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Entertainment Now | December 3 - 9, 2022 By Dana Simpson TV Media F or many who formed the tradition of celebrating the holiday season by watching films and television specials with friends and family, CBS was the place to go. For a long time — many point to the 1965 launch of Charles Schultz's "Charlie Brown Christmas" as the starting point — CBS has long been a comforting home for the holidays, but since 2012, Christmas has looked a little different on the Viacom network. Last year, following a nine-year hiatus, CBS reinstated its tradition of launching original holiday films and specials, premiering "Christ- mas Takes Fight" and "A Christmas Proposal," among other titles. This year, on Sunday, Dec. 4, the holiday premieres begin again, kicking off this time with a new film called "Fit for Christmas." Starring dancer, fitness instruc- tor and co-host of the daytime talk show "The Talk" Amanda Kloots, "Fit for Christmas" follows Audrey (Kloots) as she prepares to cele- brate the spirit of the season with sweat (and style) in the small, apt- ly named Montana town of Mis- tletoe. An instructor at the local community center, which is strug- gling to keep its head above water amid troubling times, Audrey isn't about to let the center's financial troubles dampen the town's Christmas spirit. As luck — or maybe fate — would have it, Audrey isn't the only person with her mind on the failing business over the holidays: a busi- nessman named Griffin (Paul Greene, "When Calls the Heart") has arrived to take a look at the sit- uation himself. Unfortunately for Audrey and the Mistletoe towns- people, Griffin's plans do not in- volve saving the community's gathering place. Instead, he is hop- ing to buy the center out and turn the property into resort space. In addition to leading the cast, Kloots serves as an executive pro- ducer for "Fit for Christmas" alongside the film's writer, Anna White ("My Christmas Inn," 2018). Produced for CBS by Brad Krevoy's (The Princess Switch franchise) Motion Picture Corporation of America, "Fit for Christmas" also stars Rebecca Budig ("General Hospital"). Also joining the CBS holiday ros- ter this year is Mark Amato's "Must Love Christmas," premier- ing Sunday, Dec. 11. Amato is behind more than a dozen holiday films, including the Vanessa Hudgens-led ("The Prin- cess Switch," 2018) film "The Knight Before Christmas" and last year's CBS original, "A Christmas Proposal," in which a food truck chef (Jessica Camacho, "All Rise") agrees to pose as a lawyer's (Adam Rodriguez, "CSI: Miami") girlfriend in order to help him land his dream job of taking over the family firm. New this year, "Must Love Christmas" stars Liza Lapira ("Cra- zy, Stupid, Love.," 2011) as Natalie, a romance novelist famous for her sultry, holiday-themed content who escapes to a snowy cabin in Cranberry Falls for the season. While there, she finds herself caught up in an interesting love tri- angle with her former childhood crush and the persistent reporter who is trying to save his failing magazine by landing a tell-all in- terview with her. Also produced by Krevoy's MCPA, "Must Love Christmas" co-stars Neal Bledsoe ("Ugly Bet- ty"), Nathan Witte ("Charmed") and Adam Beauchesne ("Tucker and Dale vs Evil," 2010) and is di- rected by Amato's occasional col- laborator, "Virgin River" director Martin Wood. Wrapping up the holiday festiv- ities on the third Sunday of De- cember is CBS's final original holi- day film of the year, "When Christmas Was Young." Premier- ing Sunday, Dec. 18, this holiday romance features a screenplay written by scriptwriter and best- selling novelist Robert Tate Miller ("Marry Go Round," 2022) and original theme music from award- winning pop/country musician Sheryl Crow, who also serves as an executive producer. Set against the country and western background of Nashville, Tennesee, "When Christmas Was Young" stars Tyler Hilton ("One Tree Hill") as Luke Dawson, a mu- sic manager who returns to his hometown in a determined at- tempt to secure the rights to a Christmas love song written by his high school girlfriend, Melody (Karen David, "Fear the Walking Dead"). Shawn Williamson ("The Good Doctor") and Jamie Goehring ("The Confirmation," 2016) of Lighthouse Pictures produce "When Christmas Was Young" alongside Tom Mazza ("Date My Dad," 2017), David Calvert-Jones ("Same Time, Next Christmas," 2019) and Everywhere Studios' Karen Glass ("Ice Princess," 2005). In addition to these three new films, CBS also airs a selection of classic specials, including "Ru- dolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (1964), "Frosty the Snowman" (1969), "Frosty Returns" (1992), "The Story of Santa Claus" (1996), "Robbie the Reindeer" (1999) and more. Still to come this season on CBS are the National Christmas Tree Lighting's 100-year celebra- tion (Dec. 11), "Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All!" (Dec. 20), the 24th annual "A Home for the Holidays" special at The Grove (Dec. 23) and last year's Katie Lowes-led ("Scandal") holi- day original "Christmas Takes Flight," about a financially rigid CEO (Evan Williams, "Blonde," 2022) who buys a family airline around the holidays. Join CBS for this year's newest selection of holiday programming. It all begins Sunday, Dec. 4, with "Fit for Christmas." Happy holidays! Liza Lapira in "Must Love Christmas" Heat up the holidays: CBS launches 'Fit for Christmas' and other films 2 | Cover story Grindstone Charlie's 1 x 4" Moore's Home Health 5 x 2"

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