"CMA Country Christmas" - See WHO will Perform for 12th Annual Holiday Special!

ABC PRESS RELEASE:

HOSTS GABBY BARRETT & CARLY PEARCE, JIMMIE ALLEN WITH LOUIS YORK & THE SHINDELLAS, BRELAND, BRETT ELDREDGE, LADY A, PISTOL ANNIES, CARRIE UNDERWOOD AND LAINEY WILSON TO PERFORM ON 'CMA COUNTRY CHRISTMAS'

12th Annual Holiday Special Airs Monday, Nov. 29 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EST) on ABC

Just in time for the holidays, the Country Music Association has revealed performers for its 12th annual holiday special, "CMA Country Christmas." First-time hosts Gabby Barrett and Carly Pearce will be joined by Jimmie Allen with Louis York & The Shindellas, BRELAND, Brett Eldredge, Lady A, Pistol Annies, Carrie Underwood and Lainey Wilson for an intimate evening of holiday classics. "CMA Country Christmas" airs Monday, Nov. 29 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EST), on ABC.

"CMA Country Christmas" brings the holidays home again, inviting viewers to sit back and enjoy the season in a warm and intimate home setting reminiscent of classic Christmas television specials of the past. Coming together for a night of festive performances and cozy holiday moments, "CMA Country Christmas" is sure to celebrate the magic of the Christmas season.

"CMA Country Christmas" will also feature two student musicians, supporting CMA's longstanding commitment to support equity in music education. A student at Nashville School of the Arts, Truman Eltringham, 17, and Carter Hammonds, an 8-year-old student at FH Jenkins Preparatory School, joined hosts Barrett and Pearce for an unforgettable performance you won't want to miss.

"CMA Country Christmas" is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer and Writer. Paul Miller is the Director.

CMA partnered with Balsam Hill, stunningly realistic Christmas trees and beautifully-designed holiday décor, to decorate the "CMA Country Christmas" stage again this year.

About "CMA Country Christmas"

Starting in 2010, "CMA Country Christmas" rings in the holiday season annually with a show full of festive classics and one-of-a-kind musical performances. The event is filmed in Nashville and airs each holiday season on ABC. ABC is the network home to the CMA Awards and CMA's summer concert TV special "CMA Fest."

Hallmark Channel's 'It's Christmas, Eve' Stars Singer/Actress LeAnn Rimes

Press Release:

MUSIC ICON
LEANN RIMES
STARS IN

‘IT’S CHRISTMAS, EVE,’

PART OF HALLMARK CHANNEL’S
#1-RATED PROGRAM EVENT

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS

image via: http://www.hawtcelebs.com/leann-rimes-on-the-set

Studio City, CA – April 10, 2018 – Hallmark Channel announces music icon LeAnn Rimes will star in the network’s original movie, “It’s Christmas, Eve,” which premieres this holiday season as part of the most watched holiday program event on television, the eight-week holiday extravaganza, COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS. COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS is the #1-rated program event on television and Hallmark Channel is the #1-rated TV network in all of Q4.

In addition to starring, Rimes has also written three songs for the film, two of which she performs in the movie: the title song, “It’s Christmas Eve” and “You And Me And Christmas.”

“LeAnn Rimes is such a multi-talented artist, and we have wanted to work with her for years,” said Michelle Vicary, Executive Vice President, Programming & Publicity, Crown Media Family Networks.”

“Our viewers are in for a treat as LeAnn is the lead in a Hallmark Christmas movie and has also penned beautiful original songs that she sings in the film. LeAnn was the youngest artist to ever win a Grammy, and her vocal nuances remain soulful and timeless to this day,” Vicary concluded.

