🎄🌟Our First Christmas Movie Weekend Is Here!!🌟🎄 New Great American Family Christmas Premiere + Hallmark Channel's Fall Finale

Movie images: Great American Media / Hallmark Media
Edit: It's a Wonderful Movie
( click here to enlarge image ) 

Happy Christmas Movie Weekend, Friends!!!✨🎄

I'm ecstatic that this is our very first weekend of the holiday season with a NEW Christmas movie premiere and classics airing 24/7!

Great American Family jumps right into the Christmas movie season with a new movie, A Second Chance Christmas, starring Candace Cameron Bure and Jonathan Scarfe! Will these exes find love again while being stranded together in a snowstorm?

And Hallmark Channel's last Fall into Love movie premiere, The Spirit of Halloween, starring Meghan Ory and Kevin McGarry, has the legendary A Christmas Carol story woven into it. I'm not typically one to watch a Halloween movie, but since this film follows the familiar Ebenezer Scrooge Christmas story we all know so well, I'm willing to give it a try. I'm just hoping it doesn't get overly spooky or dark.

See all of the details for the NEW MOVIES and MORE below...

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Friday, October 9, 2026:

Great American Christmas Begins

Beginning Friday, October 9th, watch classic Christmas movies 24/7 on Great American Family!

Movies included in the lineup: Twas the Text Before Christmas, A Cinderella Christmas Ball, Let it Snow, A Little Women's Christmas, Destined at Christmas, A Christmas Prayer, and more!




Click here to see the new Great American Family Christmas movies premiering throughout the holiday season!

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Friday, October 9, 2026:

Kevin McGarry

Mini Movie Marathon

Hallmark Channel Friday Night:

Winter Castle ... 4pm
My Grown-Up Christmas List ... 6pm
Checkin' it Twice ... 8pm

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Saturday, October 10, 2026:

A Second Chance Christmas

Storyline: After five years, divorced parents Anna and James reunite with their adult children for Christmas, only to find an unexpected ice storm may give their love story a second chance.

A Second Chance Christmas

Premieres Saturday, October 10, 2026

at 8pm/7c on Great American Family

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Saturday, October 10, 2026:

The Spirit of Halloween

Storyline: Brilliant bridal designer Everly Stone (Ory) has no patience for Halloween, especially the beloved fire-station bash that once left her heartbroken in front of everyone she knew. But when her late mentor appears with a glamorous warning, Everly Stone is swept through one unforgettable night by three mischievous spirits who reveal the joy she lost, the people she’s pushing away, and the future she might miss if she keeps hiding behind work and fear. With a loyal assistant ready for more, a town waiting to welcome her back, and longtime friend Beau Madison (McGarry) still carrying a spark from their past, Everly Stone must decide whether Halloween is the night that broke her heart or the one that can finally help it heal.

The Spirit of Halloween

Premieres Saturday, October 10, 2026

at 8pm/7c on the Hallmark Channel

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Saturday, October 10, 2026:

Hallmark's Classic Fall Movies

All Weekend Long

Enjoy many of Hallmark Channel's 

Fall movies all weekend long...🍁🍃🎃

Saturday:
Pumpkin Pie Wars ... 10am
Love Struck Cafe ... 12pm
Sweet Autumn ... 2pm
A Harvest Wedding ... 4pm
Haul Out the Halloween ... 6pm
The Spirit of Halloween ... 8pm *NEW
Pumpkin Regatta Romance ... 10pm

Sunday:
Fourth Down and Love ... 10am
Under the Autumn Moon ... 2pm
Harvest Moon ... 4pm
The Spirit of Halloween ... 6pm *ENCORE
A Knight to Remember ... 10pm

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I hope you all have the most wonderful weekend as we soak up these first little joys of the Christmas movie season! 🎄✨

I’m especially excited for Candace’s brand-new Christmas premiere and, of course, curling up with some of my favorite holiday classics along the way. There’s just something so special about this time of year when the Christmas movies begin again!!!!

One little viewing note: Since The Spirit of Halloween follows the familiar A Christmas Carol storyline, there may be a few moments that could feel a little spooky or intense for younger viewers. We all know the standard Scrooge story... so the movie will have the Ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, and I must say - nearly all of those older Scrooge movies when I was little always scared me with the creepy ghost of Christmas future - and even now, they still creep me out a little. (IYKYK!!!) I haven’t seen the new Hallmark movie yet, so I can’t say for certain how scary or dark it may be; however, if you’re watching with little ones, please use your own discretion or you may want to preview it first.

I'm currently watching the Great American Family Christmas movies as I finish writing this post this morning, and it's so beautiful to once again see so many movies I love, plus the commercials in between highlighting the Great American Family Christmas movies with the Christmas carols: Joy to the World and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing! What a blessing it is - to celebrate this upcoming Christmas season with you all and the True Joy of Christmas!

♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

"Joy to the world, the Lord is come

Let earth receive her King

Let every heart prepare Him room

And Heaven and nature sing

And Heaven and nature sing

And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing"

♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

May every heart prepare Him room

- this Christmas season!❤️

Have a Blessed, Merry Weekend!

Net🎄

SHINING HIS LIGHT:

"For God so loved the world

that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in Him

should not perish,

but have everlasting life."

John 3:16

✨ See Actress Jen Lilley at the 57th Annual Dove Awards

image via: Gospel Music Association | Dove Awards

For all of you who love Christian music and entertainment, I wanted to share that Jen Lilley was a presenter at the 57th Annual Dove Awards! 

The program took place on Tuesday, October 6th, but it will air on TV for the first time this Friday night, October 9th, at 7:30 & 10 PM ET on TBN and the TBN+ livestream.


These are the movies and TV series that are nominated this year...

✨Feature Film of the Year

A Great Awakening
DAVID
I Can Only Imagine 2
Sarah's Oil
Soul on Fire


✨Television Series of the Year

Duck Dynasty: The Revival
House of David
The Chosen
The Promised Land
The Wingfeather Saga


Lots of great nominees here, but I'd love to see When Hope Calls: Brookfield and Crossroad Springs nominated next year, too!

Hope many of you will enjoy the show

& be blessed by it!

Net ♫

UPtv is the Fastest Growing Cable Network in 2026

I received this wonderful news today from my friends at UPtv and just had to share!

UPtv has been given the honor of the "No. 1 network for audience growth in 2026"!

I think that has a lot to do with the popular dramas the channel has aired over the year, including Blue Skies, Hudson & Rex, Heartland, and Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries.

See all of the details in the press release below.

And mark your calendars for UPtv's Christmas movies - returning in November! (See link for the Christmas movies at the end of this post.)


Press Release:

UPTV IS THE FASTEST 

GROWING CABLE NETWORK 

IN 2026

Blue Skies Ranks Among the Top 10 Programs

in its Time Period Across Ad-Supported Cable

as UPtv Climbs to No. 30 Among Women 18+

ATLANTA – Oct. 7, 2026 – UPtv, the home for uplifting entertainment, is the No. 1 network for audience growth in 2026.¹ UPtv now ranks No. 30 among Cable networks for delivery of W18+.² Fueling UPtv's impressive growth are hit series Hudson & Rex, UP Faith & Family original series Blue Skies, which just wrapped its impressive cable debut, and acquired fan-favorite series The Rookie. Season to Date, Blue Skies season one ranks #8 in HH delivery in the Thursday 9 p.m. - 10 p.m. time period and Hudson & Rex season eight ranks #11 in HH delivery in the Thursday 8 p.m. - 9 p.m. time period versus all ad-supported cable.³

"We’re honored that our viewers have made UP the fastest-growing cable network in 2026, a remarkable achievement that’s a direct reflection of the strong demand for uplifting entertainment," said Philip Manwaring, CEO of UP Entertainment. "Viewers continue to seek out stories that inspire, entertain and bring people together, and our team has been relentlessly focused on delivering programming that meets that demand. We're grateful for the loyalty of our audience and look forward to continuing to serve them as we carry this momentum into the holiday season and beyond."

UPtv is celebrating the “Most Uplifting Christmas Ever” beginning Thursday, Nov. 5. From royal romances and holiday mysteries to beloved family traditions and unexpected second chances, UPtv's 2026 Christmas lineup delivers a season filled with heart, hope and holiday cheer. Featuring eight premiere movies and stars including Vivica A. Fox, Kelley Jakle, Kym Johnson Herjavec, Carson Kressley, Franco Lo Presti, Gilles Marini, Rob Mayes and Jonathan Stoddard, this year's collection showcases the uplifting storytelling that defines UPtv. A Thanksgiving week marathon of The Rookie adds even more feel-good viewing for audiences gathering with family and friends throughout the holiday season.

To find UPtv in your area, visit our Find Your Channel page. UPtv is available through a variety of cable, satellite and streaming providers, including Xfinity, DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, DISH, Frndly TV, Philo, Sling, Spectrum TV and Verizon Fios TV. Availability varies by provider and market. If you are a YouTube TV customer and would like UPtv added to your live TV lineup, please go here to request the channel.

1Nielsen Official Currency. HH C3 (000); Total Day M-Su 6a-6a; 2026 YTD (12/29/25 - 8/30/26) vs. 2025 YTD (12/30/24 – 8/31/25) % increase/decrease rank among all Ad-supported Cable Nets
2Nielsen Official Currency. W18+ C3 (000); Total Day M-Su 6a-6a; 3Q26-to-date (6/29/26 - 8/30/26)
3 Nielsen Official Currency, L3 HH AA(000) 8/13/26-9/26/26 Th 9p-10p time period rank among all ad supported cable. For HR, 8/6/26-9/26/26 Th 8p-9p time period rank among all ad supported cable.

