It’s a Wonderful Lifetime: Complete Guide to 2023 Holiday Movies — Including a Thriller! (PHOTOS)
It’s that wonderful time of the year again: holiday movies!
Lifetime is the latest to announce its full slate for this season, and It’s a Wonderful Lifetime 2023 movies include some familiar faces, a reunion of divas, and more. In fact, Lifetime even has a thriller with some holiday flavor to it on LMN! It all begins on Saturday, November 18, with 12 new films.
Highlights include: Tia Mowry, Buddy Valastro, and Luke Humphrey in Yes, Chef! Christmas; Jana Kramer, Adam Senn, and Max Ehrich in A Cowboy Christmas Romance, written by Sarah Drew; Tatyana Ali and Jesse Kove in The Holiday Proposal Plan; Teri Hatcher in Christmas at the Chalet; and Vivica A. Fox and Jackée Harry in A Christmas Intern. Already announced was Ladies of the ‘80s: A Divas Christmas, starring Loni Anderson, Morgan Fairchild, Linda Gray, Donna Mills, and Nicollette Sheridan, which will feature new original music from Tiffany for the theme song. (Harry and Ali both perform original songs in their films, and Ehrich has new music in his.)
Plus, through January 1, 2024 and with special holiday-themed playlists through the holiday season, Lifetime will present 60 holiday titles on its website and app, as well as its video-on-demand (VOD) partners. New movies will also be available the day after premiere on TVE/VOD, and Lifetime Movie Club will offer 44 library titles, beginning on October 20, to stream commercial-free. Holiday Movie Favorites By Lifetime (FAST Channel) kicks off on November 1 with library titles that will air throughout the holiday season.
Scroll down for a look at the full slate, including air dates, cast, and synopses. Plus, check out our printable holiday movie schedule here!
Christmas Plus One
Air date: Saturday, November 18 at 8/7c
Stars: Emily Alatalo, Corey Sevier
When sisters Cara (Emily Alatalo) and Amy (Vanessa Smythe) make a pact to find their soulmates by next Christmas, they’re not expecting anything to come from it. However, one year later, Amy’s winter wedding is approaching, and Cara finally finds her own perfect man, Chase (Andrew Bushell), who agrees to attend as her plus one. But after immediately losing his number, all hope is lost. Will she find him in time to make her Christmas wish come true? Or does love have other plans for Cara when magazine writer Michael (Corey Sevier) signs on to help her in her quest?
Planes, Trains, and Christmas Trees
Air date: Sunday, November 19 at 8/7c
Stars: Kathryn Davis, Olivier Renaud
During a business trip to Indiana, event planner Kayley (Kathryn Davis) and sports agent Brett (Olivier Renaud) find themselves unable to fly home for Christmas due to a terrible snowstorm. Determined to get back to New York by Christmas Eve, the two team up and try to make their own way home, but when the storm hits, they’re forced to seek refuge in the sleepy town of Redwood, Ohio; a place that ignites some much-needed Christmas magic in their hearts.
Christmas at the Chalet
Air date: Saturday, November 25 at 8/7c
Stars: Teri Hatcher, William DeVry
When ex TV host and socialite Lex (Teri Hatcher) finds herself faced with the possibility of spending Christmas sharing a luxury chalet with her son, ex-husband, and his new girlfriend, she volunteers to work in the chalet to avoid things getting too close to home, while documenting her every move for a new wave of followers who are loving this new chapter of her life.
Laughing All the Way
Air date: Sunday, November 26 at 8/7c
Stars: Paniz Zade, Jake Epstein
When ghost writer and aspiring comedian Aubri Wilson (Paniz Zade) is placed in charge of the Christmas variety show, she worries she might not have what it takes to pull off this make-or-break moment in her career. With Christmas just weeks away, Aubri is in pursuit of the perfect headliner for the event. That is, until famous Hollywood comedian Mike Baxter (Jake Epstein) returns to the comedy club that launched his career. There, Mike rediscovers his stand-up roots, and Aubri shows the world her inner funny girl, and as their journeys collide, they fall hopelessly and hilariously in love, laughing all the way.
Ladies of the ‘80s: A Divas Christmas
Air date: Saturday, December 2 at 8/7c
Stars: Loni Anderson, Morgan Fairchild, Linda Gray, Donna Mills, Nicollette Sheridan
Five glamorous ‘80s soap opera stars reunite to share the spotlight to shoot the final Christmas episode of their long-running soap opera. The producer, Alex (Travis Burns) and director Nell (Taylor Ann Thompson), old college friends, do their best to keep things on the rails but as the ladies come together, old rivalries resurface that threaten to tear the whole production apart. With the show nearly canceled before it even begins due to the ladies’ famous diva behavior, they reluctantly agree to set aside their differences and past secrets to “act” as if they all still love each other. When old sparks reignite between Alex and Nell, the ladies become eager to play cupid and conspire to bring the couple together. Along the way, the divas also discover that the love between them all is still very strong too.
The movie’s theme song Ladies of the ’80s was written by Song Writer Hall of Fame’s Steve Dorff and Michael Jay, produced by Steve Dorff, and performed by ’80s pop sensation Tiffany.
