Hallmark Christmas Movie Calendar 2023: The Full Schedule
A World Record Christmas
Hallmark
It’s that time of year again: Holiday movie season is officially upon us! Hallmark unveiled its Christmas programming lineup, featuring 42 festive movie premieres across its networks to keep you warm and cozy through the end of the year.
Beginning Friday, Oct. 20 and running all the way through Thursday, Dec. 21, Hallmark Channel’s “Countdown to Christmas” will include 31 film premieres, while Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ “Miracles of Christmas” will launch nine originals.
Streaming service Hallmark Movies Now will debut two new titles, including a holiday adventure starring Rachael Leigh Cook and Sam Page. It will also add early access to select titles from this year’s slate, as well as never-before-seen extended cuts from previous holiday hits, like 2022’s Three Wise Men and a Baby with Paul Campbell, Tyler Hynes, and Andrew Walker.
Many Hallmark favorites are back to ring in the holiday cheer, including Lacey Chabert (starring in two films, one of which she reunites with Party of Five’s Scott Wolf), Catherine Bell, Jonathan Bennett, Campbell, Nikki DeLoach, James Denton, Hynes, Bethany Joy Lenz, Luke Macfarlane, Ryan Paevey, Janel Parrish, Kristoffer Polaha, Kimberley Sustad, Walker, and Victor Webster.
Among the new faces are Phylicia Rashad, Chris Carmack, Jonathan Frakes, Bryan Greenberg, Rick Hoffman, Jessica Parker Kennedy, and Vincent Rodriguez III, just to name a few.
With 42 festive films to choose from, we understand it can be overwhelming trying to make sense of which ones to prioritize. So we’ve combed through every Hallmark logline and cast list, and picked the 10 movies — marked with asterisks below — we’re most excited about.
Don’t have cable but want to get your fill of feel-good romances? If you’re subscribed to Peacock Premium or Premium Plus, you can watch the Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channels live through your account! Peacock also has a Hallmark hub featuring a library of past and present titles. Any new holiday movie releases will be available to stream on demand for 72 hours after their Hallmark premieres.
** denotes Editor’s Picks
Hallmark Channel’s “Countdown to Christmas” Schedule
Premiere times are 8pm ET/PT unless otherwise noted below.
Checkin’ It Twice
HallmarkFriday, October 20
Checkin’ It Twice Stars: Kim Matula, Kevin McGarry Logline: A journeyman hockey player (McGarry) falls for a real estate agent (Matula) in a career crisis when he’s traded to her hometown and moves into the cottage in her hockey-loving family’s backyard.
Saturday, October 21
Where Are You, Christmas? Stars: Lyndsy Fonseca, Michael Rady, Jim O’Heir, Julie Warner Logline: When Addy (Fonseca) wishes for a year without Christmas, she wakes up in a world of black and white. She must work together with the town mechanic (Rady) to restore Christmas.
Sunday, October 22
**Under the Christmas SkyStars: Jessica Parker Kennedy, Ryan Paevey Logline: Kat (Kennedy) is an esteemed astrophysicist, who is scheduled for her first trip into space next year until an accident grounds her. While on leave, coming to terms with the reality that her dream of being an astronaut is over, she volunteers at the local planetarium. There, she is paired up with by-the-book David (Paevey) to work on an exhibit opening right before Christmas. Will the stars align to bring these two together at the holidays? Why We’re Excited: It’s tough to predict what may become breakout holiday films when there’s dozens to parse through. However, we’re circling this one because it gives voice to differently-abled young actor, Emmy Richardson, who plays a character in a wheelchair.
Friday, October 27
Christmas by Design Stars: Rebecca Dalton, Jonathan Keltz Logline: A fashion designer (Dalton) gets accepted into a Christmas challenge to create a new holiday-themed collection and not only finds the inspiration for her next line but decides to redesign her approach to what’s most important in life.
Saturday, October 28
Mystic Christmas Stars: Jessy Schram, Chandler Massey, Patti Murin, William R. Moses Logline: Juniper (Schram) travels to Mystic, Connecticut during the holidays to work at the rehabilitation center and aquarium. She reconnects with Sawyer (Massey), the owner of the pizza shop.
