Bubbly Shea Andrews (Ashley Brinkman) planned to travel to Malta with her friend Kristen (Abigail Hawk) over Christmas, but Kristen cancels at the last minute.
At
the same time Michael Foster (Cody Calafiore) was headed to the same location
with his brother Daryl (Clayton Snyder), but Daryl only got as far as the
airport before he backed out.
In this adaptation of the Louisa May Alcott story set in the late 1880's, a widowed mother of three Mary Bassett
(Hélène
Joy), is struggling to put food on the table and keep the family together.
So
oldest daughter Mathilda (Tatiana Maslany) secretly sends a letter to her
estranged wealthy grandmother Isabella (Jacqueline Bisset) asking for help.
When
Isabella arrives, Mary expresses her obvious disapproval, and the old wounds
are reopened.
But
with patience, compromise and frankness they are eventually healed.
Ted
Atherton, Paula Boudreau, Michael Barbuto, Kris Turner,
Vivien
Endicott-Douglas and Gage Munroe also star.
A
bad boy professional hockey player Adam Clayborn (Niall Matter) and stick in
the mud struggling book-store owner Mary Campbell (Rachael Leigh Cook) are
paired together by Janet Dunleavy (Sandy Sidhu) to work together to help
rehabilitate each other's image.
Initially
their mutual animosity, and a reluctant attraction, sees them struggle to
achieve their goal.
But
as they thaw, they come to realize that opposites attract and they find
themselves unexpectedly falling in love.
Madison
Ryne Smith, Tammy Gillis, Susan Hogan and Keith MacKechnie also star.
It's
been many years since the family last made it home to Lagos for Christmas, but
then there were very good reasons for that, inter cousin bullying among them.
On
top of that there was a Mother-in-Law with no good word to say for anyone and the daily reminders of past failures.
This
time things were different, because the family was reuniting amidst grandpa's
impending death
So
despite the challenges in Lagos they are set for family drama, romance and
surprises, that is provided the Danfo Public Transport manages to get them
there in one piece.
Starring
Seun Kentebe, Valerie Odunukwe, Korede Lawal, Loveth Ogbene, Myde Glover,
Carol
King, Wale Morgan and Patrick Doyle.
As winter begins to bite in a small Midwestern town, and Christmas plans are underway, the locals get more than just snow, and more than the weather begins to bite as the dead start to rise.
Starring Raina Hein, Emily Sue Bengtson, Daryl Hrdlicka, Toria Bayer, Rhiannon Bayer, Lucas Youngerberg, Alex Hrdlicka, Logan Weinzetl and Nancy Weinzetl.As winter begins to bite in a small Midwestern town, and Christmas plans are underway, the locals get more than just snow, and more than the weather begins to bite as the dead start to rise.
Starring Raina Hein, Emily Sue Bengtson, Daryl Hrdlicka, Toria Bayer, Rhiannon Bayer, Lucas Youngerberg, Alex Hrdlicka, Logan Weinzetl and Nancy Weinzetl.
January
On the eastern
extreme of the Pepperstock Hills National Park, at the end of the Finchbottom
Expressway, is the deepwater
seaport of Pipershaven, on the edge of Pepperstock Bay.
It was first
established as a garrison town by the Romans during the reign of Vespasian in
70 A.D. as Piperis Stirpe Praesidio.
In the 21st
century none of its Roman origins are any longer in evidence as the town had
expanded far beyond the ancient confines and the busy docks would have been the
envy of the Roman world.
However apart
from being a remarkably busy commercial port with a substantial dockside, it
was also home to the cross-channel ferry port, the RNLI Lifeboat Station, a
substantial fishing fleet and small ferry service covering the two miles to the
bay islands, Beaumont, and St Giles, running a daily schedule, weather
permitting.
The fortunes of
Pipershaven depended on the flow of goods and people through the port for its
prosperity and thanks to trade and tourism Pipershaven thrived and the Essert
family thrived along with it through all their business interests.
Bob Essert also
benefited and everything in his life seemed to be perfect, a privileged
upbringing, public school and an Oxbridge education, a place in the family
business, a luxurious house and a glamorous wife, but he blew it.
