Before August 14, 2020, it's probably safe to say that most Americans did not know who Hannah Waddingham was. That's not to say that they were completely unfamiliar with her--she had, after all, appeared in eight episodes of Game of Thrones and had also appeared in other American TV shows and a couple of movies. But August 14 was the day that Ted Lasso would premiere on Apple TV+, became an out-of-the-box sensation, and turned Waddingham's duplicitous team owner who spends the season thawing out thanks to the charms of the title character into a fan favorite. What most Americans probably still don't know about Waddingham is her prolific stage career in London, one that saw her nominated for three Olivier Awards for Best Actress in a Musical in six years.
It is her song-and-dancing abilities that she puts to full use in Hannah Waddingham: Home For Christmas, Apple's thank-you Christmas special to one of the stars of its signature show, that for all intents and purposes appears to have wrapped up its run.
Indeed, the show ends up being a full-blown Ted Lasso reunion, as nearly the entire cast shows up to sing, dance, and do comedy sketches throughout the special (I will choose to believe it's because of the admiration that the cast has for each other and for Waddingham rather than them being contractually obligated). That said, outside of Phil Dunster duetting with Waddingham on "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and a lot of the cast members dancing on stage during the second number "The Man With the Bag", they didn't affect what was going on stage too much.
In addition to the Ted Lasso cast, Waddingham does have a number of special guests, who, in the proud tradition of Christmas variety specials, show up for one number and then disappear. Other than her number with Dunster, she's also joined by Leslie Odem, Jr., who joins her for "Please Come Home for Christmas", British rock star Sam Ryder (whose song for Ted Lasso, "Fought & Lost" is up for an Emmy), who sings "Run, Run, Rudolph" with her, and Luke Evans, who shows up to sing "Winter Wonderland".
It's clear that Apple TV+ spent quite a bit of money on this, as it is truly lavish. Waddingham wears three different fabolous dresses, there's a stage full of non-Ted Lasso-based dancers and backup singers, a full orchestra, the members of the London Gay Men's Chorus occupies a number of the box seats just to pop up a few times and sing along, there's one sketch that requires plopping what looks to be a fully-working hot tub in her dressing room (or at least a set that's supposed to look like a dressing room), and of course all the Ted Lasso people (including poor Nick Mohammad who has to hang from the rafters for seemingly most of the show). The early joke about blowing most of the budget on Waddingham's first dress was clearly just a joke. That this is directed by Hamish Hamilton, who is best known for directing Super Bowl halftime shows and The Oscars, is proof alone of that.
For all the bells and whistles, though, this is pretty standard stuff. Don't get me wrong, the show is quite watchable and entertaining, and the comedy segments are amusing. But don't expect this one to re-invent the wheel. It uses the same template that Chrsitmas variety specials have been using since at least the 1960s.
But the formula works because the formula works. Does anyone really want to see Hannah Waddingham shake up the format? Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas does what it sets out to do: introduce American audiences to her musical abilities. I'm thoroughly convinced, and enjoyed it to boot.
Next time: A happy family Christmas, from a couple that would be separated by the next Christmas.
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