ricky bowen has never truly experienced the magic of christmas. growing up with a complicated childhood and those complications following him into adulthood, he's now known as "the grinch", which causes him to spend the holiday season in an office cubicle. nobody has ever bothered him about it, so he assumes nobody will this year either. nini roberts is what people call "christmas if it were a person". channeling her christmas spirit pretty much all year, she comes a surprise to the town's "grinch".