There's no place like Comedy Central for the Holidays

Here's something you don't see everyday: Elvis Costello being eaten by a bear. Willie Nelson as the fourth wise man. And Stephen Colbert engaging in singing duets with country singers.

Cable satirist Stephen Colbert is more attention-grabbing than ever in his own holiday special "A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All," which airs Sunday, Nov. 23 at 9 p.m. CT on Comedy Central. In this hour of humor, we see the comedian stuck in a mountain cabin with a bear waiting eagerly outside, preventing him from getting to New York to film his Christmas special (LA Times). If you watch The Colbert Report the bear may not be as much of a surprise to you.

Musical guests start to arrive one by one, with the first appearance by Toby Keith, singing a hilarious song that somehow ends with him demonstrating that Santa Claus and Uncle Sam are the same person. Soon to join them are John Legend, Willie Nelson, Feist, Elvis Costello, and of course, Jon Stewart. The songs grow increasingly sillier and sentimental, including Nelson singing an ode to marijuana, and concluding with a Colbert-Costello duet called "There are Much Worse Things to Believe In." (NY Daily News).

To those of us who may be shocked by now, keep in mind that the program would not be entertaining if there was none of the dead-pan humor that Colbert is famous for. Yet through the stiff acting, slightly off timing, and satirical songs, there are moments of sincerity, especially when the crazy bunch join together to sing Nick Lowe's non-ironic "(What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?"

Now that's a merry Christmas.