Mistletoe Match
Air date: Sunday, December 3 at 8/7c
Stars: Elena Juatco, Ryan Bruce
With the holiday season in full swing, Olivia Hayes (Elena Juatco) goes undercover to provide her readers with an in-depth and cynical look at the hugely successful annual Secret Santa for Singles event. There, she meets single dad and handsome widower Thomas (Ryan Bruce) who is just as skeptical about the program as she is. Sparks soon fly, but with a once in a lifetime promotion on the line, will she risk losing it all for the romance she never saw coming?
A Cowboy Christmas Romance
Air date: Saturday, December 9 at 8/7c
Stars: Jana Kramer, Adam Senn
One week before Christmas, a huge business deal sends real estate “closer” Lexie Crenshaw (Jana Kramer) back to a place she swore she’d never return to: her hometown of Tubac, Arizona. Back on the range, Lexie must convince Coby Mason (Adam Senn), a horse-whispering rancher, to part ways with his family’s land, while navigating her relationship with the father (Bruce Thomas) and brothers she left behind, leading her to reconsider the life she gave up 10 years ago.
It also stars Max Ehrich, Curt Mega, Lisa Lee, Mary-Margaret Humes, and Cassie Randolph. It was written By Sarah Drew.
Yes, Chef! Christmas
Air date: Sunday, December 10 at 8/7c
Stars: Tia Mowry, Buddy Valastro, Luke Humphrey
Alicia Gellar (Tia Mowry) is a culinary school instructor who has put both her true career aspirations and personal life on the back burner. But this holiday season, fate is on her side. She is invited to compete in the city’s annual Kringle Cook Off and learns a family secret that could change everything and be the big break she needs to become a respected chef like her former boss Bobby (Buddy Valastro). There to mentor her through the competition is the fiery chef and Kringle protégé, Logan (Luke Humphrey), who Alicia builds a real connection with, despite their rocky start. But can Alicia win the cook-off and prove to herself that she is the capable head chef that Logan believes her to be? And will she be accepted by the Kringles if she shares the truth with them? She will have to put it all on the line to find out.
The Holiday Proposal Plan
Air date: Saturday, December 16 at 8/7c
Stars: Tatyana Ali, Jesse Kove
Travel columnist Sonny Kravitz (Tatyana Ali) and her ex-boyfriend Kip (Jesse Kove) are forced to team up to help their best friends Bree (Whitney Able) and Jarod (Geovanni Gopradi) get engaged. To set the backdrop, the four return to Sonny’s parents’ snowy chalet and set up twelve holiday traditions that are celebrated around the world to nudge Jarod to ask Bree to be his wife. But it seems that the proposal plan doesn’t just reignite the love between the engaged couple. Will Sonny and Kip rekindle what they once had?
A Christmas Intern
Air date: Saturday, December 16 at 10/9c
Stars: Jackée Harry, Ciarra Carter, Vivica A. Fox
With the Holidays approaching, Cecilia (Jackée Harry) discovers that retirement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, so she decides to make a surprise visit to her daughter Alexis (Ciarra Carter) who created and runs “Cyber Santa,” an online gift giving business. Seizing an opportunity to spend Christmas with her daughter and get back into the game, Cecilia becomes an intern at the start-up company and the two learn the importance of family during the most wonderful time of year, while also finding love.
It also stars Doug Rogers, Jasmine Avialotis and Michael Paré. The movie features an original song by Jackée Harry.
Merry Magic Christmas
Air date: Sunday, December 17 at 8/7c
Stars: Patricia Isaac, Andrew Dunbar
As Christmas nears, financial advisor Beth (Patricia Isaac) finds that her fortune is hinting all around her. She starts seeing a recurring number: 624, an angel number that will help make her heart’s secret wish come true. It mysteriously becomes the time she wakes up, how far she bikes and the countdowns she sets. Taking on a pro-bono financial case for the local children’s theatre, Beth meets Nate (Andrew Dunbar), whose financial inexperience may cause the theatre to shut down. The two must work together to raise money for the theatre and possibly find love along the way.
Mom’s Christmas Boyfriend
Air date: Saturday, December 23 at 8/7c
Stars: Jeananne Goossen, Zach Smadu
Precocious 10-year-old Lily Morgan (Ai Barrett) enters a writing contest about her Christmas wish. She wishes that her single mother, Emma (Jeananne Goossen), finds love and a father for Lily whom Emma adopted as an infant in China. After winning the contest, will Lily’s wish come true?
Silent Night, Fatal Night
Air date: Thursday, December 7 at 8/7c
Stars: Alex Camacho, Matthew Pohlkamp
LMN Premiere
Mallory Dearborn (Alex Camacho) is one of the best-selling mystery writers in the market. Against the wishes of her manager Michael (Matthew Pohlkamp), she’s decided to end her long-running detective franchise and focus on more personal matters. Desperate for a big payday, Michael takes her prisoner and, convincing the world she’s passed away, forces her to write a new, posthumous novel. Now, Mallory will spend the holidays writing her most thrilling story yet: her own escape.
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