Hallmark Media has just announced a full slate of 42 new Christmas movies that will be premiering on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and the Hallmark Channel. The 2023 Countdown to Christmas lineup kicks off on October 20.
The lineup, which was first announced by EW and later shared by Hallmark, includes appearances by Kevin McGarry from “When Calls the Heart,” along with familiar faces like Ryan Paevey, Jaime M. Callica, Tyler Hynes, Niall Matter, and Andrew Walker. Jaicy Elliot is also returning after her two big hits: “Romance in Style” and “My Southern Family Christmas.”
Perhaps one of the biggest surprises is Catherine Bell returning for her first movie on Hallmark since “Good Witch” was canceled. In addition, the lineup marks the first time Hallmark is featuring a lesbian couple as the lead in one of their movies.
Luke Macfarlane is also back after his fall movie return to Hallmark, and this time he’s bringing the Christmas cheer.
Missing from the lineup is a long-rumored “Holidazed” series that follows six families who live on the same culdesac. The series was noted as filming last year. According to IMDb, it’s is in post-production.
Here’s a look at what’s coming up, staring October 20 and ending on December 21.
October Christmas Movies on Hallmark
All the movies air at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central. Thursday movies premiere on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. The other films are premiering on the Hallmark Channel.
Friday, October 20: ‘Checkin’ It Twice’
Starring Kim Matula and Kevin McGarry. This movie is about a hockey player who falls for a real estate agent after he’s traded to her hometown.
Saturday, October 21: ‘Where Are You Christmas?’
Starring Lyndsy Fonseca, Michael Rady, Jim O’Heir, and Julie Warner. This movie is about Addy (Fonseca) who wishes for a year without Christmas, and wakes up in a black-and-white world.
Sunday, October 22: ‘Under the Christmas Sky’
Starring Jessica Parker Kennedy and Ryan Paevey. This movie is about an astrophysicist who has to cancel her trip to space after an accident. She works with Paevey to help open a Christmas exhibit at the planetarium.
Thursday, October 26: ‘Ms. Christmas Comes to Town’
Starring Erica Durance, Brennan Elliott, and Barbara Niven.
“A shopping channel host known as Ms. Christmas (Niven) receives a terminal diagnosis, which inspires a multi-city excursion set to spread Christmas cheer before her farewell broadcast.”
Friday, October 27: ‘Christmas By Design’
Starring Rebecca Dalton and Jonathan Keltz. This movie is about a fashion designer taking on a Christmas challenge that changes her outlook on life.
Saturday, October 28: ‘Mystic Christmas’
Starring Jessy Schram, Chandler Massey, Patti Murin, and William R. Moses.
“Juniper (Schram) travels to Mystic, Connecticut during the holidays to work at the rehabilitation center and aquarium. She reconnects with Sawyer (Massey), the owner of the pizza shop.”
Sunday, October 29: ‘Joyeux Noel’
Starring Jaicy Elliot and Brant Daugherty.
“When a romantic painting of a Christmas market captures the imagination of copy editor Lea (Elliot), she is sent to France with pragmatic reporter Mark (Daugherty) to uncover the mystery behind the artist.”
November Christmas Movies on the Hallmark Channel
All the movies premiering on the Hallmark Channel air at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central.
Thursday, November 2: ‘My Christmas Guide’
Starring Amber Marshall and Ben Mehl.
“After losing his eyesight, a college professor (Mehl) adopts a seeing eye dog from a guide dog trainer (Marshall). As they all begin to spend time together, his confidence returns and his heart begins to open.”
Mehl was diagnosed with macular degeneration and is legally blind in real life, according to an interview with him on Medium. Because he’s not completely blind, he still trained with mobility specialists before another recent role where he portrayed a blind man.
Friday, November 3: ‘Flipping for Christmas’
Starring Ashley Newbrough and Marcus Rosner.
“It’s almost Christmas when busy realtor Abigail (Newbrough) agrees to help her sister with the ‘simple flip’ of a recently inherited home. Unfortunately, co-beneficiary Bo (Rosner) has other plans in mind.”
Saturday, November 4: ‘Never Been Chris’d’
Starring Janel Parrish, Pascal Lamothe-Kipnes, and Tyler Hynes.
“Home for the holidays, BFFs Naomi (Parrish) and Liz (Lamothe-Kipnes) reconnect with high school crush Chris Silver (Hynes). A complex love triangle forms, forcing them to take stock of their lives and find the value of friendship.”
