GREAT AMERICAN FAMILY ANNOUNCES STELLAR ENSEMBLE CAST TO STAR IN ORIGINAL CHRISTMAS MOVIE,
A LITTLE WOMEN’S CHRISTMAS,
STARRING TREVOR DONOVAN, JEN LILLEY, LAURA OSNES, JESSE HUTCH, JILLIAN MURRAY, JULIA REILLY, AND THE INCOMPARABLE GLADYS KNIGHT PERFORMING ORIGINAL SONG, ‘JOY,’
PART OF GREAT AMERICAN CHRISTMAS 2024
NEW YORK, NY – July 10, 2024 – Great American Family, an industry leader in the production of quality original holiday content, announced Trevor Donovan (‘Twas the Text Before Christmas, Jingle Bell Princess), Jen Lilley (A Paris Christmas Waltz, “Days Of Our Lives”), Laura Osnes (Candace Cameron Bure Presents: Just In Time, A Dash of Christmas), Jesse Hutch (A Christmas Blessing, B&B Merry), Jillian Murray (A Brush With Christmas), and Julia Reilly (“County Rescue”), star in the network’s first-ever ensemble Christmas Original Movie, A Little Women’s Christmaswhich premieres this holiday season as part of Great American Christmas 2024. Also starring Gladys Knight who performs her new original Christmas song, “Joy.” Great American Christmas is in its fourth season and the franchise has quickly become one of America’s most popular programming events.
A Little Women’s Christmas is a contemporary retelling of the beloved classic novel, following the lives and loves of the March sisters in a small Tennessee town at Christmas. Jo March is played by Jillian Murray, Trevor Donovan is Friedrich “Fritz” Baehr, Meg March is played by Jen Lilley, Laura Osnes plays Beth March, Julia Reilly is Amy March, and John is played by Jesse Hutch. The one-and-only Gladys Knight performs “Joy.”
“A Little Women’s Christmas is a new Christmas classic in the making, with an incredible ensemble cast and an adaptation of an original story that is one of the best I have read,” said Bill Abbott, President & CEO, Great American Media. “Louisa May Alcott was intentional about focusing on the culture of young women, their hopes, ambitions, and dreams, and it remains one of the most widely read and beloved stories ever written,” Abbott concluded.
A Little Women’s Christmas is directed by Brandon Clark. The original movie adaptation is written by Dione Sheehan and Taylor Bird. Executive Producers are Brian Bird, Brandon Clark, Tai Truesdell, Darin Chavez, Brian Williams, Charly White, Lori Overholt, William McDowell, Joyce Miller Roy, Jesse Hutch, and Gladys Knight. Produced by Rodney Eldredge. A Little Women’s Christmas is produced by True Brand Entertainment, Third Coast Film, and Empress of Soul Productions.
ABOUT GREAT AMERICAN FAMILY
Great American Family is America’s premiere destination for quality family-friendly programming, including original holiday movies, rom-coms and fan-favorite series that celebrate faith, family and country. Great American Family is home to year-round seasonal celebrations including Great American Christmas, the network’s signature franchise featuring holiday themed movies and specials. Founded in 2021, Great American Family is part of the Great American Media portfolio of brands.
FOLLOW GREAT AMERICAN FAMILY:
Twitter: @GAfamilyTV
Facebook: @greatamericanfamily
Instagram: @greatamericanfamily
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Pam Slay
Network Program Publicity & Talent Relations
818.415.3784
GREAT AMERICAN FAMILY ANNOUNCES I’M GLAD IT’S CHRISTMAS,
STARRING JESSICA LOWNDES, PAUL GREENE,
AND LEGENDARY ‘EMPRESS OF SOUL,’ GLADYS KNIGHT
NOVEMBER 26
Acclaimed Oscar® Nominee, Emmy® Award-Winning, Music Mogul, Suzanne de Passe, Serves as Executive Producer
NEW YORK, NY – September 8, 2022 – Great American Family announces Jessica Lowndes (Harmony From the Heart, Angel Falls Christmas), Paul Greene (When Calls the Heart), and Golden Globe® nominee (Pipe Dreams) and seven-time Grammy Award® winner (22 nominations), the “Empress of Soul,” Gladys Knight (“Midnight Train to Georgia,” “That’s What Friends Are For,”) star in I’m Glad It’s Christmas, an original Christmas movie premiering on the network, Saturday, November 26 (8 p.m. ET). The film reunites Knight with former Motown chief and acclaimed, award-winning writer-producer, Suzanne de Passe (Lonesome Dove, Daytime Divas, The Vivianne Carter Story). The new film is part of Great American Christmas, the network’s holiday programming franchise premieres new original holiday films every Saturday and Sunday, and features Christmas movies all day and all night through the end of 2022.
“As anticipation builds for year two of Great American Christmas, we are delighted to be working with the incomparable Gladys Knight who has inspired generations of fans by pushing musical boundaries with her numerous hit songs,” said Bill Abbott, President and CEO of Great American Media. “With high caliber performances from Knight and the talented Jessica Lowndes and Paul Greene, I’m Glad It’s Christmas is a truly magical Christmas movie steeped in original music that audiences will want to see again and again.”
In I’m Glad It’s Christmas, Holly Bose (Lowndes), a full-time salesclerk and part-time chorus girl, anxiously counts on one hand the number of auditions she has remaining before throwing in the towel on her five-year plan to become a Broadway star. Holly has several brief and literal run-ins with jingle writer (and seasonal Santa), Jason Murphy (Greene). There’s a spark, but it’s complicated: Holly has her eye on the world’s biggest stage and Jason is beyond protective about bringing new relationships into his young daughter’s life. Though well intentioned, Jason makes Holly feel like she’s auditioning for yet another role. It would make sense if romance never happened. Except for wealthy real estate landlord, Cora Ross (Knight) who turns one bit of magic into another. Cora has seen the spark between Holly and Jason, and she has her heart set on bringing the two together to star in the town’s annual “Holiday Lane Christmas Concert.”In Holly, Cora has her aspiring lead, and in Jason, she has a jingle writer capable of writing a new Christmas classic. With Cora in charge, this off-Broadway show will have everyone falling in love with Christmas.
Executive Producers of I’m Glad It’s Christmas are Brad Krevoy, Eric Jarboe, Amanda Phillips, Amy Krell, Lorenzo Nardini, Jimmy Townsend, Brian Bird, Suzanne de Passe, Joyce Miller Roy, Gladys Knight, William McDowell, Susie Belzberg Krevoy, Kathy Ceroni, Ernie Barbarash, and Jessica Lowndes. David Anselmo produces. Supervising Producers are James Mou, W. Michael Beard, Michael Shepard, Kelly Martin, and Allan Fung. Associate Producers are Bonnie Adams and Kaitlyn Greenough. Original screenplay I’m Glad It’s Christmas is written by Joel & Lisa Canfield, and Steve Gottfried.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts recently announced that Gladys Knight is part of the 45th Class of Honorees and will receive a Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award on December 4, 2022.
ABOUT GREAT AMERICAN FAMILY
Great American Family is America’s premiere destination for quality family-friendly programming, including original holiday movies, rom-coms and fan-favorite series that celebrate faith, family and country. Great American Family is home to year-round seasonal celebrations including Great American Christmas, the network’s signature franchise featuring holiday themed movies and specials. Founded in 2021, Great American Family is part of the Great American Media portfolio of brands. Follow Great American Family on Twitter: @GACfamilyTV; Facebook: @GACfamilytv; Instagram: @gactv.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Pam Slay
Network Program Publicity
818.415.3784
Mead Rust
917.439.4066
