or


[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.





  [august 2009]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· 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)





[10/24/25 - 02:30 PM]
Video: First Look at Upcoming New Drama "Memory of a Killer" Starring Patrick Dempsey and Michael Imperioli - Premiering This January on FOX
Dempsey stars as a hitman, Angelo Doyle, leading a dangerous double life while hiding an even deadlier personal secret - he has developed early onset Alzheimer's.

[10/24/25 - 02:02 PM]
"20/20" Is Friday's Most-Watched Newsmagazine Across the Board
In addition, "20/20" posted its best Adults 25-54 in more than four months.

[10/24/25 - 02:01 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 Across the Board, Leading NBC in All Key Demos for the 4th Straight Week
"Nightline" grew year to year across the board: Total Viewers, Adults 25-54, and Adults 18-49.

[10/24/25 - 01:05 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Makes Television History - Rising for Fifth Straight Week
The October 21 episode scored 6.63 million Total Viewers and a 1.38 rating among Adults 18-49, hitting new season highs in both demographics.

[10/24/25 - 08:01 AM]
Netflix Announces "Hollywood Arts," A Brand-New Spinoff of Hit Live-Action, "Victorious," with Daniella Monet Returning as Star and Executive Producer
The series is set to debut on Netflix in 2026, followed by releases on Nickelodeon and Paramount+.

[10/24/25 - 07:14 AM]
FOX Sports Readies for Major League Baseball's 121st World Series Presented by Capital One
Action leads off Friday, October 24, between the National League and current reigning World champion Los Angeles Dodgers and American League champion Toronto Blue Jays from Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada, on FOX, FOX Deportes, the FOX Sports App and FOX One.

[10/24/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Love Is Blind" Season 9: The Reunion - Official Trailer - Netflix
Denver singles shake up their search for "the one" and step into the pods, braving twists, turns and love triangles to find their soulmate sight unseen.

[10/24/25 - 07:01 AM]
Experience the Family, the Fun, and the Fantastic! Marvel Studios' "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" Lands Exclusively on Disney+ November 5
Continuing the celebration of Marvel's First Family, the announcement was made live from SpaceCon 2025 in San Antonio, where The Fantastic Four: First Steps Immersive Pop-Up Experience invites attendees to step inside the iconic Baxter Building.

[10/24/25 - 06:00 AM]
The CW Network and Xfinity Celebrate 11 Years of the NASCAR Xfinity Series by Presenting the Third Stage of the Championship Race Commercial-Free
Taking place in Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday, November 1, the commercial-free stage presented by Xfinity was created to thank the loyal race fans who have supported the NASCAR Xfinity Series for more than a decade - helping the series grow through their unwavering enthusiasm, increased viewership, and continued trackside attendance.

[10/23/25 - 05:01 PM]
Video: "As You Stood By" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When two women plot to end an abusive marriage through murder, an unexpected visitor arrives - threatening to shatter everything they've carefully planned.

[10/23/25 - 02:33 PM]
Largest Audience for "NBA Tip-Off" Doubleheader Since 2010 as NBA Returned to NBC and Debuted on Peacock
Tuesday night's audience across NBC and Peacock peaked at 7.1 million viewers from 10:45-11 p.m. ET as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder to a one-point win over the Houston Rockets in double overtime.

[10/23/25 - 02:28 PM]
The 305 Just Got Hotter: "Love & Hip Hop: Miami" Moves to BET Season 7 Premieres Tuesday, November 4 at 8 PM ET/PT
The upcoming seventh season dives deeper than ever into Miami's thriving entertainment scene, following a cast of stars who are rebuilding, rebranding, and redefining success in real time.

[10/23/25 - 01:30 PM]
Critically Acclaimed Noir Thriller, "Dark Winds," to Return to AMC and AMC+ Sunday, February 15
The series' gripping fourth season focuses on the search for a missing Navajo girl, which takes Leaphorn, Chee and Manuelito from the safety of Navajo Nation to the gritty terrain of 1970s Los Angeles in a race against the clock to save her from an obsessive killer with ties to organized crime.

[10/23/25 - 12:01 PM]
Video: BET+ Releases Trailer for Horror Film "A Demon's Revenge"
In the film, following the bloodshed in Belize, Peaches, played by Jhoné Lucas, delves deeper into Caribbean folklore and the terrifying truth that lurks beneath.

[10/23/25 - 12:00 PM]
FOX Entertainment Acquires Equity Stake in Chain, Forging Strategic Partnership with Experiential Food Phenomenon Co-Founded by B.J. Novak
Included in the investment is a first look development deal through Chain Media.