Astral’s Family Channel is making the most of shooting stars, magical lamps and birthday cake candles in Family’s Day of Wishes on Friday, July 16. Featuring the Canadian premiere of 16 Wishes at 8 p.m. ET/PT plus a sneak peek of The Elephant Princess at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT, Family’s Day of Wishes also brings wish-filled episodes of The Suite Life on Deck, Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place and Wingin’ It to televisions from 5 p.m. ET/PT.

Starring Debby Ryan (The Suite Life on Deck) 16 Wishes follows Abby Jensen, a teenager who can’t wait to grow up. Abby has been planning for her Sweet 16th birthday ever since she was a little girl and, when the big day finally arrives, she excitedly adds her 16th and final wish to the secret wish list she’s been keeping. Soon Abby is visited by a mysterious woman named Celeste who delivers a mysterious box of 16 birthday candles and the birthday girl begins to realize that the candles correspond to her 16 wishes and that each wish is coming true. However, when one wish goes horribly awry, Abby learns that all she has ever wished for may not actually be all she thought it would be. 16 Wishes also stars Jean-Luc Bilodeau (Kyle XY) as Jay Kepler; Anna Mae Routledge (Harper’s Island) as Celeste; and Karissa Tynes (Aliens in America) as Krista Cook.

16 Wishes is produced by Vancouver’s Unity Pictures and LA-based MarVista Entertainment, the movie was written by Annie DeYoung (Disney Channel’s Princess Protection Program) and was directed by Peter DeLuise (Stargate SG-1). Robyn Snyder (I Me Wed) produces alongside Unity Picture’s Ron French (Battlestar Galactica). MarVista’s Michael D. Jacobs and Fernando Szew executive produce and Unity’s Craig Forrest serves as Co-Producer.

The Elephant Princess sees typical teen and would-be rock star, Alexandra Wilson suddenly discover that she is not an average, suburban girl. In the sneak-peek episode, Alex’s 16th birthday party is interrupted by, an elephant, Anala and a boy named Karu. Karu tells Alex that not only is she the Princess of Manjipoor, but that she is also magical and that she must leave her family and friends to return to her kingdom. The Elephant Princess stars Emily Robins as Alex and begins in its regular timeslot on July 24 and will air on Saturday and Sunday at 7:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Family Channel is a premium, commercial-free network offering the best in family television entertainment in 6 million homes across Canada. Dedicated to celebrating family life and providing a fun experience for all, Family airs a unique mix of series, movies and specials, with a large portion of programming supplied by Disney. Family Channel also offers Family OnDemand in select areas, a Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) service that features hit Disney movies and series, top-rated Canadian series and Playhouse Disney programming, and Family OnLine, a broadband service offered to Bell TV subscribers. Visit us at Family.ca.

Family Channel is a member of the Astral family. Astral is one of Canada’s largest media companies. It operates more than 100 of the country’s most popular pay and specialty television, radio, out-of-home advertising and digital media properties. Astral plays a central role in community life across the country by offering diverse, rich and vibrant programming that meets the tastes and needs of consumers and advertisers. To learn more about Astral, visit astral.com.