Hauppauge's Lori Loughlin's TV comeback continues with 'A Christmas Blessing' movie

Hauppauge-raised former "Full House" star Lori Loughlin continues to ease back into acting, reteaming with the co-star of her previous holiday TV movie, “Fall Into Winter,” in the upcoming “A Christmas Blessing.”

The basic-cable network Great American Family announced Monday that Loughlin plays TV culinary star Mandy Gilmore, who leaves her hit series “A World of Food” in order to travel the world and dine in all 142 Michelin-star restaurants. Before beginning her journey in Paris, Mandy stops in Milwaukee with the deed to her deceased aunt’s food pantry, recently purchased by adjacent business owner Adam Carraway (played by James Tupper, Loughlin’s “Fall Into Winter” co-star). When a pantry volunteer (Jesse Hutch) reminisces about the aunt’s love of feeding the needy, Mandy is inspired to stay and create one last holiday feast for them.

The movie was directed by holiday-movie specialist David Winning (“The Nine Kittens of Christmas,” “A Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas,” “You, Me & the Christmas Trees" and others) from a script by Alfonso H. Moreno, a former executive producer of Loughlin’s old Hallmark Channel series “When Calls the Heart,” and Andrea Stevens (the TV movies “Merry Liddle Christmas,” “Merry Liddle Christmas Wedding,” “Merry Liddle Christmas Baby”). Loughlin is among the executive producers.

The telefilm is part of a slate of 20 holiday movies in the network’s third annual “Great American Christmas” collection, launching Oct. 20. 

Loughlin, 59, has no social media and has not commented publicly.

She had played opposite Tupper in this past January’s "Fall Into Winter," as part owner of an upscale candy shop who is aghast when her brother sells his half of the family business to his high-school best friend, Brooks McLeod, her old nemesis. Forced to work together, they naturally fall for one another.

The Hauppauge High School alumna, best known as Aunt Becky on "Full House" (ABC 1987-95), went on to star in The WB series "Summerland," which she co-created; ABC's "Hudson Street" with Tony Danza,; and The CW's "90210," as well as in a raft of TV movies including the "Garage Sale Mystery" films.

She played café owner-turned-mayor Abigail Stanton in the Hallmark Channel series "When Calls the Heart," set in a Western Canada coal-mining town circa 1910, but was let go following her arrest, along with dozens of others, in 2019's college-admissions bribery investigation. She pleaded guilty and served a 2-month sentence. 

Loughlin returned to acting by reprising her role as Stanton in the two-episode, season 2 premiere of the spinoff series "When Hope Calls" that aired in December 2021.