Tag: GAC Family

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, the head of Great American Media says the network has no specific plan to exclude same-sex story lines from the movies it produces.

“It’s certainly the year 2022, so we’re aware of the trends,” said Bill Abbott. “There’s no whiteboard that says, ‘Yes, this’ or ‘No, we’ll never go here.’”

For now, Great American Family movies feature heterosexual romantic story lines, often with romance coming in a distant second to spiritual and personal growth.

In her new movie for Great American Family, Candace Cameron Bure says she is trying to get away from some of the tropes that have come to define Christmas rom-coms.

“My own kids have said, ‘Mom, are you leaving the big city and going to the farm, meeting the love of your life?’” Bure said. “Those are all fun things that we love, but we see over and over and over.

Great American Media

In recent years, Hallmark has made a push to include same-sex couples in some of its movies and television shows. Both The Christmas House and The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls featured a same sex couple played by Jonathan Bennett and Brad Harder. In the series finale of the popular show Good Witch, one of the show’s main characters shared a same-sex kiss with a new love interest.

In The Christmas House and The Christmas House 2, Hallmark featured same-sex story lines.
The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls. (Image: Hallmark Media)

Hallmark executives have said they want all audiences to feel represented in their programming.

While some fans have welcomed the changes, others have accused the company of going “woke for profit.”

Change of focus

The focus of the story in Bure’s new film for the network, A Christmas…Present, is the main character’s spiritual reawakening. Bure plays Maggie, a married mother of two who goes to visit her recently widowed brother, Paul. Though she is expecting to find Paul grief-stricken and depressed, she finds he has coped well with the loss because of his Christian faith. Maggie comes away from the experience with a renewed love of God and an appreciation for her many blessings.

While not all of the movies will have such a religious focus, many will include messages of faith, hope, and family.

“Spiritual or faith-based content is grossly underserved,” Abbott said in an interview, a sentiment echoed by Bure.

“My heart wants to tell stories that have more meaning and purpose and depth behind them,” Bure said.

Bure’s first film for Great American Family, A Christmas…Present, will premiere on Sunday, November 27 at 8/7c.

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Actress Danica McKellar has moved to Tennessee. In a recent interview, the Hallmark and Great American Family star said she and her family have left Los Angeles to live on a rural homestead an hour north of Nashville.

“My husband and I have been wanting more nature for a long time,” McKellar told People magazine. “We were kind of ready to not be in a city anymore.”

In an Instagram post, McKellar said she feels like a character in one of the romantic-comedies she stars in.

“Yep, my Christmas movie characters are definitely rubbing off on me,” she wrote. “Big city life traded in for the country!”

The actress added, “I’ve lived in beautiful California my entire life; in Los Angeles since I was 7 years old. And I’ve never been happier. Excited for the seasons, too!”

Danica McKellar has moved to Tennessee

Tennessee has a special place in McKellar’s heart. Soon after she started dating her husband, Scott Sveslovsky, she had to shoot a movie on location in Kentucky. They missed each other so much that he flew to Nashville to see her and she drove an hour-and-a-half to see him. They spent a romantic weekend in Nashville and fell in love with the city.

“Memphis and Nashville are both entertainment cities. They’re known for music,” McKellar said. “Being from L.A. and being an entertainer, it’s nice to have creative people around.”

Career move

McKellar made headlines last year when she announced that she had signed an exclusive contract with Great American Family, a new network started by Crown Media Family Network’s former CEO Bill Abbott. As part of the deal, she will star in and executive produce four movies for the company.

One of these films, Christmas at the Drive-In, will premiere as part the network’s Great American Christmas lineup.

Though she is a fan of romantic comedies in general, she loves Christmas movies.

“…I think what audiences love about Christmas is this feeling of nostalgia and family and traditions and warm fuzziness,” she said in an interview. “Really, what we want is that warm fuzziness.”

Danica McKellar in the movie Christmas at the Drive-In. The actress revealed that she has moved to Tennessee.
Danica McKellar in the movie Christmas at the Drive-In. (Image: Great American Media.)

