Hallmark Channel‘s annual “Countdown to Christmas” programming event is underway, and arriving soon will be “Winter Wonderlanes.”
Featuring Ashley Newbrough and Franco Lo Presti star in the upcoming film, which promises to be bring an early dose of yuletide romance to viewers.
Bowled Over
While Hallmark recently revisited the world of pro football with its third NFL-themed “Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story,” “Winter Wonderlanes” focuses on a completely different sport: bowling.
“Audrey Bell (Newbrough) is a globe-trotting pop-up restaurateur who returns home for Thanksgiving to the news that her late grandfather’s beloved bowling alley, Wonderlanes, will be sold,” reads the official Hallmark Channel synopsis.
“Audrey agrees to stay for one last festive season at Wonderlanes and decides to revive its iconic Winter Wonderlanes youth bowling tournament,” the synopsis continues.
“To drum up publicity for the event, she reluctantly teams up with Jason Miller (Lo Presti), a local news reporter and her high school boyfriend. Working side by side the embers of their past start flickering, rekindling feelings they thought they left behind. As the tournament draws near, Audrey questions her next move that will take her away from the people and places she loves…and decide if she’s ready to walk away from Wonderlanes – or finally put down roots where her heart truly belongs,” the synopsis concluded.
A Beautiful Christmas Connection
In addition to “Winter Wonderlanes,” star Lo Presti was also seen in the hockey-themed romantic drama “Heated Rivalry,” the Canadian-made series that became a pop-culture sensation when it aired on HBO.
However, it’s his experience with Christmas movies that will always remain close to his heart, given that he met his wife, Emily Alatalo, while they co-starred in the 2018 holiday rom-com “Christmas Catch.” The love that blossomed onscreen likewise occurred in real life, and the couple recently welcomed their first child.
“My wife gave birth to our daughter, Stella, on August 23rd,” he shared during a September 2026 interview with TV Insider. “I’m a few weeks fresh as a dad, and it’s been an absolute euphoric experience. My wife and I are just so in love with our little girl.”
He credits “The Christmas Catch” as the most defining experience of his life. “The gift of that woman coming into my life through this profession is success to me,” he explained. “We’ve harbored such an incredible relationship and marriage, and now having a daughter has been one of the greatest gifts I could ask for, along with the success of working and being able to play these characters and tell these stories.”
Continuing, Lo Presti says he is thankful for not just that experience, but for everything that’s led him to this point. “I remember my first acting coach in the first class I took saying, ‘The business is not meant to be fair, so you better be in it for the right reasons,’” he recalled. “And I’ve always felt like that without really thinking about success or fame. All I ever really saw for myself was to be a working actor and to be able to provide for my family, doing what I love. What I’ve learned is that with patience, putting my head down and doing the work, eventually it will come through. So, with that said, being a dad and being able to work feels so rich right now in terms of everything that I have. It feels incredible. I just try to stay humble and be in the moment and whatever will be, will be. I’ve just been very lucky.”
“Winter Wonderlanes” premieres Friday, October 23 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Channel.
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Hallmark Channel Enters the World of Bowling with ‘Winter Wonderlanes’