Chomping on Christmas Sandwiches! with Danny DeVito & Lucy DeVito | 3

Summary

Summary of 'Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast

Episode: "Chomping on Christmas Sandwiches! with Danny DeVito & Lucy DeVito | 3"
Release Date: November 27, 2024

In the third episode of 'Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast, the Grinch welcomes famous father-daughter duo Danny and Lucy DeVito to discuss their latest holiday-themed movie, "A Sudden Case of Christmas." Amidst witty banter and characteristic grumblings about the holiday season, the episode delves into topics ranging from dental hygiene to the commercialization of Christmas, all while unraveling the mystery of Whoville's missing letters to Santa.

1. Welcoming the DeVitos in the Green Room

The episode kicks off with the Grinch attempting to manage the podcast's technical aspects, humorously struggling with Wi-Fi setups:

• Grinch (00:00): "Isn't it a terrible day? Of course it is, because we're one day closer to the holidays."
• Danny DeVito (00:38): "What's the WI fi?"
• Grinch (00:44): "Here, let me help you out, Danny. Try Whoville PublicLibraryGuest."

The interaction sets a light-hearted tone, highlighting the Grinch's reluctance towards the festivities while showcasing his hosting charm.

2. Grinch’s Rants on Dental Hygiene

Shifting gears, the Grinch launches into a rant about children's dental hygiene, expressing his disdain for constant brushing:

• Grinch (03:47): "Your teeth are just gonna fall out anyway...temporary ones won't be needed soon."
• Cindy Lou Who (05:03): "Actually, Mr. Grinch, dental hygiene is of the utmost importance. Bacteria from your teeth and gums can make its way into the bloodstream and cause heart and lung problems."

This segment blends humor with a mock-serious tone, as Cindy counters the Grinch's cynical views with factual information, adding depth to the conversation.

3. Parodying Christmas Music

The Grinch entertains listeners by parodying classic Christmas songs, offering his grinchy takes:

• Grinch (06:20): "Here's my genius take on Silent Night... Silent Bike, Quiet Bike."
• Cindy Lou Who (07:49): "Okay, and did we check if the original Silent Night is in the public domain?"

His creative efforts underscore his struggle with embracing the holiday spirit, injecting humor through his unconventional song lyrics.

4. Discussing "A Sudden Case of Christmas" with Danny and Lucy DeVito

The heart of the episode revolves around the DeVitos promoting their new film:

• Grinch (09:23): "Do you brush it or do you comb it or do you...I mow."
• Lucy DeVito (10:16): "So we've decided as a family to have Christmas kind of spontaneously in August."
• Danny DeVito (14:26): "I like putting the balls on the tree and the lights and everything...I don't like taking them off the tree."

Through playful dialogue, the Grinch and his guests explore the challenges and quirks of celebrating Christmas out of season, highlighting the movie's premise of bringing holiday cheer in August.

5. Grinch’s Growing Heart and Reflections

As the conversation progresses, the Grinch begins to show signs of his heart growing, a recurring theme in his character arc:

• Grinch (15:45): "Oh, my gosh. You saw me as I am...my heart's growing."
• Danny DeVito (16:10): "Grinch is fine."

This emotional pivot hints at the Grinch's softening stance towards Christmas, influenced by his interactions with the DeVitos.

6. Investigating Whoville's Missing Letters to Santa

Transitioning from the main interview, the Grinch resumes his role as a detective investigating the disappearance of children's letters to Santa:

• Grinch (20:34): "Merry, Merry Christmas. This is Postmaster General Joy Glee."
• Joy Glee (20:45): "Now, who can I help you today?"
• Grinch (21:22): "You've got plenty of mail up there in the North Pole. Is it possible one of the elves could have misplaced them?"

Through his investigative dialogue, the Grinch narrows down potential suspects, ultimately suspecting the mailman of sabotaging Christmas for Whoville's citizens.

• Grinch (22:16): "We need to nab that mailman... What’s his motive?"

