Staff Writer
NBC’s 2014 holiday line-up is about to get jollier.
The Peacock Network has green lighted an hour-long holiday musical based off The Simpsons writer Mike Reiss’s children’s book: How Murray Saved Christmas.
Reiss’s 2000 holiday-centric book focused on a bad-tempered deli owner named Murray Kleiner, who has to fill in for Santa Claus for Christmas.
This is not Reiss’s first dive in animation as he worked on the short-lived cult-classic animated series The Critic and feature films the Simpsons Movie and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaur.
In addition, the four-time Emmy-winning writer has also worked on several late night classics including HBO’s Not Necessarily the News, Showtime’s It’s Garry Shandling Show and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
“Murray is the perfect project to get into the holiday spirit,” said NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “Mike’s impressive comedic background makes him a great choice to put all the pieces together.”
NBC has not announced the cast for the hour-long holiday musical.
Family Guy and Ted’s musical director, Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning composer, Walter Murphy will be provide the music to the animated film. Universal TV is expected to produce the special, while Rough Draft Animation will serve as the animation studio.
NBC has already ordered a three-hour live version of The Sound of Music starring Carrie Underwood in the classic Julie Andrews role of Maria. The musical remake will air sometime this holiday season.
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