“For more than a decade, Hallmark holiday movies have represented the gold standard that many aspire to replicate,” said Crown Media’s president and CEO, Wonya Lucas in a statement. “What we bring to the table and what truly sets us apart is an immersive holiday experience that has become a pop culture phenomenon for millions of fans.”
The Christmas viewing festivities will see the return of several fan-favorites franchises and personalities, including Candace Cameron Bure in If I Only Had Christmas, her ninth Hallmark Channel original Christmas movie, and Lacey Chabert in Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas and Christmas Waltz, the latter reuniting the star with her with Love, Romance & Chocolate co-star Will Kemp. Also doing double-duty is Holly Robinson Peete, who will star in Christmas Doctor and Christmas in Evergreen: Bells are Ringing, the fourth installment of the hit movie series, Christmas in Evergreen.
Alison Sweeney has been looking forward to returning to the Christmas fold for some time and will do so in A Bright and Merry Christmas, while Danica McKellar celebrates the season with her sixth Christmas movie Christmas She Wrote. Tamera Mowry-Housley, another welcome returning face, stars in her second Christmas movie, Christmas Comes Twice. Jonathan Bennett (Mean Girls) racks up his third yuletide feature with another game-changer for Hallmark, The Christmas House, also featuring Robert Buckley (One Tree Hill), Ana Ayora (In the Dark), Treat Williams (Chesapeake Shores) and Sharon Lawrence (NYPD Blue). (Pictured below, left to right: Alison Sweeney, Holly Robinson Peete, Lacey Chabert, Candace Cameron Bure, Tamera Mowry-Housley and Danica McKellar.)
“Our holiday table is bigger and more welcoming than ever,” said Crown Media Family Networks executive vice president of programming Michelle Vicary. “This year’s movies reflect our most diverse representation of talent, narratives and families. The Christmas House [features] a storyline about a gay couple looking to adopt their first child. Our movies are rooted in warmth and positivity, meaningful connections, family gatherings and seasonal traditions -- a winning formula we hope will bring our millions of viewers much-needed levity and holiday cheer at the end of a tough year.”
And that’s just on the programming front. With Hallmark reprising its brand extensions and marketing partnerships, there will be plenty of stocking stuffers for everyone. Look for an all-new Hallmark Channel Holiday Edition Monopoly game; The Republic of Tea “Countdown to Christmas”-themed tea tins, and the release of the recently announced Hallmark Channel Wines, to name just a few.
In a year that can only be described as challenging for everyone, it’s comforting to know Hallmark has our backs in the months ahead. The fact that it’s beginning to look a lot like a Hallmark Christmas, even in 2020, is a welcomed dose of normalcy.
Here’s a rundown of both networks’ new offerings.
Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas(all premieres are at 8 p.m. ET/PT)
Saturday, October 24: Jingle Bell Bride, starring Julie Gonzalo and Ronnie Rowe Jr.
Sunday, October 25: Chateau Christmas, starring Merritt Patterson and Luke Macfarlane
Saturday, October 31: Christmas with the Darlings, starring Katrina Law and Carlo Marks
Sunday, November1: One Royal Holiday, starring Laura Osnes, Aaron Tveit, Krystal Joy Brown, Victoria Clark and Tom McGowan
Saturday, November 7: Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater, starring Ashley Williams and Niall Matter
Sunday, November 8: On the 12th Date of Christmas, starring Mallory Jansen and Tyler Hynes
Saturday, November 14: Christmas in Vienna, starring Sarah Drew and Brennan Elliott
Sunday, November 15: A Timeless Christmas, starring Ryan Paevey and Erin Cahill
Saturday, November 21: A Nashville Christmas Carol, starring Jessy Schram, Wes Brown, Wynonna Judd, Sara Evans, RaeLynn, Kix Brooks and Kimberly Williams-Paisley
Sunday, November 22: The Christmas House, starring Robert Buckley, Jonathan Bennett, Ana Ayora, Treat Williams, Sharon Lawrence and Brad Harder
Tuesday, November 24: A Christmas Tree Grows in Brooklyn, starring Rochelle Aytes and Mark Taylor
Wednesday, November 25: A Bright and Merry Christmas, starring Alison Sweeney and Marc Blucas.
Thursday, November 26: Five Star Christmas (working title), starring Bethany Joy Lenz and Victor Webster
Friday, November 27: Christmas by Starlight, starring Kimberley Sustad and Paul Campbell
Saturday, November 28: Christmas Waltz, starring Lacey Chabert, Will Kemp and JT Church
Sunday, November 29: If I Only Had Christmas, starring Candace Cameron Bure and Warren Christie
Saturday, December 5: Christmas in Evergreen: Bells Are Ringing Stars, starring Holly Robinson Peete, Colin Lawrence, Rukiya Bernard, Antonio Cayonne and Barbara Niven
Sunday, December 6: Christmas She Wrotestarring Danica McKellar and Dylan Neal
Saturday, December 12: Cross Country Christmas, starring Rachael Leigh Cook and Greyston Holt
Sunday, December 13: Christmas Comes Twice, starring Tamera Mowry-Housley and Michael Xavier
Saturday, December 19: Christmas Carousel, starring Rachel Boston and Neal Bledsoe
Sunday, December 20: Love, Lights, Hanukkah!, starring Mia Kirshner, Ben Savage and Marilu Henner
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ Miracles of Christmas (all premieres are at 9 p.m. ET/PT)
Saturday, October 24: Christmas Tree Lane, starring Alicia Witt, Andrew Walker, Drake Hogestyn and Briana Price
Sunday, October 25: Deliver by Christmas, starring Alvina August and Eion Bailey
Saturday, October 31: Cranberry Christmas, starring Nikki DeLoach and Benjamin Ayres
Sunday, November 1: Holly & Ivy, starring Janel Parrish, Jeremy Jordan and Marisol Nichols
Saturday, November 7: The Christmas Ring, starring Nazneen Contractor and David Alpay
Sunday, November 8: The Christmas Bow, starring Lucia Micarelli and Michael Rady
Saturday, November 14: Meet Me at Christmas (working title), starring Catherine Bell and Mark Deklin
Sunday, November 15: The Christmas Doctor, starring Holly Robinson Peete and Adrian Holmes
Saturday, November 21: A Little Christmas Charm (working title), starring Ashley Greene and Brendan Penny
Sunday, November 22: The Angel Tree, starring Jill Wagner and Lucas Bryant
Saturday, November 28: USS Christmas, starring Jen Lilley, Trevor Donovan and Barbara Niven
Saturday, December 5: Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas (from executive producer Blake Shelton), starring Lacey Chabert and Stephen Huszar
Sunday, December 6: A Godwink Christmas: First Loves, Second Chances, starring Brooke D’Orsay and Sam Page
Saturday, December 12: A Glenbrooke Christmas, starring Autumn Reeser and Antonio Cupo
Sunday, December 13: Christmas Homecoming (working title), starring Taylor Cole and Steve Lund
Saturday, December 19: Swept Up By Christmas (working title)