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[10/31/24 - 02:31 PM]
NBC Will Groove Into the Holiday Season with "A Motown Christmas" Special Hosted by Smokey Robinson and Halle Bailey
The special will include performances featuring more than 25 Motown hits, performed by Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and the Temptations.

[via press release from NBC]

NBC WILL GROOVE INTO THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH "A MOTOWN CHRISTMAS" SPECIAL HOSTED BY SMOKEY ROBINSON AND HALLE BAILEY

Motown Legends Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and the Temptations Will Perform Their Greatest Motown Hits Plus Christmas Favorites

Today's Hottest Stars, Including Ashanti, Andra Day, BeBe Winans, Halle Bailey, Jamie Foxx, JoJo, October London, mgk, Pentatonix, Jordin Sparks and the Cast of the Broadway Show "MJ The Musical," to Perform in the Exciting Celebration

Two-Hour Event Set for Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and Next Day on Peacock

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - Oct. 31, 2024 - NBC will celebrate Motown's renowned legacy with a two-hour holiday special, "A Motown Christmas," set for Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT and next day on Peacock. This one-of-a-kind holiday special is executive produced by Debbie Allen and Suzanne de Passe. SpringHill will lead production of the telecast.

The special will showcase iconic Motown legends performing holiday favorites and Hitsville U.S.A. classics alongside today's biggest stars performing exclusive solos, unexpected duets and exciting group medleys in a riveting night of music.

The special will include performances featuring more than 25 Motown hits, performed by Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and the Temptations. In addition, today's contemporary stars will pay tribute to iconic Motown hits, with artists such as Ashanti, Andra Day, BeBe Winans, Halle Bailey, Jamie Foxx, JoJo, Jordin Sparks, mgk, October London, Pentatonix, and a world exclusive performance from the Broadway company "MJ the Musical."

From chart-topping hits such as "ABC," "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" to "Dancing in the Streets" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "My Girl", "Reach Out (I'll be There)" and "Tears of a Clown", plus "Stop (In the Name of Love)," "Superstition" and many more, "A Motown Christmas" will be an iconic celebration of timeless classics.

Halle Bailey will perform an exclusive medley of songs celebrating Diana Ross and the Supremes, Jamie Foxx will lead an uplifting celebration of Stevie Wonder's greatest hits alongside Bebe Winans, Jordin Sparks and Andra Day. October London and JoJo will honor the late Marvin Gaye and mgk will sing a new rendition of "Last Christmas." Andra Day will also perform a special tribute to the visionary founder of Motown, Berry Gordy, who wrote and produced many hit records, among his other groundbreaking contributions that transformed the entertainment industry.

The 11-piece live band for "A Motown Christmas" will be led by Emmy Award-winning musical director Rickey Minor.

NBC previously aired two Motown television specials, including "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever" and "Motown Returns to the Apollo," each winning the Emmy for Outstanding Music or Comedy Program.

"Motown's timeless hits have played as a soundtrack for American families for the last six decades," said Jen Neal, Executive Vice President of Live Events & Specials at NBCUniversal Entertainment. "NBC is honored to spotlight the iconic legacy of Motown with a festive celebration for the holiday season."

"We're excited to usher in the holiday spirit by bringing nostalgic performances and fresh renditions of Motown hits to homes across the world," said Jamal Henderson, CCO, SpringHill. "Partnering with Suzanne, Debbie and Kelchris to bring Berry Gordy's vision for Motown to life in this special is a holiday dream come true!"

"I'm delighted to join Debbie Allen, SpringHill and NBC to bring Motown music, great artists and warm, family feelings together in a grand celebration of Christmas," de Passe said.

"I'm thrilled to be back in the saddle with Motown and Suzanne de Passe to bring to the world this much-needed holiday family special," Allen said. "The music of Motown has always been magical, and we are going to sing and dance everyone into Christmas joy!"

Allen is an award-winning actress, director/choreographer with a Kennedy Center Honor, Golden Globe Award, six Emmy Awards and 10 Image Awards spanning more than three decades.

The former President of Motown Productions, de Passe famously brought Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5, along with Lionel Richie and the Commodores, to Berry Gordy at Motown Records. She has won two Emmys, a Golden Globe, five NAACP Image Awards and was recently inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

"A Motown Christmas" is executive produced by Suzanne de Passe and Madison Jones of De Passe Jones Entertainment and Debbie Allen. Executive producers for SpringHill are LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Jamal Henderson and Philip Byron. Joe Braswell and Steve Barry are executive producing on behalf of Kelchris, who have an overall deal with SpringHill. Courtney Whitaker is a co-executive producer for SpringHill. Leon Knoles will direct. Executive producers for Motown Records/Universal Music Group are Steve Berman and Bruce Resnikoff.

ABOUT SPRINGHILL

SpringHill is the creative and entertainment community within the SpringHill Company (TSHC), founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter. Fueled by the stories of makers, the brand is committed to putting the craft back into creativity and nurturing the unique gift in all of us. The award-winning studio team for the SpringHill brand develops and produces high-quality entertainment television, film, and theatrical releases with the biggest creators, brands and platforms in the world. All SpringHill studio projects are empowerment led, where content isn't simply to entertain, but to inspire with thought-provoking themes, conversations and journeys. Studio projects within the unscripted and documentary space for SpringHill include Turning the Tables with Robin Roberts, Dreamland: The Burning of Black Wall Street, Recipe for Change, The Wall, See It Loud and more. For more information visit www.makespringhill.com and follow @MakeSpringHill on social media.

