Wondery Announces ‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Talk Show with Saturday Night Live’s James Austin Johnson

You’re one mean podcaster, Mr. Grinch! Today, Wondery, an Amazon company, announced ‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Talk Show, a brand-new original podcast series from Wondery and Dr. Seuss Enterprises. Featuring comedian James Austin Johnson (Saturday Night Live) as The Grinch, the series will debut exclusively on Wondery+ on Nov. 1 before becoming widely available starting on Nov. 6, with new episodes releasing weekly through Dec. 21. From stealing Christmas to stealing podcast listeners’ attention, this fun-filled variety podcast starring everyone’s favorite holiday curmudgeon is a delight for listeners of all ages. In each episode, The Grinch sits down with a celebrity guest(s) including Olympic Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson East, WWE superstar Cody Rhodes, actress Skai Jackson, fellow SNL-cast member Bobby Moynihan, and comedian and actor Patton Oswalt, who will try to convince The Grinch to embrace the spirit of Christmas. Also making this holiday season a “treat” for all furry fans of The Grinch, Purina will serve as the presenting sponsor of ‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Talk Show. So every Who, young and old, gather ‘round with some Who pudding and roast beast, and get ready for a delightfully Grinchy new holiday tradition!

“I have always felt a kinship with The Grinch, and while some actors wouldn’t touch this role with a 39-and-a-half foot pole, I am honored to be the voice behind everyone’s favorite deplorable character this holiday season,” said James Austin Johnson. “Getting into the character’s shoes – or rather, furry green feet – has been a wild and rewarding ride. I can’t wait for listeners to join us live from Who-Ville for some mischief, and maybe even some fun.”

Following in the footsteps of Boris Karloff, Jim Carrey, and Benedict Cumberbatch to take up this iconic holiday role, James Austin Johnson is a comedian originally from Nashville and a featured cast member on Saturday Night Live. His spot-on impression of Trump, paired with his improvisational ramblings about Weird Al, Julia Louis Dreyfus, and Scooby-Doo have garnered over 5 million views, with profiles on James in Vanity Fair, Slate, Mashable, and VICE to name a few.

‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Talk Show is the second series to be announced under a collaboration between podcast studio Wondery and Dr. Seuss Enterprises. The first series, The Cat in the Hat Cast, is a “fantastical variety show-style podcast series hosted by everyone’s favorite red and white hat-wearing Cat.” Both ‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Talk Show and The Cat in the Hat Cast join Wondery Kids & Family’s roster of family programming including Wow in the World, the #1 science podcast for families according to Podtrac, hosted by Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas; the award-winning Little Stories Everywhere, a weekly story podcast that brings listeners into magical, adventurous, fantastical tales to excite imaginations; and Whose Amazing Life?, a puzzle format podcast that presents facts about a renowned figure and invites listeners to guess who the person is at the conclusion of each episode.