Exclusive: Riley Weston, the writer-actress who generated an extraordinary amount of attention in the late ’90s for failing to disclose her true age while working for Felicity, has quietly found another way to enjoy success in TV: penning feel-good movies.
Her latest creation is Apples, Orchards & Romance, a new confection for Great American Family that stars Trevor Donovan and Jessica Lowndes.
The movie, which will air as part of the net’s annual Great American Autumn programming event that returns this September, follows teacher Drew Granger (Donovan) who accepts a temporary substitute job in his old hometown of Chestnut Hollow, Texas, where he meets Aiden, the proverbial new kid at school, desperate for a caring friend. While he would rather have taken a job anywhere else, Drew reconsiders Chestnut Hollow when he meets Lainie Abbott (Lowndes), the...
Her latest creation is Apples, Orchards & Romance, a new confection for Great American Family that stars Trevor Donovan and Jessica Lowndes.
The movie, which will air as part of the net’s annual Great American Autumn programming event that returns this September, follows teacher Drew Granger (Donovan) who accepts a temporary substitute job in his old hometown of Chestnut Hollow, Texas, where he meets Aiden, the proverbial new kid at school, desperate for a caring friend. While he would rather have taken a job anywhere else, Drew reconsiders Chestnut Hollow when he meets Lainie Abbott (Lowndes), the...
- 6/20/2023
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
Jill Wagner and Cameron Mathison will co-star in the upcoming Gac Family holiday film The Christmas Farm set to premiere during the network’s annual “Great American Christmas” celebration.
Production on the project began on Wednesday.
Wagner stars as Janie, a rising marketing executive living in The Big Apple, who returns to her hometown of Woodland Falls when her Great-Uncle Randall passes away. Randall surprises Janie with a special gift: the family homestead, her childhood home.
While not immediately sure what to do, Janie agrees to honor Randall’s final request to plan and host Woodland Falls’ annual Winter Wonderland. She will be further surprised by who her late uncle has arranged to help her: his farmhand Dylan (Mathison).
With a boyfriend anxiously waiting for her return in Manhattan, Janie begins to feel an unexpected emotional tug about living life in a more authentic, meaningful way.
Executive Producers of The Christmas Farm are Brad Krevoy,...
Production on the project began on Wednesday.
Wagner stars as Janie, a rising marketing executive living in The Big Apple, who returns to her hometown of Woodland Falls when her Great-Uncle Randall passes away. Randall surprises Janie with a special gift: the family homestead, her childhood home.
While not immediately sure what to do, Janie agrees to honor Randall’s final request to plan and host Woodland Falls’ annual Winter Wonderland. She will be further surprised by who her late uncle has arranged to help her: his farmhand Dylan (Mathison).
With a boyfriend anxiously waiting for her return in Manhattan, Janie begins to feel an unexpected emotional tug about living life in a more authentic, meaningful way.
Executive Producers of The Christmas Farm are Brad Krevoy,...
- 5/4/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
The 2022 holiday season is underway at Gac Family. Merritt Patterson and Daniel Lissing will star in “Catering Christmas” (working title), set to begin production on April 3. The movie is the first announced movie in Gac Family’s annual Great American Christmas slate.
“Catering Christmas” follows Molly Frost (Patterson) as she struggles to launch her new catering business and unexpectedly lands New Hampshire’s biggest event of the year. Meanwhile, Carson Jacob Harrison (Lissing), manager of the event, is the very reluctant heir to his family’s foundation who needs a reminder of all the good is his family does.
Brad Krevoy, Eric Jarboe, Amanda Phillips, Amy Krell, Vince Balzano, Jimmy Townsend, Susie Belzberg Krevoy and Tw Peacocke executive produce. David Anselmo serves as producer while James Mou, Allan Fung, W. Michael Beard and Michael Shepard serve as supervising producers and Kaitlyn Greenough as associate producer. Peacocke directs the project, written by Cara J. Russell.
“Catering Christmas” follows Molly Frost (Patterson) as she struggles to launch her new catering business and unexpectedly lands New Hampshire’s biggest event of the year. Meanwhile, Carson Jacob Harrison (Lissing), manager of the event, is the very reluctant heir to his family’s foundation who needs a reminder of all the good is his family does.
Brad Krevoy, Eric Jarboe, Amanda Phillips, Amy Krell, Vince Balzano, Jimmy Townsend, Susie Belzberg Krevoy and Tw Peacocke executive produce. David Anselmo serves as producer while James Mou, Allan Fung, W. Michael Beard and Michael Shepard serve as supervising producers and Kaitlyn Greenough as associate producer. Peacocke directs the project, written by Cara J. Russell.
- 3/30/2022
- by Emily Longeretta
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix released a trailer for Dave Chappelle’s newest comedy special, “The Closer,” which premieres globally on the service Oct. 5.
The trailer features Morgan Freeman narrating over footage of Chappelle driving down a country road. “He’s deep in thought, back in the trance. Five specials in as many years. How do you close a body of work that profound?” asks Morgan. This stand-up special completes a body of work which includes previous specials “The Age of Spin,” “Deep In The Heart Of Texas” “Equanimity,” “The Bird Revelation” and “Stick & Stones.”
