Lifetime Announces It’s a Wonderful Lifetime News
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Get ready for the most joyful holiday season yet! Lifetime announces its holiday movie slate for the network’s annual It’s a Wonderful Lifetime programming event, kicking off November 5th with new movies every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday all season long! Lifetime is the place to be for holiday cheer, featuring your favorite talent both on the screen and behind the scenes! Melissa Joan Hart executive produces and directs her fourth Lifetime movie with Santa Bootcamp. Sarah Drew writes and executive produces Reindeer Games Homecoming. Kelsey Grammer, Mario Lopez, Jana Kramer, Brooke Elliott , Keshia Knight Pulliam, and Kirk Franklin all pull double duty this year by starring in and executive producing their films. Additionally, EGOT winner Whoopi Goldberg executive produces A New Orleans Noel and 7-time Grammy Award Winner, Toni Braxton, serves as executive producer on A Christmas Spark.
In case that’s not enough excitement for you – get ready for It’s a Wonderful Lifetime Holiday Movie Preview hosted by Sarah Drew! This special will highlight Lifetime’s upcoming 2022 Christmas Movies and will premiere on Lifetime VOD October 27th. Grab a cup of cocoa and enjoy sneak peeks, cast interviews and behind the scenes footage from this year’s holiday line up. With different ways to watch and get into the holiday spirit, beginning November 5th, the Lifetime app and Lifetime VOD will showcase over 40 Lifetime favorite holiday titles. Starting November 4th, Lifetime Movie Club will also have 40 of Lifetime’s best holiday movies available to stream commercial-free!
The full slate includes:
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Merry Swissmas Alex (Jodie Sweetin) has wonderful memories of Christmas with her best friend Beth (Mikaela Lily Davies), until Beth starts dating Alex’s ex, Jesse (David Pinard). Because she has missed the last few Christmases with family due to her demanding job as an architect, Alex is excited to spend the holidays with her mother, Caroline (Jane Wheeler), who is opening an inn in Switzerland. Much to her dismay, she learns that Jesse and Beth are also visiting for the inn’s opening. When Alex meets Liam (Tim Rozon), a single father and the manager of her mother’s inn, Liam attempts to show her all the Christmas traditions and culture of Switzerland and helps Alex open herself up to love and forgiveness this holiday season. Merry Swissmas is produced in association with Reel One Entertainment for Lifetime. Executive producers include Tom Berry, Barbara Fisher, Kenneth Hirsch, Laura Francis, Serge Desrosiers, and John L’Ecuyer, who also directs from a script by Lauren Balson Carter. |
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Well Suited for Christmas Fashion designer Rachel Rocca (Mercedes de la Zerda) lands a spot in a design competition to create a tuxedo for one of the city’s most eligible bachelors, Brett Stone (Franco Lo Presti), for a Christmas charity gala. As Rachel begins to unthread his well-spun public image, she discovers the true reason behind his Christmas charity, and find themselves falling in love. Well Suited for Christmas is produced by Fireside Pictures with Timothy O. Johnson, Andrew C. Erin and Dawn Wolfrom serving as executive producers. Michelle Oulette directs off a script by W. Stewart. |
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Christmas on Mistletoe Lake Every Christmas, Reilly Shore (Genelle Williams) picks a random spot on the map to take an adventurous trip. This year, that destination is the quaint hamlet of Mistletoe Lake. As she arrives, Reilly discovers that the town’s lone bed & breakfast is full due to the town’s annual Christmas Harbor Festival. When twelve-year-old Emma (Hattie Kragten) invites Reilly to stay on her dad’s boat, she learns that Emma’s dad Raymond Mitchell (Corey Sevier) is selling his boat and can’t participate in the festival. Saddened, Emma enlists Reilly’s help to convince Raymond to enter into the festival so they can have one last perfect Christmas on Mistletoe Lake. Christmas on Mistletoe Lake is produced for Lifetime by Chesler/Perlmutter Productions with Lewis Chessler as executive producer. Robin Dunne serves as the writer and director. |
