The boys in red and green are returning and they’ve brought backup!
There aren’t a lot of Christmas specials released in the past few years that I would really consider “classic.” I’m referring to a Christmas special you’d make a part of your yearly holiday tradition, where the whole family gathers around the slightly radioactive glow of their television set and actually sit still for 30 minutes without checking e-mail, text messaging or tweeting.
Far and few between has there been anything new that can bring about this brief moment of holiday happiness… with one exception: Disney/Pixar’s Prep and Landing. The original short, which first premiered in 2009, came out of nowhere featuring two Christmas elves (Wayne and Lanny) and their yuletide misadventures helping prep homes for Santa’s arrival.
Last Christmas, the duo returned in a much shorter 7-minute appearance – Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa – but this year the boys are back for another half-hour special along with all their friends and some brand new characters. Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice sees Dave Foley, Derek Richardson and Sarah Chalke returning to their roles as Wayne, Lanny and Magee respectively along with Rob Riggle as Noel; Wayne’s little brother, and Chris Parnell as Mr. Thistleton; a Steve Jobs-eque sort of genius inventor.
With the Big 2-5 fast approaching, Wayne and Lanny must race to recover classified North Pole technology that has fallen into the hands of a computer-hacking Naughty Kid! Desperate to prevent Christmas from descending into chaos, Wayne seeks out the foremost Naughty Kid expert to aid in the mission, a bombastic member of the Coal Elf Brigade who also happens to be his estranged brother, Noel.
Look for Prep & Landing: Naughty Vs. Nice to premiere Monday, December 5 (8:30pm ET) on ABC with a repeat on Thursday, December 22 (8:30pm ET).