Apparently
having everything in life served to him on a silver platter wasn’t enough for
him as he decided he needed to have numerous meaningless relationships or more
precisely, one-night stands, until he was finally caught.
So now he was
separated from his wife, estranged from his family, and reduced to stacking
shelves at the St Pierre Stephenson’s Supermarket on Beaumont Island and living
in a bed sitter above the Cherry Blossom, and he’d never been happier, he had
no responsibility, no pressures, and no expectations.
He had been cut
off from his wealthy life style by his father in order to teach him a lesson
and he was expected to last a few days before he crawled back to the family and
begged for forgiveness, but he had been living his simple life for six months
and the thought of returning to his old life had never once crossed his mind.
That of course
was before “she” started coming into the shop a few weeks before Christmas, she
was small and fine featured with short brunette hair and a radiant smile, which
he tried desperately to ignore.
Since his
spectacular fall from grace, he had chosen not to have any more dalliances,
despite several offers which he had rebuffed, and he had not actively pursued
anyone or wanted to for that matter.
She made it
difficult for him as she came into the shop every day, sometimes twice, and
they always exchanged polite conversation and a smile, but Bob tried to keep
their interaction to a minimum.
He did find out
from other members of staff that her name was Kayley Nickinson who lived “in”
at the Beaumont Manor Hotel, where she worked long hours as maid, receptionist,
waitress, chief cook and bottle washer, and Bob tried hard to be disinterested.
As Bob was
persona non grata with his family, he chose to work maximum hours at the shop
throughout Christmas to allow those who did belong to functional families to
feel the benefit.
So, he
successfully managed to maintain a healthy, yet polite distance between himself
and Kayley all through December.
After closing
the shop on New Year’s Eve, he thought he should reward himself with a beer
before turning in.
There were a
number of pubs in St Pierre and he had tried them all since he had been on the
island, but he didn’t have a favourite, so as it was the end of a long day and
another one in prospect the next day, so he decided to plump for the Sword and
Shield as it was the nearest and got there with ten minutes to spare before the
chimes and stood at the bar and ordered a pint, and he was halfway down his
pint when she appeared and as soon as their eyes met they smiled.
“Hello” Kayley said,
“This is a nice surprise.”
“Yes, it is” he
agreed and was resigned to the fact that further resistance was futile.
“Can I get you
a drink?”
“I’m still
working I’m afraid” she replied, “I get off at half 12, you can buy me one then.”
She sat down on
the stool next to him and he ordered her a drink.
“Large white
wine please” he said to the waiting bartender.
“I’m glad you
picked this pub” she said “I suspect you would you have gone elsewhere if you’d
known I worked here.”
“What makes you
think that?” he asked.
“Because in the
shop you’ve always been…. distant” she replied, “or perhaps reluctant, would be
more accurate.”
“Well, my life
has tended to be a bit complicated” Bob said
“And you think
I might make it more so?” Kayley asked.
“Possibly”
“Well, I can be
very uncomplicated” she said and leant in and kissed him.
In the early
hours of New Year’s Day Bob and Kayley were at his bedsit and laying entwined
in the afterglow when she asked
“So what
complications are you concerned about?”
“The main one
is that I’m separated from my wife” he said.
“Separated?”
she queried.
“While in the
process of getting a divorce” he clarified.
“I’m sorry, any
particular reason?” she asked, and he laughed.
“My infidelity”
“I see,
singular or multiple?”
“The latter” he
confessed.
“So, are you a
lost cause or is there some hope for a self-confessed adulterer?” she asked.
“I don’t know
how to answer that” he said.
“Well prior to
us meeting tonight did you make a New Year’s resolution?”
“I did” he replied.
“What was it?”
she asked with interest.
“I think I
should keep it to myself” he said.
“Go on tell me”
she insisted and after a moment of silence he replied.
“Not to get
involved with women” He replied.
As she climbed
onto him, she asked.
“How did that
work out for you?” Kayley asked as she nibbled his ear.
“And what if
you were to make one now, what would it be?” she asked.
“Never to have
another one-night stand” Bob replied.
“This isn’t a
very auspicious start then” she pointed out.
“Really? I
thought this was just our first date” he said, and she kissed him.
