ION and Bounce Ring in the Holidays with Five New Original Movies Featuring Vivica A. Fox, Billy Baldwin, Jackee Harry and Tom Arnold
ATLANTA – Scripps Networks today announced a slate of five new original holiday motion pictures to premiere on ION and Bounce, continuing an annual tradition of bringing the best of the holidays to viewers wherever and however they watch television. This year’s new original movies feature familiar faces including Billy Baldwin, Vivica A. Fox, Jackee Harry and Tom Arnold.
In total, ION and Bounce will air nearly 200 hours of holiday programming, and it all kicks off Sunday, Nov. 20, with premieres running throughout the holiday season:
ION
“The Case of the Christmas Diamond” – Premieres Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. ET
Blue collar Andy (Kelly Daly, “The Night is Young”) is a little nervous but thrilled when she is invited to her rich friend’s estate for Christmas. But when the family matriarch’s multi-million-dollar gem suddenly goes missing, she finds herself accused of the theft and at the center of the investigation led by Detective Billings, played by Billy Baldwin. With the help of a famous mystery writer, Andy must find the real culprit amid all the wealthy guests all of whom have it out for her.
“Dognapped: Hound for the Holidays” – Premieres Nov. 27 at 8 p.m. ET
When an egotistical social media influencer’s dog is kidnapped, her long-suffering assistant Emily (Sara Ball, “Stroke of Luck”) teams with charming local vet Jonathan (Noah Fearnley, “Morgan’s Secret Admirer”) to find the puppy before Christmas. As the two investigate suspects, including a rival influencer and a crazed fan, they form a romantic bond along the way – until she suspects her charming vet isn’t all he seems to be. Vivica A. Fox guest stars as the chairwoman of the board of the design company where Emily works.
“The Search for Secret Santa” – Premieres Dec. 4 at 8 p.m. ET
Cub reporter Sophia (Skye Coyne, “Deadly Dating Game”) thinks she’s found a Christmas story that will make her career when she discovers a long-lost, undelivered Secret Santa gift from “Tony to Abigail.” But the mystery gets even juicier when she learns that the item – a priceless nutcracker – was in fact stolen years ago. With the help of a handsome and shady art dealer Jackson (Alex Trumble, “Dangerous Snow Day”), she sets off on a dangerous, romantic quest to match the Secret Santas and catch the thieves. Jackee Harry guest stars as Sophia’s boss at the newspaper.
“A Prince and Pauper Christmas” – Premieres Dec. 11 at 8 p.m. ET
When her down-on-his luck confidential informant in a criminal investigation suddenly goes missing, a desperate young federal agent, Sydney (Brittany Underwood, “The Killer in My Backyard”), recruits his doppelgänger to play his role. But her job gets even harder when she falls for the criminal’s stand-in, who just happens to be a European prince visiting the states for Christmas. The movie features a guest appearance by Tom Arnold as a police detective investigating the case.
Bounce
“Faith Heist: A Christmas Caper” – Premieres Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. ET
This sequel to the popular Bounce Original movie “Faith Heist” finds Pastor Benjamin (Jonathan Langdon, “No Tomorrow”) and his motley crew of congregants locked in the local mall on Christmas Eve. A fearsome team of armed thieves break-in to rob the mall and all the money raised by the church for a Christmas charity. Unable to flee or signal for help, the pastor and his friends realize it’s up to them to battle the crooks and save the mall – all before Christmas morning.
Media contact: Jim Weiss, 770-672-6504, jim.weiss@scripps.com
About ION
A leading general entertainment network, ION’s lineup features major cable and broadcast shows, original series and special event programming. ION is part of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP), a diversified media company focused on creating a better-informed world. As one of the nation’s largest local TV broadcasters, Scripps serves communities with quality, objective local journalism and operates a portfolio of 61 stations in 41 markets. The Scripps Networks reach nearly every American through the national news outlets Court TV and Newsy and popular entertainment brands ION, Bounce, Grit, Laff, Court TV Mystery, Defy TV and TrueReal. Scripps is the nation’s largest holder of broadcast spectrum. Scripps runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C., and is the longtime steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps has held for decades to the motto, “Give light and the people will find their own way.”
About Bounce
Bounce (@bouncetv) features a programming mix of original series and movies, theatrical motion pictures, off network series, specials and events designed for African American audiences. Bounce is available to 98% of U.S. television homes free and over the air with a digital antenna, on cable, on DISH channel 359, DIRECTV channel 82, over the top on Roku, Pluto TV and Apple TV; on mobile devices via the Bounce app; and on the web via BounceTV.com. Bounce XL, Scripps Networks’ newest free ad-supported television (FAST) channel, is available on Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV and Xumo. Bounce is part of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP).
