18 celebrities we'd like to see host a holiday special

Rudolph has the ideal skill set for such a program. She’s a sketch-comedy legend who can do big, goofy characters but also astute impressions. Rudolph has also sung professionally. One of the only modern variety shows was co-hosted by Rudolph, so we know she can do this. There’d just have to be more Christmas lights around and stuff.

Rudolph’s variety show co-host? None other than Short. The Canadian icon can walk the razor’s edge between being an old-school entertainer and doing an ironic faux version of that role. That might be perfect for a holiday special of the modern era. Plus, you know there’d be a pre-taped Jiminy Glick bit.

Moreno is an EGOT winner and one of the most vibrant ninetysomethings we can ever recall. Now, producers would probably want to do something akin to when Betty White hosted “Saturday Night Live” and have a lot of hands on deck to bolster the show and not put too much on the nonagenarian’s shoulders. Still, Moreno has enough spark to do a special (and probably win an Emmy for it).

O’Brien is hosting the Oscars in 2025, so we know he’s game for one-off hosting events. He’d also knock a holiday special out of the park. Can he sing? Not well! Would he still sing a ton? You bet! Conan would bring his beloved absurdity (and probably Triumph the Insult Comic Dog) to such an occasion. Here’s hoping the folks at HBO give him a chance.

Alright, some musician-first types need to be in the mix. Many, even most, holiday specials have been hosted by musicians. Beyoncé has a catalog of hits, but she could belt out a Christmas standard or two. It also helps that she has a bit of acting experience to make the special feel special, not just a concert.

Springsteen is getting up there in years, but like Moreno he’s slowed down, what, 10 percent? Sure, Jimmy Fallon would somehow end up involved, but we’ll accept that. Springsteen would end the show with his cover of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and all would be well.

Fey and her frequent collaborator Robert Carlock would craft a brilliant holiday special. It would be about the funniest slice of Christmas pageantry imaginable. Maybe Fey would not want to be front-and-center as “Tina Fey, actual human person,” but we think she could do it. Plus, when it comes to the music element of these specials, Jane Krakowski and Tituss Burgess are right there for her to tap.

At first, we thought, “What about John Mulaney?” But, you know what? He does his thing, and that’s cool, and he can stick in that space. Gyllenhaal has popped up in Mulaney’s comedy in the past, though, and Gyllenhaal is a low-key kind of an odd guy. He also seems super game. Plus, he played Seymour in “Little Shop of Horrors” on stage.

Well, Kendrick was in a Christmas movie, so there’s that. Also, “Pitch Perfect.” Now, if there’s any a cappella involved in the conception of Kendrick’s holiday special, we are going to pull the plug on it. Like, we will move up the corporate ladder of a massive entertainment conglomerate just to be in the position to pull the plug on it. Otherwise, she’d be great at it.

Are we in the Carvey-aissance? He’s popped up on Conan’s podcast and made some younger fans. He’s been on “SNL” and gotten a lot of love. These holiday specials have often been done by, shall we say, those not at the peak of their celebrity. Carvey is maybe right in the sweet spot to do one of these. This time, though, maybe he can skip the sketch where Bill Clinton nurses puppies.

Reba is a country music star. She’s also a long-time sitcom actor, recently starring in the new show “Happy’s Place.” Our only hesitation was making sure she hadn’t already had her own Christmas special. She was on one of Kelly Clarkson’s specials and a Disney Christmas Parade special in 2015, but Reba hasn’t done one herself yet.

Beloved by generations? Not in the zeitgeist but still popular? Has done acting as well as singing? Has Christmas songs in the repertoire? Yeah, Weird Al checks all the boxes. It could basically be an extra-long episode of “The Weird Al Show.” Or “Al TV.” We’d take either one.

Louis-Dreyfus is a television legend and one of the most successful sitcom actors to ever do it. It seems like she may be done with the regular TV roles, but could she be enticed by a one-off special? She could do something with the sharp, sardonic nature of a “Seinfeld” or “Veep,” but this could also be a chance for Louis-Dreyfus to stretch her legs and do something a bit gentler and light.

Of the current late-night hosts, Meyers is the one we’d most like to see host a holiday special. Would it be couched in ironic distance and biting humor? Absolutely. Would it still be funny? For sure. On top of that, we’d definitely get at least one Lonely Island number in the mix if Meyers hosted a holiday special.

It feels like Perry is in a place where doing a TV holiday special is viable. That’s probably been true ever since she agreed to be a judge on “American Idol.” It could be a chance for Perry to pivot, which could be to her benefit. She was once on a Christmas episode of “The Simpsons,” so there’s also that.

When you think of a male singer having a holiday special, you probably think of a guy like Groban. A crooner, if you will. Somebody in the vein of a Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin or Perry Como. We mention all those guys because they all had holiday specials back in the day. He’s also clearly a comedy fan. Groban was on “The Office,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” and two episodes of “Comedy Bang! Bang!.”

We explicitly did not include any duos on this list…until now. We will wrap up with a twosome you cannot in good conscience split up, and that you definitely want to see in such a setting. Levy and O’Hara are very good separately, but excellent together. They can do sketches. They can improvise. They’ve sung in Christopher Guest movies. If anybody is worth making an exception for to pair up, it’s these two.