For Nate Bargatze, the “Nashville Christmas” special is just the beginning

Despite the many accolades he’s received throughout his 20-plus year career as a GRAMMY-nominated comedian, podcaster, director and producer, Nate Bargatze still has more on his plate.

On November 21, Bargatze taped a primetime Christmas variety special at the Grand Ole Opry, which will air on CBS on December 19. In the co-production of Bargatze and Lorne Michaels’ production company Broadway Video, viewers can expect a mixture of Up, short films, sketches, musical guests and lots of holiday fun. It’s feel-good entertainment for all ages and offers a dose of nostalgia that Bargatze (and many others) will appreciate.

“It’s kind of an old-school thing. The TV that I knew as a kid, and I think the TV that a lot of people knew, is just not quite there anymore. I don’t think there has been a Christmas range offer for some time. I wanted to make something that hopefully everyone could watch together as a family. I would like to start having things like this; Appointment viewing like before. I think people still want to sit together and have a plan for their night. So it’s kind of the old-fashioned way to organize a variety special. It’s just about providing pure entertainment and a nice, fun Christmas show,” he says.

Nate Bargatze returns to the Grand Ole Opry, the site of his first job

To make it special, Bargatze recorded the show at the Grand Ole Opry. It was a full-circle moment that his younger self could never have imagined.

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“It means a lot. There used to be the theme park Opryland (USA) and that was my first job. “When I was 15, I couldn’t even imagine filming something here. I was a park sweeper and we swept the park and the front steps of the Grand Ole Opry,” she tells Bargatze.

“I want to do a lot in Nashville. Coming from here, Nashville has obviously exploded, but I think there’s a lot of good, good, great people here and we can do a lot of things here. I’m glad something is being filmed here and I hope we can do more here.”

Nate Bargatze’s new Netflix special is just one of many upcoming projects

But that’s not all Bargatze has to offer this holiday season. His new stand-up special “Your Friend, Nate Bargatze” premieres on Netflix on December 24th, with a second Netflix special to follow. Given the popularity of his previous specials fueling this show, viewers are sure to get plenty of laughs.

“It’s the greatest thing. It was shot in an arena – you know I’m going to be biased because I own it – but it looks really great. We got some really great shots. The comedy is more of an intimate affair, so I think we can keep that with the cameras. It’s not like it’s always just this crazy long shot,” says Bargatze. “We’ve been on tour, I’ve been to the arenas, so it’s just about capturing that. We went back to Phoenix, where I recorded the previous one, and Phoenix is a great city. I’m thrilled. We recorded it in April, so it will be the longest wait I’ve ever had before a special comes out. I’m excited to see the reaction.”

And Bargatze has even more to look forward to in the new year. This spring, he’s expanding his repertoire into a new medium with the release of his first book, Big Dumb Eyes: Stories From A Simpler Mind, available May 6. For Bargatze, publishing a book is another way to bring out even more laughter in The Lives of Others.

“There is a comedian, Paul Reiser, very funny. I remember reading his book when I first got into comedy and I remember laughing like I was watching his standup on TV and I thought it was crazy to laugh so hard “If I just read something,” says Bargatze. “I think in the back of my mind I always wanted to do it. It’s just about giving people more things to absorb that aren’t heavy, it’s just about creating a break from the stress of everyone’s life.”

The desire to give people something light-hearted that they can enjoy is a common thread through all of Bargatze’s projects. This is clearly evident in his comedies, where he often makes fun of himself more than the crowd, and when he includes a loved one in the joke, he makes sure the humor is accompanied by a lot of love. Because for Bargatze, it’s all about making people laugh.

“I love making people laugh. When I stand on stage and see someone really, really laugh, like their whole body is shaking, it’s a wonderful feeling,” says Bargatze. “I like it when you say something that just hits someone. Even though everyone might laugh, for some reason maybe that happened to that person that day, it resonated with them, so it’s always very gratifying to hear that.”

Read the full story at nashvillelifestyles.com.

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