Odds are a giant inflatable Santa is looming near the entrance of a nearby big box hardware store as you read this. So Hallmark starting its annual “Countdown to Christmas” programming two-plus months out from the actual day is almost restrained.
The cable and streaming outlet announced its full lineup — 34 original movies, plus three new episodes of the Mistletoe Murders series — for the season on Thursday. The slate includes what Hallmark is calling three movie events: Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story (Oct. 17), the company’s third collaboration with the NFL; Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True (Nov. 28), which filmed on location at Disney World; and A Grand Biltmore Christmas (Dec. 5), a follow-up to 2023’s A Biltmore Christmas filmed at the famed estate in Asheville, North Carolina.
“We’re thrilled to offer viewers exciting new movies that feature the heartfelt and inspiring storytelling synonymous with a Hallmark Christmas movie,” said Darren Abbott, president of Hallmark Media and Hallmark’s chief brand officer. “The worlds and cultures of the NFL, Walt Disney World Resort and Biltmore present special opportunities for us to bring fans unique tales of romance, family and community that are sure to be highlights of this holiday season.”
This year’s slate features Hallmark regulars Lacey Chabert, Lyndsy Fonseca, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Paul Campbell, Luke Macfarlane, Holly Robinson Peete, Autumn Reeser, Ashley Williams and other familiar faces. A promo for the lineup is below, followed by the dates, titles and stars for each movie (plus descriptions for a handful of them).
‘Tis the Season for Setups (Oct. 16)
Starring Amanda Schull, Victor Webster, Barbara Niven
Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story (Oct. 17)
Starring Lyndsy Fonseca, Robert Buckley, Marsha Mason, Barbara Alyn Woods, Khary Payton
Logline: Freelance reporter Avery Clark (Fonseca) heads to Chicago to spend Christmas with her mom (Woods) and new stepdad (Payton), she’s hoping for a little holiday downtime before her next assignment. Instead, she lands a feel-good story profiling Darlene Donnelly (Mason), a beloved Chicago Bears superfan about to celebrate an incredible milestone — attending her 500th game. There’s just one catch: Avery knows next to nothing about football or Chicago. Enter Darlene’s handsome grandson Matt (Buckley), a Chicago firefighter and die-hard Bears fan who, with a little gentle nudging from Darlene, agrees to show Avery what being part of Bears Nation is all about. As Avery follows Darlene’s remarkable story through cherished game-day traditions, festive Chicago adventures and memories of a love story that began at a stadium, she starts to understand that football is about much more than what happens on the field. And as sparks fly between Avery and Matt, this Christmas may just convince a woman who’s always on the move that sometimes the greatest adventure is finding a place, and someone, that feels like home.
Mr. & Mrs. Christmas (Oct. 18)
Starring Brendan Penny, Pascale Hutton
Winter Wonderlanes (Oct. 23)
Starring Ashley Newbrough, Franco Lo Presti
Forgotten Holiday (Oct. 24)
Starring Janel Parrish, Daniel Lissing
What If Christmas (Oct. 25)
Starring Lori Loughlin, Tom Cavanagh
Who’s Coming for Christmas? (Oct. 30)
Starring Rhiannon Fish, Jake Foy, Mila Morgan
Adopting St. Nick (Oct. 31)
Starring Amy Groening, Michael Rady
A Danish Christmas (Nov. 1)
Starring Emilie Ullerup, Corey Sevier
Merry Memories (Nov. 6)
Starring Lindura, Brendan Morgan
Holiday Unplugged (Nov. 7)
Starring Nikki DeLoach, Juan Pablo Di Pace
A Season of Promises (Nov. 8)
Starring Brooke D’Orsay, Ali Liebert, James Denton
My Christmas Cowboy (Nov. 13)
Starring Amy Acker, Luke Macfarlane, Sara Canning
The Nights Before Christmas (Nov. 14)
Starring Tyler Hynes, Laci J. Mailey
Mistletoe and Mimosas (Nov. 15)
Starring Tamera Mowry-Housley, Kristoffer Polaha, Jennifer Robertson
Logline: Claire Bennett (Mowry-Housley) is a successful business consultant in Manhattan who unexpectedly inherits her beloved Uncle Lou’s Christmas-themed bar, The Tipsy Reindeer, in upstate New York. When she returns, Claire discovers the bar comes with high debt — Uncle Lou was overly generous to people in town, while the booming business of Algorithm, an upscale and trendy new club, added insult to injury. She intends to turn things around before Christmas and sell to someone who will preserve her uncle’s legacy and then return to her life in the city. Claire meets Zach (Polaha), Algorithm’s part owner and manager, who tells her they want to buy The Tipsy Reindeer so they can expand. Claire bristles at the proposition and they agree to face off in a 12 Days of Christmas-inspired series of festive events to see who can bring in the most business — if Claire wins, Zach will use his contacts to find the right buyer but if Zach emerges victorious, Claire agrees to consider Algorithm’s offer. As they compete over the course of the 12 days their attraction is undeniable. Rivalry leads to romance and the two are faced with figuring out how their shifting priorities might somehow lead them down the same road together.