Sunday, October 29
Joyeux Noel Stars: Jaicy Elliot, Brant Daugherty Logline: When a romantic painting of a Christmas market captures the imagination of copy editor Lea (Elliot), she is sent to France with pragmatic reporter Mark (Daugherty) to uncover the mystery behind the artist.
Friday, November 3
Flipping for Christmas Stars: Ashley Newbrough, Marcus Rosner Logline: It’s almost Christmas when busy realtor Abigail (Newbrough) agrees to help her sister with the “simple flip” of a recently inherited home. Unfortunately, co-beneficiary Bo (Rosner) has other plans in mind.
Saturday, November 4
**Never Been Chris’dStars: Janel Parrish, Pascal Lamothe-Kipnes, Tyler Hynes Logline: Home for the holidays, BFFs Naomi (Parrish) and Liz (Lamothe-Kipnes) reconnect with high school crush Chris Silver (Hynes). A complex love triangle forms, forcing them to take stock of their lives and find the value of friendship. Why We’re Excited: Hynes is a Hallmark favorite, and for good reason. The guy can charm anyone (or frankly, anything) with his dry wit and handsome good looks. Slot him into a film that’s all about an awkward love triangle, and we’re 100% in. Plus, who doesn’t love a good pun.
Sunday, November 5
The Santa Summit Stars: Hunter King, Benjamin Hollingsworth Logline: It’s time for the annual Santa Summit, in which revelers put on Santa suits and hop around designated locations in town to eat, drink, and be merry. Three best friends decide to go together: Jordin (King), a recently dumped art teacher looking to cut loose; Ava, a shy woman hoping to run into her crush; and Stella, a Christmas cynic with no interest in the Santa Summit whatsoever. At the start of the night, Jordin meets and bonds with Liam (Hollingsworth), but doesn’t get his name before getting separated and lost in a sea of Santas. As the night progresses and hijinks ensue, amidst the chaos, celebration, and a sea of Santas, they all find what they’re looking for: Christmas spirit, potential romance, and a strengthened bond of friendship.
Friday, November 10
Everything Christmas Stars: Katherine Barrell, Cindy Busby, Corey Sevier, Matt Wells Logline: Lori Jo’s (Busby) love for Christmas takes her on a road trip to Yuletide Springs with her roommate Tori (Barrell), where Christmas is celebrated year-round, to participate in a longstanding town tradition to honor her late grandmother. Along the way, the friends meet Carl (Sevier) and Jason (Wells), and the foursome make stops during their journey to enjoy more small-town Christmas attractions. But when a series of events puts a damper on their plans, a little Christmas magic may put this trip back on the right path.
Saturday, November 11
**Christmas IslandStars: Rachel Skarsten, Andrew Walker Logline: When a snowstorm diverts Kate’s (Skarsten) first private flight en route to Switzerland to Christmas Island, she must team up with an air traffic controller (Walker) to secure her dreamjob as the family’s pilot. Why We’re Excited: Transport us to the dreamy wonderland of Christmas Island – and with Skarsten and Walker in tow? Count us in.
Sunday, November 12
A Heidelberg Holiday Stars: Ginna Claire Mason, Frédéric Brossier Logline: Heidi Heidelberg (Mason) receives the dream opportunity to sell her beautiful, handmade glass ornaments at the prestigious Heidelberg Christmas Market in Germany. While there, she meets Lukas (Brossier), a local artisan who helps her reconnect with her lost heritage.
Friday, November 17
Navigating Christmas Stars: Chelsea Hobbs, Stephen Huszar Logline: Recently divorced Melanie (Hobbs) and her son Jason visit a remote island for Christmas, only to find themselves running a real working lighthouse where she connects with the curt but cute owner (Huszar).
A Merry Scottish Christmas
HallmarkSaturday, November 18
**A Merry Scottish ChristmasStars: Lacey Chabert, Scott Wolf Logline: Whenm estranged siblings, Lindsay (Chabert) and Brad (Wolf) Morgan travel to Scotland at Christmas to reunite with their mother Jo, a big family secret is revealed. Why We’re Excited: If a Party of Five sibling reunion between Chabert and Wolf isn’t enough to get you to add this to the “must watch” list, we don’t know what will.