A Californian born and bred, McKellar first appeared on the small screen as Winnie Cooper in the ABC program The Wonder Years, which ran from 1988-1993. After finishing the series, she went on to study mathematics at UCLA.

In her work as an undergraduate, she helped author a mathematical-physics theorem, the Chayes-McKellar-Winn theorem. She has written 11 books about math and runs a website devoted to the subject.

She continued her acting career as well, making guest appearances on The West Wing and the The Big Bang Theory. Over the years, she has appeared in the Hallmark romcoms Crown for Christmas (2015), Christmas at Grand Valley (2018), and Christmas at Dollywood (2019). She also starred in Crown Media’s Matchmaker Mysteries series.

New place

McKellar is now living on her homestead with her husband, her son, Draco, (whom she shares with ex Mike Verta), and her mother, Mahalia. They have begun renovating their new home and they hope to eventually put in a pool, though McKellar is enjoying the trampoline they have too much to make serious plans.

The actress said she loves being around nature and her family.

“I am just loving the fact that my Christmas movie characters have rubbed off on me,” she said. “I think it’s just a wonderful example of life imitating art.”

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Christmas University is back and offering the prize to beat all prizes: dinner with Paul Greene, Lacey Chabert, Andrew Walker, and Jen Lilley. The “Ultimate Christmas Experience,” as the prize is listed, includes a trip to Hollywood, a Balsam Hill Christmas tree, dinner with Greene, Chabert, Walker, and Lilley, and VIP tickets to Christmas Con.

Other prizes include a trip to an Arizona spa, a stay at the Cheerful Inn at Christmas Place in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., and a ski vacation in the Rockies. Each prize includes a chance to meet Hallmark stars such as Cindy Busby, Danica McKellar, and Trevor Donovan.

“LET’S GET TO OUR GOAL OF 25,000 TOYS for children in need this Christmas,” wrote Lilley on her Instagram page. “GIVE and get entered to WIN the Ultimate Christmas including a trip to meet your favorite Christmas movie stars!!”

Christmas is not Cancelled

Christmas University is an event sponsored by Christmas is not Cancelled, a charity founded by Jen Lilley and her friend Ale Boggiano during the pandemic as a way to help children in need.

The organization solicits and compiles donations for Toys for Tots, Child Help Village, and The Global Orphan Project.

The causes are near and dear to Lilley’s heart. She and her husband have four children, two of whom were adopted out of the foster care system with the aid of Child Help. During an appearance on the Fostering Change podcast with Rob Scheer, Lilley talked about how important it is to support organizations that help these children.

“…Children who are experiencing foster care often aren’t always in the best home situation,” she said. “Ninety percent of children who go through foster care have changed schools five times by fifth grade and so I can’t even imagine how difficult it would be to continue my education. We came together and we’re doing it again this summer to give these children the school supplies that they need to have a successful school year, to set them up with quality school supplies, not hand-me-downs, brand new things to let them know that we see them like every other child.”

Win a dinner with Paul Greene, Lacey Chabert, Andrew Walker, and Jen Lilley at Christmas University
Jen Lilley with Great American Media co-stars Candace Cameron Bure, Andrea Barber, and Lori Loughlin. (Image: Instagram/@jen_lilley)

Lilley rose to fame on the soap operas General Hospital and Days of Our Lives, before appearing in the Hallmark movies Harvest Love (2017), Mingle All the Way (2018), and A Little Daytime Drama (2021).

The actress recently signed a four-picture deal with Great American Media, the company founded by former Hallmark CEO Bill Abbott.

“Aside from being an immensely talented and hardworking actor, Jen is a generous and kindhearted person who is a perfect fit for GAC,” Abbott said in a statement to Deadline. “Many of us on the GAC team have known Jen for years, and we are excited to welcome her to the family as we work together to bring even more entertaining movies to our fans.”

Christmas University

This year, Christmas is not Cancelled is offering online classes with celebrities and experts on everything from painting your own Christmas cards to making Christmas cookies from around the world.