Sunday, November 5: ‘The Santa Summit’
Starring Hunter King, Benjamin Hollingsworth, Amy Groening, and Stephanie Sy.
“It’s time for the annual Santa Summit, in which revelers put on Santa suits and hop around designated locations in town to eat, drink, and be merry. Three best friends decide to go together: Jordin (King), a recently dumped art teacher looking to cut loose; Ava, a shy woman hoping to run into her crush; and Stella, a Christmas cynic with no interest in the Santa Summit whatsoever. At the start of the night, Jordin meets and bonds with Liam (Hollingsworth), but doesn’t get his name before getting separated and lost in a sea of Santas. As the night progresses and hijinks ensue, amidst the chaos, celebration, and a sea of Santas, they all find what they’re looking for: Christmas spirit, potential romance, and a strengthened bond of friendship.”
Thursday, November 9: ‘Mystery on Mistletoe Lane’
Starring Erica Cerra and Victor Webster.
“New to town, Heidi Wicks (Cerra) and her kids discover a Christmas mystery in their historic home. Local handyman and historian David (Webster) helps along the way, finding his own surprising connection.”
Friday, November 10: ‘Everything Christmas’
Starring Katherine Barrell, Cindy Busby, Corey Sevier, and Matt Wells.
“Lori Jo’s (Busby) love for Christmas takes her on a road trip to Yuletide Springs with her roommate Tori (Barrell), where Christmas is celebrated year-round, to participate in a longstanding town tradition to honor her late grandmother. Along the way, the friends meet Carl (Sevier) and Jason (Wells), and the foursome make stops during their journey to enjoy more small-town Christmas attractions. But when a series of events puts a damper on their plans, a little Christmas magic may put this trip back on the right path.”
Saturday, November 11: ‘Christmas Island’
Starring Rachel Skarsten and Andrew Walker.
“When a snowstorm diverts Kate’s (Skarsten) first private flight en route to Switzerland to Christmas Island, she must team up with an air traffic controller (Walker) to secure her dream job as the family’s pilot.”
Sunday, November 12: ‘A Heidelberg Holiday’
Starring Ginna Claire Mason and Frederic Brossier.
“Heidi Heidelberg (Mason) receives the dream opportunity to sell her beautiful, handmade glass ornaments at the prestigious Heidelberg Christmas Market in Germany. While there, she meets Lukas (Brossier), a local artisan who helps her reconnect with her lost heritage.”
Thursday, November 16: ‘A World Record Christmas’
Starring Nikki DeLoach, Lucas Bryant, and Aias Dalman.
“Charlie (Dalman) is an autistic boy determined to set a Guinness World Record by stacking 1400 Jenga blocks. His mother Marissa (DeLoach) and stepfather Eric (Bryant) encourage him to reach for his dream and they all celebrate when he gets the good news that he’ll have his chance on Christmas Eve. In the spirit of the holiday, they organize a fundraiser giving the townspeople an opportunity to donate and decorate a Jenga block, with the proceeds going to benefit kids with autism. Charlie’s journey to setting the Jenga world record gives them all the chance to learn more not just about themselves, but about what family really means.”
This movie is based on a true story.
Friday, November 17: ‘Navigating Christmas’
Starring Chelsea Hobbs and Stephen Huszar.
“Recently divorced Melanie (Hobbs) and her son Jason visit a remote island for Christmas, only to find themselves running a real working lighthouse where she connects with the curt but cute owner (Huszar).”
Saturday, November 18: ‘A Merry Scottish Christmas’
Starring Lacey Chabert and Scott Wolf.
“When estranged siblings, Lindsay (Chabert) and Brad (Wolf) Morgan travel to Scotland at Christmas to reunite with their mother Jo, a big family secret is revealed.”
Sunday, November 19: ‘Holiday Hotline’
Starring Emily Tennant and Niall Matter.
“After leaving London, Abby (Tennant) connects with an anonymous caller while working at a cooking hotline. The caller is single dad ‘John’ (Matter) who Abby unknowingly has become smitten with in real life.”
Wednesday, November 22: ‘A Season for Emily’
Starring Brendan Penny, Stacey Farber, Benjamin Jacobson, and Azriel Dalman.
This is a rare Wednesday premiere on Hallmark Mysteries.