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The Dog Days of Christmas While visiting her family during Christmastime, Annie Blake (Georgia Flood) decides to help three stray dogs get adopted before heading back into her career working for a global non-profit. But when she runs into local veterinarian, Dylan Hawkes (Ezekiel Simat), her old high school debate partner, they team up to save an animal rescue. Ultimately, Annie discovers that finding love, and making a difference in the world, can happen right at home. The Dog Days of Christmas is directed by Tori Garrett and scripted by Holly Hester. The film is produced for Lifetime by Kelly Son Hing, Spencer McLaren, and Steve Jaggi, with Kylie Pascoe co-producing, for the Steve Jaggi Company. Larry Grimaldi, Julianna Hays, Hannah Pillemer, and Fernando Szew serve as executive producers for MarVista Entertainment. |
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Reindeer Games Homecoming MacKenzie Graves (Sarah Drew, Grey’s Anatomy, Amber Brown) is a brilliant, competitive, crossword-puzzle-loving biology teacher in Vermont who recently lost her father, beloved fire chief and the heart of the town’s holiday fundraising tradition “The Reindeer Games.” Every year since his death, she competes with her dad’s former team, a group of colorful retired firefighters, to win the Games and keep his tradition alive. This holiday however, her world is rocked when fading Hollywood star, and Mac’s high school crush, Chase Weston (Justin Bruening, Grey’s Anatomy, Sweet Magnolias), comes home for Christmas to visit his pregnant sister and nephew and is begrudgingly roped into participating in the Games. When the opportunity to compete against her former megacrush arises, Mac is determined to show him up and win the Kris Kringle Cup at all costs. As the competition heats up, so does the spark between Mac and Chase, and Chase soon finds himself eager to not only win the games, but also to win her heart as well. Brian Sills also stars. Reindeer Games Homecoming is produced by Johnson Production Group for Off Camera Entertainment. Stephanie Slack, Margret Huddleston, Sarah Drew, and Tim Johnson serve as executive producers. The film is directed by Brian Herzlinger with a script written by Sarah Drew. |
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Six Degrees of Santa Christmas enthusiast and single mom Harper (Kathryn Davis) has created a program, Six Degrees of Santa, in which anonymous “Santas” give a gift and set of instructions to be passed along, temporarily enjoyed, and re-gifted, indefinitely. Her goal is to create a Christmas experience that’s real-life, magical, and unexpected. When Harper’s own gift lands in the hands of a leading internet entrepreneur, Jason (Steve Lund), he’s convinced that the original Santa might be his soulmate. He seeks out Harper, as the architect of the program, to help him track down this mystery woman. Six Degrees of Santa is executive produced by Barbara Fisher, Laurence Braun, Suzanne Chapman and Tom Berry for Champlain Media and ReelOne Entertainment. Michael Kennedy directs from a script written by Shannon Latimer. |
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Sweet Navidad Lovable pastry chef Carmen (Camila Banus) dreams of opening her own Puerto Rican-influenced bakery—like the one her family owned on the island. In the meantime, she showcases her treats at a local coffee shop. When hotel owner Victor Flores (David Fumero) discovers Carmen’s talents, he invites her to apply for a position as pastry chef for his hotel’s holiday gala. Knowing other applicants will have culinary-school backgrounds, as opposed to her homegrown skills, Carmen reluctantly applies. When she is accepted, she’s paired with chef Jax (Mark Hapka) to curate the perfect holiday menu. But the two do not mix well. Carmen is messy and cooks from the heart; Jax is a perfectionist fixated on technique. As they race against the clock to assemble their intricate holiday menu, sparks fly, and they realize they might have more to learn from one another than they initially thought. Sweet Navidad is produced by Ninth House Films for Lifetime. Autumn Federici and Jake Helgren serve as producers. Marianne C. Wunch, Hannah Pillemer, Fernando Szew from MarVista serve as executive producers. Script by Cristina Boada with Brittany Underwood as director. |
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A Country Christmas Harmony Before Chrissy Kessler’s (Brooke Elliott) meteoric rise to fame, the country music superstar was just a small-town girl with dreams of the big time. Now, with her record sales on a rapid decline, Chrissy is strong-armed by an unrelenting record executive to return to the hometown she left behind to perform a live Christmas concert. Accompanying her on this journey is her longtime supportive assistant Eugene (Danny Pintauro). Luke Covington’s (Brandon Quinn) quiet life is suddenly disrupted when he runs into Chrissy, his ex-girlfriend and former country music duo partner, who disappeared on him to pursue her solo career all those years ago. After a tempestuous rainstorm forces the ex-sweethearts to seek shelter in Luke’s ranch home, the two realize that the only way they’ll survive the holidays is with the other’s help. A Country Christmas Harmony is produced by MarVista Entertainment and The Ninth House. Megan Ellstrom, Larry Grimaldi, Hannah Pillemer and Fernando Szew Executive Produce for MarVista Entertainment, and Autumn Federici and Jake Helgren Produce for The Ninth House. Brooke Elliott also serves as Executive Producer. Gary Entin and Edmund Entin write and direct. |
