The Red Nose Day Special

Celebrating Red Nose Day for the third year in a row, NBC has anchored a special night of programming on Thursday, May 25 with Chris Hardwick hosting the "The Red Nose Day Special" at 10:00 p.m. In addition, Academy Award winner Julia Roberts and other stars partake in Red Nose Day-themed programming throughout the night that both entertains viewers and gives them an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of kids in need.

"Celebrity Ninja Warrior for Red Nose Day" at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT is followed by a very special 9:00 p.m. episode of "Running Wild with Bear Grylls for Red Nose Day," with Roberts venturing to Kenya, leading up to NBC's third annual "The Red Nose Day Special," hosted by Hardwick at 10:00 p.m. The three shows are seamlessly tied together in celebration of Red Nose Day, with calls to action to donate throughout each of the three programs.

Throughout the night, viewers will be entertained, learn about the programs supported by Red Nose Day that are helping to change the lives of children, and have the opportunity to support the charity through calls to donate, making a real difference for kids in need here in the U.S. and around the world. 

The one-hour "Red Nose Day Special," hosted by comedian Chris Hardwick, will be broadcast live from Rockefeller Plaza in New York City in support of the Red Nose Day charity campaign. Stars appearing include Ben Affleck, Jack Black, Orlando Bloom, Yvette Nicole Brown, Bryan Cranston, Patrick Dempsey, Akbar Gbajabiamila, Bear Grylls, Mindy Kaling, Mark Hamill, Matt Iseman, DJ Khaled, Matt Lauer, Rachel McAdams, Seth Meyers, Bobby Moynihan, Julia Roberts, Al Roker, Paul Rudd, Dax Shepard, Ben Stiller and Kenan Thompson, along with "This Is Us" cast members Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley, Chris Sullivan, Susan Kelechi Watson and Ron Cephas Jones.

Shedding light on kids in need, Julia Roberts visits Africa and Paul Rudd visits rural Maine to show how children's lives can be changed and saved by Red Nose Day funds.

The special will also feature "Red Nose Day Actually," the much-anticipated reunion sequel to "Love Actually," catching up with cast members from the beloved holiday film, including Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Andrew Lincoln, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson and Bill Nighy.

In support of the Red Nose Day campaign, iconic buildings across the country will light up in red on May 25, including the Empire State Building in New York City, the Willis Tower in Chicago, the U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles, the Miami Tower in Miami, the Bank of America Plaza in Dallas, the Orlando Eye in Orlando, and the WoodmenLife Tower in Omaha. The Terminal Tower in Cleveland will turn red on May 24.

Red Nose Day is a fundraising campaign run by the nonprofit organization Comic Relief Inc., a registered U.S. 501(c)(3) public charity. Money raised supports programs that ensure children in need are safe, healthy and educated, both in the United States and in some of the poorest communities around the world.

Beneficiaries of Red Nose Day grants include charity organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs of America; charity: water; Children's Health Fund; Feeding America; Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; National Council of La Raza; Save the Children; and The Global Fund.

Red Nose Day launched in America in 2015 and, with generous support from millions of Americans and many outstanding partners, has raised more than $60 million in its first two years in the U.S. People across the country are encouraged to support the cause by coming together and wearing their red noses, organizing fundraising events and watching and donating during the night of Red Nose Day programming on NBC. The campaign's iconic red noses are sold exclusively at Walgreens and Duane Reade locations nationwide.

"CELEBRITY NINJA WARRIOR FOR RED NOSE DAY" - 8:00 P.M.

In the first celebrity edition of "American Ninja Warrior," nine brave stars tackle the course, all in the name of charity.

Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila serve as hosts, along with Kristine Leahy who co-hosts. The intrepid celebrity ninjas include Stephen Amell ("Arrow"), Erika Christensen ("Parenthood"), Jeff Dye ("Better Late Than Never"), two-time Olympic gold medalist Ashton Eaton, Nikki Glaser ("Not Safe with Nikki Glaser"), Derek Hough ("World of Dance"), Natalie Morales ("TODAY" and "Access Hollywood"), former New York Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher ("Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge") and Mena Suvari ("American Woman").

Each of the celebrities is paired with an elite ninja who serves as both coach and cheerleader - helping them prepare mentally and physically for their run. 

From the Floating Steps to the Warped Wall, the celebs have to face up to six challenging obstacles that call upon their upper body strength, agility and stamina. 

The elite ninja advisers include fan favorites and national finalists Kevin Bull (coaching Ashton Eaton), Kacy Catanzaro (coaching Stephen Amell), Drew Drechsel (coaching Nick Swisher), Natalie Duran (coaching Mena Suvari), Daniel Gil (coaching Derek Hough), Jessie Graff (coaching Nikki Glaser), Grant McCartney (coaching Natalie Morales), Meagan Martin (coaching Jeff Dye) and Flip Rodriguez (coaching Erika Christensen).

"American Ninja Warrior" is executive produced by A. Smith & Co. Productions' founders Arthur Smith and Kent Weed, along with Brian Richardson and Anthony Storm.

"RUNNING WILD WITH BEAR GRYLLS FOR RED NOSE DAY" - 9:00 P.M.

Bear Grylls enlists acclaimed actress Julia Roberts for a very special adventure to Kenya, where the pair navigate a hazardous route through a harsh landscape of desert, canyons and rivers to deliver lifesaving vaccines to a remote village before the vaccines expire. As Bear and Julia encounter the dangers and enjoy the majesty of this wild land, they know that any delay could mean disaster for dozens of local children counting on them. 

After a long journey to Kenya, Roberts visits with patients and medical staff at Wamba Hospital and is given lifesaving cold-chain vaccines that must be kept cold on the trip ahead. She meets Grylls and boards a bush plane, but a remote and dusty landing strip means they must jump from the moving plane before it takes off again. Forging ahead via land cruiser and on foot, the pair navigate through dense underbrush, avoid hungry crocodiles and hippos, and stay awake through the night to monitor their precious cargo and deliver it safely to the Samburu community, who are awaiting their arrival. 

The journey highlights the impact of lifesaving vaccines, which Red Nose Day helps to provide to children around the world.

"Running Wild with Bear Grylls" was developed by Bear Grylls and Delbert Shoopman. The series is produced by Electus and Bear Grylls Ventures. Grylls serves as executive producer along with Chris Grant, Drew Buckley, Vittoria Cacciatore and Shoopman.

"THE RED NOSE DAY SPECIAL" - 10:00 P.M.

Comedian, actor and TV host Chris Hardwick ("The Wall") hosts NBC's third annual "The Red Nose Day Special," featuring great comedy, top music performances and compelling films that shed light on kids in need. Some of Hollywood's biggest stars from film and television - including Julia Roberts, Paul Rudd, Ben Affleck, Jack Black, Orlando Bloom, Bryan Cranston, Ben Stiller, Patrick Dempsey, Seth Meyers, Kenan Thompson, Mindy Kaling and more - will appear in the annual special to benefit Red Nose Day, an annual charity campaign to help end child poverty.

The cast of "This is Us" will also appear, along with the "Love Actually" cast in the much-anticipated reunion sequel being shown in the special.

Richard Curtis is an executive producer for the live NBC telecast (a Universal Television production), along with John Irwin of Irwin Entertainment, and Lily Sobhani.

For more information, visit the Red Nose Day website at rednoseday.org.