Daytime Soap Operas: The City

Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo, the pair who play former special agents Anthony DiNozzo and Ziva David in the upcoming NCIS: Tony and Ziva, will be in town with Paramount Global at MIPCOM next month.

Weatherly and de Pablo will join Cohen, Paramount’s Chief Content Licensing Officer, on stage during his Media Mastermind interview on Tuesday, October 22.

The pair are starring in NCIS: Tony & Ziva, which picks up several years after the two characters reunited in an NCIS storyline. In the new show, they reunite to raise their daughter Tali (Isla Gie), who Tony has been fathering on his own, believing Ziva is dead. When Tony’s Paris-based security firm is attacked, they are forced to go on the run to figure out who’s after them, and whether they can trust each other again. Shooting is currently taking place in Budapest, Hungary.

The Paramount+ original series comes from CBS Studios and is being shopped at MIPCOM through Paramount Global Content Distribution.

The Tony and Ziva on-off relationship formed a major multi-season arc in the earlier era of CBS’s long-running crime procedural NCIS. De Pablo left the show in 2013 after 11 seasons, but unexpectedly returned in season 16 and 17. Weatherly left after 13 seasons, but returned earlier this year in an episode dedicated to Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard. David McCallum, who played Ducky, had passed away in 2023.

Cote de Pablo & Michael Weatherly To Host ‘NCIS’ Rewatch Video Podcast For Spotify

In each weekly podcast episode, de Pablo and Weatherly, along with a special guest, will rewatch iconic NCIS episodes.

Former franchise cast and guest stars making appearances include Sean Murray, Sasha Alexander, Eric Christian Olsen, Jon Cryer and more who will join the hosts to reminisce about the show’s impact in television and pop culture, and reveal exclusive behind-the-scenes moments from making the TV series.

Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch, is produced by Spotify Studios in partnership with Rabbit Grin Productions. The show is executive produced by Jeph Porter and Rob Holysz. Produced by Natalie Holysz, Kasper Selvig and Derek Johnson.

‘NCIS’ Tony & Ziva Spinoff Series Gets Official Title

After referencing a couple of titles that had been floated, NCIS: Europe and NCIS: Trust No One, the duo announced that the official title of their new show will be NCIS: Tony & Ziva.

“It makes it really easy because the fans will know exactly what the show is. It’s about Tony and Ziva in Europe,” de Pablo said.

The action-packed spinoff, which has a 10-episode order, will follow Tony (Weatherly) and Ziva (de Pablo) as they find themselves on the run across the old continent.

Filming on the series — the second extension of the NCIS franchise beyond the U.S. after NCIS: Sydney — is slated to begin this summer in Budapest. John McNamara is the writer/showrunner.

On the mothership NCIS series, after Ziva’s (de Pablo) supposed death, Tony (Weatherly) left the NCIS team to go raise their daughter. Years later, Ziva was discovered alive, leading her to complete one final mission with NCIS before she was reunited with Tony and their daughter in Paris. Since then – and where we find them in the new Paramount+ original series – Tony and Ziva have been raising their daughter, Tali, together. When Tony’s security company is attacked, they must go on the run across Europe, trying to figure out who is after them and maybe even learn to trust each other again so that they can finally have their unconventional happily ever after.

“I expect intrigue, romance, a background of Europe, impossible situations that will make our life very complicated but somehow a little something about love,” de Pablo said.

Weatherly, de Pablo and McNamara executive produce NCIS: Tony & Ziva with Laurie Lieser, Christina Strain and Shelley Meals. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

‘Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black’: Netflix Reveals Cast For New Series Under Creator’s First Look Deal

The pact calls for Perry will write, direct, and produce feature films and series under a multi-year first-look deal.

Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black follows two women leading very different lives. While Kimmie is struggling to make a living after her mother kicked her out, and Mallory is running a successful business, they find themselves entangled in each other’s lives.

The cast includes Taylor Polidore Williams (Divorce in the Black; Snowfall) as Kimmie; Amber Reign Smith (Outlaw Posse; Wu-Tang: An American Saga) as Rain; Crystle Stewart (Tyler Perry’s The Oval; Acrimony) as Mallory; Ricco Ross (A Husband for Christmas; Aliens) as Horace; Debbi Morgan (Power; Power Book II: Ghost) as Olivia; Richard Lawson (Black Hamptons; For Colored Girls) as Norman; Steven G. Norfleet (Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire; Ruthless) as Charles; Julian Horton (National Champions; Tyler Perry’s Bruh) as Roy; Terrell Carter (Empire; Diary of a Mad Black Woman) and as Varney.

