# A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter
**A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter** is a 2024 holiday variety music special starring the American pop singer [Sabrina Carpenter](https://www.edgepedia.org/sabrina-carpenter), released exclusively on Netflix on Friday, December 6, 2024 at 9 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. PST.[1](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/sabrina-carpenters-holiday-variety-music-special-coming-to-netflix-december) Running 50 minutes and rated TV-14, it is Carpenter's first-ever variety music special, combining performances of songs from her 2023 holiday EP *fruitcake*, covers of holiday classics, duets with guest pop stars, and comedy sketches.[2](https://www.netflix.com/title/81912861?fromWatch=true&src=tudum&trkId=260364153) • [3](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/a-nonsense-christmas-with-sabrina-carpenter-holiday-variety-music-special?inapp=true%2F)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Premiere | Friday, December 6, 2024, 9 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. PST, exclusively on Netflix[1](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/sabrina-carpenters-holiday-variety-music-special-coming-to-netflix-december) |
| Format | 50-minute holiday variety music special, TV-14, filmed in front of a live audience[2](https://www.netflix.com/title/81912861?fromWatch=true&src=tudum&trkId=260364153) • [4](https://www.classificationoffice.govt.nz/find-a-rating/quick-takes/a-nonsense-christmas-with-sabrina-carpenter/) |
| Director / showrunner | Sam Wrench (director); Nikki Boella (showrunner)[1](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/sabrina-carpenters-holiday-variety-music-special-coming-to-netflix-december) |
| Production | OBB Pictures and Carpenter's At Last Productions; executive producers include Carpenter, Michael D. Ratner, Scott Ratner, Simone Spira, Kfir Goldberg, Bill Perlman, and Janelle Lopez Genzink[1](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/sabrina-carpenters-holiday-variety-music-special-coming-to-netflix-december) |
| Musical guests | Duets with Chappell Roan, Tyla, Shania Twain, and Kali Uchis[3](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/a-nonsense-christmas-with-sabrina-carpenter-holiday-variety-music-special?inapp=true%2F) |
| Comedy guests | Quinta Brunson, Cara Delevingne, Kyle Mooney, Megan Stalter, Sean Astin, Owen Thiele, Jillian Bell, and Nico Hiraga[3](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/a-nonsense-christmas-with-sabrina-carpenter-holiday-variety-music-special?inapp=true%2F) |
| Debut audience | 2.6 million views between December 6 and December 8; No. 8 most-watched Netflix TV program for the week of December 1, 2024[5](https://www.thewrap.com/sabrina-carpenter-nonsense-christmas-netflix-ratings/) |
| Critical reception | 100% Tomatometer from 7 reviews and 73% Popcornmeter from 100+ ratings on Rotten Tomatoes[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_nonsense_christmas_with_sabrina_carpenter) |
## Production and announcement
Netflix announced the special on September 19, 2024, describing it as a holiday variety music special in which [Carpenter](https://www.edgepedia.org/carpenter) would perform songs from her holiday EP *fruitcake* and other chart-topping holiday covers, with musical performances, comedic guests, unexpected duets, and cameos.[1](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/sabrina-carpenters-holiday-variety-music-special-coming-to-netflix-december) Carpenter said at the time, "The holidays have always been so special to me. I am excited to bring my take to a classic holiday variety show, infusing my love of music and comedy to make something that is uniquely me."[1](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/sabrina-carpenters-holiday-variety-music-special-coming-to-netflix-december)