Fans can also watch Hallmark celebrities compete in Ugly Christmas Sweater competitions and an evening of Don’t Forget the Lyrics with celebrities singing Christmas carols.

Check out Christmas is not Cancelled for all the details.

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A new Christmas movie is in the works at Great American Family. The network, which was started by former Hallmark CEO Bill Abbott, announced that production has begun Someday at Christmas, which is set to premiere in November.

“Christmas just got even better!!!” Jessica Lowndes wrote in an Instagram post promoting the movie. “To say I’m excited to act and sing with the legendary @msgladysknight is a MAJOR understatement!!! This project is an absolute dream come true. Can’t wait for everybody to see this one!!!”

New Christmas movie for Great American Family

Lowndes stars in the movie as Holly, a sales clerk with dreams of appearing on Broadway. When she meets musician and single father Jason (played by Greene), sparks fly. Her landlady Cora (played by Knight) brings the two together for a Christmas concert and they fall in love.

“As anticipation builds for year two of Great American Christmas, we are delighted to be working with the incomparable Gladys Knight who has inspired generations of fans by pushing musical boundaries with her numerous hit songs,” president and CEO of Great American Media Bill Abbott said in a statement to Variety. “With high caliber performances from Knight and the talented Jessica Lowndes and Paul Greene, ‘Someday at Christmas’ is a truly magical Christmas movie steeped in original music that audiences will want to see again and again.”

Someday at Christmas is one of many new movies being produced for the upcoming holiday by Great American Family. Shooting has already wrapped on another film, Catering Christmas, which will star Merritt Patterson and Daniel Lissing.

Daniel Lissing and Lori Loughlin on When Hope Calls. Great American Family is working on a new Christmas movie for 2022 called Someday at Christmas..
Loughlin and Daniel Lissing on the set of When Hope Calls Christmas. (Image: Instagram/@daniellissing)

The network released 12 Christmas movies last year and a special episode of When Hope Calls with appearances by Lissing and Lori Loughlin. Other films starred Hallmark favorites such as Cameron Mathison, Jen Lilley, Chad Michael Murray, and Trevor Donovan.

Paul Greene Christmas movies

Greene, who played Dr. Carson Shepherd on Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart, just finished shooting a Christmas movie for CBS. In Fit For Christmas, he plays a businessman who plans to buy a recreation center in Mistletoe, Mont., and turn it into a resort. He ends up falling for a Christmas-obsessed fitness instructor (played by Amanda Kloots of The Talk), who is desperately trying to keep the center from closing.

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Great American Family announced that new romantic comedies will air every Saturday night. But fans still have the same question: How do I find the network?

Great American Family and its sister network, Great American Living, were launched in 2021 under the names GAC Family and GAC Living. Both channels are included in many basic cable packages and can be added to others for a fee. The channels can also be added (for a fee) to streaming packages from companies including DIRECTV Stream, FrndlyTV, FuboTV, Hulu Live TV, Philo, and SlingTV.

In an attempt to help viewers, the company has made posts on social media with the channel numbers for the networks on different cable providers:

They also have a hotline for viewers to call for help. (The number is (855) 701-2804.)

The network has also said it has plans to release movies for sale and to stream them on an app.

Saturday night movies

Identical Love is one of the new movies coming to Great American Family
Identical Love (Image: GAC Media)

Identical Love

After being left at the altar, Dr. Charlotte Hudson needs to escape life at home. So, she signs up to volunteer with a health clinic in a tropical country. But her plans of escaping are thrown off when she comes across her former fiancé’s identical twin brother, Seth (a dentist), who is also volunteering with the clinic.

The movie stars Shae Robins (My One True Love, Romance in the Outfield) and Mason D. Davis (Cryo, Grandpa’s Crazy?).

Love In Bloom

When her soon-to-be-married little sister and fiancé become marooned at a mountain retreat days before their wedding, Amelia and the best man are tasked with stepping in to save the day.

The movie stars Susie Abromeit (Much Ado About Christmas, King Richard) and Julian Haig (Riverdale, Five Bedrooms).

