An American Idol Christmas (also titled A Very Idol Christmas in Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

) is a Christmas

Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

 television special for the television shows American Idol

American Idol

American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...

, American Juniors and Canadian Idol

Canadian Idol

Canadian Idol is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show Pop Idol. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore was the "roving reporter" for the first three seasons...

, but focused mostly on American Idol– the Canadian winner Ryan Malcolm

Ryan Malcolm

Ryan Michael Malcolm is a Canadian singer best known as the winner of the first season of Canadian Idol....

 was edited out in the American release, due to legal reasons. The special was broadcast on the Fox

Fox Broadcasting Company

Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...

 television network in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and CTV

CTV television network

CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...

 in Canada. It was first broadcast on November 25, 2003 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It featured some of the top finalists of American Idol's first

American Idol (Season 1)

The first season of American Idol premiered on June 11, 2002 and continued until September 4, 2002. It was won by Kelly Clarkson...

 season (Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...

, Tamyra Gray

Tamyra Gray

Tamyra Monica Gray is an American actress, singer and songwriter, who finished fourth place on the first season of the musical reality competition American Idol in 2002. Record and television executive Simon Cowell — who judged the show for nine seasons — was disappointed when she was voted off...

, Christina Christian) and second

American Idol (Season 2)

The second season of American Idol premiered on January 21, 2003 and continued until May 21, 2003. The title of show was shortened from American Idol: The Search for a Superstar of Season 1 to just American Idol. Brian Dunkleman quit after the first season, and Seacrest therefore became the lone...

 season (Ruben Studdard

Ruben Studdard

Christopher Theodore Ruben Studdard , best known as Ruben Studdard, is an American R&B, pop, and gospel singer. He rose to fame as winner of the second season of American Idol...

, Clay Aiken

Clay Aiken

Clayton Holmes "Clay" Aiken is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and author who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released...

, Kimberley Locke

Kimberley Locke

Kimberley Dawn Locke is an American singer-songwriter and model. She has recorded in the dance, pop and adult contemporary music genres....

); Canadian Idol winner Ryan Malcolm

Ryan Malcolm

Ryan Michael Malcolm is a Canadian singer best known as the winner of the first season of Canadian Idol....

 (not shown in American version due to the upcoming World Idol

World Idol

World Idol was the title of a one-off international version of the television show Pop Idol, featuring winners of the various national Idol shows around the world competing against each other.The performance show was held on Christmas Day 2003, with the results show held on New Year's Day...

); and the American Juniors. Since the episode was not a competition, none of the judges appeared because they were working on the next season's contestants. It was directed by Bruce Gowers

Bruce Gowers

Bruce Gowers is an English television director and producer, best known for work on large-scale live music and event productions. He started his career in his native England where his landmark music video for Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" brought him international recognition leading to his...

, produced by 19 Entertainment

19 Entertainment

19 Entertainment, based in Los Angeles, United States, is a creator and producer of entertainment properties based around the areas of Music and Television / Film, including American Idol in the United States, Pop Idol in the United Kingdom as well as versions of the Idol series in more than...

, Fremantle Media North America, Cécile Frot-Coutaz, Simon Fuller

Simon Fuller

Simon Fuller is a British artist manager, television producer and creator of the Idol franchise, first seen as Pop Idol in the UK. Fuller is also the co-creator and executive producer of the Fox TV reality show So You Think You Can Dance and other U.S...

, David Goffin, Nigel Lythgoe

Nigel Lythgoe

Nigel Lythgoe is an English television and film director and producer, and former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer. He is noted for being the producer of the shows Pop Idol and American Idol as well as being a creator, executive producer and a regular judge for So You Think You Can...

 and Ken Warwick

Ken Warwick

Ken Warwick is a television executive producer and director, most noted for producing the reality television series American Idol, and Pop Idol. Before being a producer he was a dancer. Warwick has received numerous awards for his television programs including a BAFTA, the Golden Rose of Montreux,...

.

Songs performed

• "Blue Christmas
  Blue Christmas
  "Blue Christmas" is a Christmas song written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson. The heart-broken tale of unrequited love during the holidays had long been considered a Christmas staple of country music, having been recorded first by Doye O'Dell in 1948 and popularised by Ernest Tubb the next year...
  
  "
  • Ruben Studdard
    Ruben Studdard
    Christopher Theodore Ruben Studdard , best known as Ruben Studdard, is an American R&B, pop, and gospel singer. He rose to fame as winner of the second season of American Idol...
    
    
• "Perfect Christmas"
  • American Juniors