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Santa Bootcamp When event planner Emily Strauss (Emily Kinney, The Walking Dead) is hired by mall magnate Ed Mancini (Patrick Cassidy, Castle) to stage the ultimate Christmas Gala for his most important investors, Emily finds herself being sent to bootcamp – Santa Bootcamp – to find the perfect Santa and the inspiration she will need to make the evening a success. While there, Emily meets Belle (Rita Moreno, West Side Story), the bootcamp’s drill sergeant with a heart of gold, who helps Emily rediscover the magic of Christmas and find romance along the way. Additional stars include Tony® award winner Marissa Jaret Winokur, Justin Gaston, John Schuck, and deaf actors Deanne Bray and Zyra Singleton. Santa Bootcamp is directed by Melissa Joan Hart, who also serves as executive producer, long with Irene Dreayer, Gina Rugolo Judd, and Paula Hart. The film is produced by Hartbreak Films Inc with a script written by Michael J. Murray. |
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A Show-Stopping Christmas Riley Burdett (Jamie Perez) is the artistic director of the Onota Theatre in Western Massachusetts. When Regina, the Scrooge-like owner of the theatre, breaks the news that she’s preparing to sell the property before the holiday performance, Riley must call upon the ghosts of Regina’s past, present, and future to change her mind. Meanwhile, a big TV star, Sam Palmer (Thomas McDonnell), has moved to the area to escape the craziness of Hollywood. Riley casts him as Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol and his star power, his cleverness, and his budding love for Riley helps her save the theatre…and steal her heart during this very special Christmastime. A Show-Stopping Christmas is produced by Moody Independent and H9 Films in association with Off Camera Entertainment. Stephanie Slack, Margret Huddleston, Miriam Marcus, Mark Donadio, and John Stimpson are executive producers. John Stimpson directs and Joany Kane, Caroline Portu, and John Stimpson penned the script. |
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Baking All the Way Julia Wilson (Cory Lee), an accomplished pastry chef from Chicago, heads to a small town bakery famous for their gingerbread to complete her Christmas cookbook. There she finds herself at odds with Kris Thompson (Yannick Bisson), the bakery’s charming but private owner, who is ambivalent about sharing his secret recipe. Baking All the Way is produced by Vortex Media and A71 Media for Lifetime. Christopher Giroux and Bill Marks serve as executive producers. Script by Courtney McAllister with star Yannick Bisson as director. |
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Steppin’ Into the Holiday Former Broadway star Billy Holiday (Mario Lopez) returns to his hometown for Christmas after being abruptly fired as the host-producer-judge of the hit TV series “Celebrity Dance Off.” While there, he encounters Rae (Jana Kramer), the charismatic owner of the local dance studio, where Billy’s 12-year-old nephew is her standout student. This Christmas, Rae is planning a dance recital fundraiser with the goal of taking her students to see a Broadway show in New York City. Billy volunteers to help Rae with the recital by reviving the town’s traditional Christmas Eve show, which was once a showcase for local talent. With Billy’s knack for producing and Rae’s knowledge of all things local, their collaboration clicks and romantic sparks start flying! Cheri Oteri stars as Dallas, Billy’s high-powered, fast-talking, Hollywood agent. Dallas scrambles to find Billy work after he is fired by his boss, Wayne, played by Mario Cantone, a network executive who is equal parts charming and ruthless! Courtney Lopez , Mario’s real-life wife, also appears in the film as Joanna, the charismatic host of “Celebrity Dance Off,” who is tapped to replace Billy (her former fling) as executive producer and head judge after his popularity hits the skids. Steppin’ Into the Holiday is produced by Via Mar and Roberts Media, LLC. in association with Motion Content Group. Jeff Stearns, Mark Roberts, Mario Lopez, Jana Kramer, Richard Foster and Chet Fenster serving as Executive Producers. David Kendall directs from a script by Aliza Murrieta and Peter Murrieta. |
