Lacey Chabert returns to headline her record 12th holiday film, as Hallmark diversifies its movies with a LGBTQ+ romance and more.
It's officially the first day of fall, which means it's time to get into the holiday spirit! One month before the launch of Hallmark's annual Christmas programming event on Oct. 21, the network has unveiled the full lineup of all its original holiday movie premieres across Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.
Debuting 40 movies this yuletide season as part of Hallmark Channel's popular "Countdown to Christmas" and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries' "Miracles of Christmas" events, network favorites Lacey Chabert (who stars in her record 12th Hallmark Christmas film), Alison Sweeney, Holly Robinson Peete, Jodie Sweetin, Jonathan Bennett, Luke Macfarlane, Marilu Henner, Nikki DeLoach, Rachel Boston, Ryan Paevey, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Taylor Cole and Tyler Hynes are back to lead new romances, among dozens of other familiar faces.
Popular Hallmark regulars Hynes, Andrew Walker and Paul Campbell will team up for a holiday film, Three Wise Men and a Baby, playing brothers. The holiday film, which premieres Nov. 19 on Hallmark Channel, follows the trio who get the surprise of their lives when they are forced to work together to care for a baby over the holidays. As they slowly get the hang of things, they find themselves on unexpected journeys of self-discovery and begin to rebuild their relationships as brothers, as well as the damaged romantic and professional relationships in their respective lives -- all while rediscovering their love of Christmas.
In the same vein, there will be new talent joining the family to ring in the holiday cheer, including Ann-Margret, R&B singer Ledisi, Moira Kelly, Tia Carrere, Reshma Shetty (Royal Pains), Tamala Jones (Castle) and Yael Groblas (Jane the Virgin), to name just a few.
As Hallmark continues to diversify its casts and expand the breadth of stories it spotlights, among its 40 holiday films are two centered on the Chinese American culture, A Big Fat Family Christmas co-starring Carrere and Jack Wagner, and Christmas at the Golden Dragon with Kara Wang (Good Trouble), Osric Chau (Supernatural) and Barbara Niven; a new Hanukkah-focused romance, Hanukkah on Rye, set during the Festival of Lights starring Jeremy Jordan; and the network's first Kwanzaa film, Holiday Heritage, with Lyndie Greenwood, Brooks Darnell and Peete.
Bennett, who was one-half of the LGBTQ+ couple in Hallmark's multigenerational The Christmas House franchise, will step into the spotlight for the network's first gay holiday movie, The Holiday Sitter, opposite George Krissa.
Additionally, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries launches the first movie to be produced under the faith-based brand, DaySpring; The Gift of Peace will headline DeLoach and Brennan Elliott.
All told, Hallmark Channel's "Countdown to Christmas" will premiere 31 original movies from Friday, Oct. 21 through Sunday, Dec. 18, with a new launch every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Hallmark Movies & Mysteries' "Miracles of Christmas" will debut nine original movies from Saturday, Oct. 22 through Saturday, Dec. 17, with a new premiere every Saturday at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
Below are the announced movies and casts for Hallmark Channel's "Countdown to Christmas" and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries' "Miracles of Christmas."
HALLMARK CHANNEL’S "COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS"
All premieres are at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Friday, Oct. 21: Noel Next Door
Stars: Natalie Hall and Corey Sevier
A hard-working, single mom gets into a war of words with a neighbor who she feels is ruining Christmas, only to find that this misunderstood grouch just may steal her heart.
Saturday, Oct. 22: We Wish You a Married Christmas
Stars: Marisol Nichols and Kristoffer Polaha
Becca and Robby are a married couple having a hard time connecting with each other as the holidays approach. Just before Christmas, they head to a cozy Vermont inn at the advice of their marriage coach so they can recharge. Their weekend away gets unexpectedly extended when a mishap puts their car out of commission and just may put them on the road to a very happily married Christmas.
Sunday, Oct. 23: A Kismet Christmas
Stars: Sarah Ramos, Carlo Marks and Marilu Henner
Sarah is a children’s book author who returns to her hometown, where she reconnects with her family and Travis, her teenage crush. She soon discovers that a long-held family legend might actually be true.
Friday, Oct. 28: A Cozy Christmas Inn
Stars: Jodie Sweetin and David O’Donnell
Real estate exec, Erika, travels to Alaska during Christmastime to acquire a bed and breakfast, only to discover that it’s owned by her ex. While there, she finds herself falling in love with the town and quite possibly him.
