Lifetime Holiday Movie Set in Michigan Pays Tribute to Smokey Robinson, Detroit
There are 141 new holiday movies debuting during the Christmas season this year on channels like Lifetime and the Hallmark Channel. I know this number because I have a friend who has them all listed on a spreadsheet so she and her sister can keep track of which ones they've watched.
One of those movies is 'Miracle in Motor City,' which pays homage to The Motor City and Motown legend Smokey Robinson. The flick debuted on the Lifetime network over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and is sure to repeat throughout the Christmas season. It makes TV Guide's list of the best new Christmas movies this season, along with entries by Destiny Child's Kelly Rowland and country superstar Reba McEntire.
The centers around Amber Dupont, a Detroit woman who is in charge of her church's annual Christmas pageant and makes the mistake of promising that Detroit's own Smokey Robinson will perform. She and her ex set out on a mission to get Smokey to perform and in true Lifetime fashion have an opportunity to rekindle the flame they once lost.
SEE ALSO: SNL Roasts Smokey Robinson After He Hilariously Mispronounces Chanuka
According to the Detroit Free Press, the film is mostly shot in Toronto, but it's sprinkled with enough Detroit footage to give it a genuine Motown feel.
Robinson stars as himself in the movie and tells Billboard magazine that he thought the script was "warm, wonderful, and sweet."
"I hope it brings some positive feelings for the people of Detroit,” Robinson says.
Watch a clip in the video player below.