Other cast members are Shannon Wallace (Diarra from Detroit; City on a Hill) as Calvin; Bryan Tanaka (Entourage) as Officer Alex; Joy Rovaris (Saint Clare; The Neighborhood) as Gillian; Xavier Smalls as Angel; Charles Malik Whitfield (The Temptations; If Loving You is Wrong) as Jules; Tamera “Tee” Kissen (House Party; White Men Can’t Jump) as Body; Ursula O. Robinson (Hightown) as Delinda; Ashley Versher (This is Me… Now; Law and Order) as Lena; and George Middlebrook (The Final Play; McGraw Ave H-Block) will play Officer Trackson.

In February, Perry struck a first-look series deal with Netflix, adding to his pact with the streamer on movies. That’s on top of Perry’s BET deal for TV, which is ongoing with more than 10 series at the company.

‘NCIS’ Tony & Ziva Spinoff Series Starring Michael Weatherly & Cote de Pablo Ordered By Paramount+

Nicknamed NCIS: Europe, the new spinoff, set to start production later this year, will follow Tony (Weatherly) and Ziva (de Pablo) as they find themselves on the run across the continent.

NCIS is one of CBS Studios’ most valuable franchises and its expansion has been a goal for the studio. This is one of two new NCIS offshoots greenlighted this year, along with the Young Gibbs prequel series for CBS NCIS: Origins. It is also the second extension of the NCIS franchise beyond the U.S., following NCIS: Sydney, which has been airing on CBS in the U.S.

After Ziva’s supposed death, Tony left the NCIS team to go raise their daughter. Years later, Ziva was discovered alive, leading her to complete one final mission with NCIS before she was reunited with Tony and their daughter in Paris. Since then – and where we find them in the new Paramount+ original series – Tony and Ziva have been raising their daughter, Tali, together. When Tony’s security company is attacked, they must go on the run across Europe, try to figure out who is after them and maybe even learn to trust each other again so that they can finally have their unconventional happily ever after.

“We’ve been talking about this story for many years, and now with John McNamara at the helm, we are ready,” Weatherly and de Pablo said. “The world of Tony and Ziva (and daughter Tali) promises to be an action-packed roller coaster fueled by love, danger, tears and laughter. We also want to acknowledge and thank the fans from around the world who supported the ‘Tiva’ movement for years. To this day, they say hello in grocery stores and on the street to tell us how much these characters mean to them and ask what Tony and Ziva are up to now. This is for you!”

Weatherly hinted at a potential ‘Tiva’ reunion last month when his New Year’s tweet, “It’s time to look at time and enjoy the moment!” prompted a fan to respond, “We all would rather look at you and Ziva reuniting.” Weatherly highlighted the comment, adding, “Stay tuned… for this might be an interesting year for such ‘moments’!” He further fueled speculation this week by responding to a fan tweet lamenting about him and de Pablo, “miss the chemistry and magic you both create,” with the cryptic, “the universe works in mysterious ways…”

De Pablo, Weatherly and McNamara executive produce the spinoff with Laurie Lieser, Christina Strain and Shelley Meals. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

“I’m incredibly excited to step into the NCIS universe with Cote and Michael and thrilled to explore it from a few new angles,” McNamara said. “Given that the franchise is such a global sensation, I think it’s phenomenal that CBS Studios and Paramount+ have given us the greenlight to shoot in Europe. As to the title of this series, if I told you what it is, I’d be violating the Espionage Act."

Weatherly, an original NCIS cast member, had been with the series since its launch in 2003. He left after 13 seasons and went on to headline on another CBS/CBS Studios drama Bull. Speculation about his potential return to the NCIS franchise picked up after Bull ended its run last spring. He recently did a cameo in the Ducky tribute episode of the mothership.

De Pablo joined NCIS in Season 3. She appeared in Seasons 3 through 10 and exited the series early in Season 11. In the Season 13 finale, it was revealed that Ziva apparently had died in an explosion in Israel. She returned three years later in 2019, where it was revealed she was alive and had gone into hiding. She made a surprise unannounced return in the last scene of the season 16 finale, which aired on May 21, 2019, in which Ziva arrives at Gibbs’ basement to warn him that his life is in danger. She later appeared in the first two episodes of the show’s 17th season and in that season’s tenth and eleventh episodes as part of her storyline.