His deductive reasoning adds a layer of mystery and engages listeners in the ongoing Whodunnit narrative of the podcast.

7. Conclusion and Teasers for Future Episodes

The episode wraps up with the Grinch reflecting on the investigation and setting the stage for future content:

• Grinch (25:03): "Tis the Grinch Holiday Podcast is a production of Wondery and Dr. Seuss Enterprises..."

While adhering to the podcast's structure, the Grinch hints at the continuation of his quest to solve the mystery, encouraging listeners to stay tuned for more adventures.

Notable Quotes

• Grinch on Dental Hygiene (03:47): "Your teeth are just gonna fall out anyway."
• Cindy Lou Who (05:03): "Oral hygiene is of the utmost importance."
• Grinch on Christmas Music (06:20): "Silent Bike, Quiet Bike."
• Lucy DeVito (10:16): "We've decided as a family to have Christmas kind of spontaneously in August."
• Danny DeVito (14:26): "I don't like taking [Christmas decorations] off the tree."
• Grinch on Heart Growing (15:45): "My heart's growing."

These quotes encapsulate the episode's humor, character dynamics, and underlying themes of transformation and holiday skepticism.

Conclusion

Episode 3 of 'Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast masterfully blends humor, celebrity interviews, and an engaging mystery plot. Through interactions with Danny and Lucy DeVito, the Grinch not only promotes their new movie but also subtly begins to reflect on the true spirit of Christmas. The ongoing investigation into the missing letters to Santa adds an interactive element, inviting listeners to participate in solving the Whoville whodunnit. This episode balances comedic rants with heartfelt moments, staying true to the Grinch's complex character while entertaining a family audience.

Transcript

[Grinch]

Wondery subscribers can listen to every episode of Tis the Grinch Holiday Podcast. Ad free. Join Wondery to get exclusive Christmas mystery bonus content. Start your free trial in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Wondry. Hi, Grinch here. Isn't it a terrible day? Of course it is, because we're one day closer to the holidays. But hey, season two, Pretty cool, right? It means I get to hang out with celebs like today. Today's guest, Lucy and Danny DeVito. Let's just check on them in the great room here. Knock, knock, knock.

[Danny DeVito]

Hey, Grinch.

[Lucy DeVito]

Hey, Grinch.

[Grinch]

Thanks for being here. How do you like the green room? There's WI fi if you need it.

[Danny DeVito]

What's the WI fi? What's the WI fi?

[Grinch]

Here, let me help you out, Danny. Try Whoville PublicLibraryGuest.

[Danny DeVito]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a minute. Whoville Underscore Public Underscore Library Underscore Guest.

[Lucy DeVito]

No, that's not working.

[Grinch]

Okay. All right. Try Mount Crumpetobservatory wifi.

[Danny DeVito]

No, no, not with me either.

[Grinch]

All right, try whovillemayor's Office. Underscore Private.

[Danny DeVito]

How many of these do you have?

[Grinch]

The WI Fi guy refuses to come up Mount Crumpet and set it up for me, so maybe I borrow WI fi from local businesses from time to time. So what?

[Danny DeVito]

How do you communicate with anybody? Would none of them work?

[Grinch]

By dove?

[Lucy DeVito]

By dove.

[Grinch]

Frankly, by dove. Okay, I send doves down.

[Danny DeVito]

Oh.

[Grinch]

Why do you think it smells so bad in here?

[Danny DeVito]

Oh, I get it. I get it.

[Lucy DeVito]

Yeah, I was wondering what that was.

[Danny DeVito]

I heard something cooing.

[Grinch]

Yeah, those are my doves. Oh, oh, oh. Hold on. Abigail. No. My primo pigeon. Abigail got out of her cage. Shoot. Abigail, get back here.

[Announcer]

From Wondry and Dr. Seuss, we're broadcasting directly from Mount Crumpet Studios on the southwest north side of downtown Whoville. Hopefully the smell isn't coming through whatever device you're listening to this on. Tis the Grinch Holiday Podcast, this week's special guests, Danny DeVito and Lucy DeVito. That's a lot of DeVitos. Plus, the Grinch is joined by his kid producer and world class tattletale, Cindy Lou who. Along with his animal accomplice, Max the dog. And now he's the color of that pooling liquid outside the nuclear power plant.

