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[08/17/09 - 12:58 PM]
ABC Family Fetches Starz Media's "The Dog Who Saved Christmas" for Network's 'Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas' Programming Event
Mario Lopez, Dean Cain, Elisa Donovan and Gary Valentine co-star in the project, bowing Sunday, November 29 at 8:00/7:00c.

[via press release from ABC Family]

ABC FAMILY FETCHES STARZ MEDIA'S "THE DOG WHO SAVED CHRISTMAS" FOR NETWORK'S 'COUNTDOWN TO 25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS' PROGRAMMING EVENT

Mario Lopez Joins Dean Cain, Elisa Donovan and Gary Valentine In the Original Movie About a Problem Pooch Who Saves the Holiday

Burbank, CA (August 17, 2009) � ABC Family and Starz Media will be barking in the holidays together this season, with the network buying the U.S. cable TV rights to the new holiday movie, "The Dog Who Saved Christmas," as part of its November "Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas" programming event. A Starz Media presentation, the two-hour original movie makes its worldwide premiere on ABC Family on Sunday, November 29 at 8:00 PM ET/PT. Jeffrey Schenck, Zelma Kiwi and Barry Barnholtz are executive producers on the film, which was written by Michael Ciminera and Richard Gnolfo, from a story by Schenck, Ciminera and Gnolfo. Michael Feifer directed the movie.

"Dog" stars Dean Cain ("Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," "Out of Time"), Gary Valentine ("The King of Queens"), with Mario Lopez ("Saved By the Bell," "Pacific Blue") featured as the voice of Zeus, the misguided guard dog who saves the Bannister family's Christmas when he thwarts a burglary attempt by two inept thieves. Elisa Donovan ("Clueless," "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch"), Sierra McCormick ("Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?"), Charlie Stewart ("The Suite Life of Zach & Cody," "Life with Bonnie"), Mindy Sterling (the "Austin Powers" trilogy) and Adrienne Barbeau ("Maude," "Carnivale") also star.

"Jeffrey and Barry put together a terrific cast and a very appealing story with 'The Dog Who Saved Christmas'," said Gene George, Starz Media EVP, Worldwide Distribution, who is overseeing all distribution for the title. "It attracted the interest of TV programmers around the world, and we were thrilled to ultimately bring it to ABC Family as part of its lineup this holiday season."

"We're very excited to be partnering with Starz Media on the 'The Dog Who Saved Christmas'," said Tom Zappala, Senior Vice President, Disney ABC Television Group. "It will be a perfect addition to our highly successful 'Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas' event."

Anchor Bay Entertainment, Starz Media's market-leading home entertainment division, will release the movie on DVD just nine days later, on December 8, 2009.

"We expect 'The Dog Who Saved Christmas' to be one of the hit titles of this holiday season, and for years to come," adds Anchor Bay Entertainment EVP, Worldwide Marketing, Gordon Prend.

About Starz Media

Starz Media, LLC, is a programming production and distribution company operating worldwide. It includes the Film Roman, Anchor Bay Entertainment and Manga Entertainment brands. Its units create animated and live-action programming -- including theatrical films -- and programming created under contract for other media companies. It distributes that programming, and programming acquired from outside producers, through home video retailers, theaters, broadcasters, ad supported and premium television channels, and Internet and wireless video distributors in the US and internationally. Starz Media (www.starzmedia.com) is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation attributed to the Liberty Capital Group.

About Anchor Bay Entertainment

Anchor Bay Entertainment is the home entertainment division of Starz Media, LLC. It includes the Anchor Bay Films and Manga Entertainment brands. It distributes feature films, children's entertainment, fitness, TV series, documentaries, anime and other filmed entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray� formats. It is the exclusive distributor in the U.S. of the theatrical titles from Overture Films. Headquartered in Burbank, CA, Anchor Bay Entertainment has offices in Troy, MI, as well as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Starz Media (www.starzmedia.com) is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation attributed to the Liberty Capital Group.

About ABC Family

Part of the Disney-ABC Television Group, ABC Family is distributed in over 97 million homes. ABC Family features programming reflecting today's families, entertaining and connecting with adults through relevant stories about today's relationships, all told with diversity, dysfunction, passion, humor and heart. ABC Family's programming is a mix of network defining original series and original movies, quality acquired series and blockbuster theatricals. ABC Family is also the destination for annual Holiday events with "13 Nights of Halloween" and "25 Days of Christmas!" ABC Family. A New Kind of Family.





