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Hallmark revealed that Tony Danza, Matthew Daddario, Holland Roden, Tracy Pollan, Steve Schirripa and Caroline Aaron will star in Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story.
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The network, which announced that this year’s film will revolve around the Buffalo Bills in March, also shared that head coach Sean McDermott and players such as Damar Hamlin and Ray Davis will make cameos.
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Last year, Hallmark found success with its first iteration of Holiday Touchdown, which focused on the Kansas City Chiefs.
Hallmark is welcoming its next Holiday Touchdown cast into the game.
On Monday, May 19, the network announced who will be leading the upcoming Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story, which is set to premiere during Hallmark’s 16th annual Countdown to Christmas this winter. The actors introduced themselves in a fun YouTube video, where they tossed around a football and sported Buffalo Bills merch.
Tony Danza, Matthew Daddario, Holland Roden, Tracy Pollan, Steve Schirripa and Caroline Aaron will star in the film as it follows two families who have a “longtime friendship rooted” in their “cherished traditions” supporting their favorite football team.
“Pediatric doctor Morgan Quinn (Roden) and the Bills’ VP of Stadium Development Gabe DeLuca (Daddario) have always been close friends, but Gabe has always held a torch for her — a fact obvious to their families (Pollan, Aaron, Schirripa)… and everyone else who crosses their path,” the official logline reads. “When Morgan learns from her Uncle Tommy (Danza) that someone anonymously helped her family get by after he was drafted more than 60 years ago — and that he continues to receive a Christmas gift each year to this day — she decides to find his benefactor and give her uncle a Christmas he’ll always remember.”
“Aided by Bills Mafia friends of theirs, Morgan and Gabe work together to unwrap the gifter’s identity,” it continues. “Along the way, Gabe’s love for Morgan deepens and in turn, she begins to see him in a new light though neither is daring enough to admit their feelings.”
The description concludes: “Meanwhile, Morgan’s hopes of pulling off her surprise for Uncle Tommy get sacked. That is, until Gabe takes matters into his own hands and uses his connections with the Bills to pull off the surprise of a lifetime for Morgan and both their families that will make this a Christmas they’ll never forget.”
The Bills’ head coach, Sean McDermott, is also joining the star-studded cast, and several players will be making cameos, including running back Ray Davis, safety Damar Hamlin, offensive tackle Dion Dawkins, tight end Dawson Knox, long snapper Reid Ferguson, defensive tackle DeWayne Carter and wide receiver Joshua Palmer.
Al Pereira/Getty
Safety Damar Hamlin #3 of the Buffalo Bills follows the action in the game between the Buffalo Bills vs the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on October 14, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Plus, there will be appearances from Buffalo Bills legend Jim Kelly, former players Steve Tasker, Thurman Thomas and Scott Norwood, along with the Bills’ play-by-play announcer Chris Brown. Luke Russert is also taking part in the movie in honor of his late father, broadcast journalist and “die-hard Bills fan,” Tim Russert.
“We are so excited to have a stellar ensemble cast that is truly an acting dream team,” said Samantha DiPippo, Senior Vice President of Programming at Hallmark Media, in the press release. “The addition of Coach McDermott along with the current Bills players and alumni gives us the winning combination to bring to life this heartwarming story that celebrates the bonds of family and community and, of course, there’s romance with a touch of Christmas magic.”
Timothy T Ludwig/Getty; David Eulitt/Getty; Perry Knotts/Getty
Ray Davis, Sean McDermott and Damar Hamlin
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Hamlin first revealed the news that the 2025 edition of Holiday Touchdown would revolve around the Buffalo Bills in March.
“We have big news today! Hallmark Channel and the NFL have selected the Buffalo Bills in the 2025 Countdown to Christmas movie draft,” the player announced in a video posted to social media. “We’re so excited to celebrate our team, ours fans and a shout out to Bills mafia and our shared love of football and Hallmark Christmas movies.”
This came after 2024’s Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, which the Chief Brand Officer at Hallmark Darren Abbott mentioned in a statement about continuing the series in March.
“The incredible success of last year’s partnership with the NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs far exceeded our expectations,” Abbott said at the time. “We are thrilled to team up with the Bills this year for a new holiday movie filled with heart, family and the classic Hallmark storytelling that our fans know and love, all set against the special community the Bills franchise has nurtured throughout its storied history.”
Read the original article on People