“Maddy’s (Farber) adopted son Wesley (Jacobson) has just one Christmas wish — to meet his brother Cody (Dalman), who was adopted into a different family. Cody’s father Paul (Penny) is a widower who is not ready to have this conversation with his son, so he turns down a meeting. However, circumstances bring the two brothers unknowingly together and they become fast friends, while sparks fly between Maddy and Paul.”
Thursday, November 23: ‘Catch Me if You Claus’
This movie is Hallmark’s Thanksgiving premiere, so it will be the only Thursday movie airing on the Hallmark Channel.
Starring Italia Ricci and Luke Macfarlane.
“Avery Quinn (Ricci) is an aspiring news anchor who’s finally getting her big break on her station’s Christmas morning newscast. But that’s put in jeopardy when she captures an intruder in her home wearing a red suit claiming to be Chris (Macfarlane), Santa’s son, who is on his first mission. A night of adventure ensues as they find themselves being pursued by the police as well as some shady characters. Along the way, they connect over living in the shadow of their parents and inspire each other to go after their dreams.”
Friday, November 24: ‘Letters to Santa’
For Thanksgiving weekend, Hallmark has a double header, with this movie airing early, at 6 p.m. Eastern/5 p.m. Central.
Starring Katie Leclerc and Rafael de la Fuente.
“When young siblings receive a magic pen from Santa that appears to be granting wishes, they request a Christmas gift they want more than anything – for their separated parents (Leclerc, de la Fuente) to reunite.”
Friday, November 24: ‘Holiday Road’
This movie returns to the 8 p.m. Eastern premiere time.
Starring Warren Christie and Sara Canning, and inspired by real events.
“When bad weather leaves each of them stranded at the airport for the holidays, a tech entrepreneur (Christie), a travel writer (Canning), a devoted mother (Enid-Raye Adams) and her son (Kiefer O’Reilly), a stubborn senior (Trevor Lerner), an enigmatic woman with a hint of mystery (Brittany Willacy), a couple traveling from Hong Kong (Sharon Crandall, Ryan Mah) and a social media influencer (Princess Davis) all agree to rent a shared van to embark on a road trip to Denver. When their unexpected journey brings them into uncharted territory, they navigate a series of misadventures together and form a deeper bond that just might change the trajectories of each of their lives. Inspired by true events.”
Saturday, November 25: ‘Christmas in Notting Hill’
For Thanksgiving weekend, Hallmark has a doubleheader, with this movie airing early, at 6 p.m. Eastern/5 p.m. Central.
Starring Sarah Ramos and William Moseley.
“Famous soccer star, Graham Savoy (Moseley), has always been too busy for love, but when he comes home to Notting Hill for Christmas, he changes his mind after meeting Georgia (Ramos) – a visiting American and the one person who has no idea who he is.”
Saturday, November 25: ‘Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up’
This movie airs at the normal 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Starring Lacey Chabert, Wes Brown, Stephen Tobolowsky, Melissa Peterman, Ellen Travolta, Seth Morris, and Jennifer Aspen.
“As the holidays approach, Emily (Chabert) and Jared (Brown) are looking forward to celebrating the holidays together again, this time as a couple. Emily, now embracing Evergreen Lane’s uniquely festive spirit, is ready to work with Jared, Ned (Tobolowsky), Mary Louise (Travolta) and Pamela (Peterman) to make this year’s Christmas celebrations the best yet – even if being the HOA president’s girlfriend doesn’t stop those dreaded decorating citations. When a house on the block goes up for sale, it causes quite a stir with residents. When the soon-to-be neighbors turn out to be holiday royalty (Morris, Aspen), it looks like this year’s competition is about to heat up. As the welcoming committee prepares for the new arrivals, only one thing is certain – this Christmas, Evergreen Lane is going to sleigh!”
Sunday, November 26: ‘Our Christmas Mural’
For Thanksgiving weekend, Hallmark has a doubleheader, with this movie airing early, at 6 p.m. Eastern/5 p.m. Central.
Starring Alex Paxton-Beesley and Dan Jeannotte.
“Olivia (Paxton-Beesley) is a single mom who returns home for Christmas. Her mom secretly enters her into a mural contest; she wins but partners with teacher Will (Jeannotte) to create a Christmas masterpiece.”
Sunday, November 26: ‘A Biltmore Christmas’
This movie airs at the normal 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Starring Bethany Joy Lenz, Kristoffer Polaha, Jonathan Frakes, and Robert Picardo.
