A massive snowstorm in New York City and Murray, playing himself, worries no one will show up to his TV show. And somewhere in there will be rooms for Christmas carols to be sung by the actors, guests arrive at Gotham’s Carlyle Hotel to help him, dancing and singing in holiday spirit.
We have A Very Murray Christmas, and at the very least there are certainly worse ways to spend 56 minutes on a wint'ry December evening than watching it.
Any viewer who likes Murray's act - extreme self-effacement punctuated by deadpan brilliance; disaffection duking it out with a desire for sincerity - will be very happy with this program indeed.
When everyone's gathering around the piano to sing The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York", or when Coppola's filming Murray looking out over a beautifully chilly city on Christmas morning, well - that sweetness ain't artificial.
Murray has surprising resonance. It may not be the yuletide cheer you want in a season darkened by terrorism and fear, but it does have a message that meets the moment.
Written by Murray, Mitch Glazer (Scrooged) and the special's director, Sofia Coppola, A Very Murray Christmas is an odd holiday entry but one that surely has a small but loyal audience that will find its hipper-than-thou vibe entertaining.
I don't know what other Christmas-celebrating TV critics want from Santa, but somewhere after world peace... I'm hoping the Netflix special "A Very Murray Christmas" will turn out to be a back-door pilot for new variety series hosted by Bill Murray.
Murray's co-stars provide just enough star wattage to keep "A Very Murray Christmas" mildly engaging, even as they do so little that it feels like they're just participating to humor their headliner friend's flights of fancy.
