Entertainment NOW

2 • November 27 - December 3, 2022 Entertainment Now By Dana Simpson TV Media I t's the most wonderful time of the year, and ABC is celebrat- ing the season with a new slate of holiday programming beginning Sunday, Nov. 27, and continuing into December. Includ- ing new family specials, animated content, returning reality series and a look back at one of the most popular — and recently crit- icized — holiday films of the past two decades, the alphabet net- work kicks it all off with the ani- mated special "Mickey Saves Christmas." A comforting fixture for young and old alike no matter the sea- son, Disney's most well-known rodent, Mickey, returns this winter with an all new special. Co-produced by Disney Television Animation and Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, "Mickey Saves Christ- mas" is the first Disney Television Animation special to air on ABC in nearly a quarter-century (the last one being 1999's "Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You"). The special follows Mickey (voiced by Bret Iwan, "Mickey Mouse Funhouse") and Min- nie (voiced by Kaitlyn Robrock, "Minnie's Bow-Toons") in stop- motion animation, as they and their best friends try to throw the perfect Christmas celebra- tion together at a snowy cabin. However, when an excited Pluto (voiced by Bill Farmer, "A Goofy Movie," 1995) accidentally causes Santa to lose all the pres- ents on his sleigh, Mickey, Min- nie and the crew must abandon their own relaxing plans for the adventure of a lifetime: travel to the North Pole and help save Christmas. Also featuring Donald Duck (voiced by Tony Anselmo, "Mick- ey's Once Upon a Christmas," 1999), Daisy Duck (voiced by Tress MacNielle, "The Simpsons") and Goofy (also voiced by Farmer) as a major part of the festive fun, this new release makes TV his- tory as the first Disney special to ever be created in stop-motion. (It is important to note, however, that Mickey and friends have ap- peared in the animated format once before, three years earlier — although this was for two short Christmas episodes on Disney Junior.) The special will be simulcast across ABC, Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD and will also be available to stream on demand the following day (Nov. 28) via Disney+. Immediately following "Mickey Saves Christmas" on ABC is the 2017 special "Olaf's Frozen Ad- venture," and then another new holiday special: "The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration." Taped between Nov. 11 and 13 at Disney World's Magic Kingdom Park in Orlando, Florida, this an- nual special marks its seventh iteration this season. Featuring all-new musical performances and unique lighting events, last year's event, while still enjoy- able, contained many COVID-19 pandemic precautions as co-host Derek Hough ("Dancing With the Stars") tested positive for the virus prior to the event. As a result, he hosted from his home via video conference, while his sister, talented dancer and actress Julianne Hough ("Footloose," 2011), and Broadway-turned-film star Ariana De Bose ("West Side Story," 2021) hosted from the park. This year's lineup has been kept fairly quiet as of writing, but given last year's perfor- mances — which included everyone from Gwen Stefani ("The Voice") to Chance the Rapper (2018's "Work Out") and beyond — there's no doubt there will be plenty of talent, entertainment, holiday fun and excitement for the whole fam- ily. In fact, fans of the annual special can likely expect some- thing closer to pre-pandemic events, if all goes according to plan. Cover Story Taniya Nayak and Carter Oosterhouse host "The Great Christmas Light Fight" The holiday ABCs: Alphabet network launches new festive specials Ready Rental 3 x 4 Hayley Siefert 3 x 2 Letters & Numbers Sudoku Fill in the grid so that every row,every column, and every 4x4 box contains the digits 1 through 9 AND the letters A-F. Solution on page 12. Advertise Your Business In Call Advertising at 217-477-5105

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