[Grinch]

Here he is. It's the Grinch. Hey, hey, what up? Another episode of the Grinch in your ears? Ready to cause some holiday tears? I'm a mere projection of your Christmas fears. And I'm rhyming again, aren't I, Cindy?

[Cindy Lou Who]

You are indeed. Which means you're in need.

[Grinch]

What are you doing?

[Cindy Lou Who]

Well, I was just.

[Grinch]

You stealing my rhyming bit now? Is that what you're trying to do? Steal my bit with the rhyming and such?

[Cindy Lou Who]

I. I didn't know it was.

[Grinch]

I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Relax. It was a really fun, memorable moment on the show. Just don't ever try it again. Rhyming is kind of my thing. Kay, thanks. And that's Max, the dog. Hello, Max. There's half a roast beef sandwich over near the. Okay. Attab found it. I love when he eats and then frightens himself with his own burps. Wow. Moving on. Time for old Grinchy to talk about something I find horrible, deplorable and utterly unignorable.

[Announcer]

Hold on to your seats. Keep on your pants. The Grinch is going on one of his rants.

[Grinch]

I know I have some young listeners out there. What's up, mini peeps? Buy a rustle at blankies. How many little stinkers are listening right now? But I know there's a lot of older kids listening, too, and it doesn't really matter because what I have to say applies to all of you. Listen, your parents are obsessed with your teeth and how often you brush them. Especially around the holidays when you're likely to be eating a lot of sweets. But why all the brushing? Whatever for? Your teeth are just gonna fall out anyway. Okay, honey, brush your teeth. Make sure you brush, brush, brush, brush, brush, brush, brush. Those temporary won't be needed soon. Teeth that will fall out of your mouth anyway. Like a dead pinecone off a tree in the middle of the. Let me lay a truth bomb on you guys. Here's what happens when the new ones come in. They come in all crooked and jagged like mine. And then what do your parents do? Put your teeth in medieval metal prisons called braces. Gee, I'm a happy kid. But I know what would make me happier. If a deranged torture doctor erected a barbed wire fence in my mouth. But look, I'm no expert on teeth. I mean, I only have three of them left myself. They're so old and ground down at this point, they look like ancient fishing spears you'd see in a whaling museum.

[Cindy Lou Who]

Actually, Mr. Grinch, dental hygiene is of the utmost importance. Bacteria from your teeth and gums can make its way into the bloodstream and cause heart and lung problems.

[Grinch]

Yeah, okay. It's not the Oregon Trail, okay? I'm not gonna die of dysentery. Max, can we fact check, Cindy, please? What do you mean you can't operate a computer? Figure it out. Now, where was I? Oh, yeah. You know what else you do, parents? After your kid's tooth falls out, you make them put it under their pillow. So Weird Fairy can sneak into your house in the middle of the night and put paper money under your pillows. Come on. Kids don't want cash. Say it with me. Kids want crypto. Okay, you know who. Coin, Blizzmox, Fart cash, Fortnite points, Whatever you can get your hands on. All right, you gotta get aboard the blockchain train. All right. Woo hoo.

[Cindy Lou Who]

Oh, you nailed the joke, Mr. Grinch. But not so much the message. Like I was saying earlier, oral hygiene.

[Grinch]

What the heck is Gene? And why do you keep saying hi to him on my show? Now, where was I? Oh, yeah, speaking of all this tooth talk, Cindy, that reminds me. The other day I went down to the Whoville pharmacy to pick up some medicine for a very normal and not embarrassing condition.

[Cindy Lou Who]

Oh, you don't have to explain, Mr. Grinch. It's no one else's business.

