shrek the halls

One of my colleagues was complaining this morning that it's not even December yet but the networks and cable channels are already pouring out the holiday specials. It would be nice to get the Thanksgiving leftovers out of the fridge before we deal with Santas, dancing reindeer and "A Charlie Brown Christmas.'' But in TV world, the traditional decking of the halls seems to start earlier and earlier.

So, last night, we had our first dose of "A Charlie Brown Christmas'' and, frankly, you can never have too many of doses of what may be the best holiday 'toon ever created and one of the most spiritual programs to ever air on network TV. If you missed it, there's a repeat scheduled for Monday at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Tonight, we have something new: "Shrek the Halls'' (8 p.m., ABC), a totally charming bit of whimsy that delves into how Shrek ― initially resistant to holiday cheer ― eventually embraces the spirit of the season. The half-hour special has all the trappings of the hit movies, including the gag-a-minute and culturally aware dialogue and the core cast of Mike Myers as Shrek, Eddie Murphy as Donkey, Cameron Diaz as Fiona and Antonio Banderas as Puss In Boots. The best single moment: Puss In Boots becoming fascinated by the ball at the end of his Santa's hat.

There's not a ton of depth to "Shrek the Halls'' but it is fun.

If you're looking for a little meat on your holiday cartoon, "Shrek'' will be followed by "How the Grinch Stole Christmas'' (8:30 p.m., ABC), the best Christmas special not involving the Peanuts gang. The cartoon ― from the masterful Chuck Jones ― does a superb job of recreating the Dr. Seuss classic and has some wonderful voice work from the late Boris Karloff as the Grinch and the story's narrator.

Shrek the Halls
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Shrek the Halls
Directed by Gary Trousdale
Produced by Gina Shay
Teresa Cheng
Aron Warner
Written by Gary Trousdale
Sean Bishop
Theresa Pettengill
Bill Riling
Starring Mike Myers
Eddie Murphy
Cameron Diaz
Antonio Banderas
Music by Harry Gregson-Williams
Distributed by ABC Television
DreamWorks Animation
Release date(s) November 28, 2007
Running time 30 min.
Country
Language English
IMDb profile
Shrek the Halls is an ABC special that premiered on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 from 8:00pm-8:30pm. (7:00pm-7:30pm CST) [1] The thirty minute show included Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas reprising their roles from the feature films. It will air in Australia on the Nine Network on Saturday, December 1 at 6:30pm.

Contents
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 References
4 External links



[edit] Plot
"Just when Shrek (Mike Myers) thought he could finally sit back and relax with his new family, when the joyous of all holidays arrives. It's Christmas Eve and everyone's full of holiday cheer...except for Shrek. He isn't exactly the picture of holiday joy, but for the sake of Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and the kids, he tries to get in the spirit as only an ogre can. Unfortunately, everyone seems to have their own ideas about what Christmas is really all about, so when Donkey (Eddie Murphy), Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas), Gingy (Conrad Vernon), and the whole gang try to join in on the fun, Shrek's plans for a cozy family celebration end up spiraling into one truly unforgettable Christmas."


[edit] Cast

Shrek and DonkeyMike Myers as Shrek
Eddie Murphy as Donkey
Cameron Diaz as Fiona
Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots
Conrad Vernon as Gingerbread Man

[edit] References
Shrek the Halls Christmas special to debut in 2007, Animated News