Written By Sara Bibel

November 25th, 2013

NBC GETS IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT WITH ‘MICHAEL BUBLÉ’S 3RD ANNUAL CHRISTMAS SPECIAL’

Grammy Winner Is Joined by Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey and Cookie Monster for Festive Dec. 18 Telecast

NEW YORK, NY – Nov. 25, 2013 – Grammy Award-winning singer Michael Bublé returns to NBC with “Michael Bublé’s 3rd Annual Christmas Special” on Wednesday, Dec. 18 (10 p.m. ET/PT).

Musical superstars Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey, as well as Cookie Monster, take the stage with Bublé in his hometown of Vancouver as he celebrates his favorite holiday.  Performances will include classic songs such as “The Christmas Song,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Let It Snow.”

“I think we’ve really outdone ourselves for this year’s holiday special.  I couldn’t have three bigger stars or better voices than Mary J., Mariah and Cookie Monster. We all had a great time and Cookie Monster shared his cookies with all of us,” Bublé said.

In 2011 Bublé realized his ultimate dream when he released the album “Christmas” and hosted his first NBC holiday special, both of which reflected the joy that the season brings to him and his family.

“Michael Bublé’s 3rd Annual Christmas Special” is produced by Chanci Ventures Inc.  Bruce Allen is executive producer and John Pantages is producer, with Brad Lachman directing.

For more information on “Michael Bublé’s 3rd Annual Christmas Special,” visit www.nbc.com/specials and the NBC Universal Media Village website at www.nbcumv.com

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Michael Bublé: Michael Bublé has had four #1 albums on the Billboard Top 200 charts, won three Grammys, had six top-10 multi-platinum albums and two platinum singles, “Home” and “Haven’t Met You Yet.” He has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide in the course of his extraordinary career. Currently, the Canadian superstar has been touring around the globe in conjunction with his “To Be Loved” album, which debuted at #1 in 20 countries and included the Bublé-penned hit singles “It’s A Beautiful Day” and “Close Your Eyes.” Bublé’s 2011 album, “Christmas,” sold over 7 million copies, was the second bestselling CD of 2011 and continues to be a big holiday hit. ”Christmas” was produced by David Foster, Bob Rock and Humberto Gatica and includes such holiday classics as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “The Christmas Song,” “Silent Night,” “White Christmas,” featuring Shania Twain, “Jingle Bells,” featuring the Puppini Sisters, and an original song written by Bublé, “Cold December Night.”

Mary J. Blige: Iconic Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist Mary J. Blige is a figure of inspiration, transformation and empowerment, and one of the defining voices of the contemporary music era. With a track record of eight multi-platinum albums, nine Grammy Awards (plus a staggering 29 nominations), a 2012 Golden Globe nomination and four American Music Awards, Blige is a global superstar. The singer-songwriter has attracted an intensely loyal fan base, responsible for propelling worldwide sales of more than 50 million albums. In October 2013, Blige released her 11th studio album titled “A Mary Christmas” (Matriarch Records/Verve Records/Interscope Records), making it her first-ever holiday album and collaboration with legendary producer and David Foster, Chairman of the Verve Music Group. Blige’s holiday album features her soulful interpretation of classic holiday tunes, including “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “The Christmas Song.” Next, Blige will star as Platinum Fro, a mysterious guardian angel in the Kasi Lemmon-directed “Black Nativity,” a contemporary adaptation of Langston Hughes’ 1961 play. The film will hit theaters Nov. 27, 2013 with an all-star cast that includes Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson and Tyrese Gibson.

Mariah Carey: Mariah Carey is the best-selling female artist of all time with more than 200 million albums sold to date and eighteen Billboard #1 singles (seventeen self-penned), more than any solo artist in history. With her distinct five-octave vocal range, prolific songwriting, and producing talent, Carey has defined the modern pop performance. As a singer/songwriter/producer, she has been recognized with five Grammy Awards, 21 American Music Awards, Billboard's "Artist of the Decade" Award,  the World Music Award for "World's Best Selling Female Artist of the Millennium," and BMI's "Icon Award" for her outstanding achievements in songwriting, to name a few.

Cookie Monster: Cookie Monster is a frenzied, but cuddly, character with an eternal quest to find more food, especially cookies! For 44 years, Cookie Monster has struggled with intermittent success to consciously control his thoughts, actions and emotions.  New to “Sesame Street,” Cookie Monster has a brand new segment, “Cookie’s Crumby Pictures,” that parodies the coming attractions of popular movies and reinforces the show’s self-regulation curriculum.  Preschoolers identify with his efforts to master words and phrases and learn basic problem-solving skills. Cookie Monster loves cookies, of course, but will eat anything from carrots to bicycles and even letters. At the end of the day, Cookie Monster will always share his last cookie with a friend.