or


[11/26/12 - 07:32 PM]
GMC TV Presents an Original Landmark Documentary Music Special "A Very Special Christmas: 25 Years of Bringing Joy to the World"
Vanessa Williams hosts the special, airing Saturday, December 8 and Sunday, December 9 on the cable channel.

[via press release from GMC TV]

GMC TV PRESENTS AN ORIGINAL LANDMARK DOCUMENTARY MUSIC SPECIAL "A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS: 25 YEARS OF BRINGING JOY TO THE WORLD"

An All-Star Line Up of Musicians Whose Contributions Over the Years Have Benefited Special Olympics

Hosted by Award-Winning Actress and Singer Vanessa Williams

U2, STEVIE WONDER, TRACY CHAPMAN, DARIUS RUCKER, STEVIE NICKS, JORDIN SPARKS, ERIC CLAPTON, MARTINA MCBRIDE, WYCLEF JEAN, FRANCESCA BATTISTELLI, TRAIN, JON BON JOVI, RUN-DMC AND MANY MORE

Premieres Saturday December 8 and Sunday December 9, 2012 at 9:00 PM (ET) Exclusively on GMC TV

Atlanta, GA - November 26, 2012 - GMC TV, America's favorite channel for uplifting family entertainment, presents the original GMC World Premiere Music Special "A Very Special Christmas: 25 Years of Bringing Joy to the World," a landmark documentary that celebrates a quarter-century of star-studded Christmas albums in support of Special Olympics. Hosted by award-winning actress and singer Vanessa Williams, the show features new performances by Francesca Battistelli, Martina McBride, Jordin Sparks, Train, Lauriana Mae, Grayson Sanders and Jono, memorable musical highlights from the past 25 years and interviews with many of the artists and others who have made the series the most successful music fundraising series of all time. "A Very Special Christmas: 25 Years of Bringing Joy to the World" premieres exclusively on GMC TV, Saturday, December 8 and Sunday, December 9, 2012 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

"A Very Special Christmas: 25 Years of Bringing Joy to the World" is an in-depth look at the people and moments that have made the series such an astronomical success including interviews with Jimmy and Vicki Iovine, who produced and conceived the first album in 1987, as well as members of the Shriver family - Maria, Tim, Bobby and the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver - who founded Special Olympics in 1968.

Other artists featured in the special include, BB King, Bob Seger, Colbie Caillat, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Darius Rucker, Darlene Love, Eric Clapton, Hootie & the Blowfish, John Mellencamp, Jon Bon Jovi, Madonna, No Doubt, Randy Travis, Ronnie Spector, Run-DMC, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, Stevie Wonder, Sting, The Pointer Sisters, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, TracyChapman, Train, U2, Whitney Houston and Wyclef Jean.

"We are extremely proud to be the network home of this extraordinary documentary, which weaves together the inspirational stories of Special Olympics and the 'A Very Special Christmas' album series - the most successful continuous charity effort in the history of the music industry," said GMC TV Vice Chairman Brad Siegel. "From the opening note, audiences will be mesmerized by the show-stopping performances from a who's who in the music world and inspired by the extraordinary efforts of the athletes. I'm sure viewers will find 'A Very Special Christmas' to be the most unique, inspiring and fun Christmas special of the year."

Added Tim Shriver, Special Olympics Chairman of the Board and CEO: "Over the past 25 years, seven 'A Very Special Christmas' albums have generated over $109 million in royalties and investment proceeds for Special Olympics and its athletes, making it one of our largest single sources of funding. We are extremely excited that GMC TV is telling the story of this remarkable effort that has changed lives and celebrates the music and musicians that have made it all possible."

"A Very Special Christmas: 25 Years of Bringing Joy to the World" also features an exclusive performance by platinum recording artist Jordin Sparks performing the Christmas classic, "Do You Hear What I Hear?" backed by a choir. "I grew up listening to the 'A Very Special Christmas' albums, which always include some of my all-time favorite artists singing the Christmas songs I love," said Sparks. "I'm truly thrilled to be a part of this anniversary celebration and to support Special Olympics."

