All the Christmas Movies Coming to GAC Family in 2021 (PHOTOS)
If you’re a fan of holiday movies, you’re in luck because there are a lot of options on TV this fall and winter, including some familiar faces over on GAC Family (which launched on September 27).
You’ve likely seen Rukiya Bernard, Chad Michael Murray, Jessica Lowndes, Maggie Lawson, Cindy Busby, and Sam Page in other made-for-TV Christmas movies, and if you’re a fan, they’re starring in new ones as part of GAC Family’s “Great American Christmas.” It runs every Saturday until Thanksgiving weekend (during which there will be a new movie Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). Then, a new holiday-themed movie will air every Saturday and Sunday during December.
Scroll down for all the details of the 12 GAC Family holiday movies and the When Hope Calls Christmas special (guest starring When Calls the Heart‘s Lori Loughlin and Daniel Lissing) kicking off Season 2. (All air at 8/7c.)
Much Ado About Christmas
Stars: Susie Abromeit and Torrance Coombs
Air date: Saturday, October 30
Haley (Abromeit) is beloved in her community of Winterstone for acts of kindness ranging from managing The Hope Chest to directing the children’s choir. Haley is also the daughter of one of Winterstone’s wealthiest residents, Leona Lloyd. Despite Haley’s down-to-earth demeanor, she is financially set as Leona’s only heir – information she fails to share with new love interest Claud (Coombs), an artsy, hopeless romantic. Haley introduces herself to Claud as “Haley Logan,” raised by a single, struggling mom, a small fib that becomes a pain point when Claud and his team present an ad pitch to Leona that includes a photo of Claud’s new girlfriend…Haley! Secrets are revealed and relationships ruffled. But Christmas is coming, and miracles do happen.
The Great Christmas Switch
Stars: Sarah Lind and Dillon Casey
Air date: Saturday, November 6
Kaelynn and Sophia are identical twins who have grown up believing the other has the more glamorous life. Kaelynn sometimes feels unappreciated in her non-stop world of kids and to do’s. Sophia is laid back to the point of paralysis and cannot seem to assemble the basics of life: a healthy work/life balance and evolved relationships. When Sophia tells her twin she’s had to cancel her Christmas vacation to stay in San Diego to work, Kaelynn jumps at the chance to flee the frost of Ohio to take her sister’s place. With her sister’s kids with their dad for Christmas, Sophia believes her only job will be to watch holiday movies by the fire. Kaelynn feels confident her demanding day-to-day has prepared her for Sophia’s grinchy boss and flaky friends. Then, reality sets in! With the familiar turned upside down, it will take a Christmas miracle to make it all right again.
Christmas Time Is Here
Stars: Rukiya Bernard and Dewshane Williams
Air date: Saturday, November 13
Nia Donnelley (Bernard), a successful small-town realtor, has her heart set on closing a big sale on a new resort for her client, Julian Parsons (Williams) in her hometown of Pine Valley just in time for Christmas. There is only one hitch. No matter how many properties Nia shows Julian, he keeps coming back to the one resort that isn’t for sale…the one belonging to Nia’s widower dad, Patrick (Pickett). Patrick would like to sell the property and retire. It’s Nia who cannot let go of memories of an idyllic time in life when her mom was still alive and very much a part of the resort. Julian realizes Nia’s reluctance to sell the property, but it may not matter. Julian’s impatient boss has come to Pine Valley intent on getting the deal done before Christmas. At risk of losing his job, Julian comes up with a magical plan for saving Nia’s family’s resort.
