HALLMARK CHANNEL'S "COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS" IS BIGGER THAN EVER!

EMMANUELLE VAUGIER, TWO-TIME EMMY(R) NOMINEE CARRIE FISHER AND EMMY(R) AWARD WINNER CARSON KRESSLEY STAR IN A MODERN-DAY SPIN ON CHARLES DICKENS' CLASSIC TALE: A CHRISTMAS CAROL, "IT'S CHRISTMAS, CAROL!" A HALLMARK CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIE WORLD PREMIERE HOLIDAY 2012

A ruthless book publisher is headed for a lonely existence and an eternity of regret until a visit by the ghost of her former boss offers her a rare opportunity to find out how making different choices can change her life in the World Premiere of "It's Christmas, Carol!" a Hallmark Channel Original Movie, premiering Holiday 2012. Emmanuelle Vaugier ("Two and a Half Men"), two-time Emmy(R) Award nominee Carrie Fisher ("30 Rock," "Wishful Drinking") and Emmy(R) Award winner Carson Kressley ("Queer Eye for the Straight Guy") are joined by Olivia Cheng ("Eureka") and Tygh Runyan ("SGU Stargate Universe") in a 21st century twist on Dickens' classic tale. Hallmark Channel's "Countdown to Christmas" is the biggest holiday destination on television, premiering more original holiday programs than any other network.

Carol Huffman (Vaugier) is one of Chicago's most successful book publishers and a ruthless businesswoman. She is all business and has created a life that has no room for personal relationships. Her staff hates her, Fred (Kressley) is secretly organizing a revolt and they all wish that the founder Eve Miller (Fisher) was still alive and the company was run again by someone who appreciates good books instead of just wanting to make money. During a Christmas Eve party, an agent introduces Carol to an up-and-coming author, and she is shocked to meet Ben (Runyan), her boyfriend from fifteen years ago. After quarrelling over their irreconcilable differences - Carol wanted financial success while Ben was more interested in being a good writer no matter how little he made - Carol storms off.

Obviously rattled by the conversation, Carol tries to compose herself when she comes face to face with the ghost of her former boss, Eve. Terrified, Carol tries to run away but is transported back in time where Eve takes her on a journey through her past, present and future showing Carol the unhappiness she has created. In this contemporary twist on A Christmas Carol, Carol wakes up on Christmas morning determined to make amends for her cold-hearted past and finds true love is worth more than a New York Times bestseller!

"It's Christmas, Carol!" is a Carol Street Productions LTD. Michael Goldstein and Michael Larkin are executive producers along with Entertainment One's John Morayniss ("The Firm") as well as Armand Leo ("Rookie Blue") as supervising producer. Harvey Kahn is producer. Michael M. Scott directed from a script by William Penick and Christopher Sey. Entertainment One will handle worldwide distribution.

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 over 87 million subscribers. The top-tier program service is distributed through approximately 5,500 cable systems and communities as well as direct-to-home satellite services across the country. 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, Little House on the Prairie, and The Waltons. Since 2010, Hallmark Channel has also been home to original daytime lifestyle programming and is debuting two new daily series, Home & Family and Marie, on October 1, 2012. Hallmark Channel's sibling network is Hallmark Movie Channel, also available in HD and SD, which focuses on family-friendly movies with a mix of classic theatrical films, presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library, original Hallmark Channel movies and special events.