Saturday, Oct. 29: Jolly Good Christmas
Stars: Reshma Shetty and Will Kemp
David is an American architect who recently moved to London for a prime opportunity in a prestigious firm. With just three days before Christmas, he crosses paths with Anji, a professional shopper, who raises an eyebrow over his choice of a gift card for his girlfriend. David ultimately decides to hire Anji and, thanks to a series of unexpected events, finds himself on a wild adventure across Jolly Old London as Anji helps him search for the perfect present.
Sunday, Oct. 30: Ghosts of Christmas Always
Stars: Kim Matula, Ian Harding, Beth Leavel, Lori Tan Chinn and Reginald VelJohnson
Katherine is a Ghost of Christmas Present and she must help one soul, Peter, rediscover his Christmas spirit. But this year has something unusual in store.
Friday, Nov. 4: A Magical Christmas Village
Stars: Alison Sweeney, Luke Macfarlane and Marlo Thomas
When Summer’s mother Vivian moves in with her and her young daughter Chloe, her orderly existence is upended. Upon arrival, Vivian sets up an heirloom, miniature Christmas village resembling their town, and tells Chloe it grants Christmas wishes. As Chloe begins setting up the figurines, real-life events seem to mimic the scenes she creates. With a little help from the magic of the Christmas village, the family will be brought closer together and just maybe, Summer will learn to open her heart to love again.
Saturday, Nov. 5: Lights, Camera, Christmas!
Stars: Kimberley Sustad and John Brotherton
When a holiday rom-com movie shooting in her town needs a costume designer, Kerry, a local shop owner, steps into the role. While working on the movie, she rediscovers her passion for costume design and finds herself falling for Brad, the film’s famous leading man.
Sunday, Nov. 6: All Saints Christmas
Stars: Ledisi and Roger Cross
Lisette is a popular R&B singer who’s getting ready to travel home to New Orleans for Christmas. When the media mistake a photo of her with her music producer ex as an engagement announcement, her family insists that he join her on the trip.
Friday, Nov. 11: In Merry Measure
Stars: Patti Murin, Brendan Penny and Jennifer Robertson
When pop star Darcy returns home to spend Christmas with her sister and niece, she unexpectedly finds herself coaching the high school choir with her onetime rival, Adam.
Saturday, Nov. 12: The Royal Nanny
Stars: Rachel Skarsten, Dan Jeannotte and Greta Scacchi
Claire is an MI5 agent who goes undercover as the royal nanny. She must overcome the challenges of her assignment, like resisting the charms of Prince Colin, while keeping the family safe at Christmas.
Sunday, Nov. 13: Christmas at the Golden Dragon
Stars: Kara Wang, Osric Chau, Sara Canning, Antonio Cupo and Barbara Niven
When Romy and Rick’s parents surprise them with the news that they will be closing the Chinese restaurant they have owned and operated for decades, the siblings each find themselves reevaluating their futures. Also impacted by the news are the landmark restaurant's loyal patrons and staff, who have all come to depend on the restaurant over the holidays.
Friday, Nov. 18: Inventing the Christmas Prince
Stars: Tamera Mowry-Housley and Ronnie Rowe Jr.
Shelby is about to quit her job as a rocket engineer when her daughter becomes convinced that her Scrooge-like boss, Evan, is the Christmas Prince from a story Shelby invented years ago.
Saturday, Nov. 19: Three Wise Men and a Baby
Stars: Paul Campbell, Tyler Hynes, Andrew Walker and Margaret Colin
Three brothers get the surprise of their lives when they are forced to work together to care for a baby over the holidays. As they slowly get the hang of things, they find themselves on unexpected journeys of self-discovery and begin to rebuild their relationships as brothers, as well as the damaged romantic and professional relationships in their respective lives... all while rediscovering their love of Christmas.
Sunday, Nov. 20: When I Think of Christmas
Stars: Shenae Grimes-Beech, Niall Matter and Beth Broderick
Sara Thompson returns to her hometown to help her mother move and is surprised to find her ex-boyfriend Josh Hartman is back home. The two had once planned a life in music together but Sara left to study law. The former flames slowly reconnect and try to heal wounds, both old and new. When Sara makes a surprising discovery, she and Josh forge a bold plan for the upcoming Christmas concert that will lead them all back to their musical roots and make this a holiday to remember.
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“Merry Thanksgiving Weekend”
Thursday, Nov. 24: My Southern Family Christmas
Stars: Jaicy Elliot, Bruce Campbell, Ryan Rottman, Moira Kelly and Brian McNamara
Under the guise of a journalist, Campbell has a chance to get to know her biological father for the first time -- without him ever knowing who she really is. As she spends time with him and his family, as well as with the town’s record keeper, she realizes that families are messy, wonderful things. In the end, Campbell must decide if she’s going to keep her identity a secret or reveal the truth to her father -- a decision that will change their family Christmas forever.