[Grinch]

That's right. It's no one else's business whether bugs live in my eyebrows. So I go inside and with what am I accosted? Christmas music. I mean, you don't even have to loathe Christmas to loathe these tunes. I think we can all agree that we as a society have heard these same exact songs way too many times. So I figured why not undercut the arrival of the Christmas cacophony with my own takes on well known holiday songs. You've heard of Taylor's version? Well, here comes Grinch's version. Okay, first up is my genius take on Silent Night. So for this one, you have to know I have this bike here that I bought down at Hoover. And even though I've oiled it many times, it's still really noisy. So I've been dreaming, of course, of this being, you guessed it. Silent Bike, Quiet Bike. No weird sounds. Wouldn't that be nice? No farting winds, no jeers from a child Just a chin whose triangles are mine. Ride through town without weird looks Ride through town without getting any weird looks from the hooves Whose goal is to make me miserable.

[Cindy Lou Who]

Okay, and did we check if the original Silent Night is in the public domain?

[Grinch]

Public what? Talk to the suits about that. Okay? I'm a creative clw. All right? Get me in the lab with Phineas. Let me cook. Anyway, next up, this one. This one just came to Me so easy you'll recognize this classic and a 1, and a 2 and a 3 protect your crotch when you play hockey fa la la la la Pucks really hurt Inspect the stalls of your pet donkey FA la la la la what's that smell? Okay, that one is also gold, right?

[Cindy Lou Who]

Oh, I'm not sure we're allowed to.

[Grinch]

Write songs that are awesome. Is that what we're not allowed to do? Hopefully, they'll make an exception. You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch. You really are a heel. You're as cuddly as a cactus. You're as charming as an eel, Mr. Grinch. You're a bad banana with a greasy black peel. My guests tonight are here. Hockey. Their new Christmas movie. Blech. So we're already off on the wrong foot. They're a father and daughter duo, which is adorable, I guess. And they both star in the new holiday family comedy, A Sudden Case of Christmas. Please welcome Lucy and Danny DeVito. Hey, guys. Thanks for coming up to Mount Crub. Hey, you guys look great.

[Lucy DeVito]

So do you.

[Grinch]

Oh, thank you. Well, there's not a whole lot that I can really change about this, but, you know the green fur thing?

[Danny DeVito]

Do you brush it or do you comb it or do you.

[Grinch]

I mow.

[Danny DeVito]

You mow it?

[Grinch]

I mow it.

[Lucy DeVito]

You mow it.

[Danny DeVito]

Yeah, because it's growing, right?

[Grinch]

It's growing. And I'll have to get, like, a kid. Sometimes it's Cindy, sometimes it's my dog, Max. But I get one of those 50s, you know.

[Danny DeVito]

Yeah.

[Grinch]

Analog lawn mowers. And they just go up and down like a lint roller.

[Danny DeVito]

You must feel good, too, though.

[Lucy DeVito]

I was going to say that must be like a massage.

[Danny DeVito]

Yeah, it's like a little massage.

[Grinch]

Now, y'all, I got to talk about. There's A Sudden Case of Christmas. I like that title. A Sudden Case of Christmas. It makes Christmas sound like a virus, you know, which it is. Sorry, I can't make your art, gall. I've come down with A sudden case at Christmas. And I've been in the bathroom all day. Is that what this movie's about?

[Danny DeVito]

No, it's about Christmas at a different time of year. Oh, a sudden case. All of a sudden.

[Lucy DeVito]

So we've decided as a family to have Christmas kind of spontaneously in August.

[Grinch]

Yeah, in August again. I mean, wearing this in August. And I can't take it off. It gets a little humid.

[Danny DeVito]

Yeah.

[Grinch]

I'm a biome. Yeah, I am a biome.

[Danny DeVito]

You are. You're a petri dish.

[Grinch]

I'm Very much like a petri dish.

[Danny DeVito]

Have a lot of friends in that fur?

[Grinch]

I do, and I'll tell you this, it gets itchy. And I find out later that the itching is like neighborhoods being put up and taken down, like company towns being built up around a factory or something, you know?