Prescription for Love is one of the new movies coming to Great American Family
Prescription for Love (Image: GAC Media)

Prescription for Love

In this Cinderella story, Claire is a nurse with a supervisor who is intent on making her life miserable. However, on a rare and fun night off, she gets trapped in an elevator with a charming man. The next day she is introduced to him again, but he does not recognize her.

The movie stars Jillian Murray (Code Black, Christmas in the Pines) and Trevor Donovan (Jingle Bell Princess, 90210).

Just Add Love (this is a working title and could change)

April is a health-chef guru on the verge of notoriety, but her brand of cooking is failing. Despite her assurances that healthy is tasty, those who have tried her recipes disagree. Not willing to give up on her dream, April vows to reinvent herself. She goes to Italy to learn how to incorporate the country’s notorious rich culture of food in her own healthy recipes. She also meets Rob, a brilliant chef with big dreams of his own.

The movie stars Laura Mitchell (Love at Cedar Creek, Meeting Mr. Christmas) and Brad Johnson (A Crafty Christmas Romance, Switched for Christmas).

This Little Love of Mine

A workaholic lawyer returns to her island home to convince an old friend to take over his family’s company, but rekindled feelings soon get in the way.

The movie stars Saskia Hampele (The Heights, Neighbours) and Liam McIntyre (Flash, Star Wars: Resistance).

Showtimes are as follows:

Saturday, August 20 (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT): Identical Love

Saturday, August 27 (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT): Love in Bloom

Saturday, September 3 (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT): Prescription for Love

Saturday, September 10 (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT): Just Add Love

Saturday, September 17 (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT): This Little Love of Mine

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Catch a Christmas movie marathon on GAC Family this weekend. The network, which is being renamed Great American Family, will air films around the clock starting Saturday morning.

Christmas movie marathon

Saturday, July 23:

6/5c Christmas Time is Here

A small-town realtor is trying to help a client find a spot for his new resort. But the only place he likes is her childhood home and it’s not for sale. Stars Dewshane Williams and Rykiya Bernard.

8/7c The Christmas Swap

Two brothers magically switch bodies right before Christmas. Stars Christian Keyes and Dondre Whitfield.

There's a movie marathon on GAC Family this weekend.
The Christmas Swap (Image: GAC Media)

10/9c Angel Falls Christmas

A hardworking doctor with little time for Christmas meets a handsome stranger who restores her holiday spirit. Stars Jessica Lowndes and Chad Michael Murray.

12/11c A Christmas Star

An astronomer predicts that a new meteor shower will appear over a tiny town.
Can she convince the locals to help with her discovery at the expense of a Christmas tradition? Stars Sara Canning and Daniel Lissing.


2/1c A Kindhearted Christmas

Jennie Garth and Cameron Mathison star in this movie about a small-town woman trying to navigate the holidays following the death of her husband. When she gives a large donation to a local non-profit, she sets off a chain reaction of kindness and giving. The story attracts the attention of a national newscaster (played by Mathison), who comes to town to figure out the identity of the secret Santa.

What's on GAC Family this weekend. The network will show a series of rom-coms on Saturday, including Angel Falls Christmas
Angel Falls Christmas (Image: GAC Media)

4/3c Joy For Christmas

A publicist introduces a famous athlete to the joys of Christmas with the hope that he will help her family’s charity. Stars Cindy Busby and Sam Page.

6/5c A Christmas Miracle for Daisy

An interior designer is excited to begin a new project in her adopted hometown.
Her enthusiasm is tested as she discovers that her clients are an ex-boyfriend and his daughter. Stars Jill Wagner and Nick Bateman.

8/7c Royally Wrapped For Christmas

Jen Lilley plays the head of a charity that aims to give every child in the world a gift on Christmas. When she travels to the country of Veronia, she meets and falls for a handsome prince (played by Brendan Fehr).

10/9c Mrs. Miracle

A widowed father is struggling to raise his 6-year-old twins when a magical woman comes into his life and fixes everything. Stars James Van Der Beek and Doris Roberts.

