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

JASON GEDRICK STARS IN "THE WISHING TREE," A HALLMARK CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIE WORLD PREMIERE, HOLIDAY 2012

Richard Harmon, Teryl Rothery and Erica Cerra Also Star

Cynical hearts discover that Christmas wishes can come true in the World Premiere of "The Wishing Tree," a Hallmark Channel Original Movie, premiering Holiday 2012. Jason Gedrick ("Luck," "Necessary Roughness") stars with Richard Harmon ("The Killing"), Teryl Rothery ("Hellcats") and Erica Cerra ("Eureka"), as an English professor still struggling to move on after the death of his wife. The professor finds renewed hope when he turns a troubled teen's life around. Hallmark Channel's "Countdown to Christmas" is the biggest holiday destination on television, premiering more original holiday programs than any other network.

Professor Evan Farnsworth (Gedrick) works tirelessly at a prestigious boarding school in Maine, dedicating all his time to helping his students believe in themselves - even when he doesn't have any hope left after the death of his wife two years earlier. Accepting a job to teach the students left behind during Christmas vacation, including talented scholarship student Juliet (singer Emmalyn Estrada), nerdy outcast Albert (Amitai Marmorstein, "50/50") and privileged bad boy Drew (Harmon), Farnsworth quickly faces a challenge when Drew gets into trouble. Upset his wealthy parents ditched him for a Paris skiing vacation, he takes his anger out on the neighboring town's ancient Wishing Tree, a bare tree decorated with handwritten notes containing the townspeople's greatest holiday wishes. A loved tradition, it doubles as a fundraiser for needy families, depending on donations from eager wish-makers.

After spending a night in jail, Drew lets Farnsworth help him turn his negative attitude around by agreeing to volunteer with the Wishing Tree. Soon, Drew, Juliet and Albert are becoming best friends as they help make Wishing Tree a success, under the thankful watch of

Chairperson Madelyn (Rothery). Then everyone, including Farnsworth, is blindsided when Drew's icy mother arrives to make sure Farnsworth is fired, upset after Drew's stint with the law. Faced with the possibility of losing his job, Farnsworth is left with nothing as he packs his bags. But with the support of the attractive young theater teacher (Cerra), his dedicated students, and the spirit of his late wife, Farnsworth eventually finds that with the Wishing Tree, anything is possible.

"The Wishing Tree" is a Pitchblack Pictures Production in association with Daniel H. Blatt productions. Shawn Williamson and Dan Blatt are the executive producers. Jamie Goehring is the producer. Terry Ingram directed from a script by Michael J. Murray.

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.