ABOUT MOTOWN RECORDS

An irresistible force of social and cultural change, Founder Berry Gordy's legendary Motown Records made its mark not just on the music industry but society at large, with a sound that has become one of the most significant musical accomplishments and stunning success stories of the 20th century. Motown Records changed the sound and face of popular music. With Motown artists appearing on television's music and variety shows, the label put African-Americans in the spotlight like no other record company in history and exerted an enormous influence on both the style and substance of popular music and culture. That influence is still being felt today, from pop to hip-hop. Today, Motown is part of the Universal Music Group, with its classic recorded music catalog managed by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe)





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[10/31/24 - 02:31 PM]
NBC Will Groove Into the Holiday Season with "A Motown Christmas" Special Hosted by Smokey Robinson and Halle Bailey
The special will include performances featuring more than 25 Motown hits, performed by Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and the Temptations.

[10/31/24 - 02:15 PM]
ABC News Announces 72+ Hours of Coverage and Analysis of the 2024 Election with Special Programming on ABC, ABC News Live and ABC News Digital Platforms, Including the ABC News App, Hulu and Disney+
"World News Tonight" anchor and managing editor David Muir will lead the network's coverage.

[10/31/24 - 01:16 PM]
BET+ Renews Emmy-Nominated "The Ms. Pat Show" for a Fifth Season
Additionally, BET Media Group also extended its overall deal with star Patricia "Ms. Pat" Williams.

[10/31/24 - 01:00 PM]
It's Holiday Time at The CW! Celebrate the Season with Festive Programming
Highlights include the series finale of "Superman & Lois" (December 2); the return of "Children Ruin Everything" (November 29); and "Christmas with The Chosen: Holy Night" (December 15).

[10/31/24 - 12:01 PM]
Video: "Squid Game" Season 2 - Official Teaser - Netflix
Heralding the return of the worldwide hit, a new chapter unfolds as Gi-hun comes back with an agenda, having given up on leaving for the US.

[10/31/24 - 11:04 AM]
Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Orange County" Three-Part Reunion Begins Thursday, Nov. 7 at 9 P.M. ET/PT
Host Andy Cohen sits down with housewives Shannon Storms Beador, Heather Dubrow, Tamra Judge, Gina Kirschenheiter, Emily Simpson, Jennifer Pedranti and new housewife Katie Ginella to revisit the epic season that saw dramatic highs and staggering lows.

[10/31/24 - 10:01 AM]
TNT Sports' "The Match: Superstars" Special Two-Night Primetime Event to Showcase Some of Biggest Names in Sports and Entertainment - Thursday, Nov. 21 and Friday, Nov. 22, on TNT & Max
"The Match: Superstars" will be headlined by iconic celebrities across sports and entertainment, including Bill Murray, Mark Wahlberg, Charles Barkley, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Phelps, Nate Bargatze, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Blake Griffin, competing from Breakers West Country Club in West Palm Beach, FL.

[10/31/24 - 09:01 AM]
Video: Peacock Debuts Trailer for New Original Series "Eat Slay Love"
The series brings together Grammy-nominated singer Nivea and her girl gang - Eva Marcille, Tammy Rivera and London Hughes - as they journey through Vietnam to celebrate Nivea's 41st birthday and embark on new adventures.

[10/31/24 - 09:01 AM]
HBO Releases First Look Images from the New Original Drama Series "It: Welcome to Derry"
The series will debut in 2025 on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.

[10/31/24 - 09:01 AM]
Video: AMC Networks Releases Bewitching New Trailer for Season Two of "Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches" Premiering January 5 on AMC and AMC+
Starring Alexandra Daddario, Jack Huston, Harry Hamlin, Tongayi Chirisa and Alyssa Jirrels, the new season will debut Sunday, January 5 on AMC+ and AMC.

[10/31/24 - 08:02 AM]
"Saturday Night Live's" 50th Season Continues with Back-to-Back Shows This November
Bill Burr (November 9) and Charli xcx (November 16) are on tap to host in the coming weeks.

[10/31/24 - 08:00 AM]
CBS Presents "The Making of Gladiator II," A Primetime Special Featuring an Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Paramount Pictures Film, Monday, Nov. 18 on CBS
This inside look offers unprecedented access encompassing all aspects of production, from the grand scope of the set - including reconstructing Ancient Rome - to characters, combat training, costumes, historical accuracy, scoring and more.

[10/31/24 - 07:55 AM]
Multimillion Selling Pop Band Ace of Base Reveal Their Full Story to the Present in Documentary Series "Ace of Base: All That She Wants" Premiering in US Thursday, December 5 Only on Viaplay
This uncensored documentary captures Ace of Base's fascinating story - where grandiose pop dreams, charts and money collide with relentless adversity, performance anxiety and shattered friendships.

[10/31/24 - 07:47 AM]
Peacock Announces January 9 Premiere Date for the Third Season of Emmy Award Winning Reality Competition Series "The Traitors"
The Emmy Award-winning competition-reality series returns for a third season with an all-new lineup of familiar faces, hosted again by the impossibly stylish and devastatingly witty Alan Cumming.

[10/31/24 - 07:22 AM]
The CW Network Brings Shoppable TV to ACC Football in Innovative Partnership with Shopsense AI
Beginning November 2 with the Virginia Tech at Syracuse game, viewers will be able to shop game-day essentials and team merchandise directly from their mobile devices with technology powered by Shopsense's latest enterprise Commerce Operating System (Commerce OS).