A MarkInTexas Made-For-TV Christmas: Holidays With the Houghs (2019)

Most Christmas variety specials are built around the host's singing ability.  Just this year, I looked at specials, old and new, that revolved around songs from Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Kelly Clarkson, and Kacey Musgraves.  Others, such as George Burns's are built around the host's comedic ability (though said hosts usually know how to sing, as well).  While not unheard of, a variety special built around the host's ability to dance is much less common.  However, given the sheer number of dance competition shows currently on the air, it makes sense that, sooner or later, a dancer (or a pair of dancers) would take center stage in one of these things. 

To be fair, Julianne Hough, arguably the most famous dancer to emerge from the non-celebrity dancers of Dancing With the Stars, has long transitioned away from being merely known as a dancer, taking acting jobs early in the decade in song-and-dance extravaganzas like Burlesque, the Footloose remake, and Rock of Ages, before starring in the non-musical melodrama Safe Haven.  Her older brother Derek hasn't really broken away, as his acting roles, including playing Corny Collins on Hairspray Live!, have all largely been built around his singing and dancing abilities.  Still, while he is not as famous as his sister, he is famous enough that he gets co-billing in Holiday With the Houghs.

More than, say, Kacey Musgraves's special, this one is built more around dance numbers than song performances, though there is plenty of singing, though luckily, not all of it from the siblings (they have decent, but not great, voices).  Ciera comes out to sing to a couple of Christmas song while dancing, Ne-Yo sings "This Christmas" without dancing, and the husband-and-wife rockers Alexander Jean perform "O Holy Night".  Meanwhile, Julianne "sings" "Man With the Bag" while rollerskating and her new, retro-60s sounding Christmas duet with Jordan Fisher while the two dance around a couch.  I'm more convinced that Derek was actually singing live on his piano solo "Winter Song", though I'm still not 100% certain.

Derek also performs the third homage to Fred Astaire in Royal Wedding I've seen this fall, and the second one I've seen this week, which dilutes the impact of the number a little, though of the three, this one has the most intricate choreography, and is all the more impressive given that his dance partner is a teenager.  Still, it may be time to retire the upside-down dancing for a while.

As for the non-singing and dancing stuff, well, there's an extended bit involving Derek and Julianne making and presenting gifts to each other that really wasn't necessary.  We also see them introducing numerous video clips of random people dancing to Kelly Clarkson's "Underneath the Tree", including Kelly Clarkson and her talk show staff.

I've seen more than a few comparisons between this special and Donnie and Marie's specials and show from the 70s, and I have to say it's not a untoward comparison (not the least because the Houghs are also from Utah).  The Osmonds are much better singers and have more comic ability than the Houghs, but the Houghs are much better dancers.  Both this and the Donnie and Marie special I reviewed last year have similar vibes, even if the older Houghs were allowed to be more adult.

Of the dueling 2019 variety specials, I did like Kacey Musgroves's more.  But Holidays With the Houghs, if cheesy and corny, is fun.  I don't know if I'll return to it again, but it's a perfectly silly piece of entertainment.

Next time: This does it for 2019.  We'll be back for the 7th edition of A MarkInTexas Made-For-TV Christmas on November 29, 2020.  As always, if you have suggestions for next year's batch, please feel free to make them.  Until then Merry Made-For-TV Christmas!