Sophia Michaels
It’s time to start getting in the Christmas spirit — at least, according to the Hallmark Channel, which released its full slate of holiday movies on Sept. 19. This year’s crop of films features a number of new faces and fresh plots to immerse you in the scent of pine trees and the sound of Christmas carols, as well as some relatively familiar faces, such as John Travolta’s sister Ellen, who stars in “Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up.”
Hallmark will begin airing its holiday movies on Oct. 20, starting with “Checkin’ It Twice,” a romance that follows a real estate agent who falls in love with a hockey player. The 40 films will air on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 8 p.m. ET, with additional features also airing every Thursday on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel, with a few exceptions. Hallmark first began airing its Countdown to Christmas movies in 2009, and one thing that has remained a constant throughout is the films’ emphasis on love’s ability to triumph over even the most chaotic of holiday-themed situations.
If you’re still not feeling quite ready to dive into the holiday spirit, though, more autumnal selection like a horror film or classic Halloween movie might be more up your alley. But if you’re already dusting off your stockings or pulling out the menorah, look no further for what you can expect from Hallmark this holiday season.
The 2023 Hallmark Christmas Movie Schedule
All films air at 8 p.m. ET unless otherwise noted.
Friday, Oct. 20
“Checkin’ It Twice” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Kim Matula, Kevin McGarry
Official logline: A journeyman hockey player (McGarry) falls for a real estate agent (Matula) in a career crisis when he’s traded to her hometown and moves into the cottage in her hockey loving family’s backyard.
Saturday, Oct. 21
“Where Are You, Christmas?” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Lyndsy Fonseca, Michael Rady, Jim O’Heir, Julie Warner
Official logline: When Addy (Fonseca) wishes for a year without Christmas, she wakes up in a world of black and white. She must work together with the town mechanic (Rady) to restore Christmas.
Sunday, Oct. 22
“Under the Christmas Sky” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Jessica Parker Kennedy, Ryan Paevey
Official logline: Kat (Kennedy) is an esteemed astrophysicist, who is scheduled for her first trip into space next year until an accident grounds her. While on leave, coming to terms with the reality that her dream of being an astronaut is over, she volunteers at the local planetarium. There, she is paired up with by-the-book David (Paevey) to work on an exhibit opening right before Christmas. Will the stars align to bring these two together at the holidays?
Thursday, Oct. 26
“Ms. Christmas Comes to Town” (Movies & Mysteries)
Stars: Erica Durance, Brennan Elliott, 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, Oct. 27
“Christmas by Design” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Rebecca Dalton, Jonathan Keltz
Official logline: A fashion designer (Dalton) gets accepted into a Christmas challenge to create a new holiday-themed collection and not only finds the inspiration for her next line but decides to redesign her approach to what’s most important in life.
Saturday, Oct. 28
“Mystic Christmas” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Jessy Schram, Chandler Massey, Patti Murin, William R. Moses
Official logline: 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.
Friday, Oct. 29
“Joyeux Noel” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Jaicy Elliot, Brant Daugherty
Official logline: 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.
Thursday, Nov. 2
“My Christmas Guide” (Movies & Mysteries)
Stars: Amber Marshall, Ben Mehl
Official logline: 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.
Friday, Nov. 3
“Flipping For Christmas” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Ashley Newbrough, Marcus Rosner
Official logline: 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, Nov. 4
“Never Been Chris’d” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Janel Parrish, Pascal Lamothe-Kipnes, Tyler Hynes
Official logline: 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, Nov. 5
“The Santa Summit” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Hunter King Benjamin Hollingsworth
Official logline: 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, Nov. 9
“Mystery on Mistletoe Lane” (Movies & Mysteries)
Stars: Erica Cerra (“Eureka”), Victor Webster (“Continuum”)
Official logline: 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, Nov. 10
“Everything Christmas” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Katherine Barrell, Cindy Busby, Corey Sevier, Matt Wells
Official logline: 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, Nov. 11
“Christmas Island” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Rachel Skarsten, Andrew Walker
Official logline: 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, Nov. 12
“A Heidelberg Holiday” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Ginna Claire Mason, Frédéric Brossier
Official logline: 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, Nov. 16
“A World Record Christmas” (Movies & Mysteries)
Stars: Nikki DeLoach, Lucas Bryant, Aias Dalman
Official logline: 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 get 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.