[Danny DeVito]

Oh, they're just doing stuff in there. Moving from different parts of you all around your back and around your neck.

[Grinch]

Oh, yeah. People go, oh, I hate the traffic in the city. I think I'm going to move to his right butt cheek. I'll move up into the ear area. Oh, it's really nice in the ear this time of year. Wow. Okay, so a movie about Christmas in the summer. What a novel idea that I hope never catches on.

[Danny DeVito]

No, we're gonna do it every year.

[Grinch]

No, it's bad enough that the holidays muck up winter, okay? And now here come the devitos, pushing Christmas on us in the summer down our throats. I mean, what kind of propaganda?

[Danny DeVito]

You can sing songs, you can give presents.

[Lucy DeVito]

You know, Christmas lasts all year.

[Danny DeVito]

Yeah.

[Grinch]

Yeah, now it does.

[Lucy DeVito]

We can always have that joy Spread that love around.

[Grinch]

Yeah, now it lasts all year. Just look in the drugstore aisles. They're selling the candy all the time. I don't want the Christmas Reese's. I want the Easter. I like the Easter Reese's.

[Danny DeVito]

Oh, the Easter Reese's.

[Grinch]

That's a good one.

[Lucy DeVito]

Okay.

[Danny DeVito]

The Reese's with the little wreath on them.

[Grinch]

I don't like the wreath. I want the egg, baby.

[Danny DeVito]

You know, you get the regular wreath. You save it for Christmas and you eat it during Christmas under the tree.

[Grinch]

I guess that's true. I would need a tree to do that. I'm pretty anti tree.

[Danny DeVito]

You could go outside and sit under.

[Lucy DeVito]

A tree, or you can come over to our house and sit it under the tree.

[Danny DeVito]

Yeah, we'll have a tree.

[Grinch]

Yeah, I'm the Grinch. I'm not Rip Van Winkle. Okay. I'm the Grinch. I got a house.

[Danny DeVito]

You might want to come to our house for Christmas. A Sudden Case of Christmas where the Grinch bakes cookies the night before.

[Grinch]

Do you like watching holiday movies? Do you have a favorite?

[Lucy DeVito]

I mean, I'm a big fan of.

[Grinch]

Some classics like Batman Returns.

[Lucy DeVito]

Yeah, right.

[Grinch]

That's a Christmas movie, isn't it? It's a Christmas movie.

[Danny DeVito]

Yeah, it's a Christmas movie.

[Lucy DeVito]

Die Hard. Die Hard's a Christmas movie.

[Grinch]

Die Hard's a Christmas movie.

[Danny DeVito]

That's right. Die Hard is a Christmas movie.

[Lucy DeVito]

Yeah, you might like that.

[Grinch]

I do like it. I like my Christmas with a side of explosions. Lucy, I mean, obviously you work with your old man all the time. Did you witness any diva behavior from Pops over there or does he keep it strictly perfesh on set?

[Lucy DeVito]

Oh, yeah, you know, he's Mr. Diva. He requires a lot of att.

[Danny DeVito]

Well, I mean, listen, I did a lot of things. I'm an icon. You gotta treat an icon like a diva.

[Lucy DeVito]

I mean, you know, it's the same kind of respect that you would want, you know, on a set. Grinch.

[Danny DeVito]

Yeah, the Grinch would want that.

[Lucy DeVito]

Yeah.

[Grinch]

Oh, yeah.

[Danny DeVito]

This latte is too cold.

[Grinch]

100%. This kind of thing.

[Lucy DeVito]

Exactly.

[Grinch]

I said I wanted it iced, not ice. Y. I wanted it iced and then transferred to another cup where there's no ice in it.

[Lucy DeVito]

Exactly.

[Grinch]

There's rocks in this Negroni. I said no rocks. All right, well, it's time to play some who ish Geography. It seems we are connected through an old college pal of mine, the Lorax.

[Danny DeVito]

By the way, I did the movie the Lorax. Taylor Swift. She was in that movie.