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The 12 Days of Christmas Eve The 12 Days of Christmas Eve is the story of Brian Conway (Kelsey Grammer), a successful businessman whose relationships with those around him have really suffered. While this Christmas season has been the most successful for his business, he’s divorced, his relationship with his daughter Michelle (Spencer Grammer) is strained and he doesn’t have a meaningful connection with his only granddaughter. After Brian gets into a car accident on Christmas Eve, Santa gives him twelve chances to re-do the day and repair the relationships in his life to find the true meaning of Christmas. For Brian, these twelve days are a journey of self-realization about life, love and happiness as he attempts to right the wrongs of his life in pursuit of the Christmas spirit. The concept for The 12 Days of Christmas Eve originated from Kelsey Grammer’s production company, Grammnet NH Productions, and developed in house by Lifetime. Grammnet NH Productions produced alongside Johnson Production Group. Kelsey Grammer, Tom Russo (Frasier, Light as a Feather, The Game) and Jordan McMahon (The Game) are executive producers. The script is written by Eirene Tran Donahue (A Sugar & Spice Holiday) and directed by Dustin Rikert (Two Tickets to Paradise). |
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A Christmas Spark Recently widowed Molly (Jane Seymour) has lost her zest for life and given up on ever finding love again. But when she decides to visit her daughter for Christmas, she has no idea what holiday magic is in store for her. A former drama teacher, Molly reluctantly takes on the job of directing the town’s Christmas pageant and soon finds herself falling for her leading man, Hank (Joe Lando), the town’s most eligible bachelor. As Molly and the irrepressible Hank fall in love, she rediscovers her inner free spirit and finds a new lease on life. And when the star of the pageant loses her voice moments before the show, it will be up to Molly to step into the spotlight and shine brightly for the first time in her life. A Christmas Spark is produced by Lighthouse Pictures and is being distributed by Sony Pictures Television. Toni Braxton, Stephen Bulka, and Jamie Goehring are executive producing. Rhonda Baraka directs from a script by Eirene Tran Donohue. |
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Serving Up the Holidays Scarlett (Britt Irvin) is an incredible chef and co-owner of an upscale restaurant. But every year, her too-sophisticated and unique holiday dishes never sell because they are not considered festive enough. To shake things up this year, her best friend and co-owner buys her a ticket to a holiday cooking getaway in a beautiful villa where Scarlett will re-learn festive cooking from the bottom up, maybe find love with a handsome rival chef from her past (Zach Roerig), and regain the Christmas spirit her food—and her life—truly needs. Serving Up the Holidays is produced by Champlain Media in association with ReelOne Entertainment with Laurence Braun and Tom Berry as the executive producers. Sean Fine wrote the script and Jessica Harmon directs. |
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Cloudy with a Chance of Christmas Bridget Torres (Valery Ortiz) is a prominent national news weather forecaster who comes to the magical, wintry town of Leavenworth, Washington, where Christmas traditions prevail each holiday season. This year, Bridget has been asked by her network to announce a special “snow-cast” at the annual Christmas Eve festival and has brought her boss Lisa (Nicole Bilderback) along with her. Bridget’s plans to shine are foiled when a talk show host from her network arrives to join her for the broadcast. Drake Kincaid (Brandon Quinn), as it turns out, refused to hire Bridget as his co-host for their morning show a year earlier, making tensions high. The unlikely duo soon finds themselves falling for each other, but when Bridget finally discovers why Drake didn’t hire her, their romance is put to the test. Cloudy with a Chance of Christmas is produced by The Ninth House and is being distributed by Nicely Entertainment. Autumn Federici and Jake Helgren serve as producers, with Vanessa Shapiro and Brandon Quinn Executive Producing. Director Jake Helgren penned the original script. |
