LeAnn Rimes to Star in New CMT Made-For TV Movie Endeavor

Country Music Television (CMT) is the place to go for all things country music, but it will soon be the place to go for movies as well! CMT has announced that it will produce two made-for-TV movies: "To the Mat" and "Reel Love."

"To the Mat," with stars Ricky Schroeder ("24") and Laura Bell Bundy ("Legally Blonde: The Musical"), will tell the story of an ex-wrestler trying to keep his southern wrestling school in business by involving a New York consultant. My guess is that things don't go well with the Yankee.

"Reel Love" will be a romance movie starring LeAnn Rimes as a big city girl who returns to her southern home, reconnects with her family, and finds love. It sounds a bit like "Sweet Home Alabama" and my guess, again, is that the "big city" isn't painted in a flattering light.

CMT says that they have had "great ratings success" with playing acquired romantic comedies (probably ones like "Sweet Home Alabama"), so they want to make their own original content. CMT has produced movies before, such as "Beer For My Horses," "Dale," and "Broken Bridges," but all of them were made for a theatrical release and it didn't go too well.

Hopefully for CMT, the TV movie effort goes better.