Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Muppets, Mormon choir unite for Christmas special
I want you to try to say the title of this holiday special three times as fast as you can:
"Christmas With the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Featuring Santino Fontana and the Sesame Street Muppets." Go ahead. We’ll wait. That’s a mouthful and seems like a title composed by a committee. All we really need to know is that we have the Muppets, we have the famous choir and we a fun and inspirational hour set for 8 p.m. Monday on AETN.
If you miss it the first time around, the program will be repeated at 8 p.m. Christmas Eve.
Almost everyone is familiar with the Muppets, but in case you don’t know Santino Fontana, the 33-year-old native Californian is a stage actor, director and composer who provided the voice of Prince Hans in "Frozen."
The concert will include a medley of songs from Sesame Street as well as “Keep Christmas With You,” “Sing a Christmas Carol” from "Scrooge," “The Candy Man,” and arrangements of inspirational Christmas music.
• "Christmas at Belmont." That special will be followed at 9 p.m. on AETN by an hour hosted by Grammy Award-winning Kathy Mattea. The special was taped at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Tenn., and features almost 700 student musicians, along with the Belmont School of Music faculty and the Nashville Children’s Choir.
This impressive gathering presented a production of traditional Christmas carols, classical masterworks, world music and lighter seasonal favorites.
The program also features the University Symphony Orchestra, Belmont Chorale, Percussion Ensemble, Musical Theatre, Jazz Ensemble, Bluegrass Ensemble and a mass choir.
If you like it so much you want to watch it again, AETN will repeat it at 9 p.m. Christmas Eve.
CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN
• "Christmas Land," 7 p.m. today, Hallmark. A woman plans to sell a Christmas tree farm she inherited from her grandmother, but then she has second thoughts after she visits the farm and meets the townsfolk. Stars Luke Macfarlane and Nikki Deloach.
• "Santa’s Little Helper," 7 p.m. today, USA. A shrewd businessman is unexpectedly fired and finds himself a potential new job as Santa’s go-to elf. He then uses all of his business savvy to try to beat the competition for the top spot next to Mr. Claus. Stars Mike “The Miz” Mizanin and AnnaLynne McCord.
• "The Muppet Christmas Carol," 8 p.m. today, WGN. The Muppets’ 1992 version of the classic Dickens Christmas tale.
• "A Gift Wrapped Christmas," 8 p.m. today, Lifetime. A personal shopper tries to get her newest client, a single father, to appreciate his family. As she helps him get into the holiday spirit, she grows closer to him and his 8-year-old son. Stars Meredith Hagner, Travis Milne, Anthony Bolognese.
• "Christmas Under Wraps," 9 p.m. today, Hallmark. A doctor moves to Alaska after losing her boyfriend and a coveted position at work. However, just as she begins embracing her new, simpler life, the original job she wanted becomes available. What will she do? Stars Candace Cameron Bure, David O’Donnell.
• "A Saturday Night Live Christmas," 8 p.m. Monday, NBC. Holiday sketches from "SNL" over the years.
• "The Great Christmas Light Fight," 7 p.m. Monday, ABC. This episode features a local connection — Sam Finney and his Finney’s Christmas Wonderland in Crossett.
• "A Very Merry Mix-Up," 9 p.m. Monday, Hallmark. A woman sets out to meet her fiance’s family at Christmas and winds up at the wrong house. Once the mistake is corrected, she realizes that her bond with the wrong family — and their eligible son — was stronger than her connection with the right one. Stars Alicia Witt, Mark Wiebe.
• "A Christmas Story," 7 p.m. Thursday, TBS. Here it is, your moment of zen. Actually, your 24 hours of zen — the annual TBS Christmas Story marathon about a boy and his quest for a Red Ryder BB gun, even though he knows it’ll put his eye out.
• "It’s Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown," 7 p.m. Thursday, ABC. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of "A Charlie Brown Christmas," Kristen Bell hosts a special holiday retrospective. The show will celebrate the iconic classic that has brought joy to generations of fans.
The hour will feature performances from the music of Vince Guaraldi to Kristen Chenoweth singing “Happiness.” Included will be tunes from the "Peanuts" Broadway musical, and Matthew Morrison singing an original song, “Just Like Me.”
Other musical guests are Sarah McLachlan, Boyz II Men, Pentatonix, David Benoit and The All-American Boys Chorus.
• "A Charlie Brown Christmas," 8 p.m. Thursday, ABC. Hang around after the special and watch the original one more time.