Weatherly and de Pablo have remained close off-screen. In 2018, they teamed up to executive produce detective drama MIA, which was set up at CBS.

Twenty one seasons in — currently ranking as the third-longest-running U.S. primetime drama — the mothership series remains the most watched non-sports program on broadcast. A big global seller, which once ranked as the most watched drama in the world, the venerable procedural has spawned three spinoffs in the U.S., NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans as well as NCIS: Hawai’i, which is headed to its fourth season. The franchise recently went international with its first non-American offshoot, NCIS: Sydney, which also has done very well in the U.S., ranking as the most watched new series of the fall.h

Morning Show Appearance

Donna Mills, Nicollette Sheridan and Morgan Fairchild on Ladies of the 80s: A Divas Christmas.

Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas Brings Morgan Fairchild, Loni Anderson and More Icons Together on Lifetime — Watch Trailer

Premiering on Saturday, Dec. 2 (8/7c), the Lifetime original movie Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas brings together five of the decade’s most iconic actresses — Loni Anderson (WKRP in Cincinnati), Morgan Fairchild (Falcon Crest), Linda Gray (Dallas), Donna Mills (Knots Landing) and Nicollette Sheridan (Knots Landing) — for a special holiday event. And now, we’ve got ourselves a trailer!

The women star as “five soap opera divas readying for a reunion show who take on playing cupid during Christmas to bring together their director and producer as they all learn the meaning of true Christmas spirit,” per the official release. The movie also stars Travis Burns, Taylor Ann Thompson, Christopher Atkins, Patrika Darbo, Alec Mapa and Mills’ real-life daughter Chloe Mills.

“The opportunity to bring together Donna, Morgan, Loni, Linda and Nicollette — five powerhouse women into one holiday movie — has been like finding the perfect gift under the Christmas tree,” executive producer Larry A. Thompson says in a statement.

Soap Opera Digest Is Ending Its Weekly Print Edition

Staffers were informed of the decision Friday, according to sources. A spokesperson for a360Media, the company that owns the brand, confirmed that the weekly edition is being discontinued. The company plans to continue publishing special print issues of Soap Opera Digest four times per year.

“Soap Opera Digest, like many other brands, is adjusting its print frequency and shifting more resources to digital to better accommodate its audience,” the a360Media rep said in a statement to Variety.

Soap Opera Digest was first launched in 1975. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp bought the publication in 1989 for $70 million before selling it two years later, per the New York Times, and it has had a succession of different owners ever since.

In its heyday, the magazine had a circulation of 1.5 million in 1991, according to the Times. But the reach of its print edition, as with many magazines, has sharply fallen off in the decades since.

According to its website, Soap Opera Digest is “the leading magazine reporting on the soap opera industry for over 40 years,” serving up “behind-the-scenes scoops and breaking news to passionate soap fans every week.” The mag also has included special editorial features on beauty, fashion, parenting, and health and fitness.

Soap Opera Digest has been available in print and digital subscription plans, priced at $45.97 for six months (26 issues at $1.77 apiece) or $69.97 for one year (52 issues at $1.34 apiece).

A360media houses a media portfolio of celebrity, entertainment and women’s lifestyle brands including Us Weekly, Star, InTouch and Life & Style. The company claims that it is the largest print publisher in the U.S., both in retail sales and units sold, with its titles representing about one-third of all magazines sold at retail.

A360media was formerly known as American Media Inc., which had been the owner of the National Enquirer (involved in the “catch and kill” scandal involving Donald Trump and which Jeff Bezos accused of an extortion attempt). In 2020, AMI was acquired by Atlanta-based logistics firm accelerate360, which sold off the National Enquirer, Globe and National Examiner tabloids earlier this year.

Holiday Movies with Soap Stars on Hallmark, Lifetime, Netflix and Others

SWORN JUSTICE: TAKEN BEFORE CHRISTMAS - BET+
Release Date: Thursday, Nov. 16
Cast: Mishael Morgan, Leland B. Martin, Vivica A. Fox , Melyssa Ford and Preacher Lawson
Premise: On Christmas Eve, a hardened detective and her DA boyfriend are both informed that each other has been kidnapped. As the world closes for the holiday, they are locked out of their computers and phones and must follow the demands of the menacing voice giving them orders. This leads to a snowy night of cat-and-mouse thrills as the two fight for their survival.