Friday, Nov. 25: #Xmas
Stars: Clare Bowen and Brant Daugherty
Premieres 6 p.m. ET/PT. When Jen gets the chance to enter a brand’s design contest, she poses a family influencer, enlisting the help of her best friend, Max, and her baby nephew. When her video is selected as a finalist, Jen is torn on whether to go on with her perfect “family” or reveal the truth.
Friday, Nov. 25: A Royal Corgi Christmas
Stars: Hunter King and Jordan Renzo
Premieres 8 p.m. ET/PT. Reluctant Crown Prince Edmond returns home just before Christmas in anticipation of being named successor to the throne. To ingratiate himself to his mother the Queen, he gifts her with Mistletoe, a rambunctious Corgi in need of some serious training. After several doggy disasters, Edmond turns to Cecily, a canine behavior expert from America for help – but to his great surprise, Cecily demands that he take an active part in the daily dog training sessions. Sparks fly between them as the pair work together to get Mistletoe ready to present at the annual Christmas Ball. Just as the precious pup captures their hearts, they discover that love can grow in the most unexpected places, leading them to question what they really want.
Saturday, Nov. 26: A Tale of Two Christmases
Stars: Kat Barrell, Chandler Massey and Evan Roderick
Premieres 6 p.m. ET/PT. Thanks to some Christmas magic, Emma gets to experience two different Christmases -- one where she stays in the city and celebrates with a new crush and his friends, and one where she returns home for all the traditions with her family...and Drew, a longtime friend who may have feelings for her. Emma’s double holiday ultimately helps her discover what will truly make her happy in life as well as in love.
Saturday, Nov. 26: Haul Out the Holly
Stars: Lacey Chabert, Wes Brown, Ellen Travolta, Peter Jacobson, Melissa Peterman and Stephen Tobolowsky
Premieres 8 p.m. ET/PT. Emily arrives home, hoping to visit her parents, only to discover that they are leaving on a trip of their own. As she stays at their house for the holidays, their HOA is determined to get Emily to participate in the neighborhood’s many Christmas festivities.
Sunday, Nov. 27: A Christmas Cookie Catastrophe
Stars: Rachel Boston and Victor Webster
Premieres 6 p.m. ET/PT. Annie Cooper has big shoes to fill when she takes over as CEO of her late grandmother’s small-town cookie company and is doing her best to help their struggling business get back on track. That task gets more daunting when her grandmother’s secret recipe is stolen during the Christmas party. As Annie tries to crack the case and uncover the culprit she works with Sam, the owner of a local bakery, to recreate the recipe in the hope of saving the company and her job. As Annie and Sam bake batch after batch in pursuit of the perfect one, they begin to learn that their lives go together like milk and cookies.
Sunday, Nov. 27: A Holiday Spectacular
Stars: Ginna Claire Mason, Derek Klena, Eve Plumb and Ann-Margret
Premieres 8 p.m. ET/PT. Featuring the Radio City Rockettes. In 1958, Maggie is an heiress from Philadelphia who puts her high-society wedding plans on hold in order to sneak up to New York City and make her secret dream come true: dancing live on stage in the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall.
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Friday, Dec. 2: A Big Fat Family Christmas
Stars: Shannon Chan-Kent, Shannon Kook, Tia Carrere and Jack Wagner
Liv is a photojournalist eager to make it on her own. To get a dream assignment – shooting the Chang family’s annual holiday party for a cover story – she doesn’t reveal that they are in fact, her family. When she finds herself growing close to Henry, the coworker covering the story with her, she wants to confide in him but doesn’t want to jeopardize her big break.
Saturday, Dec. 3: A Fabled Holiday
Stars: Brooke D'Orsay and Ryan Paevey
Talia and her childhood best friend Anderson unexpectedly reunite in a curiously familiar looking town full of Christmas spirit that restores its visitors when they need it most.
Sunday, Dec. 4: Undercover Holiday
Stars: Noemi Gonzalez and Stephen Huszar
When returning home for the holidays, newly minted pop star Jaylen tells her protective family that Matt is her new beau, when in reality, he’s her overzealous security guard.
