TBS Unwraps Ninth Annual 24 Hours of A CHRISTMAS STORY Marathon

24 Hours of A CHRISTMAS STORY Begins Saturday, Dec. 24, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT)

Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, and Darren McGavin star in the nostalgic film A CHRISTMAS STORY. Directed by Bob Clark and written and narrated by Jean Shepherd, TBS will broadcast the classic in a 24-hour marathon beginning on Saturday, December 24, at 8pm (ET/PT), in celebration of the holiday season.

Directed by Bob Clark and based on the short stories of famed humorist Jean Shepherd, who appears briefly in the movie as an irate man waiting in line for Santa, A CHRISTMAS STORY follows the mischievous adventures of a young boy who longs for a special Christmas gift�a Red Ryder BB gun. Peter Billingsley stars as young Ralphie, who is determined to convince the world that he is responsible enough to handle such a gift, despite his mother�s insistence that he could shoot his eye out. Melinda Dillon and Darren McGavin are pitch-perfect as Ralphie�s parents, and Ian Petrella provides some of the movie�s funniest moments as Ralphie�s little brother Randy.

A CHRISTMAS STORY was shot on location in Cleveland, Ohio, although some scenes were shot in Canada. The residents of Cleveland were apparently so entranced with the movie, many local auto club members donated the use of their antique cars to help portray the movie�s 1940s setting. As a homage to the city, the producers decided to name the street the movie family lived on Cleveland St.

A CHRISTMAS STORY opened in theaters just before Thanksgiving in 1983, but by the time Christmas rolled around, many theater owners had stopped showing it, feeling it had �played out.� Complaints were lodged, and the movie returned to select theaters and continued playing there into January 1984. Over the next two decades, television airings on TBS and TNT began boosting A CHRISTMAS STORY�s appeal even further, cementing its place in movie history. It has since gone on to be named in an E! Entertainment Network poll as the #1 holiday movie of all time. And memorabilia connected the movie is a huge seller, including replicas of the famed �major award� leg lamp, which can be found through various sellers online.

24 Hours of A CHRISTMAS STORY began in 1997 on TBS�s sister network TNT. Last year it moved to TBS, television�s �very funny� network. The marathon is one of the most popular holiday marathons on cable, regularly topping all other ad-supported cable networks during the 24 hours in delivery of adults 18-49 and 25-54.

TBS is television�s �very funny� network, serving as home to such hot contemporary comedies as Sex and the City, Everybody Loves Raymond, Family Guy, Seinfeld and Friends; original series and specials; blockbuster movies; and hosted movie showcases.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and a leading provider of programming for the television industry.