SO FLY CHRISTMAS - BET+
Release Date: Thursday, Nov. 23
Cast: Tichina Arnold, Tami Roman, Robert Christopher Riley, Laurissa Romain, Jackee Harry, Tommy Davidson and Michael Colyar
Premise: After being stood up at the altar on Christmas Eve, Wyvetta loses her love on her favorite holiday. To show solidarity, Wyvetta’s best friend, Dione, suggests that the two of them renounce love. Things become complicated when Dione falls for a mild-mannered record store owner and tries to keep it under wraps.

CHRISTMAS RESCUE - BET+
Release Date: Thursday, Dec. 14
Cast: Robin Givens, Raven Goodwin, Donny Carrington, Catfish Jean, Mario Van Peebles, Cameron Bailey and Samantha Neyland Trumbo
Premise: A man abducts the love of his life from her holiday-themed wedding in a desperate last attempt to win her back.

‘TWAS THE TEXT BEFORE CHRISTMAS - Great American Family
Premiere Date: Saturday, Oct. 21 at 8 pm
Cast: Merritt Patterson and Trevor Donovan
Premise: An unexpected text message sent to the wrong number sets into motion a Christmas tradition with a new family over three separate years.

A CHRISTMAS BLESSING - Great American Family
Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 12 at 8 pm
Cast: Lori Loughlin, James Tupper and Jesse Hutch
Premise: A TV chef is divinely inspired to take over her late aunt’s charity with help from a new friend and handsome business associate next door.

A PARIS CHRISTMAS WALTZ - Great American Family
Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 19 at 8 pm
Cast: Jen Lilley and Matthew Morrison
Premise: In this sequel, a novice dancer pairs with a professional to enter a renowned dance competition… in Paris!

A ROYAL CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY - Great American Family
Premiere Date: Saturday, Dec. 23 at 8 pm
Cast: Brittany Underwood and Jonathan Stoddard
Premise: In search of her big break, a reporter arranges a Christmas interview with a European Prince visiting the States. Will the reporter’s big story become her love story?

CHECKIN’ IT TWICE - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Friday, Oct. 20 at 8 pm
Cast: Kim Matula and Kevin McGarry
Premise: A journeyman hockey player falls for a real estate agent in a career crisis when he’s traded to her hometown, then moves into the cottage in her hockey-loving family’s backyard.

WHERE ARE YOU, CHRISTMAS? - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Saturday, Oct. 21 at 8 pm
Cast: Lyndsy Fonseca, Michael Rady, Jim O’Heir and Julie Warner
Premise: When Addy wishes for a year without Christmas, she wakes up in a world of black and white. She must work together with the town mechanic to restore Christmas.

UNDER THE CHRISTMAS SKY - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Sunday, Oct. 22 at 8 pm
Cast: Jessica Parker Kennedy and Ryan Paevey
Premise: Kat is an esteemed astrophysicist, who is scheduled for her first trip into space next year until an accident grounds her. While on leave, coming to terms with the reality that her dream of being an astronaut is over, she volunteers at the local planetarium. There, she is paired up with by-the-book David to work on an exhibit opening right before Christmas. Will the stars align to bring these two together at the holidays?

MYSTIC CHRISTMAS - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Saturday, Oct. 28 at 8 pm
Cast: Jessy Schram, Chandler Massey, Patti Murin and William R. Moses
Premise: Juniper travels to Mystic, Conn., during the holidays to work at the rehabilitation center and aquarium. She reconnects with Sawyer, the owner of the pizza shop.

JOYEUX NOEL - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Sunday, Oct. 29 at 8 pm
Cast: Jaicy Elliot and Brant Daugherty
Premise: When a romantic painting of a Christmas market captures the imagination of copy editor Lea, she is sent to France with pragmatic reporter Mark to uncover the mystery behind the artist.

THE SANTA SUMMIT - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 5 at 8 pm
Cast: Hunter King and Benjamin Hollingsworth
Premise: It’s time for the annual Santa Summit, in which revelers put on Santa suits and hop around designated locations in town to eat, drink and be merry. Three best friends decide to go together: Jordin, a recently dumped art teacher looking to cut loose; Ava, a shy woman hoping to run into her crush; and Stella, a Christmas cynic with no interest in the Santa Summit whatsoever. At the start of the night, Jordin meets and bonds with Liam, but doesn’t get his name before getting separated and lost in a sea of Santas. As the night progresses and hijinks ensue, amidst the chaos, celebration, and a sea of Santas, they all find what they’re looking for: Christmas spirit, potential romance, and a strengthened bond of friendship.