# # #

About UP Entertainment
UP Entertainment is the home for uplifting entertainment for passionate and diverse audiences across the leading cable, satellite and streaming platforms. Brands include UP Faith & Family, UPtv, aspireTV, aspireTV+, GaitherTV+ and Cine Romántico. UP Faith & Family is the leading subscription streaming service in uplifting entertainment. UPtv is the trusted network for adults seeking positive programming with relatable stories about relationships, filled with love and laughter, through exclusive premiere movies, box-office hit films and beloved series. AspireTV is the television network that celebrates and reflects Black culture, life and style in a way that is inspiring, authentic and entertaining. AspireTV+ is a new subscription streaming service for Black culture and urban lifestyle entertainment. GaitherTV+ provides access to Gaither’s renowned and growing library of full-length award-winning Country, Gospel, Bluegrass and Christian concerts and specials, early premieres of new performances and shows, and exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews. UP Entertainment in partnership with PixL Dos, also manages and distributes Cine Romántico, a FAST channel featuring the best of Hollywood TV romance movies in Spanish. Additionally, UP Entertainment represents partner brand Ovation TV, an independent television, production, and digital media company, with an unparalleled commitment to the arts, culture and entertainment. UP Entertainment’s award-winning pro-social initiative, “UPlift Someone,” has inspired over 200 million people to uplift others through its social videos.

---------end of Press Release---------

Congratulations to UPtv!!! I know many of us here at It's a Wonderful Movie really enjoy your mystery series, and of course, we always look forward to Christmas, too!

To check out UPtv's Christmas Movie Premeires, click here!

Happy watching!

Net

🎄✨ Christmas Movies are Days Away!!!

✨ 'Tis the season...

for warm drinks, 

chunky sweaters, 

a cozy blanket, 

and (almost!) Christmas movies, too!!!

We are just days away now from Great American Family - launching into their Christmas movie season!

On Friday, October 9th, Great American Family will begin airing Christmas movies 24/7! Along with the 18 new premieres, it looks like we'll see many of the classic Great American Family movies we've enjoyed through the years, including A Christmas Miracle for Daisy, Jingle Bell Princess, Joy for Christmas, A Christmas Blessing, and more - including a new premiere this weekend!

A Christmas Blessing

If you have the Great American Faith & Living channel, Christmas movies will also air there 24/7, beginning Thursday, October 8th. Along with the Great American Family Christmas movie classics, I also saw a few new acquired movies in the upcoming schedule, including A Cinderella Christmas (which originally aired on ION) and Love Always, Santa (which originally aired on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries). Both movies are fun, but I've always adored Love Always, Santa!

Love Always, Santa

If you're wondering about Hallmark, both the Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Mystery will begin airing Christmas movies on Friday, October 16th! Look for your favorite Hallmark classics, old and new, including The Christmas Secret, A Very Merry Mix-Up, A Season for Miracles, and many more, along with new premieres that weekend!

The Christmas Secret

Stay tuned, everyone, for all the excitement!!

The BIG Christmas Movie Review page will also return again this year! (More details to come!)

See the Christmas TV Movie Schedule for all of the Christmas movie premiere dates & times.

May Your Day be 

Merry & Bright!

Blessings,

Net🎄

🎄When to Watch The Charlie Brown Holiday Specials FREE on Apple TV

The Peanuts classics we all love: “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving,” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will return this holiday season with special free streaming options on Apple TV.

Here are the dates you'll want to be sure to add to your calendar:

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
October 17-18, 2026

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
November 14-15, 2026

A Charlie Brown Christmas
December 12-13, 2026


Also, premiering this year on Apple TV is an all-new Peanuts Gang cartoon: "Snoopy Presents: 12 Days of Snoopy," which will premiere Friday, November 13, 2026.

According to Apple TV, "In this latest new special under the acclaimed “Snoopy Presents” banner, the Peanuts kids are on their best behavior, but Snoopy has landed on Santa’s naughty list. With just 12 days until Christmas, he sets out to prove he’s not such a bad beagle after all, discovering along the way that the season is about more than gifts."

I hope you can tune in to watch these beloved Charlie Brown cartoon classics! The classic Christmas episode, A Charlie Brown Christmas, will always be my absolute favorite, but I still love the other holiday specials, too... as I'm sure many of you do, too!

May Your Day Be 

Merry & Bright!

Net🎄

Peanuts Holiday Collection:

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Peanuts - A Charlie Brown Christmas Special T-Shirt

Available in sizes for Men, Women, Boys, and Girls

ProductWorks 24" Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

with Linus's Blanket Holiday Décor and Classic Red Ball Ornament

Peanuts Snoopy Pajamas Christmas Holiday Family Matching

Charlie Brown from Peanuts

in Santa Hat 8 inch Plush