Our Holiday Playbook (Nov. 20)
Starring Taylor Cole, Charles Michael Davis
Christmas in Blue Dog Valley (Nov. 21)
Starring Erin Cahill, Andrew Walker
Double Booked for the Holidays (Nov. 22)
Starring Rachael Leigh Cook, Owain Yeoman, Stephen Hagan
Christmas Delivered (Nov. 26)
Starring Autumn Reeser, Wes Brown
The Christmas Eve Feast (Nov. 27)
Starring Daniella Monet, Kevin McGarry
Return to Santa (Nov. 27)
Starring Paul Campbell, Rachel Boston
Logline: Hopeful and dreamy eight-year-old Jake writes a letter to Santa with all his most fantastical wishes. But when the letter gets lost in the North Pole, young Jake wakes up disappointed, and no longer a believer. Decades later, Santa discovers the misplaced letter and immediately sets out to make things right. Now an adult, Jake’s (Campbell) life is about to get turned upside down when the appearance of his childhood wishes clash with his practical life. All while his childhood best friend Julie (Boston) rather unexpectedly moved back to town. As Santa continues to check off Jake’s list, Jake and Julie combine forces to anticipate each new wishes’ chaotic consequences, all while growing closer to each other — and possibly leading Jake closer to his most important childhood dream.
The Most Wonderful Secret (Nov. 28)
Starring Tammin Sursok, Peter Porte
Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True (Nov. 28)
Starring Lacey Chabert, Travis Van Winkle, Richard Kind, Christy Carlson Romano, Bryce Durfee,
Taegen Burns
Logline: Lindsey (Chabert) and her extended family head to Disney World to spend a magical Christmas together. But the dream of a jolly holiday gets quickly dashed when Lindsey discovers her room is next door to Philip (Van Winkle), a disastrous first date she recently had, who’s also there on a family trip. As Lindsey and Philip’s paths cross throughout their stay, the frost starts to thaw as they learn they’re not so different from each other after all. Thanks to some Walt Disney World magic, the holiday wish Lindsey made in Cinderella Fountain just might turn their rivalry into romance.
Eight Nights for Love (Nov. 29)
Starring Hunter King, Dan Jeannotte
Miles to Christmas (Nov. 29)
Starring Ashley Williams, Steve Lund, Alison Sweeney
The Snowflake Effect (Dec. 4)
Starring Heather Hemmens, Mark Ghanimé
A Grand Biltmore Christmas (Dec. 5)
Starring Holland Roden, Niall Matter, Andie MacDowell, James Trevena, Jonathan Frakes, Rachel
Boston, Wes Brown
Logline: As Biltmore House opens for the first time on Christmas Eve 1895, 13-year-old Elizabeth and her family are holiday guests. When she notices Michael, a fellow teen caught trespassing by the staff, Elizabeth comes to his rescue by claiming to know him, much to his relief. The two share an instant connection and set out to explore Biltmore but Michael inexplicably vanishes. Twenty years later, Elizabeth (Roden) is spending Christmas at Biltmore, this time accompanied by James (Trevena), a suitor her Aunt Maysilee (MacDowell), is keen for her to wed. When a stranger asks Elizabeth to dance at the Christmas gala she’s shocked to discover it’s Michael (Matter). Thrilled to reunite with her friend, she throws herself into his arms. But the world around her changes in an instant when Elizabeth is transported into the modern world with Michael, a tourist from the present day who had traveled to the past 20 years prior with the help of a magical hourglass in Biltmore’s library. Now, Elizabeth and Michael must find a way to send her back to her time, while not arousing the suspicion of Michael’s mother and sister during their family vacation. When the time comes for her to return to 1915, Elizabeth must decide whether she’ll resume the life that’s been chosen for her or if her heart will lead her down a new path in the present.
An Angel in My Stocking (Dec. 6)
Starring Fiona Gubelmann, Marco Grazzini, Nancy Robertson
Christmas in Canterbury (Dec. 11)
Starring Jessy Schram, Will Kemp
Snow Globe Town (Dec. 12)
Starring Kimberley Sustad, Scott Michael Foster
Noelle Nomads (Dec. 13)
Starring Benjamin Ayres, Torrey DeVitto
Hearts All Aglow (Dec. 18)
Starring Mishael Morgan, B.J. Britt, Holly Robinson Peete
Barking All the Way (Dec. 19)
Starring Ian Harding, Tori Anderson
Save the Date for Christmas (Dec. 20)
Starring Jonathan Bennett, Italia Ricci