A MERRY SCOTTISH CHRISTMAS - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 18 at 8 pm
Cast: Lacey Chabert and Scott Wolf
Premise: When estranged siblings Lindsay and Brad Morgan travel to Scotland at Christmas to reunite with their mother Jo, a big family secret is revealed.

HAUL OUT THE HOLLY: LIT UP - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 25 at 8 pm
Cast: Lacey Chabert, Wes Brown, Stephen Tobolowsky, Melissa Peterman, Ellen Travolta, Seth Morris and Jennifer Aspen
Premise: As the holidays approach, Emily and Jared are looking forward to celebrating the holidays together again — this time as a couple. Emily, now embracing Evergreen Lane’s uniquely festive spirit, is ready to work with Jared, Ned, Mary Louise and Pamela to make this year’s Christmas celebrations the best yet… even if being the HOA president’s girlfriend doesn’t stop those dreaded decorating citations. When a house on the block goes up for sale, it causes quite a stir with residents. When the soon-to-be neighbors turn out to be holiday royalty, it looks like this year’s competition is about to heat up. As the welcoming committee prepares for the new arrivals, only one thing is certain – this Christmas, Evergreen Lane is going to sleigh!

A BLITMORE CHRISTMAS - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 26 at 8 pm
Cast: Bethany Joy Lenz, Kristoffer Polaha, Jonathan Frakes and Robert Picardo
Premise: Lucy Hardgrove is a screenwriter who lands the job of a lifetime when she’s hired to pen the script for a remake of the beloved, holiday movie classic, His Merry Wife!, which was filmed in 1947 at beautiful, historic Biltmore House. When the head of the studio isn’t satisfied with the ending Lucy wrote because it deviates from the original’s feel-good conclusion, he sends Lucy to Biltmore Estate for research and inspiration. While there, she unwittingly discovers the ability to travel to the 1947 set of His Merry Wife! through the help of an hourglass. While on set, she and Jack Huston, one of the film’s stars, spend time together and become close. But her sudden appearance has set off a chain of events that put the production in jeopardy. Before she can return to the present, Lucy must make things right or threaten to alter the future forever.

CHRISTMAS WITH A KISS - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 3 at 8 pm
Cast: Mishael Morgan, Ronnie Rowe Jr. and Jaime M. Callica
Premise: A woman returns home to help with her family’s Christmas Carnival and romance ignites. A photo journalist curates a surprise reunion.

CHRISTMAS ON CHERRY LANE - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Saturday, Dec. 9 at 8 pm
Cast: Catherine Bell, James Denton, Jonathan Bennett, John Brotherton, Erin Cahill and Vincent Rodriguez III
Premise: A young couple preparing to welcome their first child; an empty-nester and her fiancé ready to start a new chapter; and a couple who unexpectedly have the chance to expand their family on Christmas Eve celebrate the holiday as they navigate these turning points in their lives.

MYSTERY ON MISTLETOE LANE - Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Premiere Date: Thursday, Nov. 9 at 8 pm
Cast: Erica Cerra and Victor Webster
Premise: New to town, Heidi Wicks and her kids discover a Christmas mystery in their historic home. Local handyman and historian David helps along the way, finding his own surprising connection.

A WORLD RECORD CHRISTMAS - Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Premiere Date: Thursday, Nov. 16 at 8 pm
Cast: Nikki DeLoach, Lucas Bryant and Aias Dalman
Premise: Charlie is an autistic boy determined to set a Guinness World Record by stacking 1400 Jenga blocks. His mother Marissa and stepfather Eric encourage him to reach for his dream and they all celebrate when he gets the good news that he’ll have get his chance on Christmas Eve. In the spirit of the holiday, they organize a fundraiser giving the townspeople an opportunity to donate and decorate a Jenga block, with the proceeds going to benefit kids with autism. Charlie’s journey to setting the Jenga world record gives them all the chance to learn more not just about themselves, but about what family really means.

