By Liam Carter
The holidays are right around the corner! On Wednesday, September 23, Hallmark Channel and its sister network Hallmark Movies & Mysteries announced the lineups for their holiday countdown, kicking off on October 23.This year, the networks introduce their most diverse lineup ever, featuring their first film with a story line about a gay couple, starring Hallmark staple, Jonathan Bennett.“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 on Wednesday. “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.”This week’s lineup also features new additions to the Hallmark family including Aaron Tveit, Krystal Joy Brown, Victoria Clark, Tom McGowan, Alvina August, Janel Parrish, Jeremy Jordan, Marisol Nichols, Mallory Jansen, Lucia Micarelli, Rochelle Aytes, Ronnie Rowe Jr. and Nazneen Contractor.Below is the full lineup:Saturday, October 24: Jingle Bell BrideStars: Julie Gonzalo and Ronnie Rowe Jr.Wedding planner Jessica Perez (Gonzalo) travels to a remote town in Alaska to find a rare flower for a celebrity client and is charmed by the small town during Christmas, as well as the handsome local (Rowe Jr.) helping her.Sunday, October 25: Chateau ChristmasStars: Merritt Patterson and Luke MacfarlaneMargot (Patterson), a world-renowned pianist, returns to Chateau Newhaus to spend the holidays with her family and is reunited with an ex (Macfarlane) who helps her rediscover her passion for music.Saturday, October 31: Christmas with the DarlingsStars: Katrina Law and Carlo MarksJust before the holidays Jessica Lew (Law) is ending her tenure as the assistant to her wealthy boss to use her recently earned law degree within his company, but offers to help his charming, younger brother (Marks) as he looks after his orphaned nieces and nephew over Christmas.Sunday, November 1: One Royal HolidayStars: Laura Osnes, Aaron Tveit, Krystal Joy Brown, Victoria Clark and Tom McGowanWhen Anna (Osnes) offers a stranded mother (Clark) and son (Tveit) shelter in a blizzard, she learns that they are the Royal Family of Galwick. Anna shows the Prince how they do Christmas in her hometown, encouraging him to open his heart and be true to himself.Saturday, November 7: Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas SweaterStars: Ashley Williams and Niall MatterSingle mom Maggie (Williams) is facing Christmas alone until Lucas (Matter) crashes into her life and becomes an unexpected houseguest. Together they overcome Christmas while finding comfort in their growing bond.Sunday, November 8: On the 12th Date of ChristmasStars: Mallory Jansen and Tyler HynesTwo seemingly incompatible game designers team up to create a romantic, city-wide scavenger hunt themed for the “12 Days of Christmas.”Saturday, November 14: Christmas in ViennaStars: Sarah Drew and Brennan ElliottJess (Drew), a concert violinist whose heart just isn’t in it anymore, goes to Vienna for a performance. While there, she finds the inspiration she has been missing, and a new love.Sunday, November 15: A Timeless ChristmasStars: Ryan Paevey and Erin CahillCharles Whitley (Paevey) travels from 1903 to 2020 where he meets Megan Turner (Cahill), a tour guide at his historic mansion, and experiences a 21st Century Christmas.Saturday, November 21: A Nashville Christmas CarolStars: Jessy Schram, Wes Brown, Wynonna Judd, Sara Evans, RaeLynn, Kix Brooks and Kimberly Williams-PaisleyVivienne Wake (Schram), a workaholic television producer in charge of a country music Christmas special showcasing newcomer Alexis (Raelynn), never lets personal feelings get in the way of business. On the verge of accepting a job in LA, and with the return of Gavin Chase (Brown), her childhood sweetheart and manager to the special’s headliner, Belinda (Evans), she receives a visit from the ghost of her recently deceased mentor, Marilyn (Judd). Her mentor warns her current path leads to a dark future and has recruited both the Spirit of Christmas Past (Brooks) and the Spirit of Christmas Present (Williams-Paisley) to help her get back on track. The Spirits’ time-jumping adventures force Vivienne to take hold of her life.Sunday, November 22: The Christmas HouseStars: Robert Buckley, Jonathan Bennett, Ana Ayora, Treat Williams, Sharon Lawrence and Brad HarderWorking through some difficult decisions, Mitchell family matriarch Phylis (Lawrence) and patriarch Bill (Williams), have summoned their two grown sons – TV star, Mike Mitchell (Buckley) and Brandon Mitchell (Bennett) – home for the holidays. It is their hope that bringing the family together to recreate the Christmas house, will help them find resolution and make a memorable holiday for the entire family and community. As Brandon and his husband Jake (Harder) make the trip home, they are anxiously awaiting a call