Kevin Costner Returns to Television — But With a Surprising Twist
It’s been nearly three years since audiences last saw Kevin Costner on their TV screens, following his dramatic exit from Yellowstone after the first half of Season 5 in 2023. Now, the Oscar-winning actor and director is finally returning to television — but not in the way fans might expect.
Kevin Costner Hosts ABC’s “The First Christmas”
ABC has officially announced that Costner will make his small-screen comeback this holiday season, not as a cowboy or lawman, but as the host of a faith-based documentary special titled Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas.
The two-hour television event will premiere on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at 8 PM ET/PT, and will explore the biblical story of Mary and Joseph’s journey leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ.
According to ABC’s synopsis:
“Kevin Costner hosts the special exploring the extraordinary journey of Mary and Joseph as they navigate the hardships, trials, and triumphs surrounding Jesus Christ’s birth, offering an inspiring way to experience the true meaning of Christmas.”
Part of ABC’s Holiday Lineup
The network’s 2025 Christmas programming will run from November 27 to January 1, featuring a full slate of festive entertainment. Alongside Costner’s special, viewers can look forward to The Wonderful World of Disney: Holiday Spectacular, Dancing with the Holidays, The Great Christmas Light Fight, and special holiday-themed episodes of Abbott Elementary, Shifting Gears, and more.
Costner’s Return to Hosting
While this marks Costner’s first TV project since Yellowstone, it’s not his first time stepping into a presenter’s role. The Hollywood veteran previously hosted and narrated the 1995 CBS docuseries 500 Nations and later narrated Billy the Kid: New Evidence in 2015.
His deep, steady narration and fascination with American history have long made him a natural storyteller — and The First Christmas appears to be an extension of that same passion for faith and heritage.
From the Dutton Ranch to Bethlehem
For millions, Costner will always be John Dutton III, the stoic patriarch of the Yellowstone Ranch. His performance on Yellowstone earned him widespread praise and revitalized his television career. But behind the scenes, creative differences and scheduling conflicts led him to leave the series in 2023.
Since then, Costner has focused on his ambitious Western film saga, Horizon: An American Saga, which he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in. The first installment premiered in 2024 but struggled at the box office. Two sequels are currently in post-production, with Costner reportedly determined to see the project through.
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A Different Kind of Homecoming
With Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas, the star seems to be channeling a more spiritual side of his storytelling. A devout believer in faith and tradition, Costner has often spoken about how themes of trust and endurance inspire his creative choices.
“There was this promise,” he once said of America’s frontier spirit, “but you had to go on faith. People brought their religion with them west.”
Now, as he guides viewers through the most famous journey of faith in history, Costner’s television return promises both reverence and reflection — a calm contrast to the gunfights and land wars of Yellowstone.
Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas airs on ABC, December 9, 2025, from 8 PM to 10 PM ET/PT.