DVD and Music Releases
The DVD went on sale on November 25, 2008. The special features include "a book burning Yule log, video advent calendar, alternate endings" and additional items, including an extra song "Cold, Cold Christmas".
However, the DVD differs from the Comedy Central airing in several ways (compared to its premiere on November 23, 2008 at 10 pm). The DVD's laugh track is not the same as the televised version, and it includes 5-second bumps after each act with the wreathed image of a guest, not seen on TV. The DVD includes two brief parts during the introduction to Jon Stewart and John Legend not seen on the TV version: Jon referring to his having a cabin in the woods a half hour earlier, and John extolling rangerhood by saying singing and the ladies in the audience are OK but his passion is moss and leaves.
On the other hand, the DVD is entirely missing one televised part. Comedy Central puts the credits on split screen, and while the DVD just continues the full-screen credits with music, the premiere has a coda with Elvis Costello helping Stephen finish his "Jingle Bells" parody and supplying the missing line "fighting crime with toys", and then Stephen going to put some coffee on, before cutting to split screen ads. This is not included as one of the alternate endings, or anywhere else on the DVD.
In addition, the DVD is missing the commercial/sponsor (Buff your jingle bells) parody that was shown on TV.
The songs from the special were released as a digital-only format available for download on iTunes. As of 2009, the album has not been released on CD. All proceeds from the iTunes and DVD sales go towards the Feeding America charity.
Read more about this topic: A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift Of All!
Famous quotes containing the words music and/or releases:
“The harp that once through Tara’s halls The soul of music shed, Now hangs as mute on Tara’s walls As if that soul were fled.”
—Thomas Moore (1779–1852)
“We need a type of theatre which not only releases the feelings, insights and impulses possible within the particular historical field of human relations in which the action takes place, but employs and encourages those thoughts and feelings which help transform the field itself.”
—Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956)