Sunday, November 19
Holiday Hotline Stars: Emily Tennant, Niall Matter Logline: After leaving London, Abby (Tennant) connects with an anonymous caller while working at a cooking hotline. The caller is single dad “John” (Matter) who Abby unknowingly has become smitten with in real life.
Thursday, November 23
Catch Me If You Claus Stars: Italia Ricci, Luke Macfarlane Logline: Avery Quinn (Ricci) is an aspiring news anchor who’s finally getting her big break on her station’s Christmas morning newscast. But that’s put in jeopardy when she captures an intruder in her home wearing a red suit claiming to be Chris (Macfarlane), Santa’s son, who is on his first mission. A night of adventure ensues as they find themselves being pursued by the police as well as some shady characters. Along the way, they connect over living in the shadow of their parents and inspire each other to go after their dreams.
Friday, November 24
Letters to Santa Time: Premieres 6pm ET/PT Stars: Katie Leclerc, Rafael de la Fuente Logline: When young siblings receive a magic pen from Santa that appears to be granting wishes, they request a Christmas gift they want more than anything — for their separated parents (Leclerc, de la Fuente) to reunite.
Friday, November 24
Holiday Road Stars: Sara Canning, Warren Christie Logline: When bad weather leaves each of them stranded at the airport for the holidays, a tech entrepreneur (Christie), a travel writer (Canning), a devoted mother (Enid-Raye Adams) and her son (Kiefer O’Reilly), a stubborn senior (Trevor Lerner), an enigmatic woman with a hint of mystery (Brittany Willacy), a couple traveling from Hong Kong (Sharon Crandall, Ryan Mah) and a social media influencer (Princess Davis) all agree to rent a shared van to embark on a road trip to Denver. When their unexpected journey brings them into uncharted territory, they navigate a series of misadventures together and form a deeper bond that just might change the trajectories of each of their lives. Inspired by true events.
Saturday, November 25
Christmas in Notting Hill Time: Premieres 6pm ET/PT Stars: Sarah Ramos, William Moseley Logline: Famous soccer star, Graham Savoy (Moseley), has always been too busy for love, but when he comes home to Notting Hill for Christmas, he changes his mind after meeting Georgia (Ramos) — a visiting American and the one person who has no idea who he is.
Saturday, November 25
**Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up Stars: Lacey Chabert, Wes Brown, Stephen Tobolowsky, Melissa Peterman, Ellen Travolta, Seth Morris, Jennifer Aspen Logline: As the holidays approach, Emily (Chabert) and Jared (Brown) are looking forward to celebrating the holidays together again, this time as a couple. Emily, now embracing Evergreen Lane’s uniquely festive spirit, is ready to work with Jared, Ned (Tobolowsky), Mary Louise (Travolta), and Pamela (Peterman) to make this year’s Christmas celebrations the best yet — even if being the HOA president’s girlfriend doesn’t stop those dreaded decorating citations. When a house on the block goes up for sale, it causes quite a stir with residents. When the soon-to-be neighbors turn out to be holiday royalty (Morris, Aspen), it looks like this year’s competition is about to heat up. As the welcoming committee prepares for the new arrivals, only one thing is certain — this Christmas, Evergreen Lane is going to sleigh! Why We’re Excited: The gang’s back together again for the sequel to the popular 2022 holiday film, Haul Out the Holly, led by Chabert in her second Hallmark movie of the season. The premise sounds a little ridiculous, but sometimes, we all need a little messiness to stir up the shenanigans!
Sunday, November 26
Our Christmas Mural Time: Premieres 6p ET/PT Stars: Alex Paxton-Beesley, Dan Jeannotte Logline: Olivia (Paxton-Beesley) is a single mom who returns home for Christmas. Her mom secretly enters her into a mural contest; she wins but partners with teacher Will (Jeannotte) to create a Christmas masterpiece.
