A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter is a 50-minute Netflix holiday variety special built around songs, surprise pairings and comedy. The moments that stand out range from the retro-showbiz spectacle of its opening number to a karaoke-style duet with Chappell Roan and a quieter tribute near the end. “Best” is subjective here: these picks highlight changes in mood, staging and guest chemistry, not an official ranking.
What is A Nonsense Christmas?
Netflix released A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter on December 6, 2024. Netflix lists the special at 50 minutes and rates it TV-14. Its format mixes songs from Carpenter’s holiday EP Fruitcake with familiar holiday covers, musical guests and comedic appearances. Netflix’s title page and Tudum’s special guide describe the program and its lineup.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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40 Christmas Classics | $20.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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The Christmas Song | $14.92 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Johnny Mathis - Gold: A 50th Anniversary Christmas Celebration | $9.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Garth Brooks and The Magic of Christmas Songs from Call Me Claus (Amazon Exclusive) | $11.33 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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The Classic Christmas Album | $12.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The opening turns “Buy Me Presents” into a retro spectacle
The first image sets the tone: Carpenter performs “Buy Me Presents” in a strapless magenta gown and long gloves against a red set. Teen Vogue notes the visual nod to Marilyn Monroe’s “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” sequence in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. The number signals that this is not simply a singer performing seasonal songs beside a tree; it opens with stylized, old-Hollywood showmanship. Teen Vogue’s coverage describes the staging.
Guest pairings keep the special changing shape
Carpenter remains the center of the show, but the guest list gives it the feel of a succession of musical worlds rather than one long solo set. Netflix’s Tudum guide names Chappell Roan, Tyla, Shania Twain and Kali Uchis as duet partners. Their presence brings different musical identities into a special otherwise anchored by Carpenter’s pop persona and holiday material. The lineup itself is part of the variety-show appeal, even without treating every pairing as a competition or ranking.
#1 Best Overall
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Netflix also lists comedic appearances by Quinta Brunson, Cara Delevingne, Kyle Mooney, Megan Stalter, Sean Astin, Owen Thiele and Jillian Bell. The special’s blend of musical guests and comic cameos helps explain its deliberately unruly tone. In a preview reported by the Associated Press, Carpenter described it to Time as “an hour of literal nonsense,” adding that it would be “so fun, so chaotic” and feature guests she was excited about. Those were her preview comments, not dialogue transcribed from the finished program. The Associated Press preview reports the remarks.
“Last Christmas” gives Chappell Roan and Carpenter a familiar frame
One of the clearest guest highlights is Carpenter and Roan singing Wham!’s “Last Christmas” as karaoke. The choice of a widely recognized holiday song gives their pairing an easy point of connection: the audience knows the tune, while the two contemporary pop performers supply the fresh chemistry. Teen Vogue identifies the performance as karaoke, making it a standout for the contrast between a familiar seasonal standard and the guests’ presence.
Rank #2
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The backstage break punctures the polished performance
The special also shifts perspective with a fourth-wall break that takes viewers backstage and into Carpenter’s dressing room. Rolling Stone highlights the transition as a memorable moment because it interrupts the glossy performance mode with a more comic, behind-the-scenes setting. That movement between staged numbers and backstage access is part of what makes the program feel like a variety show rather than a concert filmed straight through. Rolling Stone’s review discusses the transition.
A late tribute makes room for a quieter mood
Near the end, Rolling Stone calls attention to an intimate tribute to Dr. Seuss. It provides a more subdued contrast to the special’s bigger musical and comic turns. The available reporting does not describe further details of the tribute, so its significance is best understood through that contrast: a late, quieter moment inside a program otherwise designed around playful excess.
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Why these moments stand out
The special’s strongest moments are memorable for different reasons, not because they share one formula. “Buy Me Presents” is all visual scale; “Last Christmas” benefits from guest chemistry and an instantly recognizable song; the dressing-room sequence changes the format’s perspective; and the Dr. Seuss tribute shifts the mood. Together, they show how A Nonsense Christmas moves between polished staging, pop collaboration, comedy and intimacy in a compact holiday variety format.
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Best Value
Rank #4
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