Amber Ruffin Enlists Vanessa Williams For A Christmas Spectacular (On A Budget)

By Andrew Sanford | TV | December 23, 2022 |

By Andrew Sanford | TV | December 23, 2022 |

Christmas time is almost here. The tree is up, the stockings are hung, and I only have two more trips outside before the temperature drops from 50 to 17 degrees. Life is good. As a relatively new parent to two 20-month-year-olds (as soon as they turn two, I’m identifying their age by years, I swear), it was important and necessary to put Christmas on a budget this year. Nothing too restrictive, luckily, but we did have to mind our spending. Not as much as Amber Ruffin, though!

On the season finale/Christmas Special for The Amber Ruffin Show, Amber brought out American icon Vanessa Williams for a Christmas celebration. Williams was singing and … that’s about it. No dancers. No singers. No holiday ringers. Vanessa had to sing Silent Night all on her sparkly lonesome. It was hilarious.

This sketch is all call and response. Vanessa introduces a new member of the act. Amber says they don’t have them. Both are so committed that it’s impossible not to laugh (at least it was for me). Amber is the treat she always is, but Williams is so frigging funny that I’d love to see her make regular appearances on the show. At one point, she screams “release the doves,” with passion and excitement that I snort-laughed.

The episode in which this sketch was featured is worth your time and attention. So is The Amber Ruffin Show. As its number of episodes continues to be decreased and Peacock seemingly moves away from comedy, it’s hard not to be worried about the show. Great programs get canceled all the time, and The Amber Ruffin Show is a great program. If you’d like to get this writer a last-minute Christmas gift, go watch The Amber Ruffin Show on Peacock.