"Extraordinary Merry Christmas" is the upcoming ninth episode and mid-season finale of the third season

Glee (season 3)

A third season of the Fox musical comedy-drama television series Glee was commissioned on May 23, 2010 while the first season aired. It premiered on September 20, 2011, and is being produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Ryan Murphy Television, with executive producers Dante Di Loreto and...

 of the American musical television series Glee

Glee (TV series)

Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...

, and the 53rd overall. Directed by Matthew Morrison

Matthew Morrison

Matthew James "Matt" Morrison is an American actor, director, musician, and singer-songwriter. He is best known for starring in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including his portrayal of Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway, and most notably for his Emmy and Golden Globe nominated...

 and scheduled to air on 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...

 in the United States on December 13, 2011, the episode will feature the post-Sectionals holiday celebrations.

Synopsis

New Directions celebrates the holidays, and the group is faced with a dilemma when offered the opportunity to perform at two events that are scheduled at the exact same time. Irish exchange student Rory Flanagan (Damian McGinty

Damian McGinty

Damian McGinty, Jr. is a Northern Irish singer and actor from Derry, Northern Ireland, and was a member of the group Celtic Thunder. He has been performing for the past thirteen years, winning his first music competition before the age of six...

) suffers from homesickness.

Production

The episode is the directorial debut of Glee star Matthew Morrison

Matthew Morrison

Matthew James "Matt" Morrison is an American actor, director, musician, and singer-songwriter. He is best known for starring in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including his portrayal of Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway, and most notably for his Emmy and Golden Globe nominated...

, who plays Will Schuester

Will Schuester

William "Will" Schuester, often referred to as Mr. Schue, is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Matthew Morrison and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Will was developed by Glee...

. He announced that he'd be directing an episode "during an acoustic set and Q&A at LA's Grammy Museum for their Spotlight series" in late September 2011. As it turns out, he did not direct the eighth episode as originally thought, but this ninth one instead.

It is also the second annual Glee Christmas episode, with many songs coming from the second annual Glee Christmas soundtrack album, Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2. The episode itself 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

Adam Anders

Adam Anders is a music producer who has sold more than 60 million albums and developed songs for motion pictures and television programs.Anders’ work has earned him Grammy Award nominations, a People’s Choice Award and two Golden Globe Awards...

, song producer Peer Åström

Peer Åström

Peer Åström Peer Åström Peer Åström (born in Ljusdal, Sweden is a Swedish composer, lyricist, musician and record producer and partner with Anders Bagge. The two songwriters / producers are known as Bagge & Peer. They have together written and produced songs for Lara Fabian, Celine Dion, Madonna,...

, and Shelly Peiken

Shelly Peiken

Shelly Peiken is a multi-platinum Grammy nominated songwriter who is best known for her #1 hits "What a Girl Wants" and "Come on Over Baby ".Shelly and Meredith Brooks earned a Grammy nomination for Brooks's hit song "Bitch"....

, and is sung on the second Christmas soundtrack album by Lea Michele

Lea Michele

Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...

 and Darren Criss

Darren Criss

Darren Everett Criss is an American actor, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and a founding member and co-owner of the theater company StarKid Productions. He currently portrays Blaine Anderson, an openly gay high school student, on the FOX television series Glee...

, who also perform it in the episode. The episode will also include a second original song by Anders, Åström, and Peiken, "Christmas Eve With You", and covers of the songs "All I Want For Christmas Is You", performed by Amber Riley

Amber Riley

Amber Patrice Riley is an American actress and singer best known for her role on the series Glee as Mercedes Jones.-Early life and career:...

, and "Little Drummer Boy" and "Let It Snow

Let It Snow

"Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!", also known as "Let It Snow", is a song written by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne in 1945. The song was written in July 1945 in Hollywood, California during one of the hottest days on record. First recorded by Vaughn Monroe, it became a popular...

". One song in the episode is being performed by McGinty and one performance, shot on Thanksgiving eve, involved "lots of children".

The episode serves as the mid-season finale. Before the third season started, co-creator Brad Falchuk

Brad Falchuk

Brad Falchuk is a television writer, director and producer. He is best known for his work on the television series Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story.-Early life:...

 announced that it would be structured as two “mini-seasons” that mimic school semesters, and this episode ends the fall semester. Filming began on November 10, 2011, while the eighth episode, "Hold on to Sixteen

Hold on to Sixteen

"Hold on to Sixteen" is the upcoming eighth episode of the third season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 52nd overall...

" was still shooting; they continued in parallel through November 21, 2011, when episode eight completed filming.

Recurring guest stars that are appearing include New Directions members Rory Flanagan (McGinty) and Sam Evans

Sam Evans

Sam Evans is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Chord Overstreet, and appeared on Glee starting with the second season premiere episode entitled "Audition", first broadcast on September 21, 2010, and ending with that...

 (Chord Overstreet

Chord Overstreet

Chord Overstreet is an American actor, singer and musician, best known for his role as Sam Evans on the television series Glee.-Early life:...

).