"I am deeply honored to serve as host for this delightful musical special chronicling 25years of 'A Very Special Christmas,'" said Vanessa Williams. "I am very passionate about Special Olympics and have had the pleasure of recording songs for two of the albums, including one recorded live at the White House, which remains a highlight of my career."

Created by Jimmy and Vicki Iovine and Bobby Shriver, along with Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, the "A Very Special Christmas" series has brought together top musical artists, who donated their time and talent, as well as publishers and record labels,which gave their consent and waived royalties. Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Sting, Run-DMC, Madonna, Jon Bon Jovi, Sheryl Crow, Wyclef Jean, Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty, Mary J. Blige, Eric Clapton and Tracy Chapman are just a few of the artists who have recorded songs for the series, including, music videos and three television specials filmed in Los Angeles and at the White House in Washington, DC.

Recalling the time in 1987 when U2 was first approached to participate in the original "A Very Special Christmas" album, Bono said: "When Jimmy Iovine came to us with this idea and I discovered the kind of people who were at the heart of the project, I knew it was something we couldn't turn down."

This year, for first time in the series' history, two albums were released simultaneously. "A Very Special Christmas: 25 Years Bringing Joy to the World" features songs performed by Christina Aguilera, Francesca Battistelli, Michael Bublé, Cheap Trick, Vince Gill, Jewel, Amy Grant, Dave Matthews Band, Jason Mraz, One Republic, Rascal Flatts, Train, Martina McBride, Jordin Sparks Lauriana Mae, Jono, Grayson Sanders and the Wonder Girls. The second album, "A Very Special Christmas: Bringing Peace on Earth," features songs by Christian artists Meredith Andrews, Chris August, Francesca Battistelli, BarlowGirl, Big Daddy Weave, Building 429, Jason Castro, Group 1 Crew, for KING & COUNTRY, Dara Maclean, Jamie Grace, Mark Schultz, Natalie Grant, NEEDTOBREATH, Point of Grace, and Sidewalk Prophets. Both albums were released on October 16.

GMC TV presents "A Very Special Christmas: 25 Years Bringing Joy to the World" Hosted by Vanessa Williams. Executive produced by Sandy Shapiro and Peter Wheeler. Co-executive produced by Duane Tudahl. Music Producer is Tisha Fein. Editors are Tudor Applan, Andrew Ciancia and Duane Tudahl. Music Consultant is David Wild. Studio Shoot directed by Rex Humbard.

ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS

Special Olympics is an international organization that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports everyday around the world. Through work in sports, health education and community building, Special Olympics is addressing inactivity, injustice, intolerance and social isolation by encouraging and empowering people with intellectual disabilities, which leads to a more welcoming and inclusive society. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown from a few hundredathletes to nearly four million athletes in 170 countries. With the support of more than one million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics is able to deliver 32 Olympic-type sports and more than 53,000 competitions throughout the year. Visit Special Olympics at www.specialolympics.org. Engage with us on: Twitter @specialolympics; fb.com/specialolympics; youtube.com/specialolympicshq, and specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com.

ABOUT GMC TV

GMC TV (www.watchgmctv.com) is America's favorite network for uplifting music and family entertainment. The Parents Television Council (TM) has twice awarded its Entertainment Seal of Approval(TM) to GMC TV for being "an authentic family-friendly cable network." The network presents original and acquired movies, series, stage plays and music specials. GMC TV also provides gMovies, the first faith-friendly streaming movie service. The GMC TV brand is reflected in "Uplift Someone," the network's successful pro-social initiative. GMC TV can be seen in more than 58 million homes on various cable systems around the country, as well as DISH Network on channel 188, DIRECTV on channel 338 and Verizon FiOS on channel 224. Follow GMC TV on Facebook and Twitter at http://facebook.com/gmctv and http://twitter.com/gmctv.





