Hannah Waddingham takes Apple TV+ 'Home for Christmas' in new special

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited October 2023

"Ted Lasso" star Hannah Waddingham is the center of the Apple TV+ holiday season, and her musical special will now stream from November 22, 2023.

Hannah Waddingham in
Hannah Waddingham in "Home for Christmas" (Source: Apple)
First announced

in April -- and then filmed at the London Coliseum in May -- the special will see Waddingham performing festive classics.

The show follows two previous -- and reportedly very expensive -- Apple TV+ holiday specials starring Mariah Carey. For 2023, Carey has moved to CBS.

"Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas" is produced by the team behind the Mariah Carey specials, and will feature special guests and what's described as a "spectacular big band."

It's not the first time that Waddingham has performed at the London Coliseum. In 2020, she starred in "The Pirate Queen" there, and told WhatsOnStage what it was like acting in such a prestigious venue.

"Ted Lasso" was the first breakout hit for Apple TV+ and concluded in 2023 with a final season, leaving fans with just shortbread biscuits to remember it by.

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    ciacia Posts: 260member
    I get that holiday specials are a thing, but as a live audience member how do you get excited for Christmas songs in May?  The recording sessions for these shows must be a very odd experience.


    edited October 2023 watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 8
    tdknoxtdknox Posts: 83member
    Most (all?) “Christmas” albums are recorded spring/summer.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 8
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,070member
    tdknox said:
    Most (all?) “Christmas” albums are recorded spring/summer.
    It's one thing to get a handful of industry professionals in a studio/soundstage/set/whatever to record seasonal content.

    It's a bit more work to get thousands of audience members to pretend like it's a winter holiday concert. Appropriate attire, behavior, etc. You simply can't have your audience wearing everyday street clothes, a quarter of them mindlessly scrolling through their smartphones.

    The film production crew (as well as the talent) are probably encouraged the audience to "enjoy the holiday concert" throughout the shoot; of course such footage was left on the cutting room floor, never intended for the final edit.

    Note that nothing prevents the producers from hiring professional actors to portray concert goers for the close up audience reaction shots, carefully choreographed to sing along, hug/kiss, whatever.
    edited October 2023 watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 8
    jimh2jimh2 Posts: 636member
    mpantone said:
    tdknox said:
    Most (all?) “Christmas” albums are recorded spring/summer.

    Note that nothing prevents the producers from hiring professional actors to portray concert goers for the close up audience reaction shots, carefully choreographed to sing along, hug/kiss, whatever.
    There is nothing preventing the producers doing whatever they want when making something other than committing crimes. 
    mknelsonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 8
    AppleishAppleish Posts: 696member
    "For 2023, Carey has moved to CBS." Better money? Better exposure? Or maybe just a base of people who are old enough to remember her.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 8
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,070member
    Appleish said:
    "For 2023, Carey has moved to CBS." Better money? Better exposure? Or maybe just a base of people who are old enough to remember her.
    For sure more money making potential. By now her people would understand how well Apple TV+ works, who is watching, etc. Assuming that most of her appeal lies in the USA, Canada, and a handful of other English-speaking countries, it's possible that CBS -- an over-the-air terrestrial broadcaster -- has a larger reach to her target audience than Apple TV+ does.

    These sort of contracts are never 1-pagers, they are complicated. In addition to a US on-air broadcast, the US streaming rights probably go to Paramount+. Apple generally prefers worldwide exclusivity so this deal might open the door for Carey's team to negotiate separate deals in other international markets.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 8
    ihxoihxo Posts: 567member
    Appleish said:
    "For 2023, Carey has moved to CBS." Better money? Better exposure? Or maybe just a base of people who are old enough to remember her.
    how could you have Christmas without Mariah Carey?
    watto_cobraNoGodsNoMasters
  • Reply 8 of 8
    omasouomasou Posts: 594member
    cia said:
    I get that holiday specials are a thing, but as a live audience member how do you get excited for Christmas songs in May?  The recording sessions for these shows must be a very odd experience.


    Probably the same folks that shop at Christmas store while on vacation at the beach /s Now that is something, I don't get. ;)
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