Hallmark Channel Begins Christmas Movie Schedule For 2020
While the coronavirus has changed many things in 2020, the annual holiday cheerfest Hallmark delivers is cranking out Christmas movies daily. This past weekend, two of its channels began their "Countdown to Christmas" format to deliver nonstop seasonal goodwill through the end of the year. The two channels have 40 new movies in the lineup, plus favorites from past seasons. (See details on each new movie below.)
This year's Hallmark Channel holiday lineup includes Wynonna Judd, Sara Evans, Kix Brooks, Candace Cameron Bure, Lacey Chabert and Broadway stars Aaron Tveit and Laura Osnes.
And for the first time, one of the Hallmark storylines includes a gay couple.
“Our holiday table is bigger and more welcoming than ever. This year’s movies reflect our most diverse representation of talent, narratives, and families, including 'The Christmas House,' featuring a storyline about a gay couple looking to adopt their first child,” EVP of Programming Michelle Vicary said in a statement to US Weekly. “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.”
Listings are subject to change, so check the network's website for updates.
The Hallmark Channel's "Countdown to Christmas" and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries' "Miracles of Christmas" began their seasonal blitz Oct. 24. A total of 23 new movies will air on Hallmark Channel and 17 on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries through December.
If you want to indulge in your favorite cocktail and some snark at the expense of the network's formula of women dropping their clearly inappropriate boyfriends when they find true love at the holiday, there's a Hallmark drinking game for to follow. Watch for small towns pulling together, kids who need a parent, women named Eve and Holly, and cookie contests as part of the formula.
All movies premiere at 8 p.m. ET on these dates:
Hallmark Channel's Countdown To Christmas
Sunday, Oct. 25
"Chateau Christmas," starring Merritt Patterson and Luke Macfarlane. A world-class pianist (Patterson) returns home for a rest, but an old ex (Macfarlane) reminds her of the ambitious girl she once was.
Saturday, Oct. 31
"Christmas with the Darlings," starring Katrina Law and Carlo Marks. Right before she moves on from her assistant title, Jessica (Law) helps her boss one last time by caring for his younger brother's (Marks) orphaned nieces and nephews.
Sunday, Nov. 1
"One Royal Holiday," starring Laura Osnes, Aaron Tveit, Krystal Joy Brown, Victoria Clark and Tom McGowan. Anna (Osnes) rescues a mother and son during a blizzard, only to learn they are royalty. She shows the prince (Tveit) how to celebrate Christmas the non-royal way.
Saturday, Nov. 7
"Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater," starring Ashley Williams and Niall Matter. Maggie (Williams) is gearing up for another Christmas on her own when an unexpected houseguest (Matter) shows up at her doorstep. She finds comfort in having someone to celebrate with.
Sunday, Nov. 8
"On the 12th Date of Christmas," starring Mallory Jansen and Tyler Hynes. Two game designers use everything that the holidays bring — festive cheer, mistletoe moments and more — to dream up a scavenger hunt throughout the city.
Saturday, Nov. 14
"Christmas in Vienna," starring Sarah Drew and Brennan Elliott. While in Vienna for a violin concert, Jess (Drew) rediscovers what made her fall in love with music in the first place, thanks to a new flame (Elliott).
Sunday, Nov. 15
"A Timeless Christmas," starring Ryan Paevey and Erin Cahill. Charles (Paevey) travels from 1903 to 2020 to experience a futuristic Christmas, with the help of his charming tour guide (Cahill).
Saturday, Nov. 21
"A Nashville Christmas Carol," starring Jessy Schram, Wes Brown, Wynonna Judd, Sara Evans, RaeLynn, Kix Brooks and Kimberly Williams-Paisley. Just as Vivienne (Schram) is about to accept a new job across the country, she's reminded that leaving everything she built isn't necessarily the best way to move forward. The Spirit of Christmas Past (Brooks) and the Spirit of Christmas Present (Williams-Paisley) show her just that.