HEAVEN DOWN HERE
Premiere Date: Thursday, Dec. 14 at 8 pm
Cast: Krystal Joy Brown, Tina Lifford, Juan Riedinger, Richard Harmon and Phylicia Rashad
Premise: Inspired by Mickey Guyton’s song of the same name, Heaven Down Here tells the story of four disparate people who find themselves stranded in a local diner on Christmas Eve when a snowstorm hits the town. Imami is a widowed mother of two who’s having trouble making ends meet and reluctantly agrees to work the Christmas Eve shift, where she clashes with her boss Dan, who doesn’t exactly embody the Christmas spirit. Felix is a local pastor desperately trying to secure food for parishioners while his faith is challenged by his alienation by his son. Clara is a hospice nurse with an obstinate patient and whose daughter is moving away, causing her to question her place in this world. Throughout the evening, these four bicker, bond and unwittingly provide each other with the answer to their respective prayers.

A CHRISTMAS FREQUENCY - Hulu
Premiere Date: Wednesday, Nov. 1
Cast: Denise Richards, James Hyde, Ansley Gordon and Jonathan Stoddard
Premise: Richards stars as morning radio show host Brooke Walkins, who is not only secretly separating from her husband Todd but hemorrhaging ratings on her show. When she finds out the show is being axed, Brooke’s producer Kenzie Parker has the bright idea of setting up the host with a series of blind dates live on air to help Brooke find someone to take to the company’s Christmas party. But things take an unexpected turn when Kenzie finds out Ben, a guy she’s interested in, has applied to date Brooke. As Ben proves a hit with listeners, Kenzie finds herself having to choose between her heart and her job.

LADIES OF THE ’80S: A DIVAS CHRISTMAS - Lifetime
Premiere Date: TBA
Cast: Loni Anderson, Morgan Fairchild, Linda Gray, Donna Mills and Nicollette Sheridan
Premise: The movie follows five soap opera divas readying for a reunion show who take on playing cupid during Christmas to bring together their director and producer as they all learn the meaning of true Christmas spirit.

BEST. CHRISTMAS. EVER! - Netfilx
Premiere Date: Thursday, Nov. 16
Cast: Heather Graham, Brandy Norwood and Jason Biggs
Premise: Every Christmas, Jackie sends a boastful holiday newsletter that makes her old college friend Charlotte feel like a lump of coal. When a twist of fate lands Charlotte and her family on Jackie’s snowy doorstep just days before Christmas, she seizes the opportunity to prove her old friend’s life can’t possibly be that perfect.

HOW TO FALL IN LOVE BY CHRISTMAS - Roku
Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 3
Cast: Teri Hatcher
Premise: A beloved writer-turned-CEO must save her company by writing a column on her falling in love by the holidays – which is complicated by the handsome photographer who has been assigned to the piece.

YULETIDE THE KNOT - Uptv
Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 3 at 7 pm
Cast: Mary Antonini, Peter Porte, Kelley Jakle, Kelsey Scott and Melissa Peterman
Premise: 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.

Lifetime To Air ’80s Themed Holiday Movie With Loni Anderson, Morgan Fairchild, Linda Gray, Donna Mills & Nicollette Sheridan

As the tentpole for its holiday movie slate, Lifetime will air Ladies of the 80’s: A Divas Christmas, a festive romp starring Loni Anderson (WKRP in Cincinnati), Morgan Fairchild (Falcon Crest), Linda Gray (Dallas), Donna Mills (Knots Landing) and Nicollette Sheridan (Knots Landing).

Filmed earlier this year, the movie follows five soap opera divas as they reunite to shoot the final Christmas episode of their long-running sudser. The producer, Alex (Travis Burns) and director Nell (Taylor Ann Thompson), who happen to be old college friends, do their best to keep things on the rails but as the ladies come together, old rivalries resurface that threaten to tear the production apart. With the show nearly canceled before it even begins due to the ladies’ famous diva behavior, they reluctantly agree to set aside their differences and past secrets to “act” as if they all still love each other. When old sparks reignite between Alex and Nell, the ladies become eager to play cupid and conspire to bring the couple together.

Eighties’ heartthrob Christopher Atkins, along with Patrika Darbo, Alec Mapa and Donna Mills’ real-life daughter, Chloe Mills, also star. The movie’s theme song Ladies of the 80’s was written by Song Writer Hall of Fame’s Steve Dorff and Michael Jay and is performed by 80’s pop sensation Tiffany (I Think We’re Alone Now).

“The opportunity to bring together Donna, Morgan, Loni, Linda and Nicollette, five powerhouse women into one holiday movie, has been like finding the perfect gift under the Christmas tree,” said executive producer Larry A. Thompson (Liz & Dick, Amish Grace).