A Kindhearted Christmas
Stars: Jennie Garth and Cameron Mathison
Air date: Saturday, November 20
Jamie (Garth) owns a sightseeing and tour company in the small town of Cooperville, New York, so knowing where to find fun and interesting things to do is her job. However, navigating the holidays with the same enthusiasm is trickier for Jamie since her husband Matt passed. Matt loved Christmas and found unparalleled joy in giving to others. While reminiscing with family, Jamie realizes the town desperately needs someone with Matt’s genius for thinking of the small gestures that bring genuine happiness to the holidays. While watching her favorite news program, “Wake Up Upstate,” or more importantly, the show’s handsome TV anchor, Scott (Mathison), Jamie learns about a neighboring high school’s fundraiser and spontaneously gifts the entire amount – anonymously. Jamie’s anonymous gift sparks another and another until the entire town gets into the spirit. News of the generous gift giving draws Jamie’s TV crush to Cooperville seeking to do some serious reporting on the identity of the secret Santa. Turns out, Scott may uncover more than one. What isn’t a secret is that Jamie and Scott will discover each other just in time for Christmas.
Angel Falls Christmas
Stars: Jessica Lowndes and Chad Michael Murray
Air date: Friday, November 26
Ally Morgan (Lowndes) is a workaholic ER doc struggling for work-life balance with her boyfriend, Josh (David Reale). On the night Josh is set to propose, he and Ally have a row about her pulling an extra shift on Christmas Eve which leads to a breakup. Josh knows with Ally work comes first. Ally is miserable alone before a chance encounter with a handsome barista, Gabe (Murray), leads her to fulfill a Christmas bucket list of fun activities she never would have ventured doing on her own. Ally’s best friend and fellow ER doctor, Dawn (Samora Smallwood), has never seen Ally so happy and is rooting for a Gabe-Ally relationship. Now, the saintly Maureen (Jane Luk) must redirect Gabe’s intentions if Josh and Ally have a chance at reconciliation this Christmas.
Royally Wrapped for Christmas
Stars: Jen Lilley and Brendan Fehr
Air date: Saturday, November 27
Lindsay Peterson (Lilley) of Brooklyn, New York, heads up one of the most successful chapters of the Festive Heart Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to underserved children, which will celebrate its centennial this holiday. Founded by the Royal Family of Veronia, Lindsay is summoned to the kingdom as one of the world’s three most successful foundation organizers to plan the Gala’s 100th year. Before she embarks to Veronia, Lindsay meets the charity’s President, Willard, and a pleasant man, Aidan (Fehr), who Lindsay mistakenly believes is the organization’s accountant. Willard persuades Lindsay to join him and two other organizers from the global charity in Veronia. It is there Lindsay discovers the “accountant” is really PRINCE Aidan who is to ascend the throne after his mother, Queen Rayna. Committed to the mission to imagine the next 100 years of the charity, Lindsay leans into a tradition she learned from her grandmother: each Christmas, two gifts must be given. One to keep, one to give. Veronia’s Parliament enthusiastically accepts Lindsay’s idea for the charity, vowing to change the world in the kindest way. Now Prince Aidan must decide if the commoner from New York who has helped so many may have just stolen his heart.
Christmas Is You
Stars: Becca Tobin and Matthew MacCaull
Air date: Sunday, November 28
Emma Bloom is given an ultimatum by her boss Rachel at Old Town Records: go home for the holidays and convince former boyfriend and national recording star Tyler Thorn to sign with Rachel’s label or find another job. Emma is an organized assistant, though her job is a dead end in search of a turnaround since Emma’s real dream is to be a singer. Tyler is going home for Christmas for the first time in years as he abruptly quits his label after years of being forced to perform uninspiring material. First, Emma and Tyler have a friendship to repair: Emma broke Tyler’s heart on Christmas Eve some years back when she turned down his marriage proposal. When Emma and Tyler arrive in their hometown, they are immediately immersed in an all-hands-on-deck effort to save the annual Christmas Carol Celebration where they first sang together as kids in the choir. Turns out, a trip down Memory Lane may hit all the right notes for Emma and Tyler.
Jingle Bell Princess
Stars: Merritt Patterson and Trevor Donovan
Air date: Saturday, December 4
Mechanical issues temporarily ground Princess Amelia’s (Patterson) royal jet. With the crew distracted attending to the repair, Amelia deplanes to walk through a magical Christmas tree lot on the airport’s perimeter. Soon she is chatting away with jovial owner, Harley, and his adorable dog, Storm. Amelia looks at her watch, quickly realizing how much time has passed. Rushing to the runway, Amelia learns her jet departed believing she was onboard. A massive snowstorm moves in, grounding all air traffic in and out of Tucker, Maine. Amelia is devastated she may miss Christmas in her father’s kingdom. What looks like a royal catastrophe turns into an unforgettable holiday as Amelia is taken in by airline employee, Annie Cutler, and her son, Sam (Donovan). He’s a commoner and she’s a royal, but this is Christmas, and Sam and Amelia’s shared attraction may cause this uncommon romance to take flight.
A Lot Like Christmas
Stars: Maggie Lawson and Christopher Russell
Air date: Sunday, December 5
Jessica Roberts (Lawson) owns the most popular Christmas tree lot in the picturesque New England town of Hudson Springs. But when big city marketing employee, Clay Moore (Russell), moves a “Big Box” store into the area and starts selling trees too, Jasmine finds her business in jeopardy. As their professional competition escalates, Jasmine and Clay run into another complication — they begin falling for each other.
A Christmas Miracle for Daisy
Stars: Jill Wagner and Nick Bateman
Air date: Saturday, December 11
Whitney Alder (Wagner) owns interior design firm, Marietta Designs, which she runs with her friend Andi (Tegan Moss, “Aurora Teagarden Mysteries”) in the small town of Marietta, Montana. Whitney is designing Santa’s float for the annual Marietta Christmas Parade when a potential job opportunity comes her way: the full redesign of a landmark home by Christmas Eve. Despite the challenge, Whitney and Andi sign onto the job — only to discover the home’s new owner is Whitney’s ex-boyfriend, Connor Sheenan (Bateman), who has moved to town from Los Angeles with his bright-eyed, young daughter, Daisy (Rubi Tupper). Connor had no intention of becoming a family man, but when his goddaughter is orphaned, he adopts her and commits to becoming a devoted single dad. More than anything, Daisy wishes for a mom to complete her picture-perfect family, and no prospect is as perfect as Whitney. Tall order, but Christmas is a time for miracles.
A Christmas Star
Stars: Sara Canning and Daniel Lissing
Air date: Sunday, December 12
An astronomer, Madeline Baggett searches for life beyond Earth, and when she believes she has found it, she convinces her boss to allow her to travel to a small hamlet in Upstate New York where the scientist hopes to capture a once-in-a-lifetime event. With refractors, telescopes, and a small film crew in tow, Madeline arrives and sets up in Summit Ridge, where she meets widowed National Park Ranger Ryan Sparks and his young daughter, Celeste. With Ryan’s help, Madeline begins to chart the celestial event which brings the pair closer to finding love under the stars.
When Hope Calls Christmas (Season 2 premiere)
Stars: Morgan Kohan, Ryan-James Hatanaka
Guest Stars: Lori Loughlin, Daniel Lissing, Carter Ryan
Air date: Saturday, December 18
A national magazine lists Brookfield as a potential to be named America’s #1 Country Christmas Town, which reunites the magazine’s photojournalist Paul with Maggie, who was once a travel writer. The town is purposely trying to show the essence of Christmas for the writer, but behind the scenes, residents aren’t really living the spirit of the season. In the middle of the fuss, a stagecoach arrives and out steps Abigail Stanton (Loughlin) and her son Cody (Ryan), who have brought a troubled boy to Lillian’s (Kohan) orphanage. Mountie Winslow (Hatanaka) does his best to help Roy, to no avail. When all hope for a joyous Christmas seems lost, a secret Santa comes to fulfill Christmas wishes, and Abigail has a profound conversation with a dear friend from the past.
Joy at Christmas
Stars: Cindy Busby and Sam Page
Air date: Sunday, December 19
When her family firm’s annual Christmas toy drive is in jeopardy, Holly Silver (Busby) must convince pro athlete Jack Kane (Page) to be the public face of the toy drive to help save it. As Noelle helps Jack rediscover the meaning of Christmas, Holly reconnects with her own family and family traditions. As Jack and Holly go through challenges of making Christmas dreams for others come true, they discover kindred spirits in each other and the potential for the gift of romance this holiday season.
