Halle Bailey & Smokey Robinson To Host Motown Christmas Special For NBC

Denise Petski

31 October 2024 at 5:30 pm·2-min read

NBC will celebrate Motown’s legacy with A Motown Christmas, a two-hour holiday special hosted by Smokey Robinson and Halle Bailey. The special, produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill, will air Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT and next day on Peacock.

The special will include performances featuring more than 25 Motown hits, performed by Robinson, Gladys Knight, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and the Temptations. Contemporary artists including Bailey, Ashanti, Andra Day, BeBe Winans, Jamie Foxx, JoJo, Jordin Sparks, mgk, October London and Pentatonix will also pay tribute to iconic Motown hits. There also will be a world exclusive performance from the Broadway company of MJ the Musical.

More from Deadline

Motown hits such ranging from “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” will be performed.

Emmy-winning musical director Rickey Minor will lead the 11-piece live band.

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.”

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.

Best of Deadline

InStyle
Pippa Middleton's Strict Wedding Rule Had a Major Impact on Meghan and Harry
"It should have been a fun night for the couple."
Cosmo
Kim Kardashian just rocked tighty-whities and a bra...on main
Kim Kardashian shared new pics advertising the SKIMS and Dolce & Gabbana collaborative range, styling looks with lace tights and rosary beads
NewsWire
Fashion designer’s heartbreaking tragedy
An Australian fashion designer has tragically lost her 23-year-old son, describing him as the ‘epitome of pure love, kindness and generosity’.
The Independent
Daniel Craig lists reason he doesn’t ‘want to be away from home’ as much as he was in the past
‘I don’t want to be away from home as much as I have in the past,’ former Bond actor says
BANG Showbiz
Paris Hilton says she has 'never' had any cosmetic work done
Paris Hilton has "never" had any cosmetic work done and revealed the one skincare tip her mother gave her that she has stuck to to this day.
Parade
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Is Unrecognizable In New Photos From Latest Film Set
'Oh that’s fire,' one fan said of the photos showing the actor in character as demigod Maui.
PA Media: UK News
King laughs at British comedian’s impression of Donald Trump at Royal Variety
Charles attended the show for the first time as patron of the Royal Variety charity.
Evening Standard
Alesha Dixon and partner Azuka Ononye 'split' after 18 years in shock breakup
Dixon and Azuka Ononye have not been seen together publicly since attending Stormzy’s 30th birthday last year
BuzzFeed
17 Popular TV Shows People Are Sick Of Hearing About Because They're Just Not That Good
To each their own.
Parade
Dolly Parton Shares Brutally Honest Opinion of Hit Miley Cyrus Song
Parton, 78, is a godmother to the 'Flowers' songstress.
Yahoo Lifestyle
Caravan owner's genius solution for common storage problem: 'Work so well'
If you lose personal possessions easily, this storage hack is for you, regardless of whether it's for the home or caravan.
Parade
'Law & Order: SVU’s Peter Scanavino Makes a Sweet Declaration About Mariska Hargitay
The two have starred together on the hit police procedural for more than a decade.
The Daily Beast
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s ‘Tacky’ Polo Show Derided by Friends and Execs
Former friends of Prince Harry who played polo with him in their younger years have told the Daily Beast they have been left in “appalled hysterics” by the new trailer for his and Meghan Markle’s “tacky” new Netflix show about polo. One Hollywood executive has cautioned the couple are “running out of last chances” to prove they can make compelling TV that is not about themselves, and speculated their futures may lie in social media influencing. The trailer for Polo dropped this week, and has bee
BuzzFeed
23 Poor Souls Who Woke Up One Morning Over The Last Week And Promptly Destroyed Their Entire Lives
Count your lucky stars, people.
InStyle
King Charles and Queen Camilla Are Planning a New Family Addition
The king made the comment during his latest solo appearance.
BANG Showbiz
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex says the holiday season 'gets better every year' for her
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has found that the holidays "get better" with every passing year, especially now that she is able to see it all through the eyes of her children.
FTW Outdoors
Taylor Swift's surprise songs from Night 5 of the Eras Tour in Toronto, including the Cassandra and Mad Woman mashup
Taylor Swift's Eras Tour continued on Friday night in Toronto with the fifth of nine total shows in Canada. The now 14-time Grammy winner has been touring almost non-stop for the entire year, and at each show she adds two "surprise songs"
Deadline
‘RHOBH’s Kyle Richards On Why She Would Want ‘RHONY’s Dorinda Medley On An ‘Ultimate Girls Trip’ With Her
Kyle Richards and Dorit Kemsley have started on the wrong foot on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and have different ideas about when their friendship started dwindling. At Bravo Fan Fest in Miami, Richards clarified why she distanced herself from Kemsley and took a moment to reach out to her. “I had said to …
Yahoo TV UK
Death In Paradise fans rejoice at surprise cameo in spin-off Return To Paradise
The BBC crime drama set in Australia is in a Death In Paradise spin-off with a new lead detective, but an old fan favourite popped up in episode one.
Storyful
Wedding Guests Perform 'Heartfelt' Haka for Bride and Groom
A powerful moment unfolded as wedding guests performed a traditional Maori haka dance to celebrate a bride and groom’s marriage in Queensland, Australia, in late September.Video posted by Sula Sauvao-Lavea, a wedding content creator based in Queensland, shows what she described a “heartfelt” haka performed by guests on the groom’s side to honor the couple on their wedding day.The groom also joined the dance “in acknowledgment and respect for the love and support being shown to him and his wife,” Sauvao-Lavea said. Credit: Sula Sauvao-Lavea via Storyful

Latest stories