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A New Orleans Noel Grace Hill (Keshia Knight Pulliam) and Anthony Brown (Brad James) could not be more different. Despite having gone to college to study architecture together, their lives took them on completely separate paths. But when they’re both hired to work together on the home of Loretta Brown (Patti LaBelle)—a New Orleans praline icon—the two find themselves stuck working together at Christmas…and butting heads over more than just architecture. When Anthony and his family discover that Grace will be celebrating Christmas alone, they invite her to take part in their traditions and their celebrations. Soon, fiercely independent Grace begins to learn the importance of family and community, while modern Anthony learns to embrace tradition and the magic of Christmas. And when Grace is offered a new job far away from New Orleans, she’ll have to decide if she’ll leave or follow her heart. Tim Reid stars as Marcel Lirette, a handsome, retired friend who moves back to town after years away and catches the eye of Lorretta. A New Orleans Noel is produced by Evergreen Films with Daniel Lewis, Rick Carter, Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Leonardis, and Keshia Knight Pulliam serving as Executive Producers. Script by Angela Tucker and Alys Murray. Directed by Angela Tucker. |
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Merry Textmas Gaby Diaz (Ariana Ron Pedrique) is an app developer from Austin, Texas, and the last unmarried sibling in her very close and very traditional family. Every year, the Diaz family gathers at abuela’s house in Oaxaca, Mexico, a town renowned for its “12 Challenges of Christmas,” which playfully ignites the entire town’s Christmas spirit. When Gaby accidentally adds Alex Alvarado (Rodrigo Massa), a handsome graphic designer who’s lost touch with his own Mexican roots, to the family group chat, her well-meaning family decides to secretly invite him to join them in Oaxaca for Christmas. As they begin to play matchmaker for Gaby and Alex, can the Diaz family help Gaby and Alex recognize that each of them is actually the other’s perfect Christmas present? Merry Textmas is produced by Embarcadero Pictures LLC with Edward Sabin and Gerardo Brandy as executive producers. Timothy Kuryak wrote the script. Alba Gil serves as director. |
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Scentsational Christmas Bright-eyed beauty and perfumer Ellie Reddy (Nanzeen Contractor) is tasked by her boss to create a holiday scent that will impress, so she decides to return to her quaint and festive family home for Christmas to find inspiration. There she meets handsome yet bookish writer, Logan Osborne (Mykee Selkin), who is staying with her father at the family’s historic property, which includes her mother’s former candle-making cottage. After finding her father struggling to keep her late mother’s candle business afloat, Ellie and Logan decide to complete the orders and inadvertently bring Christmas cheer back to the town, all while falling in love. Scentsational Christmas is written by Rickie Castanda and Megan Hocking. Robert Vaughn directs. Produced by Chesler/Perlmutter Productions with Lewis Chesler as executive producer. |
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A Recipe for Joy When ambitious food correspondent, Carly Hayes (Erin Agostino), gets a shot at her own TV show, nothing goes as planned. She’s sent to Angel Heights to help Grant Quinn (Dillon Casey), a perfectionist, attention-shy chef, reopen his family’s beloved diner and film it as a holiday special pilot for her television show. Thanks to Carly, Grant will not only re-open his restaurant, but most probably his heart too. A Recipe for Joy is produced by Champlain Media in association with ReelOne Entertainment. Graeme Campbell directs from a script written by Kelli Crawford. |
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Kirk Franklin’s The Night Before Christmas Caught in a blizzard on Christmas Eve, estranged mother and daughter Journee (Naturi Naughton) and Nia (Lorea Turner) are forced to take refuge inside a church where a handful of also-trapped parishioners are reeling from the cancellation of their annual holiday concert. The spirit of the season takes hold as Journee and Nia weather the wintry storm together with the other churchgoers, including handsome youth pastor Adam (Luke James) and a heavenly music teacher (Kirk Franklin), who motivate the mother and daughter to reconcile their differences through music, faith, and love. With the help from this unlikely yet spirited group of strangers, Journee and Nia band together to help the church salvage not only their holiday traditions, but also their show-stopping Christmas day performance, despite the raging storm outside. Kirk Franklin’s The Night Before Christmas is produced by Swirl Films and Big Dreams Entertainment. Kirk Franklin, Tracy “Twinkie” Byrd, Leslie Greif and Naturi Naughton serve as executive producers. Alex Kerr, Keith Neil, Eric Tomosunas and Angela Plasschaert also produce. Tailiah Breon directs from a script by Tara Knight. |