An airdate will be announced in the coming weeks, along with the rest of the channel’s It’s a Wonderful Lifetime holiday movie slate.

Ladies of the 80’s: A Divas Christmas is executive produced for Lifetime by Thompson. Christie Will Wolf (Christmas on Candy Cane Lane, The Art of Passion) directs from a script by James Berg & Stan Zimmerman (The Golden Girls, Gilmore Girls) with Robert G. Endara II and Ed Polgardy producing..

Tyler Perry Sets Meagan Good, Debbi Morgan & Five Others To Star In Prime Video Pic ‘Divorce In The Black’

The film follows Ava, a young bank professional who is devastated when her husband Dallas abandons a marriage she is determined to fight for. But then fate intervenes, revealing Dallas’ wicked deeds that have trashed their marriage, and once upon a time sabotaged Ava’s destiny to be loved by her true soulmate. Deadline understands that Hardrict will be playing Dallas, though no further character details have been disclosed.

In addition to Perry via Tyler Perry Studios, producers include Tyler Perry Studios’ Angi Bones and Will Areu, as well as Dianne Ashford.

Most recently reprising her DC role of Super Hero Darla in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Good is also known for turns in films like Day Shift, Think Like a Man and its sequel, Don Jon and Stomp the Yard, among others. The actress toplines Prime Video’s comedy series Harlem and has also been seen on shows like Prodigal Son, Star and Californication, to name just a few.

Currently starring as Coach Marcus Turner on The CW’s All American: Homecoming, which has been renewed for a third season, Hardrict also has on his resume shows like The Chi, S.W.A.T. and The Oath. He appears in the Sundance 2023 films To Live and Die and Live and Young. Wild. Free. and also boasts big-screen credits like City of Lies, All Eyes on Me, American Sniper and Warm Bodies.

Anderson played Rocky, the father of a young Dwayne Johnson, on NBC’s Young Rock, appearing prior to that on MacGruber and other series, as well as in films like Harriet.

Polidore has also been seen on All American: Homecoming, as well as on series like Snowfall, Black Lightning and Wicked City.

Most recently appearing on shows like Blue Bloods and City on a Hill, Wallace has also been part of American Soul and other series. Among his other upcoming projects is the indie drama Shelter Me with Nick Nolte and Jacqueline Bisset.

Appearing in films like For Colored Girls, How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Wag the Dog, Lawson counts amongst his recent TV credits shows like The Ms. Pat Show and Grey’s Anatomy.

Seen on shows like Power, Power Book II: Ghost and The Defenders, Morgan’s film credits include Coach Carter, Love & Basketball and Eve’s Bayou.

In addition to Black, White, & Blue, which tells the story of a woman who loses her husband at the hands of a police officer, Perry has coming up the Netflix films Six Triple Eight and Mea Culpa, having released such recent efforts as A Jazzman’s Blues, Tyler Perry’s A Madea Homecoming and A Fall from Grace to that platform.

Good is repped by Gersh, Atlas Artists and Yorn, Levine, Barnes; Hardict by Buchwald and Jackoway Austen Tyerman; Anderson by Gersh and Silver Mass Entertainment; Polidore by AEFH and Elevate Entertainment; Wallace by Stewart Talent and Artist International Group; Lawson by AMT Artists, Alta Global Media and attorney Larry Turner; Morgan by PH Entertainment Group; and Perry by WME and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.

Walt Willey Heads to General Hospital — as All My Children's Jackson!

Daytime-TV vet Walt Willey is heading to ABC’s General Hospital, Soap Opera Digest reports, reprising no less than his role of All My Children‘s Jackson Montgomery.

Willey originated the role of Jackson, an attorney, on AMC back in 1987, and stuck with the Pine Valley, USA-based sudser until the September 2011 end of its run on ABC.

Of note, he previously crossed Jackson over to another ABC soap, The City, for a handful of 1996 episodes.

Willey’s soap career began in 1983 with a gig on The Edge of Night, after which he booked a run on Another World run as Jim LaRusso. His credits also include Ryan’s Hope (as that ABC serial’s fourth Joe Novak), As the World Turns and, most recently, the role of actor Gregory Ashford on the YouTube sudser Tainted Dreams.

Laura Wright and Cameron Mathison on Entertainment Tonight

Cynthia Watros & Laura Wright Interview 6/8/22

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‘NCIS: Tony & Ziva’s Michael Weatherly And Cote De Pablo Set For MIPCOM Trip