ONE DIRECTION: THE TV SPECIAL

New Tuesday, December 23 8/7c. One Direction's first U.S. network special will offer a rare inside look at the wildly popular band through a combination of documentary material, comical stunts and musical performances. The special features exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the South American leg of their 2014 "Where We Are Tour" and follows the band as they recorded their No. 1 album, "FOUR," on the road.

Viewers will also experience One Direction's music as they stage a special intimate concert for lucky fans at Universal Orlando Resort, where the band performs a selection of songs from "FOUR" as well as some of the biggest hits off their three previous albums. The hour-long telecast also finds the boys giving unsuspecting fans the shock of their lives by introducing themselves in disguise at the theme parks, as well as the bandmates interviewing each other aboard a high-speed roller coaster.

One Direction - composed of Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson - formed in 2010 on the U.K.'s award-winning TV talent show "The X Factor." The group's debut single, "What Makes You Beautiful," was released in September 2011 and went straight to No. 1 in the U.K., with their first album, "Up All Night," following suit and also topping the Billboard album chart in the U.S.

The release of their second album, "Take Me Home," took One Direction to No. 1 in 37 countries. Their third album, "Midnight Memories," was announced as the biggest selling album globally of 2013. The band has sold more than 46 million records worldwide and is the recipient of four BRIT Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards and seven MTV Europe Music Awards. They have a massive 109 million Twitter followers and 33 million Facebook fans. One Direction's fourth No. 1 studio album, "FOUR," was released on Nov. 17 and features hit singles "Steal My Girl" and "Night Changes." The album made Billboard history as the only time in the 58-year history of the chart that a group's first four albums debuted at No. 1.

The band will also make their third appearance on "Saturday Night Live" as musical guests on December 20.

Recently, NBCUniversal and One Direction announced an unprecedented and expansive cross-platform partnership for the global launch of "FOUR."

U.K. based production company Fulwell 73 will produce the special, with One Direction longtime collaborator Ben Winston as executive producer, Jim Parsons, Colin Hopkins, David Soutar and Lee Lodge as producers, and Chris Howe as director.