“Lucy Hardgrove (Lenz) is a screenwriter who lands the job of a lifetime when she’s hired to pen the script for a remake of the beloved, holiday movie classic, His Merry Wife!, which was filmed in 1947 at the beautiful, historic Biltmore House. When the head of the studio isn’t satisfied with the ending Lucy wrote because it deviates from the original’s feel-good conclusion, he sends Lucy to Biltmore Estate for research and inspiration. While there, she unwittingly discovers the ability to travel to the 1947 set of His Merry Wife! through the help of an hourglass. While on set, she and Jack Huston (Polaha), one of the film’s stars, spend time together and become close. But her sudden appearance has set off a chain of events that put the production in jeopardy. Before she can return to the present, Lucy must make things right or threaten to alter the future forever.”
Thursday, November 30: ‘Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas’
Starring Shenae Grimes-Beech, Chris Carmack, and Grace Leer.
“Facing her first Christmas without her mother and looking to avoid loneliness, Carly (Grimes-Beech) heads to a quaint town to lead the church choir at Christmas. Once there, Carly meets Matthew (Carmack), a man back in town after serving in the army. As she gets to know Matthew, the choir and townspeople, she stumbles across clues that suggest she may have been brought here for a life changing reason. As the mystery unravels one thing is clear, this journey will teach Carly about true love, learning to trust, and that forgiveness is needed to finally heal.”
Hallmark’s December Premieres
Here’s a look at Hallmark’s December lineup on the Hallmark Channel (Fridays-Sundays) and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Thursdays). All movies premiere at 8 p.m. Eastern/Pacific and 7 p.m. Central.
Friday, December 1: ‘My Norwegian Holiday’
Starring Rhiannon Fish and David Elsendoorn.
“JJ (Fish), grieving the loss of her grandmother and seeking dissertation inspiration, stumbles upon an unexpected holiday destiny. Meeting Henrik (Elsendoorn), a Norwegian from Bergen, their connection deepens when he discovers she has a troll figurine from his hometown. To explore the troll’s history and her grandmother’s ties, JJ agrees to join Henrik on a journey to Norway. In Bergen, they’re drawn into Henrik’s family Christmas and wedding traditions, with his sister’s wedding the day before Christmas Eve. JJ embarks on a holiday adventure, uncovering the troll’s origins and finding her own path to healing, love and family.”
Saturday, December 2: ‘A Not So Royal Christmas’
Starring Brooke D’Orsay and Will Kemp.
“Tabloid journalist Charlotte (D’Orsay) attempts to land an interview with a reclusive Count. In response, the royal family has a groundskeeper (Kemp) pose as the Count since the real one fled years ago.”
Sunday, December 3: ‘Christmas with a Kiss’ (Working Title)
Starring Mishael Morgan, Ronnie Rowe Jr., and Jaime M. Callica. This is a Mahogany label presentation.
“A woman (Morgan) returns home to help with her family’s Christmas Carnival and romance ignites. A photojournalist (Rowe) curates a surprise reunion.”
Thursday, December 7: ‘Rescuing Christmas’ (Working Title)
This is a Hallmark Movies Now presentation.
Starring Rachael Leigh Cook, Sam Page, Patrick Thomas O’Brien, Bailey Stender, and T. Mychael Rambo.
“In a world where Santa (Rambo) is real and wants to drum up some holiday spirit, two of Santa’s elves, Chuck (O’Brien) and Debbie (Stender), devise a plan to grant one human on Earth three wishes to kickstart the holidays. Unfortunately, that human is Erin (Cook), who has lost all affection for the season. Even a blind date set up by her sister, with the affable and charming Sam (Page), won’t change her mind about Christmas. But when she makes the mistake of wishing Christmas would ‘just disappear,’ Erin wakes up to a world where the holiday never existed! Horrified, she realizes that she’s taken away everyone’s joy, so she enlists Sam to help her reinvent the festivities from scratch. In the process, Erin learns just how much this holiday and its traditions have meant to everyone around her — and how much Sam has come to mean to her.”
Thursday, December 7: ‘To All a Good Night’
Starring Kimberley Sustad and Mark Ghanimé.
“A small-town photographer (Sustad) saves the life of a mysterious man (Ghanimé), who may just be in town to buy her family’s parkland — which is also the location of the annual Christmas celebration.”
Friday, December 8: ‘Magic in Mistletoe’
Starring Lyndie Greenwood and Paul Campbell.