Sunday, Nov. 22
"The Christmas House," starring Robert Buckley, Jonathan Bennett, Ana Ayora, Treat Williams, Sharon Lawrence and Brad Harder. Phylis (Lawrence) and Bill (Williams) hope that having their two sons at home over the holidays will help the family grow stronger. While there, both sons reveal that they are also struggling with problems of their own.
Monday, Nov. 23
New movie to be announced
Tuesday, Nov. 24
"A Christmas Tree Grows in Brooklyn," starring Rochelle Aytes and Mark Taylor. Firefighter Kevin (Taylor) is the only thing standing in Erin's way of planning the best Christmas celebration ever. That means, it's up to her to win him over to get a celebration-worthy spruce tree from his property.
Wednesday, Nov. 25
"A Bright and Merry Christmas," starring Alison Sweeney and Marc Blucas. When two TV hosts are forced to cozy up to the competition over the holidays, they learn that they have more in common than they thought.
Thursday, Nov. 26
"Five Star Christmas," starring Bethany Joy Lenz and Victor Webster. Lisa (Lenz) is determined to secure a five-star rating for her dad's bed & breakfast. But when she falls in love with a B&B guest, she's shocked to learn he's the travel critic behind the review.
Friday, Nov. 27
"Christmas by Starlight," starring Kimberley Sustad and Paul Campbell. The Starlight Café is about to be torn down. Then Annie (Sustad) meets Williams (Campbell), who works for the developer, and he has an idea that forces Annie to consider how low she's willing to go to save her family's business.
Saturday, Nov. 28
"Christmas Waltz," starring Lacey Chabert, Will Kemp and J.T. Church. Avery (Chabert) turns to her dance instructor (Kemp) for guidance after the wedding of her dreams is unexpectedly canceled.
Sunday, Nov. 29
"If I Only Had Christmas," starring Candace Cameron Bure and Warren Christie. A cheery publicist (Bure) works with a scrooge-like business owner (Christie) and his team to help a good cause.
Saturday, Dec. 5
"Christmas in Evergreen: Bells Are Ringing," starring Holly Robinson Peete, Colin Lawrence, Rukiya Bernard, Antonio Cayonne and Barbara Niven. Since Michelle (Peete) has plenty of wedding planning on her plate, she leans on Hannah (Bernard) to wrap up the launch of the Evergreen museum. All the while, she begins to question her future — and if Elliot is really Mr. Right (Cayonne).
Sunday, Dec. 6
"Christmas She Wrote," starring Danica McKellar and Dylan Neal. Kayleigh (McKellar) is heartbroken to learn that her romance column is canceled right before the holidays. While home with her family, the person who canceled her column (Neal) shows up at her door to tie up loose ends.
Saturday, Dec. 12
"Cross Country Christmas," starring Rachael Leigh Cook and Greyson Holt. Lina (Cook) and Max (Holt) face the unexpected when a storm hits, potentially ruining their holiday plans. They are forced to work together to figure out a way home — without taking it out on each other.
Sunday, Dec. 13
"Christmas Comes Twice," starring Tamera Mowry-Housley and Michael Xavier. Emily (Mowry-Housley) is a well-respected newscaster and loved by many. But she lost her first true love (Xavier). A ride on the carousel at the town's Christmas carnival brings her back in time, giving her a second chance at the love and life she deserves.
Saturday, Dec. 19
"Christmas Carousel," starring Rachel Boston and Neal Bledsoe. Lila (Boston) partners with the Prince of Marcadia (Bledsoe) to repair the Royal Family's carousel by Christmas.
Sunday, Dec. 20
"Love, Lights, and Hanukkah!," starring Mia Kirshner, Ben Savage and Marilu Henner. In the height of the holiday craziness, Christina gets back a DNA test and learns that she's actually Jewish. This leads her down a path of self-discovery, even finding romance along the way.
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries' Miracles of Christmas
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries will premiere 17 new holiday movies. All movies premiere at 9 p.m. ET on the following dates:
Saturday, Oct. 24
"Christmas Tree Lane," starring Alicia Witt and Andrew Walker. Meg (Witt) is eager to save a shopping district from demolition, but things get complicated when she discovers that her new beau (Walker) is linked to the developer.