The special was directed by Sam Wrench, known for directing concert films including [Taylor Swift](https://www.edgepedia.org/taylor-swift)'s *The Eras Tour* film, with Nikki Boella as showrunner.[1](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/sabrina-carpenters-holiday-variety-music-special-coming-to-netflix-december) • [7](https://sites.uw.edu/film/2024/12/31/review-a-nonsense-christmas-with-sabrina-carpenter-jingles-some-bells/) Executive producers [Michael D. Ratner](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-d-ratner) and Simone Spira of OBB Media said Carpenter's "vision to subvert the classic holiday special has been clear since day one," and drew inspiration from classic variety shows such as *The Dean Martin Christmas Show* and *[The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-sonny-and-cher-comedy-hour)*.[1](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/sabrina-carpenters-holiday-variety-music-special-coming-to-netflix-december) • [7](https://sites.uw.edu/film/2024/12/31/review-a-nonsense-christmas-with-sabrina-carpenter-jingles-some-bells/) The special was filmed in front of a live audience.[4](https://www.classificationoffice.govt.nz/find-a-rating/quick-takes/a-nonsense-christmas-with-sabrina-carpenter/) According to a FADER interview with the executive producers, Carpenter improvised in the special.[8](https://www.thefader.com/2024/12/09/sabrina-carpenter-a-nonsense-christmas-netflix-chappell-roan-snl)
## Content
The special opens with Carpenter descending from a giant red cake stand and includes a running self-aware tone; she tells viewers they are "half-watching a big screen while scrolling social media on a smaller screen."[9](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/dec/09/a-nonsense-christmas-with-sabrina-carpenter-review-an-exceptionally-good-gift) Its comedy leans on Christmas-themed innuendo in keeping with Carpenter's persona, and it carries a TV-14 rating.[10](https://exclaim.ca/film/article/sabrina-carpenter-a-nonsense-christmas-netflix-special-film-review) • [2](https://www.netflix.com/title/81912861?fromWatch=true&src=tudum&trkId=260364153)
**Musical performances.** Carpenter performs songs from her 2023 holiday EP *fruitcake* alongside covers of holiday classics with four duet partners: she sings "Last Christmas" with [Chappell Roan](https://www.edgepedia.org/chappell-roan), staged as karaoke after a house party; "This Christmas" with Tyla; "Santa Baby" with [Shania Twain](https://www.edgepedia.org/shania-twain), who also plays [Mrs. Claus](https://www.edgepedia.org/mrs-claus); and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" with Kali Uchis.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/dec/09/a-nonsense-christmas-with-sabrina-carpenter-review-an-exceptionally-good-gift) Carpenter told Netflix's Tudum that it was the first time she had performed with all of the musical guests.[3](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/a-nonsense-christmas-with-sabrina-carpenter-holiday-variety-music-special?inapp=true%2F)
**Sketches.** Comedy segments bridge the musical numbers. In one sketch, Carpenter dates an older man named Nick, whom her friends (played by [Megan Stalter](https://www.edgepedia.org/megan-stalter) and [Owen Thiele](https://www.edgepedia.org/owen-thiele)) recognize as [Father Christmas](https://www.edgepedia.org/father-christmas) (Sean Astin). In another, Kyle Mooney plays a generic relative, leading to the song "What Do I Get My Brother-in-Law." Quinta Brunson and Cara Delevingne appear in a *Christmas Carol* riff in which women ghosted by "Ebby" Scrooge (Nico Hiraga) teach him a lesson.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/dec/09/a-nonsense-christmas-with-sabrina-carpenter-review-an-exceptionally-good-gift) • [10](https://exclaim.ca/film/article/sabrina-carpenter-a-nonsense-christmas-netflix-special-film-review)
## Reception
The special debuted to 2.6 million views between its December 6 release and Sunday, December 8, ranking as Netflix's No. 8 most-watched TV program for the week of December 1, ahead of *[Arcane](https://www.edgepedia.org/arcane-tv-series)* Season 2 (2.3 million views).[5](https://www.thewrap.com/sabrina-carpenter-nonsense-christmas-netflix-ratings/) On Rotten Tomatoes it holds a 100% Tomatometer from 7 critics and a 73% Popcornmeter audience score from more than 100 ratings.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_nonsense_christmas_with_sabrina_carpenter)
