[12/06/16 - 12:35 PM] TBS & TNT Get Into the Holiday Spirit with "SURPRISE! Instant Xmas Carol" and 20th Annual 24 Hours of "A Christmas Story" The all-new music special puts a unique twist on the caroling tradition.
[via press release from Turner]
TBS & TNT Get Into the Holiday Spirit with SURPRISE! Instant Xmas Carol And 20th Annual 24 Hours of A CHRISTMAS STORY
One-of-a-Kind Christmas Special to Premiere Dec. 21 on TBS,
With Encore to be Simulcast on TBS & TNT on Christmas Eve,
Leading into 2016 Edition of 24 Hours of A CHRISTMAS STORY
This holiday season, Turner's TBS & TNT are going to turn the Christmas spirit on full blast with SURPRISE! Instant Xmas Carol, an all-new music special that puts a unique twist on the caroling tradition. The one-hour special - featuring such celebrity carolers as Conan O'Brien, Rashida Jones, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, Jane Lynch, Ludacris, Kenny G, Tony Sirico, Vincent Curatola, Joseph Gannascoli, A$AP Ferg, Three Loco, Samantha Ronson, Alfonso Ribeiro, Fred Willard, T-Pain and many surprise appearances - is set to premiere on TBS on Wednesday, Dec. 21, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT). And the night before Christmas, Saturday, Dec. 24, at 7 p.m. (ET/PT), TBS & TNT will join forces for a simulcast of SURPRISE! Instant Xmas Carol. It will be followed by TBS & TNT's simulcast of the annual 24 Hours of A CHRISTMAS STORY marathon, celebrating its 20th year as one of television's most enduring holiday traditions.
In Surprise: Instant Xmas Carol, celebrity carolers from across the entertainment spectrum hit the road in search of people who look like they could use a little extra holiday cheer. They then surprise their listeners with their own unique renditions of a classic Christmas carol; some good, some bad and some... well, you know. The result is a holiday special packed with unforgettable songs performed in often wild and unpredictable situations.
In addition to the one-hour special, the performances in SURPRISE! Instant Xmas Carol will be presented individually throughout the holiday season as on-air and digital shorts. The special and shorts are a production of Turner's Studio T in association with Critical Content, with Tom Forman (Extreme Makeover: Home Edition), Jay Blumenfeld (Gigolos), Tony Marsh (High School Musical: Get In the Picture) and Brad Bishop (Big Brother) serving as executive producers.
"Utilizing unique celebrity combos, we are committed to bringing back the long-forgotten tradition of this very special season: the Christmas carol," said Michael Bloom, senior vice president of unscripted series and specials for TBS & TNT. "These inspiring and mostly in-tune performances will reestablish the carol as a cornerstone of the holiday celebration."
The 20th annual 24 Hours of A CHRISTMAS STORY airs Christmas Eve at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) on TBS & TNT. The movie at the center of the marathon is based on the short stories of famed humorist Jean Shepherd, who provided the movie's voice-over narration. A Christmas Story follows the mischievous adventures of a young boy who longs for a special Christmas gift - a Red Ryder BB gun. Peter Billingsley stars as young Ralphie, who is determined to convince the world that he is responsible enough to handle such a gift, despite everyone telling him, "You'll shoot your eye out." Melinda Dillon and Darren McGavin are pitch-perfect as Ralphie's parents, and Ian Petrella provides some of the movie's funniest moments as Ralphie's little brother, Randy.
24 Hours of A CHRISTMAS STORY first aired in 1997 on TNT, where it drew an ever-increasing audience for seven years. The marathon moved to TBS in 2004, continuing its audience expansion. And in 2014, Turner began simulcasting the marathon on both TBS & TNT. Last year, it was viewed by a total of 36 million viewers across the 24 hours and scored cable's #1 non-sports telecast for the entire day.
TBS & TNT's slate of holiday-related programming also includes the animated classic Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas on TBS (Nov. 20 & Dec. 10) and TNT (Dec. 14); TBS's annual Friends Thanksgiving Day marathon (Nov. 24); a Black Friday Star Wars marathon of the first six movies on TBS (Nov. 25); a "Festivus" marathon of Seinfeld episodes on TBS (Dec. 9); A Christmas Carol, starring Patrick Stewart, on TNT (Dec. 19); and several opportunities to enjoy the family favorite The Wizard of Oz on TBS (Nov. 20 & Nov. 27) and TNT (Dec. 12 & Dec. 14). A complete schedule is available upon request.
About TBS & TNT
TBS & TNT, divisions of Turner, rank among cable's Top 5 networks with adults 18-49 for the year-to-date. The top-ranked TBS is also home to five of the year's most popular new comedies on cable: Angie Tribeca, The Detour, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, People of Earth and Wrecked. TNT features cable's #1 slate of original dramas, including Animal Kingdom, Good Behavior, The Last Ship and The Librarians.
Turner, a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, sports, animation and young adult multi-platform content for consumers around the world. Turner brands and businesses include CNN/U.S., HLN, CNN International and CNN.com, TBS, TNT, TCM, truTV, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Adult Swim, Turner Sports, Bleacher Report, iStreamPlanet and ELEAGUE.
· SHOWATCH (series past and present)
· DEVWATCH (series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH (tv movies and mini-series)
[11/21/25 - 01:01 PM] Netflix Wins Drama Series "Trigger Point" and Orders Hot Package Straight to Series Joel Edgerton stars in an action crime drama about a group of former Tier One Special Forces Operators who sell their elite skills to the criminal underworld behind the front of a private military contracting firm - and the FBI agent who's hunting for them.
[11/21/25 - 12:13 PM] "Henry David Thoreau" to Air on PBS March 2026 The three-part, three-hour film examines the life and work of the 19th-century writer in the context of antebellum New England and the larger United States, as well as through the universal themes he focused on in his writings.
[11/21/25 - 12:00 PM] CBS Series Top L+7 Multiplatform Competitive Charts Seven weeks into the 2025/26 broadcast season, "Tracker" is the #1 series, averaging 14.2 million viewers across broadcast and streaming.
[11/21/25 - 09:00 AM] What's New on HBO Max This December New films due next month include "The Family McMullen," A24's "Ne Zha II," A24 documentary "Architecton," and Bleeker Street's "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues."
[11/21/25 - 09:00 AM] Video: We TV Releases Exclusive Sneak Peek of the New Season of "Love During Lockup" The prequel to "Love After Lockup," "Love During Lockup," reveals the fascinating moments that occur when people in the free world look for love and begin relationships with inmates, capturing their journey as they count down the days, weeks, months, or even years until the anticipated release.
