Hallmark Steps Back to the 1950’s this Christmas with “A Holiday Spectacular!”

Hallmark Channel Press Release:

HALLMARK CHANNEL ANNOUNCES 

ALL-NEW MOVIE 

"A HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR" 

FEATURING THE RADIO CITY ROCKETTES 

SET TO PREMIERE DURING 

2022 COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS

Broadway Leads Ginna Claire Mason, Tony Award Nominee Derek Klena, Academy Award Nominee Ann-Margret And Eve Plumb To Star

FILMED ON LOCATION IN UPSTATE NEW YORK AND AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL

STUDIO CITY, CA - March 1, 2022 - Hallmark Channel has announced a new Christmas movie, "A Holiday Spectacular" featuring the Radio City Rockettes, as part of the 2022 Countdown to Christmas programming. The movie stars Ginna Claire Mason (Wicked) who played Glinda in Broadway's award-winning Wicked; Tony Award-nominated Derek Klena (Jagged Little Pill); Academy Award-nominated entertainer Ann-Margret (Carnal Knowledge); and Eve Plumb ("The Brady Bunch"). The film was shot on location both in upstate New York and at Radio City Music Hall. The Rockettes were choreographed by their director and choreographer Julie Branam (Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes) and will be featured throughout the film in various performance numbers and speaking roles.

"The Radio City Rockettes embody Christmas in New York City and we are thrilled to bring together two quintessential holiday brands - Hallmark Channel and the Radio City Rockettes - for a one-of-a-kind holiday movie," said Lisa Hamilton Daly, EVP Programming, Hallmark Channel. "'A Holiday Spectacular' will be a beautiful reminder of the joy of the season and is sure to become a family tradition, much like attending a performance of the Rockettes' annual Christmas Spectacular."

"We are thrilled to partner with Hallmark Channel to bring together our two iconic holiday brands, which both create holiday magic for millions of people every year," said Jessica Tuttle, Senior Vice President, Productions, Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp., the parent company of the Radio City Rockettes and Radio City Music Hall. "This heartwarming storyline gives audiences a peek into the passion and dedication that the Rockettes have for this beloved dance company and the incredible sisterhood that is at the core of this legendary line."

The story is set in 1958 when a Philadelphia heiress named Maggie (Mason) puts her high-society wedding plans, to a man she doesn't love, on hold in order to sneak up to New York City and make her secret dream come true: dancing live on stage in the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. While her family thinks she's staying in New York City with an "approved" friend from boarding school, Maggie is living a completely different life than she's ever known. She falls in love with New York and dancing with the Rockettes. Maggie soon feels caught between two worlds, made even more complicated by her chance encounter with young U.S. Navy photographer John (Klena). Will Maggie find the courage to tell her family what she wants for her future instead of accepting the future that was decided for her?

"A Holiday Spectacular" is a Choice Films Production. Dustin Rikert is Executive Producer. Tony Glazer and Summer Crockett Moore are Producers. John Putch is directing a script by Julie Sherman Wolfe. The all-new original movie will premiere during Hallmark Channel's annual Countdown to Christmas programming event.

ABOUT HALLMARK CHANNEL

Hallmark Channel, owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc., is Crown Media Family Networks' flagship 24-hour cable television network. As the country's leading destination for quality, feel-good entertainment, Hallmark Channel delivers on the 100-year legacy of the Hallmark brand. The network's lineup of signature original content includes movies, primetime scripted series, and specials. Dedicated to helping viewers celebrate holidays, seasons, and life's special moments, Hallmark Channel is home to a host of annual programming events, including the highly successful Countdown to Christmas, which has become a pop culture phenomenon and a beloved holiday tradition for millions of viewers. Rounding out the network's slate are some of television's most classic comedies and series, including The Golden Girls, Frasier, and Reba. To visit the network website, please visit www.hallmarkchannel.com Hallmark Channel on Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok

"I Love Lucy" Superstar Special to Air during Primetime TV in Color!

Return to Retro TV on Sunday May 17, 2015 when CBS broadcasts two colorized versions of “I Love Lucy”, in an hour long special, they are calling "I Love Lucy Superstar Special", with episodes “L.A. at Last!” and “Lucy and Superman” starting at 8PM/7c.

image via: CBS Television Network

According to the CBS Press Release: These Newly Colorized Episodes will be seamlessly combined...

“L.A. at Last!” finds the Ricardos and Mertzes arriving in Hollywood, where Ricky is appearing in a new motion picture. Star-struck Lucy is anxious to meet some movie stars up-close, and decides to have lunch with the Mertzes at the famed Brown Derby Restaurant, where she meets film star William Holden and causes a major mess. Ricky innocently complicates matters when he meets Holden at the studio later, and invites him home for coffee.

“L.A. at Last!” originally aired Feb. 7, 1955, and became an instant classic. The script was nominated for an Emmy® Award.

In “Lucy and Superman,” Lucy and longtime friend and rival Caroline Appleby want to schedule their child’s birthday party on the same afternoon. Lucy finally “wins” the battle by promising that TV superhero Superman will appear at Little Ricky’s party. However, things take a hilarious turn when the “Man of Steel” has a scheduling problem and Lucy decides to replace him.

“Lucy and Superman” originally aired Jan. 14, 1957, and was an immediate hit with fans of both “I Love Lucy” and “Superman.”

-----------------

I hope all of you enjoy these 2 wonderful iconic "I Love Lucy" episodes in color! I love ALL the old "I Love Lucy" re-runs, but two episodes are my absolute favorites, and one of them is "L.A. at Last", which co-stars William Holden, and I can't wait to see it in color!

"I Love Lucy" Christmas Episode in Color for the first time on PrimeTime TV!

"I Love Lucy", once voted the best TV show of all time, 

aired on CBS from October 15, 1951 until May 6, 1957,

and now on December 20, 2013....

CBS is bringing "Lucy" back at 8 PM (est) with an hour Colorized Special...

featuring the infamously thought to be lost "Christmas Episode"

and the episode: "Lucy's Italian Movie",

most commonly known as the "Grape Stomping" episode.

"The Christmas Episode" finds Ricky and Lucy Ricardo and their friends and landlords, Fred and Ethel Mertz, decorating Lucy and Ricky's Christmas tree and reminiscing about how their lives have changed since the arrival of the Ricardo's son, Little Ricky. Flashbacks (in black-and-white to emphasize the time lapse) recall the night Lucy tells Ricky she is pregnant, the time Lucy shows up unexpectedly as part of a barbershop quartet, and the day Ricky and the Mertzes rehearse taking Lucy to the maternity ward. (details via: CBS Press Release)

The episodes have been colorized with a vintage 50's look - so it still will have that retro feel.

Also, the "I Love Lucy" Christmas Episode is available in an all new DVD release:



I Love Lucy: Colorized Christmas