[Grinch]

You played the Lorax. That's what I'm talking about. I mean, I know this guy. When you were preparing to play him in 2012, why didn't you call me? I mean, I know the guy.

[Danny DeVito]

Yeah, I know you know him, but Dr. Seuss should have hooked us up.

[Grinch]

I hear a lot about that guy, but he's just not answering my emails. I gotta hit him up again.

[Danny DeVito]

I love the Lorax. He speaks for the trees.

[Grinch]

He does.

[Danny DeVito]

Man of the forest.

[Grinch]

Have you ever been, like, a forest man? You ever been that kind of guy?

[Danny DeVito]

I've been to a forest. I walked through a forest. It was, like, really creepy and crazy. You would like it.

[Grinch]

You gotta tell me, is there one thing, one thing about the holidays that makes either of you feel grinchy?

[Danny DeVito]

Yeah.

[Grinch]

Do you know what I mean by grinchy?

[Danny DeVito]

Where you're like, I do, I do. I know what you mean.

[Grinch]

The holidays are just getting to you.

[Lucy DeVito]

Yeah, I feel grunchy when I have to. I don't really like wearing a holiday sweater, you know?

[Grinch]

Oh, try doing it. 24, 7, 365.

[Danny DeVito]

Babe, you're talking to who is a sweater.

[Grinch]

Danny. What about you, Grinchy? What makes you grinchy, hon?

[Danny DeVito]

Grinchy about me is like, I already said, I like having a Christmas tree and I like decorating it and everything. I don't like to take it down. Yeah, all those needles come off, you know, and you gotta vacuum them up and you gotta Sweep em up. You know, I like putting the balls on the tree and the lights and everything.

[Grinch]

Some people call them ornaments.

[Danny DeVito]

Yeah, ornaments. I don't like taking them off the tree, wrapping them up in the tissue paper, and then putting them in a box so they don't break. And waiting until next year.

[Grinch]

Oh, gosh. You know, the more you talk about it, the more I'm reconsidering my whole thing because taking down Christmas is kind of my whole deal.

[Danny DeVito]

Yeah.

[Grinch]

And you're talking to me now and you're like, oh, that's the not fun part. And I'm like, yo, that's the fun part for me is removing the Christmas from a roof.

[Danny DeVito]

This is a match made never. Because I can put the tree up.

[Grinch]

And then I can take it down.

[Lucy DeVito]

Yeah.

[Danny DeVito]

So everybody put their tree up at Christmas time and call you.

[Grinch]

Oh, my gosh. You saw me as I am. Ah, my heart. Ah. Ah. Ah. God, my heart's growing. Ah. Down, down, down, boy. Down. Ah. Oh, it really hurts. Back down. Oh, gee, I think I got it.

[Lucy DeVito]

You Grinch.

[Grinch]

I'm good. I'm good, guys. I'm good.

[Danny DeVito]

Oh, Grinch good.

[Grinch]

You almost got me.

[Danny DeVito]

Grinch is fine.

[Grinch]

You almost got me, Danny.

[Danny DeVito]

Okay.

[Grinch]

And loose. Because you saw me for who I am at this place in life, where.

[Lucy DeVito]

I'm at, we see you.

[Danny DeVito]

I don't want to bust your bubble, but where there's love, there's Christmas.

[Grinch]

Okay? That doesn't do anything for me at all. Final question, Danny, Perhaps your most indelible role is that of a pitch man for Jersey Mike's Subs. Yes, if there was a sandwich on the menu named the Danny DeVito, that would be on it. What's on your sandwich?

[Danny DeVito]

Yeah. Well, if I had to make my own sandwich and call it the Danny DeVito, I think that maybe what I would do with one sandwich is put anchovies on it.

[Grinch]

Anchovies. You know what I'm talking about. I want my maximum USDA allowed sodium. I want my 98% daily sodium.

[Danny DeVito]

I would take a Jersey Mike's really good one with a lot of good stuff on it. And then I would take a whole can of anchovies and I would lay it right over that Jersey Mike sandwich. And my mouth is watering. Boy, that would be good. What a bite that would be.

