‘America’s Got Talent’ books Grace VanderWaal, Jackie Evancho, Mat Franco, more for holiday special

Given that “America’s Got Talent” is arguably one of our favorite reality TV shows on the planet, we’re very much thrilled to be presenting a little bit more of it — even if it is just for a one-off special set to air on NBC December 19. This is a holiday-themed event that will be hosted by Nick Cannon, and will feature all of the judges in Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Mel B, and Heidi Klum. As for what role they’re going to have given that this is not a judged competition by any means, that remains to be seen.

To us, the real selling point for this competition comes via the roster of people taking part. You’ve got such notable winners / runners-up like Grace VanderWaal, Olate Dogs, The Clairvoyants, Jackie Evancho and Matt Franco signed up, and you’ve also got many other notable performers like Calysta Bevier, Piff the Magic Dragon, Brian Justin Crum, Professor Splash (remember him?), and the Professional Regurgitator.  With the lineup that is announced at present, the idea here seems to be given you a little bit of holiday feels while also adding in some fun and assorted silliness.

We love this idea overall. One of the biggest problems with the “Got Talent” franchise worldwide is that there is very little in terms of a community where you support your winners and cultivate your talent, but this is a way to change that up a little bit. You’re bringing people back for something meaningful, and we do think viewers will watch it since it’s variety and such a fun alternative to most other holiday programming.

Now that we’ve said that, hopefully this is not NBC getting the bright idea to air new episodes of the show itself at any point other than summer. We’re sure that the temptation is there, but we don’t need more of this series beyond where it already is. The ratings are great, so don’t dilute the brand!

To see more news on all things “AGT,” including our winner rankings, head over to this link! (Photo: NBC.)