Friday, Dec. 9: The Most Colorful Time of the Year
Stars: Katrina Bowden and Christopher Russell
Ryan is a elementary school teacher, who learns that he is colorblind. Michelle, an optometrist and mother of one of his students, helps bring color into his life in time for the holidays.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Christmas Class Reunion
Stars: Aimee Teegarden and Tanner Novlan
High school classmates, who once dubbed themselves the “cursed class,” reconnect at Christmas for their 15-year reunion. Over the course of their time reconnecting, the classmates challenge each other to remember who they were, who they are, and who they want to be.
Sunday, Dec. 11: The Holiday Sitter
Stars: Jonathan Bennett, George Krissa and Chelsea Hobbs
Sam is a workaholic bachelor who babysits his niece and nephew before the holidays when his sister and her husband have to go out of town. Completely out of his element, he recruits help from their handsome neighbor Jason and finds himself in an unexpected romance.
Friday, Dec. 16: Holiday Heritage
Stars: Lyndie Greenwood, Brooks Darnell and Holly Robinson Peete
Ella returns to her hometown to mend fences with her fractured family. With the help of Griffin, her ex-boyfriend, she encourages her family to celebrate Christmas and Kwanzaa and to heal their past wounds before it’s too late.
Saturday, Dec. 17: ’Twas the Night Before Christmas
Stars: Torrey DeVitto and Zane Holtz
A former actress trying to break into directing tests her skills with a town’s annual Christmas Eve courtroom production in which the true authorship of the famous poem, “A Visit from St. Nick,” is debated.
Sunday, Dec. 18: Hanukkah on Rye
Stars: Jeremy Jordan, Yael Grobglas and Lisa Loeb
A matchmaker connects Molly and Jacob, but their new romance is put to the test when they realize that they are competing deli owners. Will a Hanukkah miracle keep them together?
HALLMARK MOVIES & MYSTERIES' "MIRACLES OF CHRISTMAS"
All premieres are at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
Saturday, Oct. 22: We Need a Little Christmas
Stars: Erica Durance, Patrick Sabongui and Lynn Whitfield
Julie is adjusting to being a single mother to a grieving child while facing her first Christmas without her husband when she develops an unexpected friendship with her older neighbor Irene.
Saturday, Oct. 29: Christmas Bedtime Stories
Stars: Erin Cahill, Steve Lund and Charlie Weber
When Danielle’s husband goes missing in action during his deployment, she is left to raise her daughter on her own. Three years later, as she acclimates to life without him, she begins to tell her daughter bedtime stories of her father.
Saturday, Nov. 5: A Maple Valley Christmas
Stars: Peyton List and Andrew Walker
Erica is a rancher who has spent her whole life working the family farm with her mother and sister. When Aaron arrives and disrupts her plans, she starts to question what it is she actually wants.
Saturday, Nov. 12: Our Italian Christmas Memories
Stars: Sarah Power and Beau Bridges
The Colucci siblings, in an effort to jog the memory of their grandfather who is struggling with dementia, set out to recreate their late grandmother’s legendary pasta sauce.
Saturday, Nov. 19: Long Lost Christmas
Stars: Taylor Cole and Benjamin Ayres
Hayley is an interior designer who plans to surprise her recently widowed mother Patricia with the perfect holiday present: the extended family she knows her mom yearns for.
Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022: Time for Him to Come Home for Christmas
Stars: Holland Roden, Tyler Hynes and Tenille Townes
From executive producer Blake Shelton. Four days before Christmas, Elizabeth Athens receives a voicemail from a number she doesn’t recognize. On the message, a man she doesn’t know makes one final plea to the love of his life for a second chance. The fifth installment of the popular movie franchise, based on Shelton’s song, “Time for Me to Come Home.”
Saturday, Dec. 3: The Holiday Stocking
Stars: Nadine Ellis, B.J. Britt, Karon Riley, Tamala Jones and Mykelti Williamson
In this Hallmark Mahogany presentation, RJ is a new angel, who is given the chance to address his one regret, that he didn’t help his sisters reconcile while he was still alive. Returning to Earth as a stranger, he gets each of them to revive The Holiday Stocking, their parent’s old tradition to encourage charity at Christmas.
Saturday, Dec. 10: The Gift of Peace
Stars: Nikki Deloach and Brennan Elliott
Artist Traci is a once-devout Christian who has stopped believing in God after her husband tragically died despite her prayers. As her second Christmas without him approaches, she tries going to a support group for inspiration and comfort.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Five More Minutes: Moments Like These
Stars: Ashley Williams and Lucas Bryant
The second holiday story inspired by Scotty McCreery’s song, “Five More Minutes,” a young widow’s Christmas wish for her son is answered in unexpected ways when she returns to their old home for the holidays.
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