Get Ready to Sing Your Heart out With 'The Christmas Caroler Challenge'

Do you ever get tired of the same old holiday classics on the radio? Do you ever wish that someone would put a Pentatonix-style new spin on an old classic? Well, the good news is, The CW is happy to provide! Returning again this year for an added boost to your holiday season is The Christmas Caroler Challenge, with its television icon of a host, Laura Mckenzie. 

In The CW's own words, the show is described as, "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." There are 10 groups in a season, and they will compete before a panel of three celebrity judges.

This year, the judges are comedian Brandon Rogers, singer Mikalah Gordon, and Australian musician Garry Gary Beers. Laura Mckenzie, most notable for her Emmy-nominated work on her self-titled TV show, Laura Mckenzie's Traveler, joins fellow television icon Dean Cain (yes, as in, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Dean Cain) to host. 

Whichever group wins The Christmas Caroler Challenge gets the following grand prize: 1,000 toys to be donated to Marine Toys for Tots in the name of the winning caroling group, and an opportunity to appear and perform in The 90th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade supporting Marine Toys for Tots in 2021. 

Competitors this year are as follows: Raise, The Accidentals, The Sugarplums, Jolly Holidays, Jingle 5, Newfangled Four, Yuletones, Decorations, Snow Problems and Four Calling Birds. Pun names seem to be encouraged, and their costumes are often coordinated to match their chosen set list! Last year's winning group was Bank of Harmony, who performed a rather dapper version of "The Grinch." 

All episodes of both 2019 and 2020's performances will be available for streaming on The CW, and you can catch the winners (whoever they may be!) in the Hollywood Christmas Parade in Los Angeles, the week after Thanksgiving in 2021. Hopefully by that time, audiences will be able to watch in person. 

While there was concern about filming of this program due to the coronavirus (especially following the recommendation not to sing in crowds) it appears that producers took every precaution when it came to safety, even if the result was a little awkward. Hosts kept at least 6 feet apart from one another, and were presumably tested in accordance with CDC guidelines for television work.  

Ultimately, it sounds like this spot of cheer is just what the doctor ordered. The Christmas Caroler Challenge will take place over three episodes, each episode being two hours long. In case you missed it, the first episode of the series aired Friday, Dec. 11, at 8:00 p.m. The second episode will be taking place Dec. 18 at 8:00 p.m. The finale will air on Friday, Dec. 25, once again at 8:00 p.m., to ensure the end of your Christmas is merry and bright!