Bill Murray‘s one off Holiday special, A Very Murray Christmas, premiered on Netflix yesterday and was equal parts weird and wonderful and chocked full of celebrity cameos.

‘A Very Murray Christmas’ Review

The basic premise of the special, really just an excuse for Murray and guests to break into song every couple of minutes, is that bad weather has blocked all forms of transport and Murray is worried it will prevent folks from making it to his show at the Carlyle Hotel. Through perseverance, however, a whole roster of Murray’s celebrity pals including Miley Cyrus, George Clooney and Chris Rock manage to arrive and promptly join in on the holiday fun.

First to arrive is Paul Shaffer who provides the musical backbone for the proceedings and a number of Christmas classics are performed. Miley Cyrus does a decent “Silent Night,” Murray and Chris Rock do a dangerously off-key “Do You Hear What I Hear?” and Clooney joins the host for a hilariously silly rendition of “Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’”.

Murray’s brand of humor and the Christmas special format make for strange bedfellows. A tone of melancholy runs throughout A Very Murray Christmas, but it never manages to really get at the heartstrings. It does better when playing for laughs.

It’s no Christmas classic but Murray fans are bound to adore it just the same.