about the adoption of their first child. Meanwhile, Mike reconnects with Andi (Ayora), his high school sweetheart.Monday, November 23: New movie to be announcedTuesday, November 24: A Christmas Tree Grows in BrooklynStars: Rochelle Aytes and Mark TaylorErin (Aytes) is planning the town’s Christmas celebration and must win over firefighter Kevin (Taylor) in order to obtain the beautiful spruce tree from his property for the celebration.Wednesday, November 25: A Bright and Merry ChristmasStars: Alison Sweeney and Marc BlucasTwo competing TV hosts (Sweeney and Blucas) are sent to a festive small town over Christmas. While pretending to get along for the sake of appearances, they discover that there’s more to each other than they thought.Thursday, November 26: Five Star Christmas (working title)Stars: Bethany Joy Lenz and Victor WebsterAfter moving back to her hometown, Lisa (Lenz) plots with her siblings and grandparents to help her father’s new bed and breakfast get a five-star review from an incognito travel critic (Webster), but ends up falling for him, not knowing he is the real critic.Friday, November 27: Christmas by StarlightStars: Kimberley Sustad and Paul CampbellAnnie (Sustad), a lawyer, must help her loved ones this holiday season. Her family’s restaurant, The Starlight Café, is slated for demolition. The heir to the development firm responsible, William (Campbell), makes her an unlikely proposition: he’ll spare the café if Annie spends the week “appearing” as the legal counsel his father is demanding he hire in the wake of some costly mistakes.Saturday, November 28: Christmas WaltzStars: Lacey Chabert, Will Kemp and JT ChurchAfter Avery’s (Chabert) storybook Christmas wedding is canceled unexpectedly, dance instructor Roman (Kemp) helps her rebuild her dreams.Sunday, November 29: If I Only Had ChristmasStars: Candace Cameron Bure and Warren ChristieAt Christmas, a cheerful publicist (Bure) teams up with a cynical business owner (Christie) and his team to help a charity in need.Saturday, December 5: Christmas in Evergreen: Bells Are RingingStars: Holly Robinson Peete, Colin Lawrence, Rukiya Bernard, Antonio Cayonne and Barbara NivenAs Michelle’s (Peete) wedding approaches, Hannah (Bernard) steps up to help finish the launch of the new Evergreen museum while questioning her relationship and future with Elliot (Cayonne).Sunday, December 6: Christmas She WroteStars: Danica McKellar and Dylan NealWhen Kayleigh (McKellar), a romance writer, has her column cancelled right before Christmas, she heads home to reconnect with her family. Kayleigh gets an unexpected visit from the man (Neal) who cancelled her column who fights not only to bring her back to the publisher but also for her heart.Saturday, December 12: Cross Country ChristmasStars: Rachael Leigh Cook and Greyston HoltFormer classmates Lina (Cook) and Max (Holt) are traveling home for the holidays, until a storm hits and they have to work together to make it home in time, no matter the mode of transportation.Sunday, December 13: Christmas Comes TwiceStars: Tamera Mowry-Housley and Michael XavierEmily (Mowry-Housley) is a top newscaster who has achieved her career dreams but still has regrets about the guy (Xavier) who got away five years earlier. When the Christmas carnival comes to town, a ride around the carousel takes her magically back in time to the carnival five years before…giving her a second chance at love before she must return to Christmas present.Saturday, December 19: Christmas CarouselStars: Rachel Boston and Neal BledsoeWhen Lila (Boston) is hired by the Royal Family of Marcadia to repair a carousel, she must work with the Prince (Bledsoe) to complete it by Christmas.Sunday, December 20: Love, Lights, Hanukkah!Stars: Mia Kirshner, Ben Savage and Marilu HennerAs Christina (Kirshner) prepares her restaurant for its busiest time of year, she gets back a DNA test revealing that she’s Jewish. The discovery leads her to a new family and an unlikely romance over eight nights.Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ Miracles of Christmas (all premieres at 9 p.m. ET)Saturday, October 24: Christmas Tree LaneStars: Alicia Witt, Andrew Walker, Drake Hogestyn and Briana PriceMusic store owner Meg (Witt) spearheads the community effort to save the Christmas Tree Lane shopping district from demolition. As she finds herself falling for Nate (Walker), a recent acquaintance, she’s thrown when she learns his surprising tie to the developer.Sunday, October 25: Deliver by ChristmasStars: Alvina August and Eion BaileyBakery owner Molly (August) meets Josh (Bailey), a widower who recently moved to town with his young son, but she is also charmed by a mysterious client whom she’s never met in person and she doesn’t realize