[Grinch]

And you just shake that can and get all the loose little fish bits. And oil. Oh, yeah, just all over it.

[Danny DeVito]

Really good olive oil. Yeah.

[Grinch]

You know, gut health is everything, isn't it?

[Danny DeVito]

I think so.

[Grinch]

Speaking of biomes, Right. Well, it's called A Sudden Case of.

[Danny DeVito]

Sudden Case of Christmas.

[Grinch]

It's gonna be out, and you're gonna know because Danny DeVito's gonna kick in your door with Lucy piggybacking. And they're gonna say, watch it.

[Lucy DeVito]

Exactly.

[Grinch]

Watch it. Now, guess what? It's August. It's time for Christmas.

[Danny DeVito]

Time for Christmas.

[Grinch]

Well, thanks for coming up here to Mount Crevin to be on the show. It really means so much. Really great to meet you, too. This has just been so wonderful.

[Danny DeVito]

Well, it's really nice to meet you.

[Lucy DeVito]

Yeah. Thank you so much for having us.

[Grinch]

I really wish we hit record.

[Danny DeVito]

Oh, that would have been great.

[Grinch]

That would have been great.

[Danny DeVito]

But you know what? In a couple days, you know, give us time to digest it again.

[Lucy DeVito]

Yeah, we can do it again.

[Grinch]

We'll do it again. All right. Thanks, kids.

[Danny DeVito]

Yeah.

[Grinch]

Okay, bye. All right. Thanks, DeVito's. That was so much fun. A Sudden Case of Christmas is available to rent, slash purchase right now on all major digital platforms.

[Joy Glee]

This is a prepaid call from the.

[Grinch]

Whoville Penitentiary from Wondery and my beautiful but twisted mind. This is cereal spelled with a C, like the breakfast food. The mystery of Whoville's missing letters to Santa investigated each week as I sit here and eat my late night bowl of joy. What are we eating today? Oh, Dreerios. Dreary O's. They're just little O's, but they make you O so sad. Word on the street is I'm the Scrooge who slayed Christmas. And the allegations are only gaining steam every night on the news. It's not a matter of if they'll arrest poor old Grinch, but when. Now, let's get one thing clear, because I do have a brand to protect. It's not that I care about the children of Whoville and their boring letters. Dear Santa, I've been a very good girl. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I'm doing this because since my dust up with Whoville, I have been a model citizen. I'm like the emrata of citizens, okay? And I'm not going to let some wannabe Grinch sully my good name. Well, my decent name. Okay? My bad name. Now I've got my journalist hat on. And while I'm not usually a hat guy, I look very cute in it. So today we're going straight to the source, the North Pole Post Office. This place is teeming with parcels, packages and periodicals and postcards. So while all of Whoville is blaming me, who's to say these Letters were stolen at all? Maybe they just got misplaced at the post office. Happens all the time. Let's call them up.

[Cindy Lou Who]

Merry, merry North Pole Post Office. How can I direct your call?

[Grinch]

Someone from the government picked up on the first ring. That's insane. I need to speak to the head honcho. The Postmaster Chief.

[Cindy Lou Who]

The Postmaster General. What?

[Grinch]

Don't make me say it. Fine. The Postmaster General, please. Ugh. Hold music. It's like I'm already in prison.

[Joy Glee]

Merry, Merry Christmas. This is Postmaster General Joy Glee.

[Grinch]

General Glee. I'm calling from the district of Whoville.

[Joy Glee]

Whoville. Oh, what a treat to hear from Whoville. Such a holly, jolly home.

[Grinch]

Yeah, yeah, except for that one guy I know. Well, guess what? That guy's me.

[Joy Glee]

I'm sure I don't know what you mean. Now, who can I help you today? I mean, how can I help you? I do that all the time.

