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"FINDING JOHN CHRISTMAS"

CBS Premiere Movie!
(Premiered Sunday November 30th, 2003)

Peter Falk, Valerie Bertinelli, David Cubitt
William Russ, Jennifer Pisana, Patricia Gage

FINDING JOHN CHRISTMAS, a new television movie starring two-time Emmy Award-winner Peter Falk ("A Town Without Christmas"), Valerie Bertinelli ("Touched By An Angel"),  David Cubitt ("Robbery Homicide Division") and William Russ ("Mister Sterling"), will be broadcast as the "CBS Sunday Night Movie"on Sunday, November 30 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.  The heartwarming holiday drama is the story of a woman who searches for her brother, a former fireman hero, who has come back home after mysteriously disappearing many years before. 

 Former fireman Hank McAllister (Russ) just wants to slip into town and leave quietly, but that becomes impossible when a picture of him wrapping a tattered American flag around a shivering dog is splashed on the cover of the local newspaper as the "face of Christmas."  The paper offers a reward for his identity and whereabouts, labeling him "John Christmas."   Everyone wants to find this mysterious man, particularly Kathleen (Bertinelli), an emergency room nurse who is fighting to keep her hospital open in the wake of budget cuts.  She believes this anonymous man is her brother, who disappeared 25 years earlier.  Noah (Cubitt), the newspaper photographer whose photo started it all, has his own reasons for finding him. Together, Kathleen and Noah search for answers from the elusive "John Christmas." 

Unbeknownst to them, three strangers are being driven towards each other by something more powerful than their own curiosity.  Along the way, Hank, Kathleen and Noah unite with help from an angel named Max (Falk, reprising his role from the CBS movie "A Town Without Christmas"), in this story of love, reunion and redemption. 

As a television star, Peter Falk is best-known for his Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning role as Lieutenant Columbo in the ongoing television series "Columbo," and in addition to the Columbo films, Falk's TV movie credits include "A Town Without Christmas," "A Storm in Summer," "Pronto" and "The Sunshine Boys."   Among his many winning feature film credits spanning four decades are "Tune In Tomorrow", "The In-Laws", "Around the World in 80 Days", "Cookie", "Corky Romano," "Roommates," "Princess Bride", "The Player" etc.

Valerie Bertinelli most recently starred as Gloria in the CBS drama "Touched By An Angel."  In addition, Bertinelli won a Golden Globe Award as Best Supporting Actress in 1981 and 1982 for her role as Barbara Cooper in the long-running CBS series "One Day at a Time."  Bertinelli's television credits also include the series "Sydney," also on the CBS Television Network, and "Café Americain."  Among her television movie credits are "Murder of Innocence," "In a Child's Name" and "Personally Yours," all on the Network, "Silent Witness," "Shattered Vows," "Two Mothers for Zachary" and "Ordinary Heroes." She also starred in the mini-series "Night Sins" and "I'll Take Manhattan," both on the Network.

David Cubitt’s television credits include starring roles in the series "Robbery Homicide Division" and "Turks," on CBS, as well as "American Embassy," "Lonesome Dove," "Traders" and "E.N.G."  He also had recurring roles in "That’s Life" and "Michael Hayes," both on the Network.  His television movie credits include "Major Crime" and "A Killer Among Us," on the Network.  Cubitt received a Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Dramatic Series for his portrayal of Larkin in the series "Traders." His feature-film credits include "Ali," "The Perfect Son," "Alive," "I Shot a Man in Reno," "K-2," "Run" and "Swan."

William Russ is probably best known for his roll as Alan Matthews on the sitcom "Boy Meets World."  He most recently starred in the drama "Mister Sterling."  His other appearances include guest starring roles on "Robbery Homicide Division," "Touched By An Angel," both on the Network, and "Ally McBeal."

FINDING JOHN CHRISTMAS, a Daniel H. Blatt Production, is produced by the same creative team that produced "A Town Without Christmas," the most-watched television movie in the 2001-2002 television season.  Daniel H. Blatt is the executive producer; Michael Mahoney and Ken Gross, the producers.  Andy Wolk directed the drama from a script by Michael J. Murray.    

 RATING:  To Be Announced

MAX - Peter Falk
Max is the mysterious angel from the 2001 CBS telefilm, "A Town Without Christmas." He has a habit of showing up as different characters in the most surprising places, with the mission of reuniting families. Christmas Eve is a busy night for him.

KATHLEEN McALLISTER - Valerie Bertinelli
Kathleen McAllister is a dedicated ER nurse and a champion of lost causes. As a child, she looked up to her big brother Hank for inspiration and encouragement. He taught her to dream big and promised that she could have a family heirloom watch if she went to nursing school. Kathleen was devastated when Hank suddenly disappeared twenty years ago, and her life never fully recovered from the loss. Newly divorced, she's moved back in with her mother and is fighting to keep her ER open in the face of budget cutbacks. When she sees the photo of "John Christmas" in the newspaper, she is convinced that the man is Hank, and vows to find her long lost brother.

HANK McALLISTER - William Russ
Hank was a hometown hero who survived a horrible tragedy. But none of his friends or family members, including his sister Kathleen, knew he was having a difficult time recovering from the ordeal. He began drinking and gambling and fell deeply into debt. Finally, one day he just disappeared. Since leaving Bay City two decades ago, Hank has worked as a carpenter and handyman, saving every dollar he's earned. Now he's come home to take care of some unfinished business.

NOAH GREELEY - David Cubitt
Noah Greeley is a photojournalist with an eye for great images and a reputation for controversy. A single parent, Noah has brought his daughter Socorro to Bay City in hopes of connecting to the community and establishing a home. He shoots a seemingly innocent holiday picture while on assignment for The Bay City Tribune, but the photograph of "John Christmas" and his dog takes on a life of its own. As Noah searches for John Christmas, he is confronted with his own past, from which he's been running since childhood.

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"FINDING JOHN CHRISTMAS"
  THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

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