12/11c Call Me Mrs. Miracle

A family-owned department store is struggling to sell toys during the holidays when a mysterious employee shows up and begins to work miracles.

Christmas movies will air this weekend on GAC Family. The new network started by Bill Abbott has aired many original movies, including A Kindhearted Christmas (Image: GAC Media)
A Kindhearted Christmas (Image: GAC Media)

Sunday, July 24:

2/1c (in the a.m.) Christmas Crush

When holiday fanatic Addie (Cindy Sampson) makes a Christmas wish for her next door neighbor Sam (Robin Dunne) to fall in love with her, she’s not expecting anything to happen. She definitely isn’t expecting the wish to go awry and cause her other neighbor, Pete (Chris Violette) to fall in love instead.


4/3c Christmas is You

Emma must convince her first love Tyler, now a famous pop star, to sign with her record company, while also trying to save the town’s Christmas Caroling Celebration. Stars Becca Tobin and Matthew MacCaull.

6/5c A Christmas Miracle for Daisy

An interior designer is excited to begin a new project in her adopted hometown.
Her enthusiasm is tested as she discovers that her clients are an ex-boyfriend and his daughter. Stars Jill Wagner and Nick Bateman.

GAC Family Christmas movies will air all weekend, including Christmas Crush
Christmas Crush (Image: GAC Media)

8/7c Snowmance

Each year Sarah builds her “Snow Beau” snowman with her best friend, Nick. After another breakup, she begins to wonder if she’ll ever find true love of her own. A little Christmas magic brings her Snow Beau to life.

10/9c The Great Christmas Switch

Twin sisters Sophia, a single woman who lives in the city, and Kaelynn, a single mom who lives in a small town, swap lives for Christmas. Stars Sarah Lind and Dillon Casey.

12/11c A Match Made at Christmas

Holly, a hopeless romantic, is matched with Chris, a career-focused man, by her great-aunt at Christmas. Stars Micah Lynn Hanson, Tim Llewellyn, and Aubrey Shimek Davis.

2/1c Christmas Crush
When holiday fanatic Addie (Cindy Sampson) makes a Christmas wish for her next door neighbor Sam (Robin Dunne) to fall in love with her, she’s not expecting anything to happen. She definitely isn’t expecting the wish to go awry and cause her other neighbor, Pete (Chris Violette) to fall in love instead.

GAC Family will air A Match Made at Christmas this weekend
A Match Made at Christmas (Image: GAC Media)

4/3c Jingle Bell Princess

Merritt Patterson plays Princess Amelia, who is accidentally stranded in Maine at Christmastime. She meets a handsome widower and sparks fly.

6/5c The Christmas Calendar

When a small-town baker receives a Christmas calendar from a secret admirer, her customers band together to find out who sent it.

8/7c Merry Kissmas

A woman engaged to marry a self-centered film and stage director falls for a caterer she meets by chance.

10/9c A Lot Like Christmas

Jessica’s small Christmas tree farm is forced to compete for business like never before when a big corporation, and its handsome head of marketing, move into her town. Stars Maggie Lawson and Christopher Russell.

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Good Witch fans marked the one-year anniversary of the show’s finale on Saturday, making thousands of posts on social media in support of the series.

“Good Witch needs a new home!” one fan wrote on Twitter, with photos of the cast.

Hallmark aired the final episode of its popular series Good Witch on July 9, 2021. The show, which starred Catherine Bell and James Denton, was beloved by fans around the world, who enjoyed its positive messages and uplifting storylines.

Fans have been working hard to get the series back on the air ever since Hallmark announced — with only three episodes left in the season — that the show was canceled.

Now, as the series grows in popularity on Netflix, and a new network has joined the cable lineup, Goodies are hopeful that the show can find a new home.

Fans post in support of Good Witch
Fans post in support of bringing back the series Good Witch.

Save Good Witch campaign

In addition to pages on Facebook, fans have started a Save Good Witch website. (Here’s a link. It’s awesome.) The site shares the thousands of graphics fans have made in support of the show and describes the different campaigns fans have participated in to bring the series back to live television.