Critical responses varied in emphasis. Rebecca Nicholson of *The Guardian* called it "an exceptionally good gift" and "a spirited attempt to drag the sometimes fusty Christmas special into the modern age," praising the duets and Carpenter's charisma.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/dec/09/a-nonsense-christmas-with-sabrina-carpenter-review-an-exceptionally-good-gift) Alex Hudson of *Exclaim!* was cooler, writing that the special "hits the usual beats of a seasonal variety show" and that it "does comedy better than it does music," singling out Chappell Roan as the only guest who matched Carpenter's charisma and vocal chops.[10](https://exclaim.ca/film/article/sabrina-carpenter-a-nonsense-christmas-netflix-special-film-review) A University of Washington Film Club review called Carpenter's performance of "Cindy Lou Who" a standout but judged that the special played to what it thought the fanbase desired rather than forging a new type of holiday classic.[7](https://sites.uw.edu/film/2024/12/31/review-a-nonsense-christmas-with-sabrina-carpenter-jingles-some-bells/)
## Context
The special arrived at the end of a breakout year for Carpenter, whose sixth album *Short n' Sweet* debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in August 2024, making it the third-biggest first-week debut in the US that year.[1](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/sabrina-carpenters-holiday-variety-music-special-coming-to-netflix-december) Its title and framing draw on "Nonsense," her 2022 hit known for the punny, ad-libbed outros she performed at the end of the song on tour, a running joke the special references.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/dec/09/a-nonsense-christmas-with-sabrina-carpenter-review-an-exceptionally-good-gift) Netflix positioned the special within a December 2024 holiday slate that also included the films *That Christmas* and *[Mary](https://www.edgepedia.org/mary-2024-film)* and the thriller *Carry-On*.[11](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/the-holidays-start-now-on-netflix)
## References
1. [Sabrina Carpenter's Holiday Variety Music Special Coming to Netflix December 6, About Netflix (September 19, 2024)](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/sabrina-carpenters-holiday-variety-music-special-coming-to-netflix-december)
2. [A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter, Netflix Official Site](https://www.netflix.com/title/81912861?fromWatch=true&src=tudum&trkId=260364153)
3. [A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter Is Here to Jingle Your Bells, Netflix Tudum (December 6, 2024)](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/a-nonsense-christmas-with-sabrina-carpenter-holiday-variety-music-special?inapp=true%2F)
4. [A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter, New Zealand Classification Office quick take](https://www.classificationoffice.govt.nz/find-a-rating/quick-takes/a-nonsense-christmas-with-sabrina-carpenter/)
5. [Sabrina Carpenter's 'Nonsense Christmas' Netflix Special Starts Slow With 2.6 Million Views, TheWrap (December 10, 2024)](https://www.thewrap.com/sabrina-carpenter-nonsense-christmas-netflix-ratings/)
6. [A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_nonsense_christmas_with_sabrina_carpenter)
7. [Review: 'A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter' Jingles Some Bells, UW Film Club (December 31, 2024)](https://sites.uw.edu/film/2024/12/31/review-a-nonsense-christmas-with-sabrina-carpenter-jingles-some-bells/)
8. [Yes, Sabrina Carpenter was improvising in her A Nonsense Christmas special, The FADER (December 9, 2024)](https://www.thefader.com/2024/12/09/sabrina-carpenter-a-nonsense-christmas-netflix-chappell-roan-snl)
9. [A Nonsense Christmas With Sabrina Carpenter review – an exceptionally good gift, The Guardian (December 9, 2024)](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/dec/09/a-nonsense-christmas-with-sabrina-carpenter-review-an-exceptionally-good-gift)
10. [Netflix's 'A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter' Offers Barely Enough Merriment, Exclaim! (December 11, 2024)](https://exclaim.ca/film/article/sabrina-carpenter-a-nonsense-christmas-netflix-special-film-review)
11. [The Holidays Start Now on Netflix, About Netflix (November 1, 2024)](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/the-holidays-start-now-on-netflix)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Films by genre, form, and subject › Animated and short films › Individual short films*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license