  [november 2012]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[10/03/25 - 02:17 PM]
ESPN's Record-Setting '25 MLB Wild Card Series
Across eight games, the MLB Wild Card Series is averaging 4.4 million viewers, up 65% from last year.

[10/03/25 - 12:37 PM]
BET+ Sets October 23 Premiere for "Carl Weber's The Family Business" Season 6
The 10-episode season will premiere with two episodes, followed by one episode weekly, with the finale on Thursday, December 18.

[10/03/25 - 12:07 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Continues to Shatter Records - Growing Two Weeks in a Row Since Season Premiere for First Time Since 2005
Plus: "High Potential" hit a season high in Total Viewers (4.24 million), growing by double digits over the show's comparable third episode from last fall.

[10/03/25 - 10:57 AM]
Legends, Champions and Icons of October Highlight FOX Sports' Postseason Broadcaster Lineup
FOX Sports begins its Postseason coverage Saturday, October 4 at 4:00 PM ET on FOX, FOX Deportes, the FOX Sports App and FOX One as the New York Yankees face the Toronto Blue Jays.

[10/03/25 - 10:05 AM]
All-New Season of "Gold Rush" Returns with High-Stake Risks and Land Fury on Friday, November 7 at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery
With only a few short months to mine, top bosses and rising underdogs collide in a race to claim new ground, move more dirt, and strike it rich.

[10/03/25 - 09:12 AM]
FOX Nation Secures Exclusive U.S. Rights to Docuseries "Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar"
The acclaimed series will make its anticipated U.S. debut on FOX Nation on Monday, October 6.

[10/03/25 - 08:02 AM]
TNT Sports to Be Exclusive Home of 2025 NLDS & NLCS
Both best-of-five NLDS series begin Saturday, October 4.

[10/03/25 - 08:01 AM]
TNT Sports Sets BIG EAST Men's College Basketball Schedule for Inaugural 2025-26 Season
TNT Sports' regular season BIG EAST men's basketball schedule will feature 40 appearances by St. John's, UConn, Creighton, Xavier, and Marquette, programs that each clinched berths in last season's NCAA Men's Tournament.

[10/03/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "27 Nights" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When a woman is admitted by her daughters to a psychiatric clinic for her carefree ways, an expert must judge if she is ill or simply wants to enjoy life.

[10/03/25 - 04:01 AM]
Video: "Steve" - Official Trailer #2 - Netflix
Over one intense day, the devoted head teacher of a last-chance reform school strives to keep his students in line while facing pressures of his own.

[10/03/25 - 03:02 AM]
Miguel Herran Will Play Poli Diaz in "El Porto the Vallecas," the New Film by Daniel Calparsoro for Netflix
Inspired by true events, the film follows the life of Policarpo "Poli" Díaz (Miguel Herrán), a young man from Vallecas who, despite a childhood marked by poverty and family violence, became a boxing legend in 1980s Spain, even fighting for the world lightweight title.

[10/03/25 - 03:01 AM]
Netflix Honors Jane Goodall with Posthumous Release of "Famous Last Words" Docuseries Following Her Passing
The series showcases reflective interviews with some of the world's most influential cultural figures, who agreed to sit down and discuss their legacy, and give their final words, with the understanding that it would only be shared with the world after they passed.

[10/02/25 - 04:09 PM]
ESPN Delivers the Most-Watched WNBA Semifinals Ever
Game 5 between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces averaged 1.8 million viewers, peaking at 2.1 million.

[10/02/25 - 03:01 PM]
Video: "Twisted Wonderland" - Trailer - Disney+
Your favorite villains reimagined in ways you've never dared to dream.

[10/02/25 - 02:51 PM]
ESPN's Record-Setting Day One of MLB Wild Card Series
Coverage of Red Sox versus Yankees averaged 6.5 million viewers, peaking at 9.9 million.