The creators have also come up with a number of storylines for the series moving forward.

“#GOODWITCH has changed our lives, made us better people and showed us how to get through the many challenges life has to offer,” reads one post on the website.

The series got its start in a series of movies produced by Hallmark, starring Catherine Bell as a mysterious woman named Cassie Nightingale who helps her friends and neighbors with good advice, kindness, and a little bit of magic. The movies proved so popular that Crown Media created a TV series based on the franchise, which debuted in 2015. The show ran for seven seasons before Crown Media decided to cancel it.

Moving forward

Fans have petitioned Hallmark to reinstate the show. They have also asked Netflix and GAC Family, a new network started by former Crown Media CEO Bill Abbott, to bring the series back.

“At least make a spinoff of the show and base it on Cassie and Sam traveling the world and checking in from time to time in Middleton with everyone in town and maybe with George and the kids and even Grace,” one wrote on social media.

Catherine Bell caused a stir when she asked fans to name a character she played that they miss the most.

“Cassie is my absolute favorite,” wrote one fan. “I love this character for all the positivity, resilience and warmth she radiates.”

“The Good Witch was one of my all-time favorite shows and the movies as well,” another wrote. “I was so sad when they were over!”

Actress Kyana Teresa also tweeted in support of a convention for Good Witch fans.

“A #Goodies con would be EPIC! How do we make this happen?!” she wrote.

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GAC Family movies may soon be available to purchase. The network said it is working on making them available on DVD in response to a fan’s question on Instagram.

“Does anybody know if any of these movies will come out on DVD?” wrote a fan when GAC Family announced it would run another rom-com marathon this Saturday.

“We are working on it!” wrote a spokesperson for the network in a response.

This is welcome news for Hallmark fans who have been unable to access the new network. Though GAC Family and GAC Living are included for free in some cable packages, in others they cost extra. The network is not available on linear television at all in Canada.

A spokesperson responded to a fan's question about GAC Family movies
(Image: Instagram/@gactv)
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Fans who cannot currently get GAC channels through their cable subscription can rejoice: a GAC Family app is in the works. The head of GAC Media announced the launch of Great American Community, an app that will stream lifestyle, seasonal, and holiday content from the company’s two new networks.

“Since launching GAC Family original programming last October, fans have been asking us for more opportunities to engage with our roster of talent, which we believe is the best in the business,” said Bill Abbott, president and CEO of GAC Media. “Great American Community will serve as a stand-alone app delivering a completely new experience for consumers hungry for trusted, family-friendly content that is relevant to their lives.”

What is GAC?

GAC Media was launched in June 2021 by Abbott, who left his position as CEO of Crown Media Family Networks in 2020. The company purchased two cable networks and began showing content in September. The GAC Family network has been showing HGTV content, including Tiny House, Big Living and Aloha Builds. GAC Family has been showing reruns of family-friendly shows such as Who’s the Boss and Bewitched, while also debuting original romantic comedies.

Candace Cameron Bure is moving to GAC Family
(Image: @candacecameronbure/Instagram)

Big names

During the 2021 holiday season, the network released 12 films starring actors such as Danica McKellar, Jen Lilley, Chad Michael Murray, and Brendan Fehr. The network has already released several movies this year and has started production on holiday content for the 2022 season.

GAC Media recently made headlines when Candace Cameron Bure signed a deal to produce and star in content for GAC Family.

GAC Family app

Though some fans of Hallmark have celebrated the addition of the new networks, some are concerned that they won’t be able to watch their favorite stars on GAC because they can’t access the channels. GAC Family and GAC Living are available on some but not all basic cable packages. The network currently isn’t available at all in Canada.

An app will allow fans to watch original content created for the networks without a cable subscription.

According to GAC Media, “The company has commissioned more than 200 hours of original content exclusively for the ad-supported app, which will be available in mobile app stores and on connected devices.”