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Single and Ready to Jingle Emma Warner (Natasha Wilson) feels like she lives Christmas year-round. As the SVP of a successful toy company in Chicago, she spends 12 months a year focusing on Christmas, leaving no time for dating…or much of anything else. By the time the actual holiday rolls around, she has had enough. She asks her assistant and friend Lucy to find a tropical singles resort – somewhere she can find a guy and not think of Christmas. But due to a booking mix-up, Emma ends up in her worst nightmare – a town devoted to everything Christmas. Will Emma be able to find her joy? Single and Ready to Jingle is produced by Champlain Media in association with ReelOne Entertainment with Barbara Fisher and Tom Berry serving as executive producers. Written by Brian Rubbery. Wendy Ord directs. |
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Record Breaking Christmas Leah Hoffman (Michelle Argyis), an adjudicator for The World Record Bureau, draws the short straw and is forced to travel to a small town just before Christmas to investigate its plans to break multiple holiday world records. As she falls for the town’s doctor, Devan Bancroft (Andrew Bushell), she discovers that the whole town is in cahoots, and she just may be the person who can help them reach their true Christmas goal. Record Breaking Christmas is produced by Johnson Management Group with Tim Johnson and Dawn Wolfrom serving as executive producers. Max McGuire directs off a script by W. Stewart. |
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A Christmas to Treasure The passing of beloved Ms. Marley reunites six estranged friends for one final hometown holiday treasure hunt. As the search unfolds and fond childhood memories are relived, sparks fly between Austin Craig (Taylor Frey) and his former best friend Everett Matthews (Kyle Dean Massey). The gang find the hidden treasure before the city has the chance to turn the Marley house into a holiday resort but the blossoming holiday romance between Austin and Everett may turn out to be the greatest Christmastime treasure of all. A Christmas to Treasure is produced by The Ninth House and is being distributed by Nicely Entertainment. Autumn Federici and Jake Helgren serve as producers, with Vanessa Shapiro serving as executive producer. Jake Helgren directs from his original script. |
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The Holiday Dating Guide Dating coach and aspiring book author Abigale Slater (Maria Menounos), is close to making her lifelong dream come true. She has completed her first book—a how-to guide for dating in today’s modern world—and is now more than ready to become a published author. However, after reading the book, her publisher Jack won’t proceed with the deal without knowing that her dating advice actually works. Before he has a chance to say no, Abigale proposes that she prove the rules work by using them herself and making a man fall for her by Christmas Eve in 12 days. Although Abigale’s never seen love as a priority for herself, she sets out to find someone who will fall quickly enough to get this book in print. Things change when Abigale meets Michael Ryan (Brent Bailey), and her single-minded mission takes an unexpected turn. While following her own advice, and learning to expect the unexpected in the process, Abigale discovers the romance of her dreams. The Holiday Dating Guide is directed by Brian Herzlinger based off a script from Brent Bailey. ZMA Films, partnering with Workhorse Cinema produces, with Ann Koch and Doug Johnson as the executive producers. |
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Wrapped Up in Love Ashley Mackenzie (Brittany Bristow) has always been the preeminent “Christmas Queen” in town. From making hand-crafted decorations for the office to hosting the town’s annual Christmas sweater competition, she loves everything about the holiday…that is, until she meets her match in Ben Williams (Olivier Renaud). Ben is the devilishly handsome new guy in town who loves Christmas just as much as she does—and unwittingly begins to steal her thunder. But as Ashley begins to feel like Ben is taking Christmas away from her, she is reminded of the true spirit of the holiday, and she joins forces with him to make this Christmas even more meaningful. Wrapped Up in Love is written by Timothy Kuryak with Michelle Ouellet directing. Produced by Champlain Media in association with ReelOne Entertainment for Lifetime. |