Friday, Nov. 17
“Navigating Christmas” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Chelsea Hobbs, Stephen Huszar
Official logline: 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, Nov. 18
“A Merry Scottish Christmas” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Lacey Chabert, Scott Wolf
Official logline: 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, Nov. 19
“Holiday Hotline” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Emily Tennant, Niall Matter
Official logline: 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, Nov. 22
“A Season for Family” (Movies & Mysteries)
Stars: Brendan Penny, Stacey Farber, Benjamin Jacobson, Azriel Dalman
Official logline: 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, Nov. 23
“Catch Me If You Claus” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Italia Ricci, Luke Macfarlane
Official logline: 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, Nov. 24 (6 p.m.)
“Letters to Santa” — premieres at 6 p.m.
Stars: Katie Leclerc, Rafael de la Fuente
Official logline: 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, Nov. 24
“Holiday Road” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Sara Canning, Warren Christie
Official logline: 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, Nov. 25 (6 p.m.)
“Christmas in Notting Hill” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Sarah Ramos, William Moseley
Official logline: 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, Nov. 25
“Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Lacey Chabert, Wes Brown, Stephen Tobolowsky, Melissa Peterman, Ellen Travolta, Seth Morris, Jennifer Aspen
Official logline: 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, Nov. 26 (6 p.m.)
“Our Christmas Mural” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Alex Paxton-Beesley, Dan Jeannotte
Official logline: 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, Nov. 26
“A Biltmore Christmas” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Bethany Joy Lenz, Kristoffer Polaha, Jonathan Frakes, Robert Picardo
Official logline: 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 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, Nov. 30
“Time for Her to Come Home For Christmas” (Movies & Mysteries)
Stars: Shenae Grimes-Beech, Chris Carmack, Grace Leer
Official logline: 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.
Friday, Dec. 1
“My Norwegian Holiday”
Stars: Rhiannon Fish, David Elsendoorn (The Hallmark Channel)
Official logline: 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, Dec. 2
“A Not So Royal Christmas” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Brooke D’Orsay, Will Kemp
Official logline: 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, Dec. 3
“Christmas With a Kiss” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Mishael Morgan, Ronnie Rowe Jr., Jaime M. Callica
Official logline: A woman (Morgan) returns home to help with her family’s Christmas Carnival and romance ignites. A photo journalist (Rowe) curates a surprise reunion.
Thursday, Dec. 7
“To All a Good Night” (Movies & Mysteries)
Stars: Kimberley Sustad, Mark Ghanimé
Official logline: 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.
Thursday, Dec. 7
“Rescuing Christmas” (Hallmark Movies Now Exclusive)
Stars: Rachael Leigh Cook, Sam Page
Official logline: In a world where Santa (T. Mychael Rambo) is real and wants to drum up some holiday spirit, two of Santa’s elves, Chuck (Patrick Thomas O’Brien) and Debbie (Bailey 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.
Friday, Dec. 8
“Magic in Mistletoe” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Lyndie Greenwood, Paul Campbell
Official logline: 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, Dec. 9
“Christmas on Cherry Lane” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Catherine Bell, Jonathan Bennett, John Brotherton, Erin Cahill, James Denton, Vincent Rodriguez III
Official logline: 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, Rodriguez 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, Dec. 10
“Round and Round” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Vic Michaelis, Bryan Greenberg, Rick Hoffman
Official logline: 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, Dec. 14
“An Ice Palace Romance” (Hallmark Movies Now Exclusive)
Stars: Celeste Desjardins, Marcus Rosner
Official logline: 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, Dec. 14
“Heaven Down Here” (Movies & Mysteries)
Stars: Krystal Joy Brown, Tina Lifford, Juan Riedinger, Richard Harmon, Phylicia Rashad
Official logline: Inspired by Mickey Guyton’s song of the same name, “Heaven Down Here” tells 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, Dec. 15
“The Secret Gift of Christmas” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Meghan Ory, Christopher Russell
Official logline: 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, Dec. 16
“Sealed With a List” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Katie Findlay, Evan Roderick
Official logline: 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, Dec. 17
“Friends & Family Christmas” (The Hallmark Channel)
Stars: Humberly Gonzalez, Ali Liebert
Official logline: 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 Daniella 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 eachother’s worlds, they soon build a connection that is deeper than either of them could have hoped for.
Thursday, Dec. 21
“A Holiday Spectacular (Extended Cut)” (Hallmark Movies Now Exclusive)
Stars: Ginna Claire Mason, Derek Klena, Eve Plumb
Official logline: In 1958, Maggie (Mason) 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.
Thursday, Dec. 21
“Miracle in Bethlehem, PA” (Movies & Mysteries)
Stars: Laura Vandervoort, Benjamin Ayres
Official logline: 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.
