The 45-year-old actress, who found fame in the 1983 movie Flashdance, is to star in Hallmark Channel’s original family flick.

The film is about what happens when Santa Claus accidentally leaves the North Pole a day early and crashes on to a family’s roof.

Production on the movie has already started shooting in Toronto and will premiere on Hallmark Channel next year.

Beals used to star in Showtime’s The L Word but after its run concluded, she appeared in Fox’s Lie to Me and will also star in The Book of Eli.

Christmas is indeed a boon for Reese Witherspoon, both the holiday and her Christmas movie “Four Christmases” which topped the box office with a receipt of $18.2 million. The comedy film, which stars Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn has stayed in the box office Top 1 successively for two weekends with a total receipt of $70.8 million and viewers are still lining up.

What everyone needs today considering the economic crisis is lots of cheers and something to laugh about and this is what Four Christmases offers which started playing during Thanksgiving and will be shown up to the year’s end. Not even the slow economy could stop people from watching Four Christmases and the other movies showing this season. Last year’s top grosser “The Golden Compass” has already been outperformed.

The $9.7 billion revenues in movies this year may be several billions higher than last year’s $8.7 billion but this is all due to higher ticket prices considering the decrease in attendance by 4%. Twilight came in second with $13.2 million followed by Bolt, Australia, Quantum of Solace, Madagascar 2, Transporter 3 and Punisher: War Zone. Beyonce’s movie “Cadillac Records” where she essays the role of Etta Jones landed in the Top 9 with a receipt of $3.5 million.

Well I know that every guy I spoke to regarding TV plans for Christmas day had scheduled a viewing of the Dr Who special. Most of them had never shown an interest in the series before. I was puzzled, until I realised that this was the episode Kylie Minogue was to make an appearance in.

It seems that the majority of the male population thought the same too. Kylie’s guest appearance on the show boosted ratings higher than they have ever been since its revival.

A massive 12.2 million people tuned in to watch the Dr Who special; which is half the available audience. An upgrade on last year where the Christmas special managed to lure in 37% of the audience.

Whether her acting was any good I couldn’t tell you. Personally I was too busy doing what you do best at Christmas – eating lots of chocolate. Good or not it seemed to do the job though.

All kids look away. Adults do not let children read this paragraph.

Do you remember the pivoting moment that changed you from an innocent child that believed in Father Christmas to a cynical adult who looks at Christmas as an expensive and stressful time of year? Well actress Halle Berry certainly does.

The stunning Catwoman star discovered Santa wasn’t real by catching her mother eating the cookies; cookies that she had baked herself with the tubby legend in mind.

Halle said: “The day I saw my mum eating the Santa cookies on the plate was one of the most horrific days of my life. I never let her forget it. I had at least three more good years that I could have believed had she not been so careless.”

So mothers and fathers beware…the kids will hold a grudge if you are too careless.