"DEAR DUMB DIARY," A HALLMARK CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIE STARRING EMILY ALYN LIND AND MARY-CHARLES JONES, BEGINS PRODUCTION IN SALT LAKE CITY; BASED ON SCHOLASTIC'S POPULAR CHILDREN'S BOOK SERIES BY JIM BENTON

Janet Zucker, Jerry Zucker and Jim Benton Serve as Executive Producers; "High School Musical" Alum Don Schain Produces Along with Sean Gesell; Sterling Griffith and David Mazouz Also Star

Part of "Walmart and P&G Present Walden Family Theater," A New Series of Family Movies on Hallmark Channel

A delightfully imaginative middle-schooler learns that it's not just what's on the outside that matters but what's on the inside as well in "Dear Dumb Diary," a two-hour Hallmark Channel Original Movie, in production in Salt Lake City, slated for a Friday, September 6 (8 p.m. ET/PT, 7C) World Premiere. Executive produced by Janet and Jerry Zucker ("Friends With Benefits," "Fair Game") and Jim Benton and produced by "High School Musical's" Don Schain and Sean Gesell ("Fair Game"), the movie is based on Scholastic's popular Dear Dumb Diary children's book series written by Jim Benton and stars Emily Alyn Lind ("Revenge," "All My Children"), Mary-Charles Jones ("Identity Thief," "Hannah Montana") along with Sterling Griffith ("Easy Rider: The Ride Back") and David Mazouz ("Touch").

"Dear Dumb Diary" will be part of Hallmark Channel's exciting new Friday night appointment viewing franchise, "Walden Family Theater," which is designed to further fill the void on TV for quality family entertainment.

Jamie Kelly (Lind) marches to the beat of her own music video. An artistic and energetic glitter-loving diva in the making, the 11-year old's vivid daydreams about how life should be often played out as full-blown musical productions. In her mind, Hudson Rivers (Mazouz), the eighth cutest boy in Mackerel Middle School, returns her affections. Angeline (Griffith), the prettiest and most popular girl in school, and other perfect people like her are banished so that average folk get their due. Real life, however, is somewhat different. As a result, Jamie pours out her innermost thoughts in her cherished diary and shares some of her feelings with her beloved Aunt Carol as well as her shrewd best friend Isabella (Jones), who may not be the best influence on her.

When Mackerel Middle School's arts program is threatened because of budget cuts, Assistant Principal Devon announces the district's first-ever Jump-a-thon fundraiser. Jamie sees her winning participation as an opportunity to not only save the arts program but to impress Hudson and, by beating Angeline, bring justice to ordinary people of the world. At the same time, she becomes the unwitting participant in one of Isabella's schemes and her diary goes missing. As the story progresses, Jamie recognizes the importance of doing the right thing, learns not to judge by appearances and puts aside personal feelings for the greater good. She also discovers her own sparkling inner beauty, which was there all along.

"Dear Dumb Diary" is a Triple D Productions, LLC production. Janet and Jerry Zucker ("Friends With Benefits," "Fair Game") and Jim Benton serve as executive producers and Bonnie Greenberg ("The Sandlot," "Mask") serves as co-executive producer. The film is produced by Don Schain ("High School Musical") and Sean Gesell ("Fair Game") written by Jim Benton and Kristin Hanggi ("Grantham And Rose"), based on Jim Benton's Dear Dumb Diary book series, published by Scholastic, and directed by Kristin Hanggi.

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 87 million subscribers. 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, and Happy Days. The channel is also home to a range of lifestyle programming, anchored by Home & Family, a daily two-hour live show shot in a fully functional house located on the Universal Studios lot, and Marie, a one-hour talk show hosted by iconic entertainer, Marie Osmond. Hallmark Channel's sibling network, Hallmark Movie Channel, also available in HD and SD, focuses on family-friendly movies with a mix of original films, classic theatrical releases, and presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library.

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