Press Release via UPtv:
almost 600 hours of holiday cheer
an all-new Gaither music special
ATLANTA – Sept. 6, 2023 – UPtv, the television home for uplifting entertainment, will be celebrating the Most Uplifting Christmas Ever this year with 45 days of Christmas programming filled with 85 titles, including eight premiere movies and an all-new Gaither music special, A Christmas Homecoming. Stars appearing on the network this holiday season include actor, musician and wrestler Chris Jericho (Country Hearts), Jessica Sipos (Chesapeake Shores), Melissa Peterman (Reba), Sarah Dugdale (Virgin River), Tamara Duarte (Wynonna Earp), Franco Lo Presti (Workin’ Moms) and Colin Mochrie (Whose Line is it Anyway?) among others.
In addition to UPtv’s holiday offering, subscription streaming service UP Faith & Family begins Christmas on Nov. 3 with over 200 Christmas favorites as part of “Cozy UP to Christmas.” Thirty-five premiere and exclusive titles are being added this year including the service’s first-ever Christmas mystery giving viewers the opportunity to help solve the case and save Christmas.
“At UP Entertainment, the curation of an uplifting, diverse and uniquely special holiday offering for our viewers every year is our passion,” said Hector Campos, SVP, content strategy and acquisition at UP Entertainment. “Celebrating the true meaning of the season is at the forefront of our selection process, and our movies celebrate the magic of the holiday season with stories about family, love, hope, and faith. With crossover stars from music and sports like Chris Jericho, our season promises to give our viewers the cozy stories they love wrapped in a truly unique package. We invite viewers to download the ever popular My UPtv app to make their viewing pleasure even better this Christmas.”
The My UPtv app is available for viewers to download and is especially popular around the holidays to track movie viewing. The tracker app allows viewers to learn more about upcoming movies and series on the network, watch previews, and request personalized showtime alerts. Viewers can also “favorite” movie titles to add to a personal collection to easily access them later, set calendar reminders and request notifications. Download the app: uptv.com/myapp
UPtv’s holiday season programming highlights include:
We’re Scrooged – Sunday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. ET
When ex-high school sweethearts return to Minneapolis for the Christmas Snowball 10-year high school reunion weekend, they each check in to the hotel single and alone. Although their friends called them “Ross and Rachel,” Sarah and Scott parted ways after college and pursued their high-end careers. After a run-in at the kickoff event, they are both warned that they are going to be visited by three Christmas ghosts over the next three days. While dreaming each night, they have shared experiences reliving their past and present Christmases. These unsettling yet comedic visits help them both see what they gave up. And that they gave up on each other. When the Ghost of Christmas Future visits them separately, they must each make a choice to reunite or lose their love forever.
Stars: Tamara Duarte, Andrew Bushell
Christmas Time Capsule – Sunday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. ET
When Tiffany’s best friend James arrives at her house looking for the family heirloom engagement ring he left in her care, she quickly realizes that he wants to use it to propose to another woman. Now Tiffany has three days, a road trip and some Christmas magic to make James realize that the woman he really wants has been in front of him the whole time.
Stars: Franco Lo Presti, Emily Alatalo
Country Hearts Christmas – Sunday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. ET
*Sequel to the October UPtv Premiere Movie Country Hearts
It’s days until Christmas, and the Jameson Family are all off chasing their dreams. Tori and June are in Nashville recording their first album while Bones is home on the farm getting everything ready for the whole family to be together at Christmas. But when the sisters get a chance to be on a live Christmas Eve show, one that will supercharge their budding career, they are faced with a difficult decision; they could do the show and get a much-needed boost in the industry, but it means not spending a very special Christmas with their family. Added complications arise when Tori’s heart doesn’t know if she should choose an old flame or an old friend, and June is struggling with a long-distance marriage. In the end it’s remembering that family, faith and love is the answer to any big decision.
Stars: Chris Jericho, Lanie McAuley, Katerina Maria, David Pinard, Craig Strickland
Mistletoe Connection – Sunday, Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. ET
Kate Snow loves everything about the holidays. From Christmas sweaters to Christmas crafts, Kate loves it all, but what really makes her jolly is Christmas time at her shop, Treasures from the Heart, that’s been in her family for generations. This year, however, a developer is moving into her quaint neighborhood and trying to turn everything she loves upside down. To make matters worse, Kate had an electric moment with a handsome stranger on a bus, but never got his name and now has no way to find him.
Mark Goodwin may wear expensive suits and has a big job, but underneath it all, he loves Christmas and everything that comes with it. When he has a moment of connection with a particularly beautiful stranger – dressed as a Christmas elf no less – he goes on a mission to discover exactly who she is to make his holiday romance dreams come true. But when Mark and Kate discover that they are on opposite sides of a very personal battle, it will take all the Christmas magic in the world to bring these two together in time for a truly magical holiday.
Stars: Jessica Sipos, Markian Tarasiuk
A Christmas Homecoming – Saturday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. ET
In this all new hour-long special from the beloved Gaither family we celebrate the hope and music of the holiday season. Join Bill Gaither as he presents his favorite Christmas performances from holidays past, featuring Josh Turner, David Phelps, and the Gaither Vocal Band. It’s a Christmas special perfect for the whole family and guaranteed to fill you with the joy of the season.
Yuletide the Knot – Sunday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. ET
When small-town wedding planner Rachel is faced with planning her biggest Christmas wedding yet for an out-of-town influencer couple, she is thrown an unexpected surprise when the bride’s manager turns out to be Logan, her first love and high school sweetheart. He reminds her what it is to love, and through rediscovering the magic of Christmas, she rediscovers a part of her heart she closed off long ago.
Stars: Mary Antonini, Peter Porte, Kelley Jakle, Kelsey Scott, Melissa Peterman
Christmas at an Amish Bakery – Sunday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. ET
After leaving her Amish community in her youth, a New York book editor finds herself in desperate need of a new cookbook to save her job. With Christmas on the horizon Sarah heads back to her family farm to reconnect. But with the presence of a handsome local—an outsider, but one that is friendly with the Amish community—he and Sarah sense chemistry and work together to save her family’s Amish bakery (developing an Amish Christmas Cookbook in the process).
Stars: Alexandra Harris, Sean Koetting
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Dial S for Santa – Sunday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. ET
When insurance investigator Lana Lawton returns home Christmas, her only goal is to spend time with her mom and cheer up her nephew who is upset that his military father won’t make it home for Christmas. When she arrives, however, she discovers that a string of robberies along Main Street has the shop owners scratching their heads over who could have done it. Seeing her chance to earn a big promotion by doing some real P.I. work, Lana puts all of her efforts into trying to solve the case by any means necessary. Now, with Christmas Eve approaching and her suspect list narrowing, Lana must convince Nick, the police chief, to let her help on the investigation. As the pair start spending more and more time together on the case, they begin to see each other as more than co-investigators. Can Lana and Nick solve the case in time for Christmas and will Lana’s lead suspect disappear on Christmas even with a sleigh full of stolen goods? It may just take a lot of faith and a good bit of Christmas magic for a happily ever after!
Stars: Sarah Dugdale, Julian Haig, Lynda Boyd
A Christmas Letter – Sunday, Dec. 24 at 7 p.m. ET
A Christmas Letter is a modern love story meets epic adventure that ultimately brings a family together, with an uplifting, feel-good look at how the spirit of the holidays – and help from some pro hockey players – can unite a community and new-found friendships. This is a tale of how love, compassion and a little Christmas sparkle can bring us together when we need it the most.
Stars: Colin Mochrie, David Lipper, Enrico Colantoni, Glenda Bragzana