Nate Bargatz’s Nashville Christmas Includes CBS, Netflix and Titans?

On December 26, 2024By Littum

Nashville native Nate Bargatze will be busy this holiday season. Not only is he hosting a Christmas special on CBS and debuting a new comedy special on Netflix, he’s also working out with the Tennessee Titans?

The stand-up comedian appeared on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football Thursday morning to share a clip of him from the Christmas Special featuring his contribution “on the practice field.”

The clip showcased Bargatze’s wide receiver skills as he demonstrated the “difference” he can make on the field to Titans players.

The comedian stuck by Good Morning Football to preview the “Nate Bargatze’s Nashville Christmas” special, which airs Thursday night on CBS. He also talked about being in the Saturday Night Live locker room when Vanderbilt, his favorite college football team, upset Alabama back in October.

Here’s what you need to know about the special and what else you need to know about the Nashville-born comedian.

Why ‘Nate Bargatze’s Nashville Christmas’ is old-school

The variety show will feature his stand-up, sketches and musical guest appearances by Carrie Underwood, Jelly Roll, Darius Rucker and Noah Kahan – all performed at the Grand Ole Opry.

Speaking to Nashville Lifestyles, Bargatze emphasized that he wanted it to be feel-good entertainment for all ages with a dose of nostalgia.

“It’s kind of an old-fashioned thing. The TV I knew growing up, and I think the TV that a lot of people knew, it’s just not quite there anymore, Bargatze told Nashville Lifestyles.

“A Christmas variety special is something I don’t think has been done for a while. I wanted to do something that hopefully everyone will sit down and watch together as a family.”

The special is produced by Lorne Michaels, creator and producer of ‘Saturday Night Live’, which Bargatze has now hosted twice.

Nate Bargatze comedy special, which will be followed by an appearance on NFL Christmas Gameday Live on Netflix

Netflix fans should get ready to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with Bargatze.

His latest comedy special, “Your Friend, Nate Bargatze” premieres on the streaming platform on December 24. Bargatze calls it the biggest, and it will be followed by another special on Netflix at a later date.

On Christmas Day, Bargatze is among the star-studded lineup of commentators featured during Netflix’s NFL Christmas Gameday event, which features two football games and a performance by Beyoncé.

Speaking to Good Morning Football, Bargatze said he will appear from Pittsburgh, where the Steelers will host the Super Bowl winners Kansas City Chiefs. The game will air live on Netflix at 1:00 PM ET.

The second game will be broadcast live from Houston, with the Texans hosting the Baltimore Ravens starting at 4:30 PM ET. Beyoncé performs during the halftime show.

How many Nate Bargatze deals are there?

If you’d like to familiarize yourself with Bargatze’s material sooner, there are five specials to catch:

Nate Bargatze and his dad: Entertaining is a family tradition

Bargatze is not the only entertainer in his family. His father, Stephen Bargatzeis a skilled magician who also works as a clown and often acts as Nate’s opening act.

In November 2019, Stephen accompanied his son when he made his debut at the Wynn Encore Theater in Las Vegas.

“It’s like the crazy dream to play Vegas,” Bargatze shared Forbes. “And especially coming from the world where I came from with my father, it’s a huge thing. My father … is in the show with me. … So it will be a very cool thing to do – to have me and him come to Vegas together. It’s going to be incredible.”

Nate Bargatze has transitioned from working at the West Wilson Utility District to comedy

In 2001, Bargatze made a choice that would change the course of his life. He decided to quit his job in Mt. Juliet and read water meters for the West Wilson Utility District and went to Chicago with a friend and colleague, Michael Clay.

Despite his lack of comedic experience, Bargatze bet it all. He and Clay loaded up a U-Haul, rented a less-than-desirable apartment, and took jobs at a bar. Bargatze enrolled in comedy classes and attended improv and open mic nights.

Bargatze then moved to New York, where he would spend seven years perfecting his routines at comedy clubs.

Breaks an attendance record at Bridgestone Arena

When Bargatze daydreamed about success, he envisioned his hometown stage at Bridgestone Arena. On April 15, that dream came true when his show “From Old Hickory to Broadway” sold out to an audience of 19,365 fans.

The show broke the venue’s attendance record, which was set by Morgan Wallen with 19,292 people just a month earlier.

“I used to daydream about playing @bridgestonearenaofficial when I was younger but I never imagined this,” he said in a Instagram post. “Thanks, Nashville! I love you all.”

‘The nicest man in stand-up’

In 2021, Atlantic Ocean called Bargatze the “handiest man in stand-up”. And rightly so, Bargatze’s comedy routines steer clear of crude or sexual material. He doesn’t even swear, mainly because he couldn’t imagine doing it in front of his parents, he said Fox in February.

“Yet, even now, I’m 43 years old, and I still just couldn’t do it. So that’s how I write. I think I write my comedy for—a lot of it is to get my parents to to laugh,” he said. “I want them to be proud and be like, ‘Oh, come see my son do comedy’ and not be offended by it. I just don’t have it in me to want to offend anybody or make anybody feel bad.”

Bargatze draws much of his material from his own family and his experience of growing up in a southern, Christian household. Not being allowed to watch certain material in his childhood shaped the type of comedian he is, he told Fox.

Diana Leyva covers trending news and service for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana