Our Christmas Blog

Hallmark Channel has just released there "Countdown to Christmas" schedule for 2016. I know that many of you have been waiting for this as eagerly I have. And, according to their latest press release, this years' schedule will be better than ever! "Countdown to Christmas" starts on Friday Oct 28 and runs straight through until Sunday Jan 1. That's right! Count 'em! More than 60 days of round-the-clock holiday TV programming.

And, as if it couldn't get any better, there are an unbelievable 19 new movies this year. The premiere dates for some of the movies have been announced already, and they are included below.

This year's new movies will include many familiar faces from other Hallmark movies and previous year's original Christmas movies. These stars include Lacey Chabert, Lori Loughlin, Erin Krakow, Paul Greene, Brooke Shields, and Danica McKellar. Some of the movies are still in development, so the full cast lists have not yet been announced. For those of us who love Hallmark Christmas movies, the one name that is missing from this list is Candace Cameron Bure. There are rumors floating around that she is currently filming a new Hallmark Christmas movie for this year, though there's been no official announcement yet.


A CHRISTMAS BROADCAST
Two rival reporters get caught up in a competition to see who can report the most newsworthy holiday story. The real breaking news they discover is the truth about the meaning of Christmas - it really is better to give than to receive. But unfolding before their very eyes may be the best holiday story of all - two fierce competitors were able to put aside their differences and fall in love.

A CURVEBALL CHRISTMAS
After enduring a horrible break-up with the man she thought she was destined to marry, Fiona Williams takes a trip to her parents' inn for Christmas. Holiday festivities and family bonding seem to be the only thing on the menu, but then Fiona's ex checks in to the inn with a new woman on his arm. Stuck between a rock and mistletoe, Fiona saves face by making the inn's opinionated and carefree cook her new "boyfriend" in hopes of making her ex jealous.

A DECEMBER BRIDE - Sunday, November 20, (9 p.m. ET/PT)
Stars: Daniel Lissing
Layla O'Reilly is bound and determined to attend her cousin's Christmastime wedding with a man on her arm - especially since her cousin is marrying her ex-fiance. Seth Murphy (Lissing) is the only guy available, who Layla dislikes since he introduced the bride and groom. But since Seth is able to help Layla with her interior design business, she and Seth stage being a newly engaged couple. As Layla helps Seth makeover a house for a Christmas decorating contest, Layla discovers Seth is not who he seems to be and that he has had a secret crush on her for years. Is it possible the man of her dreams has been in her midst all this time? She just might get her wish of becoming a December bride.

A FAMILY FOR CHRISTMAS
Several days before Christmas, a reclusive author Andrew rents an isolated cabin in order to finish his long overdue novel. Just as Andrew is settling in, a young nurse named Holly, her daughter and wisecracking mother become stranded nearby. Andrew takes in the three unwanted guests and due to a heavy snowstorm, they end up staying through Christmas. The energetic young nurse breaks down Andrew's anti-social defenses. They soon find themselves involved in a number of festive activities, including chopping down a Christmas tree, a snowball fight, playing charades and gatherings around the dinner table. But the sudden arrival of Holly's ex-husband complicates matters and threatens her blossoming romance with Andrew.

A PRINCE FOR CHRISTMAS
Starring Jaime Pressley
When Maggie Marks (Pressley) faces a tough career decision, she flees to Europe for some soul searching and sightseeing with a friend over the holidays. There she encounters a handsome European playboy prince, and lands herself in a world she has never known where she finds a new direction in life, while teaching him to be a better prince along the way.

A WISH FOR CHRISTMAS - Saturday, November 5 (9 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring Lacey Chabert and Paul Greene
Sara Shaw (Chabert) is the type of woman who prefers to sit on the sidelines at work, but when her big idea for a Christmas initiative is stolen, she makes a wish to Santa that she'll finally have the courage to stand up for herself. Santa grants her wish but only gives her 48 hours. She is able to reveal to Peter Williams (Greene), the handsome owner of her company, that her boss stole her idea. When Peter selects her to present the pitch to a difficult client, they end up having to drive to the White Ridge Ski Resort, which happens to be Peter's hometown. Once there, Sarah sets out to show Peter the magic of Christmas. With all this time together, they wonder if there's more to this relationship than business. But as the clock ticks down on Sara's wish, she'll have to find a way to channel the Christmas magic and speak her mind on her own - or risk losing everything.

A WORTHWHILE LIFE
Isabelle's quest to locate the handsome owner of a lost necklace prompts her to launch a search via social media. As she meets the mystery man's friends and learns more about him, she discovers what an extraordinary person he is and begins to fall in love.

CHRISTMAS ANGEL - November 28 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
"Christmas Angel" tells the story of the untimely death of a workaholic who never put much value into personal relationships or the joys of Christmas, who finds herself recruited to be a Christmas Angel even though she hasn't participated in seasonal traditions on earth in a very long time. She is assigned a hard luck case, though she has little success in helping her charge find joy, happiness, and peace - until she begins to discover these things within herself.