In “It’s Christmas, Eve,” Rimes plays Eve Morgan, an interim school superintendent whose job it is to travel from city to city turning broken schools around. One day, Morgan is surprised to find she’s been assigned to a high school in her hometown. In a “meet cute” moment, Eve meets Liam Bailey (Tyler Hynes), single dad of Abby Bailey (Eden Summer Gilmore), and head of a music department that is in the red and under the gun to miraculously turn around or be shut down. Music is close to Eve’s heart; her late father was a jazz musician who taught her how to play music and sing. So raw is her dad’s passing that Eve hasn’t performed in a very long time. Now, the interim school superintendent predisposed to saying no may be persuaded to say yes to save the dreams of many while learning to live her own.

“It’s Christmas, Eve” is executive produced by Stephanie Germain, LeAnn Rimes, Allen Lewis and Michael Shepard. The movie is produced by Harvey Kahn for Eve Road Productions Ltd. and Front Street Pictures Inc. in association with Stephanie Germain Productions. Director is Tibor Takacs. Writers are Mark Amato and Tracy Andreen.

press release via: Pam Slay, SVP, Network Program Publicity & Social Media Content

-- HALLMARK CHANNEL --

*Starring alongside LeAnn Rimes in 'It's Christmas, Eve' are Tyler Hynes, Gary Peterman, Christian Convery, Giles Panton, Lara Gilchrist, Beckham Skodje, Paula Elle, and Patrick Rinehart.

A Song for Christmas - a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Original Christmas Movie starring Becca Tobin & Kevin McGarry!

MOVIE REVIEW

Movie: A Song for Christmas

Network: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries

Original Air Date: November 11, 2017

CAST:

Becca Tobin ... Adelaide Kay
Kevin McGarry ... Dillon Lapps
Kendra Leigh Timmins ... Hailey
Zarrin Darnell-Martin ... Sandra Renee
Claire Qute ... Adolescent Fan #2
Darlene Cooke ... Bev
Patrick Cook ... Male TV Host (Danny)
Ruby Dauphinee ... Adolescent Fan #1

PLOT:

Storyline via Hallmark: Pop superstar Adelaide Kay is so fed up with her controlling manager that she sneaks off the tour bus after their latest squabble. Though exhilarated to be free, she finds herself stranded in the freezing cold of a Pennsylvania winter, with no money and no plan. A local family, the Lapps, take her in. They know the true meaning of the season, even if they’re close to losing their dairy farm. No one in the family recognizes Adelaide except Dillon, the oldest son. He figures she’s the ticket to fast cash and plots to snap photos of Adelaide around the farm and sell them to the tabs. What he doesn’t plan, however, is their mutual attraction.

Movie Review:

Coming...

See or Skip:

Coming...

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*images via: Hallmark Crown Media Family Networks

Hallmark Channel's "Gone Country" with a Country Singer Superstar!

Via a story on the web-site tennessean.com, it has been revealed that country singer, actor, and film producer Kix Brooks, who is half of the great country duo - Brooks and Dunn, (you know "Boot Scootin' Boogie") is in the process of creating a Hallmark Channel movie, currently titled "Gone Country." (Interestingly enough... "Gone Country" is actually the title of a country song by Alan Jackson!)

image via: etsy - "Gone Country" wooden sign

Anyway...

According to the tennessean.com, "Brooks compared it (this new Hallmark movie) to the Reese Witherspoon movie “Sweet Home Alabama” in that "Gone Country" is about a country girl who moved to New York City and lied about her background to succeed. “She has to make her family lie for her and this and that and gets in a big mess,” Brooks said. “It’s another coming of life story. It’s interesting to work with Hallmark because they have their formula and the way they do things. But we have a history of making pretty decent movies for not a lot of money, and they like that.”"

My *Quick* Take:

I love the sound of this movie... country girl leaves the small pond and jumps feet first into the ocean, so to speak. The premise of the story must be - will she sink or swim? Also, will she be true to herself, those she loves, and where she came from? Overall, sounds like an ideal Hallmark movie! It kind of reminds me, a little, of "Autumn Dreams" when Jill Wagner's character - country farm-girl Annie Hancock visits New York City. She's definitely a fish out of water in that one!

I'll be looking forward to hearing more about this movie and who will star as the Country Girl!