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"Extraordinary Merry Christmas" is the ninth episode and mid-season finale of the third season of the American musical television series Glee, and the fifty-third overall. Written by Marti Noxon and directed by Matthew Morrison, the episode aired on Fox in the United States on December 13, 2011, and features the members of New Directions starring in a black-and-white Christmas television special that is presented within the episode itself.
Nine songs are performed over the course of the episode, eight of which come from the second Glee Christmas soundtrack album, Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2. The episode has the same name as an original song on that album, "Extraordinary Merry Christmas", which was written for Glee by the show's executive music producer Adam Anders, song producer Peer Åström, and Shelly Peiken. The remaining eight songs are covers, and all nine were released as singles. Reviewers generally praised the music in the episode.
Although reviewers were polarized in their views of the episode as a whole, the special within the episode received mostly favorable comments, though the rest of the episode was deemed light on plot. Some aspects of the framing sequences were criticized, such as Rachel's excessive demands for Christmas presents despite the fact that she is Jewish. Upon its initial airing, this episode was viewed by 7.13 million American viewers and garnered a 3.0/8 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic. The total viewership was up marginally from the previous episode, "Hold On to Sixteen".
Original Release
12/13/2011
US Release
12/13/2011
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Dianna Agron | Quinn Fabray |
Chris Colfer | Kurt Hummel |
Darren Criss | Blaine Anderson |
Jane Lynch | Sue Sylvester |
Jayma Mays | Emma Pillsbury |
Kevin McHale | Artie Abrams |
Lea Michele | Rachel Berry |
Cory Monteith | Finn Hudson |
Heather Elizabeth Morris | Brittany S. Pierce |
Amber Riley | Mercedes Jones |
Directors
Writers
Matthew Hodgson, Ross Maxwell, Marti Noxon
Creators
Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Dianna Agron | Quinn Fabray |
Chris Colfer | Kurt Hummel |
Darren Criss | Blaine Anderson |
Jane Lynch | Sue Sylvester |
Jayma Mays | Emma Pillsbury |
Kevin McHale | Artie Abrams |
Lea Michele | Rachel Berry |
Cory Monteith | Finn Hudson |
Heather Elizabeth Morris | Brittany S. Pierce |
Amber Riley | Mercedes Jones |
Naya Rivera | Santana Lopez |
Mark Salling | Noah Puckerman / Noah 'Puck' Puckerman |
Harry Shum Jr. | Mike Chang |
Jenna Ushkowitz | Tina Cohen-Chang |
Chord Overstreet | Sam Evans |
Damian McGinty | Rory Flanagan |
E.E. Bell | Don Barowski |
Chewbacca | Self |
Marcanthonee Reis | Oscar |
Louis Fasanaro | Parent |
Producers
Name | Role |
---|
Ali Adler | Executive Producer |
Ian Brennan | Executive Producer |
Bradley Buecker | Executive Producer |
Dante Di Loreto | Executive Producer |
Brad Falchuk | Executive Producer |
Ryan Murphy | Executive Producer |
Michael Hitchcock | Producer |
Alexis Martin Woodall | Producer |
Marti Noxon | Producer |
Mary Robinson | Producer |
Kenneth J. Silverstein | Producer |
Zachary Woodlee | Producer |