“Harrington (Campbell) is the author of a popular book series but commercial success has left him a bitter recluse. As he returns to his hometown for an annual Christmas festival celebrating his books, he’s joined by April (Greenwood), a publicist for the major publishing house he works with. April is there for damage control after Harrington’s recent comments on social media have ruffled some feathers. But as she gets to know him better, hope springs that April can unlock Harrington’s guarded heart and help him rediscover the spirit of the holiday.”
Saturday, December 9: ‘Christmas on Cherry Lane’
Starring Catherine Bell, Jonathan Bennett, John Brotherton, Erin Cahill, James Denton, and Vincent Rodriguez III.
“A young couple preparing to welcome their first child (Brotherton, Cahill); an empty-nester (Bell) and her fiancé (Denton) ready to start a new chapter; and a couple (Bennett, Rodgriquez III) who unexpectedly have the chance to expand their family on Christmas Eve celebrate the holiday as they navigate these turning points in their lives.”
Sunday, December 10: ‘Round and Round’
Starring Bryan Greenberg, Vic Michaelis, and Rick Hoffman.
“Rachel’s (Michaelis) stuck in a time loop, reliving the night of her parents’ Hanukkah party. Can Zach (Greenberg), the ‘nice boy’ Grandma’s trying to set her up with, help her make it to tomorrow?”
Thursday, December 14: ‘An Ice Palace Romance’
This is a Hallmark Movies Now presentation. Starring Celeste Desjardins and Marcus Rosner.
“A journalist (Desjardins) faces old fears when she returns to her hometown ice rink to cover a story. With the help of the owner (Rosner) and his young daughter, she begins to reevaluate her life’s purpose.”
Thursday, December 14: ‘Heaven Down Here’
Starring Krystal Joy Brown, Tina Lifford, Juan Riedinger, Richard Harmon, and Phylicia Rashad.
“The story of four disparate people who find themselves stranded in a local diner on Christmas Eve when a snowstorm hits the town. Imami (Brown) is a widowed mother of two who’s having trouble making ends meet and reluctantly agrees to work the Christmas Eve shift, where she clashes with her boss Dan (Harmon), who doesn’t exactly embody the Christmas spirit. Felix (Riedinger) is a local pastor desperately trying to secure food for parishioners while his faith is challenged by his alienation by his son. Clara (Lifford) is a hospice nurse with an obstinate patient (Rashad) and whose daughter is moving away, causing her to question her place in this world. Throughout the evening, these four bicker, bond and unwittingly provide each other with the answer to their respective prayers.”
Friday, December 15: ‘The Secret Gift of Christmas’ (Working Title)
Starring Meghan Ory and Christopher Russell.
“Bonnie (Ory) is a personal shopper who helps her new, widowed client Patrick (Russell) reconnect with his young daughter. Though Bonnie and Patrick’s ideas of shopping couldn’t be more different, she is determined to get Patrick and his daughter everything on their wish list.”
Saturday, December 16: ‘Sealed with a List’
Starring Katie Findlay and Evan Roderick.
“This holiday season, festive Carley (Findlay) sets out to conquer her list of abandoned resolutions from last year. Aided by coworker Wyatt (Roderick), she finds love and the confidence to chase her dreams.”
Sunday, December 17: ‘Friends & Family Christmas’
Starring Humberly Gonzalez and Ali Liebert.
“Daniella (Gonzalez) has recently moved to New York to pursue an art career and decides to stay in town to share the holidays with her circle of artist friends, instead of going home to see her sweet, if overbearing parents. Amelia (Liebert) is a talented entertainment lawyer trying to stay focused on her work after a broken engagement. When Bridget and Amelia are set up by their parents, they agree to pretend that they are dating, to appease them for the holidays. However, as they spend time in each other’s worlds, they soon build a connection that is deeper than either of them could have hoped for.”
Thursday, December 21: ‘Miracle in Bethlehem, PA’
Starring Laura Vandervoort and Benjamin Ayres.
This is a DaySpring movie production.
” Successful and fiercely independent, Mary Ann Brubeck (Vandervoort) adopts a baby girl to raise on her own just before Christmas. Due to weather, she and the baby get stuck in Bethlehem, PA for the holidays. When there is no room at the inn, her only option is to stay with the innkeeper’s brother Joe (Ayres), a quintessential bachelor who lives in a house that he treats like a barn. As Mary Ann learns the value of community by spending time with Joe’s family and participating in the local church’s Christmas events, Joe starts getting his act together with new motivation…and the two begin to see each other in a new light.”
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Hallmark Announces 42 New Christmas Movies Starting October 20 [Full Schedule]