. Dancing with the Stars pros Derek Hough and Julianne Hough will be hosting and producing. Check out the official announcement from ABC.
Julianne Hough (“Grease: Live”) and Derek Hough (“Hairspray Live”) are set to host two specials on ABC – The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration on Thanksgiving night, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 (8:00–10:00 p.m. EST), and The Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration on Christmas morning, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25 (10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. EST; airtimes vary, check local listings). Julianne, who will also act as executive producer on the Thanksgiving and Christmas specials, and Derek are longtime Dancing With the Stars fan favorites with multiple Emmy Awards and mirror ball trophies between them.
Multi Grammy Award-winning artist Kelly Clarkson will perform on all three holiday specials. From iconic locations across the Walt Disney World Resort, the talented singer, songwriter and author will perform songs from her 2013 Christmas record, Wrapped in Red, in addition to one of her most popular hit songs.
The holiday specials are being produced by Disney|ABC Television Group and IMG.
The multi-platform programming schedule is:
THANKSGIVING – THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24
The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration premieres on the ABC Television Network (8:00–10:00 p.m. EST) and on the ABC app. Join Emmy Award-winners Julianne and Derek Hough as they host the magical two-hour special from the Walt Disney World Resort. They join Descendants 2 star Sofia Carson to kick off the holiday season in a way only Disney can, showcasing extraordinary music performances, special appearances and some unforgettable Disney magic moments.Musical performances include:
- Solo and duet performances by Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks from their newly released album, “Christmas Together.”
- Kelly Clarkson performing “Underneath the Tree” and “Stronger.”
Additional performances will be announced in the coming weeks.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25
Disney Parks Presents: A Descendants Magical Holiday Celebration premieres on Disney Channel (8:00–9:00 p.m. EST) and on the Disney Channel app and Disney Channel VOD, beginning at 12:01 a.m. PST. The special will be available on-demand and will be featured in encore presentations on Disney Channel through Tuesday, December 20.Musical performances include:
- “Jolly to the Core,” performed by Dove Cameron, Cameron Boyce, Sofia Carson and Booboo Stewart.
- “Descendants 2” star China Anne McClain performing “This Christmas.”
- “Silent Night,” performed by Hollywood Records and Republic Records recording artist Sofia Carson.
- Forever In Your Mind performing “Celebrate.”
- Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks perform a holiday duet from their newly released album, “Christmas Together.”
- Kelly Clarkson will also be performing a song.
CHRISTMAS – SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25
The Disney Parks’ Magical Christmas Celebration will air on the ABC Television Network (10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. EST; airtimes vary, check listings) and on the ABC and Disney Channel apps. This Christmas, Disney Parks celebrates the joy of the holiday season, as hosts Julianne and Derek Hough take viewers on a magical ride down Main Street and beyond. The Christmas Day celebration will be bigger and brighter than ever before, bringing together the beloved Christmas day parade, magical musical performances, surprise celebrity guests and heart-warming family stories to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.
Musical performances include:
- Solo and duet performances by Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks from their newly released album, Christmas Together.
- Kelly Clarkson performing “Underneath the Tree.”
- Sofia Carson performs “Silent Night,” featuring an alternate musical arrangement from her performance on Disney Channel, and also hosts from backstage.
- “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on An Open Fire)” performed by Jordan Fisher, who will also make his Broadway debut in “Hamilton” on November 22.
Additional performances will be announced in the coming weeks.
And, last but not least: The NBC annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center special will feature The Voice 9 winner Jordan Smith (he’s promoting a brand new Christmas album) and American Idol 9 singer, Tori Kelly. The special airs Wednesday November 30. Check out NBC’s announcement here:
NBC celebrates the lighting of the world’s most famous Christmas tree with Christmas in Rockefeller Center on Wednesday, Nov. 30 (8-9 p.m. ET).
NBC’s Today anchors Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker and Hoda Kotb will host the broadcast from New York City’s Rockefeller Center. The special will feature dazzling holiday performances from Tony Bennett, Neil Diamond, Josh Groban, Tori Kelly, Sarah McLachlan, Dolly Parton, Jordan Smith, Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood, the Radio City Rockettes and more.
Prior to the primetime telecast, an additional live hour of the special will be broadcast on select NBC stations (7-8 p.m. ET). Check local listings.
The 84th annual tree lighting will feature a 94-foot tall, 56-foot wide Norway spruce from Oneonta, N.Y. It is approximately 90 years old, weighs approximately 14 tons, and will be decorated with more than 50,000 multi-colored LED lights.