A Biltmore Christmas
HallmarkSunday, November 26
**A Biltmore ChristmasStars: Bethany Joy Lenz, Kristoffer Polaha, Jonathan Frakes, Robert Picardo (“Star Trek: Voyager”) Logline: Lucy Hardgrove (Lenz) is a screenwriter who lands the job of a lifetime when she’s hired to pen the script for a remake of the beloved holiday movie classic, His Merry Wife!, which was filmed in 1947 at the beautiful, historic Biltmore House. When the head of the studio isn’t satisfied with the ending Lucy wrote because it deviates from the original’s feel-good conclusion, he sends Lucy to Biltmore Estate for research and inspiration. While there, she unwittingly discovers the ability to travel to the 1947 set of His Merry Wife! through the help of an hourglass. While on set, she and Jack Huston (Polaha), one of the film’s stars, spend time together and become close. But her sudden appearance has set off a chain of events that put the production in jeopardy. Before she can return to the present, Lucy must make things right or threaten to alter the future forever. Why We’re Excited: We’re suckers for anything involving time travel, which usually prompts hilarious fish-out-of-water moments and insane time-travel paradoxes. Add Lenz and Polaha rocking 1940s garb into the mix, and we’re betting A Biltmore Christmas will be a classic.
Friday, December 1
My Norwegian Holiday Stars: Rhiannon Fish, David Elsendoorn Logline: JJ (Fish), grieving the loss of her grandmother and seeking dissertation inspiration, stumbles upon an unexpected holiday destiny. Meeting Henrik (Elsendoorn), a Norwegian from Bergen, their connection deepens when he discovers she has a troll figurine from his hometown. To explore the troll’s history and her grandmother’s ties, JJ agrees to join Henrik on a journey to Norway. In Bergen, they’re drawn into Henrik’s family Christmas and wedding traditions, with his sister’s wedding the day before Christmas Eve. JJ embarks on a holiday adventure, uncovering the troll’s origins and finding her own path to healing, love and family.
Saturday, December 2
**A Not So Royal ChristmasStars: Brooke D’Orsay, Will Kemp Logline: Tabloid journalist Charlotte (D’Orsay) attempts to land an interview with a reclusive Count. In response, the royal family has a groundskeeper (Kemp) pose as the Count since the real one fled years ago. Why We’re Excited: There has to be at least one royal-themed feel-good Christmas movie to look forward to, and we’re hoping this one ticks all our boxes.
Sunday, December 3
Christmas with a Kiss (working title) Stars: Mishael Morgan, Ronnie Rowe Jr., Jaime M. Callica Logline: A Mahogany Presentation. A woman (Morgan) returns home to help with her family’s Christmas Carnival and romance ignites. A photojournalist (Rowe) curates a surprise reunion.
Friday, December 8
Magic in Mistletoe Stars: Lyndie Greenwood, Paul Campbell Logline: Harrington (Campbell) is the author of a popular book series but commercial success has left him a bitter recluse. As he returns to his hometown for an annual Christmas festival celebrating his books, he’s joined by April (Greenwood), a publicist for the major publishing house he works with. April is there for damage control after Harrington’s recent comments on social media have ruffled some feathers. But as she gets to know him better, hope springs that April can unlock Harrington’s guarded heart and help him rediscover the spirit of the holiday.
Saturday, December 9
**Christmas on Cherry LaneStars: Catherine Bell, Jonathan Bennett, John Brotherton, Erin Cahill, James Denton, Vincent Rodriguez III Logline: A young couple preparing to welcome their first child (Brotherton, Cahill); an empty-nester (Bell) and her fiancé (Denton) ready to start a new chapter; and a couple (Bennett, Rodriguez III) who unexpectedly have the chance to expand their family on Christmas Eve celebrate the holiday as they navigate these turning points in their lives. Why We’re Excited: Bell and Denton return to grace the small screen again after Good Witch. It’s also nice to see Bennett, along with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s Vincent Rodriguez III, playing a happy couple looking to enter the next phase of their lives — a promising push for Hallmark in its continued effort to diversify its storytelling.
Sunday, December 10
Round and Round Stars: Vic Michaelis, Bryan Greenberg, Rick Hoffman Logline: Rachel’s (Michaelis) stuck in a time loop, reliving the night of her parents’ Hanukkah party. Can Zach (Greenberg), the “nice boy” grandma’s trying to set her up with, help her make it to tomorrow?
Friday, December 15
The Secret Gift of Christmas (working title) Stars: Meghan Ory, Christopher Russell Logline: Bonnie (Ory) is a personal shopper who helps her new, widowed client Patrick (Russell) reconnect with his young daughter. Though Bonnie and Patrick’s ideas of shopping couldn’t be more different, she is determined to get Patrick and his daughter everything on their wish list.
