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Eye unwraps 'Christmas' presence
Variety - June 16, 2003
By DENISE MARTIN
HOLLYWOOD -- CBS has greenlit "Undercover Christmas," a
two-hour telepic starring Tyne Daly and Jami Gertz.
Michael Jaffe, Howard Braunstein and Darrah Cloud will exec produce the
made-for under the Jaffe/Braunstein Films banner.
Shingle most recently produced the biopics "Martha Inc.: The Story of Martha
Stewart" for NBC and Susan Sarandon starrer "Ice Bound" for CBS.
Nadia Tass ("Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story") will direct the script
penned by Cloud.
"Darrah is the first writer I ever hired, and CBS has a long history of
successful Christmas movies," Braunstein said. "So we're thrilled."
"Undercover" centers on a conservative FBI agent who's forced to take a
federal witness (Gertz) home for the holidays. Daly will play the agent's
mother and stern family matriarch.
"It's a love story but it's also a comedy of class," Braunstein said. "The
family is blue blood and (Gertz's character) is more street. Think Melanie
Griffith in 'Working Girl.' "
Casting for the male lead is still under way. Lensing is slated to begin
July 1 in Calgary.
Upcoming Jaffe/Braunstein projects include the earthquake miniseries "10.5"
for NBC and the Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen-toplined "Surviving Love"
(formerly "Rediscovered Love") for CBS.
Daly currently stars in the family drama "Judging Amy," which just wrapped
its fourth season on CBS.
Gertz will continue to star in season two of CBS laffer "Still Standing."
Copyright © 2003 Variety, Inc. All rights reserved.
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