CHRISTMAS BUCKET LIST - Friday, November 25 (9 p.m. ET/PT)
Isobel Gray plans a storybook Christmas with her boyfriend, including a snow-covered cottage in the Northwest, and a carefully composed bucket list of classic holiday traditions. But when the boyfriend goes AWOL, the list proves challenging, and a tempting new romance turns her life upside down. Will Isobel have a White Christmas ending under the mistletoe?

CHRISTMAS COOKIES - Sunday, November 13 (9 p.m. ET/PT)
Stars: Jill Wagner and Wes Brown
After it has been sold to a huge corporation, executive Hannah (Wagner) must facilitate the closing of a cookie factory called Cookie Jar that is the lifeblood of a small town. The people of Cookie Jar know their beloved little hamlet will soon dry up and everyone will move away. Because Christmas has always been a rich and wonderful Cookie Jar tradition, the town decides to celebrate one last holiday. What was supposed to be an assignment for Hannah becomes complicated when she meets Jake (Brown), the factory owner who convinces her to wait a week until the celebration has ended to finalize the deal. She becomes swept up in the Christmas spirit and also finds herself falling in love. Will love make Hannah risk her job to save Cookie Jar?

CHRISTMAS EXPECTATIONS - Saturday, December 10 (9 p.m. ET/PT)
A hopeless romantic who never seems to give a guy a fair chance starts receiving each gift from the song "The 12 Days of Christmas" compliments of an anonymous benefactor. She tries to solve the mystery with the help of her inner circle, including her sister who's about to have a Christmas wedding, to see if there's a suitor on the other end that will finally live up to her expectations.

CHRISTMAS MAKEOVER - Saturday, November 12 (9 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring Lori Loughlin
When a TV personality, (Loughlin) has an on-air snafu and admits she hates Christmas, she is invited to the Most Christmas-y town in the US to try and repair her image. Forced to work with her ex-boyfriend, the show's producer, the magic of Christmas and this special town will change the way she views Christmas and her life.

JOY TO THE WORLD
Starring Brooke Shields
Joy Edwards (Shields), host of a wildly successful cooking show "Joy to the World", must scramble to assemble a fake family when the network insists on doing a live Christmas episode from her house. She soon realizes her fake family is the Christmas gift that she always wanted.

RUNAWAY SLEIGH
Recently divorced, Pauline struggles to get into the holiday spirit while heading up her hometown Christmas parade. With the help of a Christmas sleigh and a handsome woodworker, Pauline is destined to turn her luck around, rekindle her holiday spirit, and even find time for love.

SUDDENLY SANTA - Saturday, November 19 (9 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring Danica McKellar
Christina Masters (McKellar), the manager of a flagship department store, is overjoyed when she finds out her company is hiring a new manager for the Paris store and is looking to promote from within. This is a dream job, and the ever-ambitious Christina sets out to impress with holiday decorations galore. Things change though when her heart is won over by a little boy who asks the storefront Santa for help in finding his dad a new job. Come to find out, Christina has just fired this man for being late one too many times, but now she realizes he is a single parent just trying his best to take care of his son. Christina is bound and determined to make things right, and to her surprise, finds herself falling in love. When Christina wows with this year's Christmas decorations and wins the dream job, she has a tough choice to make as she learns the true meaning of happiness.

THE MISTLETOE PROMISE - Sunday, November 6 (9 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring Jaime King and Luke Macfarlane
A chance meeting between two strangers who share a disdain for Christmas results in The Mistletoe Promise, a pact to help them navigate their holiday complications - together. But as they spend more time with each other and experience the magic of Christmas, the phony couple discovers there may be more to their contract than business.

THE NUTCRACKER
Lilly James' lifelong devotion lands her the lead role of Clara in the New York City Ballet's production of The Nutcracker. Grief-stricken and distracted after learning about her mother's death, Lily suffers an injury and is removed from the show by Mark, her boyfriend and dance partner. Heartbroken and betrayed, Lily vows never to dance again. Years later, her daughter lands the role of Clara in the prestigious Philadelphia Nutcracker Ballet and finds that the Ballet Director is Mark, who betrayed Lilly years ago. Faced with the truth about her past and Lilly has a chance to dance and to find love again.

THE SOUND OF CHRISTMAS
During the Christmas season, a high school music teacher is hired by a handsome widower to give music lessons to his teenage daughters. Their lives are turned around for the better as the family grows closer and learns the importance of love, friendship and the meaning of Christmas.

WHEN CALLS THE HEART - Sunday, December 25 (9 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring Erin Krakow, Daniel Lissing, Jack Wagner, and Lori Loughlin
Although the residents of Hope Valley have been busily preparing for the most festive Christmas the town has ever had, bad weather gets in the way of their plans. Not to be discouraged, the townspeople come together to create a special holiday celebration - complete with a Nativity presentation by the schoolchildren - that will infuse everyone with the true spirit of the season.


If there are any changes to this info, you can be sure that this list will be updated. Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel has also released some information on their upcoming holiday schedule. I will share that here within the next few days, so be sure to check back. Also, I have some information on new movies for UP network and Lifetime, and as soon as I can verify it, I will be sure to share that here too.