Stan Lathan returns to direct “The Closer,” having directed all of Chappelle’s previous specials. Watch the trailer below.
Also in today’s TV news roundup:
First Looks
HBO released a trailer for the second season of “We’re Here,” which premieres Oct. 11 at 9 p.m. With eight episodes total, each episode will debut weekly on HBO and will be...
The trailer features Morgan Freeman narrating over footage of Chappelle driving down a country road. “He’s deep in thought, back in the trance. Five specials in as many years. How do you close a body of work that profound?” asks Morgan. This stand-up special completes a body of work which includes previous specials “The Age of Spin,” “Deep In The Heart Of Texas” “Equanimity,” “The Bird Revelation” and “Stick & Stones.”
Stan Lathan returns to direct “The Closer,” having directed all of Chappelle’s previous specials. Watch the trailer below.
Also in today’s TV news roundup:
First Looks
HBO released a trailer for the second season of “We’re Here,” which premieres Oct. 11 at 9 p.m. With eight episodes total, each episode will debut weekly on HBO and will be...
- 10/4/2021
- by Katie Song
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: When Calls the Heart alum Daniel Lissing will reunite with his former co-star Lori Loughlin in the two-part Season 2 premiere of Gac Family spinoff When Hope Calls. When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas is slated to air on Gac Family on Saturday, Dec. 18. Lissing’s role is being kept under wraps for now.
Created by Alfonsi H. Moreno, When Hope Calls is a historical drama series set in 1916 Brookfield, a fictional, small Western prairie town of largely cattle ranchers and farmers in an era where tradition sometimes conflicts with the ambitions of a growing city. Morgan Kohan returns in season two as Lillian Walsh, a former orphan who now runs the local orphanage and creates a loving, stable home for the children in her care. Ryan-James (Rj) Hatanaka returns as Mountie Gabriel Winslow. Wendy Crewson will return to star as Tess Stewart. Hanneke Talbot is Maggie Parson. Neil Crone is Ronnie Stewart.
Created by Alfonsi H. Moreno, When Hope Calls is a historical drama series set in 1916 Brookfield, a fictional, small Western prairie town of largely cattle ranchers and farmers in an era where tradition sometimes conflicts with the ambitions of a growing city. Morgan Kohan returns in season two as Lillian Walsh, a former orphan who now runs the local orphanage and creates a loving, stable home for the children in her care. Ryan-James (Rj) Hatanaka returns as Mountie Gabriel Winslow. Wendy Crewson will return to star as Tess Stewart. Hanneke Talbot is Maggie Parson. Neil Crone is Ronnie Stewart.
- 10/4/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Lori Loughlin is set to return to acting with a guest starring role in Season 2 of “When Hope Calls” at Gac Family.
Loughlin will reprise the role of Abigail Stanton, whom she originally played in “When Calls the Heart” on Hallmark Channel. “When Hope Calls” is a spinoff of that series. Its first season aired on Hallmark Movies Now and Hallmark Channel but is moving to Gac Family for Season 2.
Loughlin starred in “When Calls the Heart” from its launch in 2014 until 2019, when she was famously arrested for her involvement in the college admissions scandal. The show had already been renewed for a sixth season, but following Loughlin’s arrest her scenes were edited out and she left the show. Loughlin ultimately served two months in prison and is currently on a two-year supervised release.
Loughlin will appear in the two-part season premiere of “When Hope Calls,” which will air on Dec.
Loughlin will reprise the role of Abigail Stanton, whom she originally played in “When Calls the Heart” on Hallmark Channel. “When Hope Calls” is a spinoff of that series. Its first season aired on Hallmark Movies Now and Hallmark Channel but is moving to Gac Family for Season 2.
Loughlin starred in “When Calls the Heart” from its launch in 2014 until 2019, when she was famously arrested for her involvement in the college admissions scandal. The show had already been renewed for a sixth season, but following Loughlin’s arrest her scenes were edited out and she left the show. Loughlin ultimately served two months in prison and is currently on a two-year supervised release.
Loughlin will appear in the two-part season premiere of “When Hope Calls,” which will air on Dec.
- 9/28/2021
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Lori Loughlin is returning to acting. The former When Calls the Heart star will reprise her popular character from the Hallmark Channel series, Abigail Stanton, on spinoff When Hope Calls, which is coming back for a second season on a new network, Gac Family. Loughlin will appear in the two-part Season 2 premiere titled When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, slated to air on Saturday, Dec. 18.
Loughlin was last seen on TV as Abigail in Season 6 of Hallmark Channel’s hit series When Calls the Heart before she was let go over her involvement in the college admissions scandal. The actress, who is on probation after serving a two-month sentence, sparked speculation that she may be returning to work last week following a Mercury News report that she had been given permission by a Boston federal judge to travel to Canada for about a week in late September-early October for “a filming production project.
Loughlin was last seen on TV as Abigail in Season 6 of Hallmark Channel’s hit series When Calls the Heart before she was let go over her involvement in the college admissions scandal. The actress, who is on probation after serving a two-month sentence, sparked speculation that she may be returning to work last week following a Mercury News report that she had been given permission by a Boston federal judge to travel to Canada for about a week in late September-early October for “a filming production project.
- 9/28/2021
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.