Saturday, December 16
Sealed With a List Stars: Katie Findlay, Evan Roderick Logline: This holiday season, festive Carley (Findlay) sets out to conquer her list of abandoned resolutions from last year. Aided by coworker Wyatt (Roderick), she finds love and the confidence to chase her dreams.
Sunday, December 17
**Friends & Family ChristmasStars: Humberly Gonzalez, Ali Liebert Logline: Daniella (Gonzalez) has recently moved to New York to pursue an art career and decides to stay in town to share the holidays with her circle of artist friends, instead of going home to see her sweet, if overbearing parents. Amelia (Liebert) is a talented entertainment lawyer trying to stay focused on her work after a broken engagement. When Daniella and Amelia are set up by their parents, they agree to pretend that they are dating, to appease them for the holidays. However, as they spend time in each other’s worlds, they soon build a connection that is deeper than either of them could have hoped for. Why We’re Excited: A lesbian romance, played by real-life queer actors, is at the heart of this Hallmark holiday film. That’s enough reason to get excited.
Hallmark Movies and Mysteries’ “Miracles of Christmas” Schedule
Premiere times are 8pm ET/PT.
Thursday, October 26
Ms. Christmas Comes to Town Stars: Erica Durance, Brennan Elliott, Barbara Niven Logline: A shopping channel host known as Ms. Christmas (Niven) receives a terminal diagnosis, which inspires a multi-city excursion set to spread Christmas cheer before her farewell broadcast.
Thursday, November 2
My Christmas Guide Stars: Amber Marshall, Ben Mehl Logline: After losing his eyesight, a college professor (Mehl) adopts a seeing eye dog from a guide dog trainer (Marshall). As they all begin to spend time together, his confidence returns and his heart begins to open.
Thursday, November 9
Mystery on Mistletoe Lane Stars: Erica Cerra, Victor Webster Logline: New to town, Heidi Wicks (Cerra) and her kids discover a Christmas mystery in their historic home. Local handyman and historian David (Webster) helps along the way, finding his own surprising connection.
Thursday, November 16
A World Record Christmas Stars: Nikki DeLoach, Lucas Bryant, Aias Dalman Logline: Charlie (Dalman) is an autistic boy determined to set a Guinness World Record by stacking 1400 Jenga blocks. His mother Marissa (DeLoach) and stepfather Eric (Bryant) encourage him to reach for his dream and they all celebrate when he gets the good news that he’ll get his chance on Christmas Eve. In the spirit of the holiday, they organize a fundraiser giving the townspeople an opportunity to donate and decorate a Jenga block, with the proceeds going to benefit kids with autism. Charlie’s journey to setting the Jenga world record gives them all the chance to learn more not just about themselves, but about what family really means.
Wednesday, November 22
A Season for Family Stars: Brendan Penny, Stacey Farber, Benjamin Jacobson, Azriel Dalman Logline: Maddy’s (Farber) adopted son Wesley (Jacobson) has just one Christmas wish — to meet his brother Cody (Dalman), who was adopted into a different family. Cody’s father Paul (Penny) is a widower who is not ready to have this conversation with his son, so he turns down a meeting. However, circumstances bring the two brothers unknowingly together and they become fast friends, while sparks fly between Maddy and Paul.
Thursday, November 30
Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas Stars: Shenae Grimes-Beech, Chris Carmack, Grace Leer Logline: Facing her first Christmas without her mother and looking to avoid loneliness, Carly (Grimes-Beech) heads to a quaint town to lead the church choir at Christmas. Once there, Carly meets Matthew (Carmack), a man back in town after serving in the army. As she gets to know Matthew, the choir and townspeople, she stumbles across clues that suggest she may have been brought here for a life changing reason. As the mystery unravels one thing is clear, this journey will teach Carly about true love, learning to trust, and that forgiveness is needed to finally heal.
Thursday, December 7
To All a Good Night Stars: Kimberley Sustad, Mark Ghanimé Logline: A small-town photographer (Sustad) saves the life of a mysterious man (Ghanimé), who may just be in town to buy her family’s parkland – which is also the location of the annual Christmas celebration.