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· ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A FIFTH GRADER? (NICKELODEON)
· CARNIVALE (HBO)
· DOG WHO SAVED CHRISTMAS, THE (ABC FAMILY)
· KING OF QUEENS, THE (CBS)
· LIFE WITH BONNIE (ABC)
· PACIFIC BLUE (USA)
· SABRINA, THE TEENAGE WITCH (WB)





[08/31/26 - 12:48 PM]
TNT Sports' College Football Coverage Highlighted by Season-Long Big 12 Football, Expanded Five-Game CFP Lineup & Multiplatform Programming Across TNT, truTV, HBO Max & Bleacher Report
Kicking off TNT's second year of Big 12 football, the West Virginia Mountaineers will host the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers on Saturday, September 5, at Noon ET on TNT, truTV and HBO Max.

[08/31/26 - 11:03 AM]
ESPN Announces MLB Game of the Day Schedule for September
The September slate includes games on ESPN's linear networks and the ESPN App through MLB.TV, along with a daily selection of out-of-market matchups available through ESPN Unlimited's Game of the Day offering.

[08/31/26 - 10:09 AM]
Norman Reedus Joins James Marsden in a New Action Thriller Series "Disavowed" Coming to Apple TV
Art Marcum and Matt Holloway are behind the project.

[08/31/26 - 10:00 AM]
Pluto TV Expands Its Anime Strategy with Major Franchises, Broader English Dub Access and New Simulcast Programming
More than 45 billion minutes of anime content were streamed in the U.S. in 2025, according to Nielsen, underscoring the genre's growing place in mainstream entertainment.

[08/31/26 - 09:31 AM]
"Tires" Renewed for Season 4 on Netflix
The news arrives as Season 3 earned its highest-ever ranking on the Global Top 10 English TV list, reaching #5 the week of August 17, 2026.

[08/31/26 - 09:01 AM]
Netflix's "Lupin" Part 4 - First Look Debut
Part 4 will premiere on October 23 on Netflix.

[08/31/26 - 08:31 AM]
Manny Halley Nets Five Bonus Episodes of Hit Mockumentary Comedy Series "Lot Patrol" on BET
The five bonus episodes will be shot at IMANI Studio, Manny Halley's newly rebranded production facility in Pacoima, formerly operated as Quixote North Valley Studios.

[08/31/26 - 08:00 AM]
HBO Original Documentary Series "A Killer Story" Debuts September 10
The three-part documentary series examines a polarizing murder case that spanned more than two decades and captured national attention.

[08/31/26 - 07:31 AM]
Roku Originals and Paris Hilton's 11:11 Media Revisit Fame, Frenzy and Pop Culture in "The It Girls: Inside the 2000s" (wt)
The upcoming documentary will go behind the glossy images of early 2000s tabloid culture to tell the stories of the women who became headlines - and the women still living that story today.

[08/31/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Tyler Perry's Doing Life" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A single mother and an incarcerated man forge an unlikely bond through heartfelt letters, unlocking a door to redemption, hope and love against all odds.

[08/31/26 - 07:01 AM]
"Maxton Hall," The Final Season Premieres December 9
Nothing will ever be the same.

[08/31/26 - 06:00 AM]
HBO Max Brings "The Howard Stern Show" to Streaming, Debuting September 17
Each week, Howard's SiriusXM show will be adapted into a streamable episode for HBO Max.

[08/30/26 - 08:01 PM]
Video: "My Happy Marriage" Special Episodes - Official Teaser - Netflix
As their relationship blossoms, the young couple face new challenges as Miyo meets Kiyoka's parents and ominous conspirators threaten their peace.

[08/30/26 - 11:01 AM]
Video: "Outside" - Official Trailer - Netflix
"Outside" is the Sidemen's latest spin-off, moving the action from "Inside's" four walls into the forest.

[08/28/26 - 01:05 PM]
Spot the Liar on October 30: Netflix Unveils Launch Date and First Look Images for Swedish Psychological Thriller "A Couple of Lies"
Based on the novel by the same name by best-selling crime author Stefan Ahnhem, the limited series follows two couples whose dream holiday home swap spirals into something far more dangerous, leaving them unsure whether they can even trust the person they love.