Olympia Dukakis to Star in Hallmark Channel's THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT, 12/1

Golden Globe(R) nominee Nicollette Sheridan glows as a renowned journalist who won't stop at anything to get the truth, regardless whether she can be seen or heard in "The Christmas Spirit," a Hallmark Channel Original Movie premiering Sunday, December 1 at 8pm ET/PT, 7C. Academy Award(R) and Golden Globe(R) winner Olympia Dukakis ("Moonstruck" and Bart Johnson ("The Client List") join the spirited cast in "The Christmas Spirit," part of Hallmark Channel's annual COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS, the #1 most treasured holiday destination by television viewers.

Charlotte Hart (Sheridan), a distinguished journalist, is spending time with her family over the holidays when a real estate developer approaches their small town with quite an offer. Skeptical and looking for the real scoop, Charlotte drives to see the real estate head honcho to question him. While she's en route, she gets into a terrible car accident and wakes up in the hospital only to realize that her body is in a coma, but her spirit is very much awake. She meets another spirit, who just happens to be the greedy developer. It turns out that he was on the other end of the accident, and he too is in a coma. With only a few days left before the town votes on the development, Charlotte must try to change the minds of the developer and the town, but that is no easy task when no one can see or hear her.

"The Christmas Spirit" is a Brad Krevoy Television production. Brad Krevoy, Nicollette Sheridan, Francisco Gonzalez, Alexandre Coscas, Eric Jarboe and James Townsend are executive producers. Brad Southwick is a producer. Jack Angelo directed from a script he wrote.

Hallmark Channel, owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., is a 24-hour basic cable network that provides a diverse slate of high-quality entertainment programming available in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) to a national audience of 87 million subscribers. Hallmark Channel is the nation's leading destination for quality family programming with an ambitious slate of original TV movies and specials, as well as some of television's most beloved sitcoms and series, including The Golden Girls, The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, and Frasier. The channel is also home to a range of lifestyle programming, anchored by Home & Family, a daily two-hour live show shot in a fully functional house located on the Universal Studios lot. Hallmark Channel's sibling network, Hallmark Movie Channel, available in HD and SD, focuses on family-friendly movies with a mix of original films, classic theatrical releases, and presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library.

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