Thursday, December 14
**Heaven Down HereStars: Krystal Joy Brown, Tina Lifford, Juan Riedinger, Richard Harmon, Phylicia Rashad Logline: Inspired by Mickey Guyton’s song of the same name, “Heaven Down Here” tells the story of four disparate people who find themselves stranded in a local diner on Christmas Eve when a snowstorm hits the town. Imami (Brown) is a widowed mother of two who’s having trouble making ends meet and reluctantly agrees to work the Christmas Eve shift, where she clashes with her boss Dan (Harmon), who doesn’t exactly embody the Christmas spirit. Felix (Riedinger) is a local pastor desperately trying to secure food for parishioners while his faith is challenged by his alienation by his son. Clara (Lifford) is a hospice nurse with an obstinate patient (Rashad) and whose daughter is moving away, causing her to question her place in this world. Throughout the evening, these four bicker, bond and unwittingly provide each other with the answer to their respective prayers. Why We’re Excited: With Rashad in the mix and the emotional message behind Guyton’s song, we can already tell this could be a movie that stays with you.
Thursday, December 21
Miracle in Bethlehem, PA Stars: Laura Vandervoort, Benjamin Ayres Logline: A New DaySpring Movie. Successful and fiercely independent, Mary Ann Brubeck (Vandervoort) adopts a baby girl to raise on her own just before Christmas. Due to weather, she and the baby get stuck in Bethlehem, PA for the holidays. When there is no room at the inn, her only option is to stay with the innkeeper’s brother Joe (Ayres), a quintessential bachelor who lives in a house that he treats like a barn. As Mary Ann learns the value of community by spending time with Joe’s family and participating in the local church’s Christmas events, Joe starts getting his act together with new motivation… and the two begin to see each other in a new light.
Hallmark Movies Now’s “Movies & Mistletoe” ScheduleThursday, November 9
A World Record Christmas Stars: Nikki DeLoach, Lucas Bryant, Aias Dalman Early access before the November 16 premiere on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.
Thursday, November 16
Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas Stars: Shenae Grimes-Beech, Chris Carmack, Grace Leer Early access before the November 30 premiere on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.
Monday, November 27
Three Wise Men and a Baby – EXTENDED CUT Stars: Paul Campbell, Tyler Hynes, Andrew Walker, Margaret Colin A never-before-seen extended cut exclusive to Hallmark Movies Now. Logline: Three brothers (Campbell, Hynes, Walker) get the surprise of their lives when they are forced to work together to care for a baby over the holidays. As they slowly get the hang of things, they find themselves on unexpected journeys of self-discovery and begin to rebuild their relationships as brothers, as well as the damaged romantic and professional relationships in their respective lives… all while rediscovering their love of Christmas.
Thursday, December 7
Rescuing Christmas (working title) Stars: Rachael Leigh Cook, Sam Page Logline: In a world where Santa (T. Mychael Rambo) is real and wants to drum up some holiday spirit, two of Santa’s elves, Chuck (Patrick Thomas O’Brien) and Debbie (Bailey Stender), devise a plan to grant one human on Earth three wishes to kickstart the holidays. Unfortunately, that human is Erin (Cook), who has lost all affection for the season. Even a blind date set up by her sister, with the affable and charming Sam (Page), won’t change her mind about Christmas. But when she makes the mistake of wishing Christmas would “just disappear,” Erin wakes up to a world where the holiday never existed! Horrified, she realizes that she’s taken away everyone’s joy, so she enlists Sam to help her reinvent the festivities from scratch. In the process, Erin learns just how much this holiday and its traditions have meant to everyone around her — and how much Sam has come to mean to her.
An Ice Palace Romance
HallmarkThursday, December 14
An Ice Palace Romance Stars: Celeste Desjardins, Marcus Rosner Logline: A journalist (Desjardins) faces old fears when she returns to her hometown ice rink to cover a story. With the help of the owner (Rosner) and his young daughter, she begins to reevaluate her life’s purpose.
Thursday, December 21
A Holiday Spectacular – EXTENDED CUT Stars: Ginna Claire Mason, Derek Klena, Eve Plumb, Ann-Margret, the Radio City Rockettes Logline: In 1958, Maggie (Mason) is an heiress from Philadelphia who puts her high-society wedding plans on hold in order to sneak up to New York City and make her secret dream come true: dancing live on stage in the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall.
