Hallmark’s ‘Countdown to Christmas’ Movies 2020: Full List & Schedule
It’s (almost) the most wonderful time of the year, when you can settle in with a cup of hot chocolate (or your warm beverage of choice) and get lost in the world of holiday-themed romantic comedies with Hallmark.
This year, Hallmark Channel’s “Countdown to Christmas” kicks off at the end of October, and the movies feature returning favorite stars like Lacey Chabert, Candace Cameron Bure, Holly Robinson Peete, and Jonathan Bennett, another Christmas in Evergreen movie, and new faces like Aaron Tveit and S.W.A.T.‘s Rochelle Aytes.
Bennett is also part of the network’s first movie with a same-sex couple, The Christmas House, featuring a storyline about a gay couple looking to adopt their first child. “Our holiday table is bigger and more welcoming than ever. This year’s movies reflect our most diverse representation of talent, narratives, and families,” Michelle Vicary, EVP, Programming, said. “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.”
Check out Hallmark Channel’s full “Countdown to Christmas” schedule below (all at 8/7c):
Luke Macfarlane, Ronnie Rowe Jr., and Katrina Law (David Starbuck/Alexx Henry Studios, LLC./Crown Media; Courtesy of Crown Media (2))
Saturday, October 24
Jingle Bell Bride
Cast: Julie Gonzalo and Ronnie Rowe Jr.
Synopsis: 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 Christmas
Cast: Merritt Patterson and Luke Macfarlane
Synopsis: Margot (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 Darlings
Cast: Katrina Law and Carlo Marks
Synopsis: Just 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 Holiday
Cast: Laura Osnes, Aaron Tveit, Krystal Joy Brown, Victoria Clark, and Tom McGowan
Synopsis: When 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 Sweater
Cast: Ashley Williams and Niall Matter
Synopsis: Single 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 Christmas
Cast: Mallory Jansen and Tyler Hynes
Synopsis: Two 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 Vienna
Cast: Sarah Drew and Brennan Elliott
Synopsis: Jess (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 Christmas
Cast: Ryan Paevey and Erin Cahill
Synopsis: Charles 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.
Ryan Paevey, Sarah Drew, and Mallory Jansen (Courtesy of Crown Media)
Saturday, November 21
A Nashville Christmas Carol
Cast: Jessy Schram, Wes Brown, Wynonna Judd, Sara Evans, RaeLynn, Kix Brooks, Kimberly Williams-Paisley
Synopsis: Vivienne 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 House
Cast: Robert Buckley, Jonathan Bennett, Ana Ayora, Treat Williams, Sharon Lawrence and Brad Harder
Cast: Working 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.
Tuesday, November 24
A Christmas Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Cast: Rochelle Aytes and Mark Taylor
Synopsis: Erin (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 Christmas
Cast: Alison Sweeney and Marc Blucas
Synopsis: Two 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)
Cast: Bethany Joy Lenz and Victor Webster
Synopsis: After 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 Starlight
Cast: Kimberley Sustad and Paul Campbell
Synopsis: Annie (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 Waltz
Cast: Lacey Chabert, Will Kemp and JT Church
Synopsis: After 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 Christmas
Cast: Candace Cameron Bure and Warren Christie
Synopsis: At Christmas, a cheerful publicist (Bure) teams up with a cynical business owner (Christie) and his team to help a charity in need.
Ben Savage, Alison Sweeney, and Tamera Mowry-Housley (Courtesy of Crown Media; Farah Nosh/Crown Media; Courtesy of Crown Media)
Saturday, December 5
Christmas in Evergreen: Bells Are Ringing
Cast: Holly Robinson Peete, Colin Lawrence, Rukiya Bernard, Antonio Cayonne and Barbara Niven
Synopsis: As 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 Wrote
Cast: Danica McKellar and Dylan Neal
Synopsis: When 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 Christmas
Cast: Rachael Leigh Cook and Greyston Holt
Synopsis: Former 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 Twice
Cast: Tamera Mowry-Housley and Michael Xavier
Synopsis: Emily (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 Carousel
Cast: Rachel Boston and Neal Bledsoe
Synopsis: When 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!
Cast: Mia Kirshner, Ben Savage and Marilu Henner
Synopsis: As 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.
