Georgia Governor Nathan Deal Declares Sunday, January 19th As 'The Town That Came A-Courtin' Day' In State

ATLANTA, Jan. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- UP, America's favorite channel for uplifting family entertainment, announced today that Georgia Governor Nathan Deal has issued a proclamation declaring Sunday, January 19 as "The Town That Came A-Courtin' Day" in the state. The UP Original Movie by the same name premieres exclusively that night on UP at 7:00 p.m. EST.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130530/NY23397LOGO )

"On behalf of UP, I would like to thank Governor Nathan Deal and the State of Georgia Legislature for dedicating this special day to our funny, romantic film based on the novel by Georgian author Ronda Rich," said Charley Humbard, president and CEO, UP.  "We are proud to be an Atlanta-based television network, contributing to the state's economic development and creating quality family entertainment for all."

"This Sunday will truly be a day of thankfulness and celebration for me and my family," said The Town That Came A-Courtin' author and syndicated writer Ronda Rich.  "As a Georgia native and resident, I'm beyond thrilled to have the film based on my book premiering on UP and an official Georgia State day dedicated to this work on the same day." 

"The Town That Came A-Courtin' is based on the novel by the same name by Georgia native Ronda Rich, who was born, raised and still lives in Hall County, Georgia. Rich, an 11^th generation Georgian, also writes a syndicated weekly newspaper column that runs throughout Georgia and the Southeast. The column celebrates the South and its stories and has more than a million weekly readers.

In the UP Original Movie, Valerie Harper ("Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Rhoda"), Lauren Holly ("NCIS," "Motive"), Cameron Bancroft ("24," "Beverly Hills: 90210") and Lucie Guest ("Health Nutz," "Blackstone") star. The story is inspired by an experience that Rich had during a book tour. Abby Houston (Holly) is a smart, beautiful, successful author and fiercely independent Southern woman.  When we meet her, she is curiously being kept captive in a remote cabin in the woods by an obsessed fan, Walter (Toby Hargrave).  Days earlier, Abby and her publicist Jamie (Lucie Guest) were visiting the lovely town of Bliss, Mississippi, where B&B owner Charlotte (Harper) and a well-meaning prayer chain have big plans for Abby – as the perfect match for their widowed Mayor Spencer Alexander (Bancroft), a single dad of two.  

Governor Deal's proclamation reads as follows:

WHERAS:  The UP television network is a nationally recognized and beloved media channel.  Its mission is to inspire, uplift and entertain, and its family-friendly programming can be seen in more than 65 million homes on various cable systems around the country; and
WHEREAS:  The UP Network joined the esteemed Georgia native author and syndicated columnist Ronda Rich in bringing her novel entitled The Town That Came A-Courtin' to life on the small screen.  She has written six notable books. All of which bring positive attention to Georgia and the southern region; and
WHEREAS:  On January 19^th the UP Network will debut this quality film, which depicts the tradition of Georgia storytelling at its best.  Featuring prominent actors such as Lauren Holly, Cameron Bancroft, and Valerie Harper, this movie will share some of the best qualities of the South with the entire nation; and
WHERAS:  The UP Network, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is a valued contributor to our great state.  Providing quality jobs and economic opportunity to our citizens, we are blessed that this renowned organization calls Georgia home; and
WHEREAS:  The Town That Came A-Courtin' promises to be yet another gem in the UP Network crown. Georgia is proud to have had a part to play in this accomplishment and most grateful for the indelible impact both the UP Network and Ms. Ronda Rich have had on our state and its people; now
THEREFORE:  I, NATHAN DEAL, Governor of the State of Georgia, do hereby join in recognizing January 19, 2014 as

THE TOWN THAT CAME A COURTIN' DAY

In Georgia, and wish all those associated with the film much success in the years to come. 

UP, America's favorite network for uplifting entertainment is a 24-hour television network that provides high-quality, diverse, family-friendly programming, including original and premiere movies, theatricals, drama and comedy series, music and holiday specials. UP can be seen in 65 million homes in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) on cable systems including Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Charter and Cox Communications as well as DIRECTV (Channel 338), DISH Network (Channel 188) and Verizon FIOS (Channel 224).  As part of its mission to entertain and uplift, the network's pro-social initiative "Uplift Someone" reminds and inspires people to do simple acts of kindness.  UP is also a service provider to its sister network ASPiRE.  Based in Atlanta, UP is a division of UP Entertainment, LLC, which also offers gMovies, the first faith-friendly streaming movie service. Follow UP on the Web at www.UPtv.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/UPtv, Twitter on @UPtv and Instagram at UP_TV.

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