Sunday, Oct. 25
"Deliver by Christmas," starring Alvina August and Eion Bailey. Molly (August) worries she's falling in love with two different men: Josh (Bailey), a widower who recently moved to town, and one of her clients. But what happens when she discovers that they're actually the same guy?
Saturday, Oct. 31
"Cranberry Christmas," starring Nikki DeLoach and Benjamin Ayres. A separated couple plays pretend, using their "perfect marriage" to give their town's Christmas festival a boost. Along the way, they question if rekindled love is possible.
Sunday, Nov. 1
"Holly & Ivy," starring Janel Parrish, Jeremy Jordan and Marisol Nichols. Melody (Parrish) decides to adopt Holly and Ivy, the children of her terminally ill neighbor. But first, she must transform her fixer-upper.
Saturday, Nov. 7
"The Christmas Ring," starring Nazneen Contractor and David Alpay. While telling the love story behind an antique engagement ring, a reporter (Contractor) turns to the ring owner's grandson to learn more about his family's history.
Sunday, Nov. 8
"The Christmas Bow," starring Lucia Micarelli and Michael Rady. After an accident halts her dreams of being a professional violinist (Micarelli), she finds ways to heal her body and heart, leading her to an old friend (Rady).
Saturday, Nov. 14
"Meet Me at Christmas," starring Catherine Bell and Mark Deklin. Joan takes over the wedding planning duties for her son after his wedding planner quits. Then the bride's uncle offers to pitch in, which causes the two to grow close.
Sunday, Nov. 15
"The Christmas Doctor," starring Holly Robinson Peete and Adrian Holmes. Just a week before Christmas, Dr. Alicia Wright (Peete) heads to an assignment far from home. There, she meets someone from her past who has life-changing news.
Saturday, Nov. 21
"A Little Christmas Charm," starring Ashley Greene and Brendan Penny. Holly (Greene) asks an investigative reporter (Penny) to help her track down the owner of a lost charm bracelet before Christmas Eve.
Sunday, Nov. 22
"The Angel Tree," starring Jill Wagner and Lucas Bryant. A writer (Wagner) is determined to learn who is granting all of the wishes on the angel tree. In the process, she reconnects with someone from her childhood (Bryant) who helps her find the answer.
Saturday, Nov. 28
"USS Christmas," starring Jen Lilley, Trevor Donovan and Barbara Niven. A local reporter (Lilley) sets sail on a holiday cruise, where she befriends a naval officer (Donovan) and digs into the ship's past.
Saturday, Dec. 5
"Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas," starring Lacey Chabert and Stephen Huszar. Five people are invited to celebrate Christmas at an inn. Shortly after her arrival, Sarah (Chabert) learns the guest list may help everyone learn more about their past.
Sunday, Dec. 6
"A Godwink Christmas: First Loves, Second Chances," starring Brooke D'Orsay and Sam Page. After returning home, Sam (Page) catches himself stuck in traffic next to his high school sweetheart, Margie (D'Orsay).
Saturday, Dec. 12
"A Glenbrooke Christmas," starring Autumn Reeser and Antonio Cupo. Jessica (Reeser) knows this may be her last normal Christmas, so she escapes to a small town for peace and quiet. Things heat up as soon as she meets the town's fireman (Cupo).
Sunday, Dec. 13
"Christmas Homecoming," starring Taylor Cole and Steve Lund. Kate (Cole) and Kevin (Lund) go on a wild goose chase to figure out who left a mysterious key and holiday riddle on their doorstep — and what it really means.
Saturday, Dec. 19
"Swept Up by Christmas." An antiques seller and cleaner can't agree on how to prepare an over-the-top estate for the holiday season. They start at square one, uncovering the home's hidden treasures ... and secrets.
Sunday, Dec. 20
"Project Christmas Wish." For years, Lucy has played Santa to her small town by making holiday wishes come true. But one little girl's wish leads her to discover a dream of her own.
This article originally appeared on the Columbia Patch