Many of the actors and content producers are well-known to Hallmark audiences. According to the press release: “GAC Media has tapped veteran producer Tracy Verna (“Home and Family,” “The Price Is Right”) to oversee all content creation for Great American Community, which will include short-form lifestyle content featuring Debbie Matenopoulos (“Home & Family,” “The View”), Cameron Mathison (“Home & Family,” “General Hospital”); as well as Shirley Bovshow (“Home & Family,” home and gardening expert), Kym Douglas (“Home & Family,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” lifestyle expert), Maria Provenzano (“Home & Family,” DIY expert), Larissa Wohl (“Home & Family,” animal expert), Lawrence Zarian (“Home & Family,” “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” fashion expert), Toya Boudy (culinary expert), Amber Kemp-Gerstel (DIY expert), Emily Hutchinson (baking expert), Jamie Tarence (cooking expert), Mahaila McKellar (lifestyle expert); and other fan-favorite stars from GAC Family, including Jen Lilley, Jill Wagner, Danica McKellar, and Trevor Donovan.

Great American Community is expected to launch in September 2022.

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A GAC Family Christmas movie for the 2022 season has started production in North Bay, Ontario. The film has a working title of The Christmas Farm and stars Jill Wagner and Cameron Mathison.

Wagner posted a video to Instagram celebrating the first day of production.

“Hi, everybody,” she said. “So it is day one of the mystery project, which is not a mystery project anymore. I’m doing a Christmas film for GAC.”

In a caption that accompanied the video, Wagner thanked the network and said she would continue to do Christmas movies to honor her grandmother.

“Thank you @gactv for believing in me as an actor and producer and allowing me the opportunity to work for and with you. I’m excited to work alongside my buddy @cameronmathison! These sweet little Christmas stories are what my precious grandmother loved the most and I will continue to do them as long as I can in her honor.”

GAC Family Christmas movie

In The Christmas Farm, Wagner plays Janie, a hardworking marketing executive who lives in New York City. When her great-uncle Randall passes away, she returns to her small hometown of Woodland Falls for the funeral. It turns out that her uncle has bequeathed the family farm to Janie. Not quite sure what to do with her new property, Janie agrees to let the town’s Winter Wonderland take place on the farm.

With help from her uncle’s farmhand (Mathison), she begins preparing for the event. But her boyfriend in New York is anxious for her to return to the city so they can go on their previously planned beach holiday.

According to a synopsis from the network, “…Janie begins to feel an unexpected emotional tug about living life in a more authentic, meaningful way.”

GAC has already finished shooting another Christmas movie, Catering Christmas, which stars Daniel Lissing and Merritt Patterson. Both films will premiere during GAC Family’s Great American Christmas event, which begins October 28.

GAC veterans….

This is the second movie Wagner has made for GAC Family. In 2021, she appeared in A Christmas Miracle for Daisy alongside Nick Bateman.

Cameron Mathison has also worked with the new network, which was launched last year by former Crown Media CEO Bill Abbott.

In October 2021, Mathison and his former Home and Family co-host Debbie Matenopoulos presented Welcome to the Great American Christmas, a preview event of the network’s holiday movies.

…. and Hallmark veterans

Both Wagner and Mathison have worked extensively with Crown Media Family Networks, which produces content for Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies and Mysteries.

Wagner starred in two of Hallmark’s Christmas in Evergreen movies and played professor-turned-sleuth Amy Winslow in the Mystery 101 series.

Mathison was co-host of Hallmark’s lifestyle program Home and Family, which the network canceled in August 2021. He also starred in the romantic comedies Very, Very Valentine, The Christmas Ornament, and A Christmas to Remember. He also played Detective Mike Kingston in the Hannah Swensen mystery series starring Alison Sweeney.

Behind the scenes

Cameron Mathison and Jill Wagner working out while filming the GAC Family movie The Christmas Farm

Both actors have been posting to Instagram from behind the scenes. Recently, they shared pics from a workout.

“My workout buddy today @cameronmathison, killing it with the 90 Lb ( show off ),” Wagner wrote.

“Tryin to keep up with @jillwagner in the gym while we’re shooting up here in North Bay,” Mathison wrote.

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