‘Desperate Housewives’ Stars James Denton & Teri Hatcher Reunite in Hallmark Christmas Movie

James Denton, Teri Hatcher in Desperate Housewives
Ron Tom / © ABC / Courtesy: Everett Collection

Hallmark Channel’s “Countdown to Christmas” is staging quite a few cast reunions this year. And now, we can add Desperate Housewives to the list.

James Denton and Teri Hatcher, who played twice-wed Mike Delfino and Susan Mayer on the ABC drama (2004-2012), will star in A Kiss Before Christmas. It’s the first time they’ve worked together since the series ended and will be the first onscreen reunion of any of its cast members. The film also stars Marilu Henner.

“From the very beginning I wanted the first Hallmark Christmas movie I produced to be unique,” Denton, who serves as an executive producer, said in a statement. “I had no idea that we’d be lucky enough to get Teri. We’ve always wanted to work together again, and we found the perfect vehicle for what I think is the first Desperate Housewives reunion. And since we’re on Hallmark, I don’t have to worry about getting shot at the end.”

“Since that famous scene where he found me in the bushes, I knew James and I would be friends for life,” Hatcher added. “The chemistry and friendship we had on Desperate Housewives is alive and well all these years later and the loving, warm spirit of the holidays is the perfect backdrop for reuniting. It’s amazing to be back together. It’s just like old times. You
won’t want to miss it.”

In A Kiss Before Christmas, Denton and Hatcher are playing a married couple once again, with two teens. On Christmas Eve, Ethan, a real estate development executive, learns he’s losing out on a promotion and blames his “nice guy” way of doing business for holding him back in his career. But with some Christmas magic, a casual wish leads to a reality where his life took a different path. He’s no longer married to Joyce, he doesn’t have kids, and he’s CEO.

Teri Hatcher, James Denton, Marilu Henner

Courtesy of Crown Media

“Joyce is the key to Ethan being able to reclaim his original life and the family he loves — he must convince her that their happily-ever-after is waiting for them…and he only has until Christmas Day,” the synopsis teases.

Joining Denton as executive producers on A Kiss Before Christmas are Stan Spry, Eric Woods, Jonathan Eskenas and Kimberley Bradley. Devan Towers serves as co-producer. Jeff Beesley directs from a script by Mark Amato and Tracy Andreen.

Other cast reunions coming to Hallmark this Christmas include: Fuller House‘s Candace Cameron Bure and John Brotherton in The Christmas Contest (working title), The Wonder Years Danica McKellar and Jason Hervey in You, Me & the Christmas Trees (kicking off “Countdown to Christmas” on October 22, and Back to the Future‘s Lea Thompson and Christopher Lloyd in an all-new time travel tale, Next Stop, Christmas (airing November 6).