'A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter' Brings a Twist to Traditional Holiday Fare

         On December 6, 2024, 'A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter' was released on Netflix to predominantly positive reviews. In the holiday special, "Pop icon Sabrina Carpenter jingles all the bells in her first-ever variety music special full of Christmas hits, unexpected duets and comedic cameos." But what did the critics say?

       Sean Boelman of FandomWire says, "Don’t expect to add it to your yearly viewing rotation unless you’re a Carpenter megafan, nor should you expect to add these covers to your holiday playlist, but as far as 50-minute variety specials go, there have been much worse." Adding, "The best moments are when Carpenter cracks jokes about her image, pushing the envelope as far as she can with double entendres without crossing the line into all-out raunch. On the other hand, the show’s attempts to feel “grounded” by leaving in mistakes feel tremendously artificial and forced. Indeed, the best opportunity that A Nonsense Christmas had to feel grounded is wasted. In one section, Carpenter begins to share personal stories about her own childhood experiences during the holidays. Although this is a very common part of holiday variety specials, Carpenter is an excellent storyteller, and it’s easy to linger on every word she says — no matter how standard they may be. If only there were more of these intimate moments." 

Photo by Cristian Tarzi on Unsplash

        Johnny Loftus of Decider notes, "In A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter, now streaming on Netflix, you can expect Christmas classics, guest duets, goofy holiday sketches, and cheeky double-entendres inside every wrapped gift on the special’s “Recorded Live In Front of Studio Audience”-style stage. Sabrina Carpenter is the star of the show, of course, but don’t expect “Espresso,” or even her viral hit “Nonsense” – instead, Sabrina performs a few seasonal chestnuts with guests Chappell Roan, Shania Twain, Tyla, and Kali Uchs, appears in a few comedy bits that include notables like Kyle Mooney, Megan Stalter, Quinta Brunson, and Cara Delevingne, and generally hams it up, just in time for Christmas. “So if you’re hot and you’re young and you’re stocking’s well hung…by the chimney with care, it’s the most nonsense time of the year…” Adding, "Stream It! A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter is having a lot of laughs and fun – and Sabrina herself is having the most fun – but it also brings in a few nice versions of songs for season. And really, it never once takes itself too seriously, which itself is refreshing. Why don’t more celebrities just cut loose and riff on their own branded version of what in another TV era would be called a Christmas variety show?"