The Christmas Caroler Challenge - General Discussion

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

THE CHRISTMAS CAROLER CHALLENGE, hosted by Dean Cain and Laura McKenzie, is a six-episode hour-long Christmas caroling competition series featuring 12 extraordinary Christmas carol groups, each with their own stylized brand of performance, in celebrating the great Christmas music we have all come to love.  We’ll meet these groups from the most elaborate ultra-traditional virtuoso performances to those with the most unexpected twists on the classic Christmas carol.  Each group which will be judged by three celebrity judges.  This all-new special is produced by Associated Television International.  

FYI - although there are six episodes total, the CW is airing them two at a time so it's three nights of Christmas carols.

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The CW has posted the first two episodes on their website (no login required).

S1.E1: Auditions 1 - watch here

S1.E2: Auditions 2 - watch here

Original air date: 12/15/19

[mlp]

I'd never heard of CW so thanks for the link.  What does it stand for?  All I can think of is country-western which this show wasn't.

I enjoyed the way the hosts and judges handled their parts without no frenzied screaming into their mics and so on although the woman did gush too much.  In the end, I was shocked that they kept the kids whom I thought were rather bad and sent home the women in matching red outfits.  They weren't exciting but I thought they were better singers.  My favorites so far are the barbershoppers.

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I wasn't sure if there would be audience voting (which usually skews to the younger groups) so I was kind of glad that it was just the judges' scores that determined who went through. Mikalah Gordon doesn't seem to have much to say as a judge but I like that Brandon Rogers wants to nitpick technical stuff. He seems like he's supposed to be the Ben Folds of this Sing-Off knock off.

I watched the first 11 seasons of American Idol and I don't remember Mikalah (she was on S4, the year that Carrie Underwood won) or maybe I just don't recognize her because her face looks so plastic now. I wasn't watching by the time Brandon Rogers was on so he was completely new to me.

I was a little surprised by how elaborate some of the costumes were but I guess if you sing Christmas music professionally, you probably already have some outfits ready to go. 

I don't know how random the second song assignments were. Normally you need time to arrange the harmonies so I find it either unfair or unbelievable that everyone is just expected to improv.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

FYI - last night's episodes are available on the CW website!

Episode 3

Episode 4