TV One's Original Holiday Film 'Dear Santa, I Need A Date' Premieres December 8

Ray J, Reagan Gomez-Preston, Anne-Marie Johnson,

Reginae Carter, B. Simone and MAJOR. Light up the Screen

in New Romantic Comedy

(SILVER SPRING, MD) – October 23, 2019 – TV One brings the holiday spirit with the premiere of the original film, DEAR SANTA, I NEED A DATE, which will air on Sunday, December 8 at 7 P.M. ET/6C, followed by an encore presentation at 9 P.M. ET/8C. The film’s stars include Ray J (Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood, Moesha), Reagan Gomez-Preston (The Parent ‘Hood, The Cleveland Show), Anne-Marie Johnson (In Living Color, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka), Jay DeVon Johnson (The Favorite), MAJOR. (Star), Reginae Carter (Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta) and B. Simone (Wild ‘N Out, Girls Cruise). The movie is directed by Terri J. Vaughn (The Steve Harvey Show, Daddy’s Little Girls), who also directed TV One’s 2018 original holiday film MERRY WISHMAS.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to direct my second Christmas movie for TV One. The experience was amazing. Ray J and Reagan Gomez-Preston are so fun as brother and sister,” said Vaughn, the film’s director. “And the cherry on top was getting Anne-Marie Johnson to play their mother. She’s so funny, and I’m such a huge fan of hers. I know the audience will have a lot of fun watching this hilarious cast!”

DEAR SANTA, I NEED A DATE tells the comedic story of two successful and ambitious siblings Janelle Vaughn (Gomez-Preston) and Jason Vaughn (Ray J). Their parents, Mr. Vaughn (Jay DeVon Johnson) and Mrs. Vaughn (Johnson), are proud of their children’s flourishing careers but are displeased with their dating lives. Every holiday season, the Vaughn’s anxiously prepare for their children to bring home a significant other only to be disappointed. This year, The Vaughn’s apply pressure by expressing their concerns to Jason and Janelle, which sparks a bet between the siblings on who can find a date by Christmas.

“Working on Dear Santa [I Need a Date] was one of the most enjoyable working experiences in my long career,” stated film star Anne-Marie Johnson. “But more importantly, this wonderful movie will appeal to anyone -regardless of race, ethnicity, age, or gender – who loves love and loves the holidays.”

DEAR SANTA I NEED A DATE is written by Kourtney Richard and directed by Terri J. Vaughn with casting provided by George Pierre. The film is produced by Swirl Films with Eric Tomosunas, Keith Neal, James Seppelfrick, serving as Executive Producers. Ron Robinson, James “Jimmy” Watson serve as producers. For TV One, Gold Morgan is the Executive Producer in Charge of Production; Donyell Kennedy-McCullough is Senior Director of Talent & Casting; and Brigitte McCray is Senior Vice President of Original Programming and Production.

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ABOUT TV ONE

Launched in January 2004, TV One serves 59 million households, offering a broad range of real-life and entertainment-focused original programming, classic series, movies and music designed to entertain and inform a diverse audience of adult black viewers. The network represents the best in black culture and entertainment with fan favorite shows Unsung, Uncensored, The DL Hughley Show, ATL Homicide, Fatal Attraction and Urban One Honors. In addition, TV One is the cable home of original blockbuster films including When Love Kills: The Falicia Blakely Story, Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story, Bobbi Kristina and The Bobby DeBarge Story. TV One is solely owned by Urban One, Inc., formerly known as Radio One, Inc. [NASDAQ: UONE and UONEK, www.urban1.com], the largest African-American owned multi-media company primarily targeting Black and urban audiences.

ABOUT SWIRL FILMS

Swirl Films is America’s “number one urban film production company,” a full-service Film & TV production company with over 60 original productions in the past six years, focusing on urban content and programming, independent features and multi-camera productions. Swirl Films is a major content provider for TV One which includes original productions: Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story (2016), which was TV One’s first ever biopic, starring another stellar cast: Lisa Raye McCoy, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Darius McCrary, Indirah Khan and Teyonah Parris as Howard. According to the network, the film broke record ratings, undeniably becoming the top original film in the network’s history drawing in 2 million views, resulting in the networks highest ratings week ever. Quickly surpassing those numbers is TV One’s #1 Original Premiere of All Time, When Love Kills (2017), starring Lance Gross, Niatia Kirkland, and Tami Roman, directed by actress Tasha Smith. Swirl Films previous production credits for TV One also includes Born Again Virgin, starring Danielle Nicolet, Meagan Holder and Eva Marcille; Here We Go Again, starring LeToya Luckett, Wendy Raquel Robinson and Kyndall Ferguson; Russ Parr’s award-winning The Undershepherd, Hear No Evil, and 35 & Ticking (Kevin Hart).