that they’re the same man.Saturday, October 31: Cranberry ChristmasStars: Nikki DeLoach and Benjamin AyresA separated couple (DeLoach and Ayres) feign marital bliss on national television to help their town’s Christmas festival – and their business. But what will the future hold for them when rekindled love is complicated by new opportunities?Sunday, November 1: Holly & IvyStars: Janel Parrish, Jeremey Jordan and Marisol NicholsWhen Melody’s (Parrish) neighbor, Nina (Nichols), learns that her illness has returned, Melody promises to keep Nina’s kids, Holly & Ivy, together. To adopt the children, she must renovate her new fixer-upper, which she does with the help of contractor, Adam (Jordan).Saturday, November 7: The Christmas RingStars: Nazneen Contractor and David AlpayA reporter (Contractor) searches for the love story behind an antique engagement ring. With the help of the ring’s owner’s grandson (Alpay), they learn the legacy his grandparent’s left behind.Sunday, November 8: The Christmas BowStars: Lucia Micarelli and Michael RadyWhen an accident puts her music dreams on hold, a gifted violinist (Micarelli) reconnects with an old family friend (Rady), who helps her heal and find love during the holidays.Saturday, November 14: Meet Me at Christmas (working title)Stars: Catherine Bell and Mark DeklinWhen Joan’s (Bell) son’s wedding planner unexpectedly quits, she must coordinate his Christmas Eve wedding with the help of Beau (Deklin), the bride’s uncle. As they work alongside each other they discover their fates and pasts are intertwined.Sunday, November 15: The Christmas DoctorStars: Holly Robinson Peete and Adrian HolmesA week before Christmas, Dr. Alicia Wright (Peete) is offered an assignment away from home. A mysterious man (Holmes) from her past journeys to find her before Christmas and brings with him a revelation that could change Alicia’s life forever.Saturday, November 21: A Little Christmas Charm (working title)Stars: Ashley Greene and Brendan PennyHolly (Greene), a jewelry designer finds a lost charm bracelet and teams up with investigative reporter Greg (Penny) in hopes of finding the owner and returning it by Christmas Eve.Sunday, November 22: The Angel TreeStars: Jill Wagner and Lucas BryantA writer (Wagner) seeks the identity of the person who helps grant wishes that are placed upon the angel tree, and in the process, reconnects with her childhood friend (Bryant).Saturday, November 28: USS ChristmasStars: Jen Lilley, Trevor Donovan and Barbara NivenMaddie (Lilley), a reporter for a Norfolk newspaper, embarks on a Tiger Cruise during Christmastime where she meets a handsome naval officer (Donovan) and stumbles upon a mystery in the ship’s archive room.Saturday, December 5: Time for Us to Come Home for ChristmasExecutive Producer: Blake Shelton, Stars: Lacey Chabert and Stephen HuszarFive guests are mysteriously invited to an inn to celebrate Christmas. With the help of the owner Ben (Huszar), Sarah (Chabert) discovers that an event from the past may connect them and change their lives forever.Sunday, December 6: A Godwink Christmas: First Loves, Second ChancesStars: Brooke D’Orsay and Sam PageAfter 15 years, Pat (Page) moves home from Hawaii with his two sons and through a series of coincidences, or Godwinks, ends up stuck in traffic next to his high school sweetheart, Margie (D’Orsay), at Christmas.Saturday, December 12: A Glenbrooke ChristmasStars: Autumn Reeser and Antonio CupoAs Christmas nears, heiress Jessica Morgan (Reeser) seizes what seems like her last chance to experience a relaxed Christmas and heads off to the small town of Glenbrooke, where she meets a handsome fireman (Cupo).Sunday, December 13: Christmas Homecoming (working title)Stars: Taylor Cole and Steve LundWhen a mysterious key and a holiday riddle arrive on their doorsteps, Kate (Cole) and Kevin (Lund) embark on a Christmas romance adventure they’ll never forget.Thank You!You have successfully subscribed.Saturday, December 19: Swept Up by Christmas (working title)Stars: TBDAn antique seller and a cleaner clash over how to downsize a magnificent estate right before Christmas. As the two uncover the house’s treasures, they find a way to reconnect the reclusive owner with his own Christmases past.Sunday, December 20: Project Christmas WishStars: TBDFor years Lucy has played Santa to her small town’s community by making their holiday wishes come true. But when Lucy grants a little girl’s wish for a Christmas like she used to have with her Mom, she unexpectedly finds her own wishes coming true in life and love.ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tr%2FMmp6aspmjsm%2BvzqZmnqakmr%2B1rcinpJ6mpGS7psPSaJ%2BapJyirrO3jJyfmqaemrm0ecKhqaKrpKKutHnMqK2inV2htq%2Bx1Klkn52RqcKzsdJmaKysXZyuunnCqKyppJVk