[Grinch]

Wait, you don't recognize my voice? It's. It's me. Grinch. The Grinch? You know, the mastermind behind the greatest Christmas caper of all time. Cute, furry green guy, the new face of podcasting. Child facing. Scary. Not too scary, but, you know, like, scary enough. Get the flavor of the. The villain thing, you know?

[Joy Glee]

Sorry, I'm not familiar with your work, but it is such a delight to chat with anyone from Whoville. In fact, I've been meaning to check in. We haven't yet received a single letter to Santa. Usually Whoville's so far ahead of schedule.

[Grinch]

That's why I'm calling. I'm conducting a private investigation into the case of Whoville's missing letters, and I have a few questions for you. You've got plenty of mail up there in the North Pole. Is it possible one of the elves could have misplaced them?

[Joy Glee]

Missing letters. Such a shame. So sad for the children. But the answer is no. I'm quite certain no letters from Whoville ever crossed the North Pole border. I keep a very organized tracking system of all mail that comes in and goes out. Never once lost a piece of mail under my watch. So there's no chance anyone in the North Pole has even caught a glimpse of those letters.

[Grinch]

Well, if they never got to the North Pole, that means the letters really must have gone missing in Whoville. Rats.

[Joy Glee]

I'm sorry, mister. What was it, Squinch? I really should get back to work. Mary. Mary, make sure somebody finds those letters in time for Christmas, or Santa won't deliver a single gift to Whoville. But no pressure. Bye.

[Grinch]

Who cares about the gifts at a time like this? Max, if I don't find those letters, I'll never again see the light of day, which I don't really care about because I live in a cave, but I like to know that it's an option. All right, let's recap. Sounds like we can narrow our search to all of the citizens in Whoville. But who? Who the who would do this to those who's? Surely not me, But I have no clue. Arriving. My Achilles heel. Point is, we need a suspect. And Vast. Max, stop eating my mail. That's a federal offense, you mangy little genius. The mailman, of course. He's the one with the most access. He's got the getaway car. He's got the skimpy little shorts that show off his knees. But why? What's his motive? Great point, Max. I never thought of that before. Who would have more reason to ruin Christmas than the mailman? This whole season is a nightmare for mail carriers. Lugging those heavy boxes through the snow, deciphering all the terrible handwriting on envelopes. Is this addressed to Santa's workshop or Stanley Pork Chop? Anywho, it all makes sense. The mailman, of course. But Maxiboy, a hunch isn't enough. We need hard evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he, not me, stole the letters to Santa. We need to nab that mailman. Roll the credits. You're a vile one, Mr. Grinch. You have termites in your smile. You have all the tennis weakness of a seasick crocodile. Mr. Greench. Given the choice between the two of you, I'd take the seasick crocodile foreign if you like. Tis the Grinch Holiday Podcast. You can listen ad free and unlock even more Christmas mystery bonus content by listening on W plus. Join Wondery plus in the Wondery app, Spotify, or on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey.

[Cindy Lou Who]

Tis the Grinch holiday Podcast is a production of Wondery and Dr. Seuss Enterprises. Starring James Austin Johnson as the Grinch. With Anjulika Dupadini as Cindy Lou who? And Anthony Atamanik as the announcer. Featuring voice acting by Anjulikunnupaneni, Jamie Cooper and Nikki Palumbo. Ancillary voices generated using 11 labs. This episode was written by Dan Cronin and Joe Redling Shafer. Our sound designer is Kelly Kremeric with additional sound design by Jamie Kuklu. Music supervision by Scott Velasquez for Frizz on Sync. Senior producers are Adam Azeroff and Jennifer Klein Walker. Our coordinating producers are Sierra Franco and Mariah Gossett. Sarah Mathis is our managing producer and Callum Plews is our senior managing producer. Audio assembly by Daniel Gonzalez Carlos Hernandez is our audio engineer and Adrian Tapia is our studio manager. Additional engineering by Wolf Robinson and Kaitlyn Priebe. Executive produced by Susan Brandt for Dr. Seuss Enterprises. Executive producers are Lauren D, Dave Easton, Andrew Goldstein and Marshall Louie for Wondery.