HALLMARK CHANNEL PROUDLY ANNOUNCES THE PRODUCTION OF THE HALLMARK CHANNEL ORIGINAL HOLIDAY MOVIE "DEBBIE MACOMBER'S CEDAR COVE CHRISTMAS" TO PREMIERE DURING CHANNEL'S 2013 "COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN"

Hallmark Channel proudly announces the production of the Hallmark Channel original movie "Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove Christmas" to premiere during the network's most treasured Holiday 2013 slate as part of the network's annual "Countdown to Christmas" holiday initiative. The movie follows the September 28 season finale of Hallmark Channel's first-ever original primetime scripted series, "Debbie' Macomber's Cedar Cove", coming to the channel in July. The story will continue from the season conclusion and will be presented in a beautiful holiday setting among the majestic small town of Cedar Cove. The network has decided to produce the holiday movie to give its enthusiasts additional programming for viewer engagement and enjoyment this holiday season. The show stars internationally renowned film and television star and Golden Globe(R) winner Andie MacDowell, veteran actor Dylan Neal ("The Bold and The Beautiful", "Dawson's Creek") and actress Teryl Rothery ("Stargate SG-1"). The Hallmark Channel original series is based on the bestselling book series Cedar Cove by #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.

In "Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove", MacDowell plays Judge Olivia Lockhart whose Cedar Cove Municipal Court is the professional milieu and social microcosm of issues the judge will face in her own day-to-day life with family and friends. Neal plays Jack Griffith, the new editor of the Cedar Cove Chronicle, and budding love interest for Judge Lockhart.

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, Frasier, and Happy Days. 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, and Marie, a one-hour talk show hosted by iconic entertainer, Marie Osmond. Hallmark Channel's sibling network, Hallmark Movie Channel, also 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.