Hallmark Announces 2 New Christmas Shows After Parting Ways With Lori Loughlin

Desiree O

Hallmark’s parent company announced last week that Hallmark media franchises will no longer be working with Lori Loughlin following the actress’ arrest for her alleged involvement in a large-scale college admissions fraud scheme. Though widely known for her role as Aunt Becky in the classic sitcom Full House, Loughlin has also been the star of a slew of Hallmark original productions, including several Hallmark Christmas movies.

Now, at a moment when Hallmark fans could use probably use the good news more than ever, the Hallmark Channel’s sister network, Hallmark Drama has announced two new Christmas shows to look forward to during the 2019 holiday season.

When Calls the Heart Hallmark
When Calls the Heart Hallmark

A series with the current working title Project Christmas Joy: Alabama “will spread holiday cheer for a town that needs it the most,” according to a Hallmark press release. The release promises “an extravagant Christmas tree lighting” and “a Main Street makeover.”

“This show aligns perfectly with Hallmark Drama’s exclusive offering of original content,” said Bill Abbott, President & CEO, Crown Media Family Networks, in the statement. “We look forward to bringing Hallmark holiday joy to a special town in Alabama for the 2019 Christmas season.”

The second show, Christmas Cookie Countdown, will be a five-episode competition series featuring talented amateur home bakers from around the country. They’ll face what Hallmark claims are the “most exciting yuletide cookie challenges the holiday season has ever seen.” The results will be judged by a panel of three well-known pastry chefs while the competition itself will be hosted by a rotating panel of Hallmark stars.

The two new Christmas programs will be among the network’s first original on-air content since Hallmark Drama’s 2017 launch. While we don’t have an exact premiere date for either show, we can’t wait to check them out this holiday season.

RELATED: Hallmark Will No Longer Work With Lori Loughlin Amid the College Admissions Scandal

(Photos via Hallmark Channel + Angela Weiss/Getty Images)