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| image: Hallmark Crown Media |
Are you ready for the Countdown? Hallmark has already been telling us the 2019 Christmas Movie Season will be bigger and better than ever before - since this year is the 10th Anniversary of the Hallmark Channel's seasonally popular Countdown to Christmas event! And now that Hallmark has announced 40 all new Christmas Movies - they will most definitely be achieving that goal!
However, before the Christmas Movie Season even begins for Hallmark - on October 25th, the first Christmas Movie will premiere during Hallmark's Keepsake Christmas event! Better known as- Christmas in July!
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| images: Hallmark Crown Media - Jon Cor (Love on Safari) and Merritt Patterson (Christmas at the Palace) |
Hallmark also revealed - one of the new Christmas movies will be:
So, how will the 40 films breakdown across both Hallmark networks? According to Hallmark, the Hallmark Channel will be airing 24 new Christmas movies, while Hallmark Movies and Mysteries will have 16!
I don't know about you, but I'm already wondering how I'm possibly going to be able to watch or record them all, but I'm up for the challenge! Most of all, I can't wait to see what we can expect from our Hallmark regulars, such as: Lacey Chabert, Candace Cameron Bure, Danica McKellar, Brennan Elliott, Kristoffer Polaha, Ryan Paevey and more! There hasn't been any official announcement, yet, but I'm anticipating we'll see all of them in Hallmark Holiday films again this year, and I'm hoping Andrew Walker will be included this year, as well, on Hallmark! *Update: Andrew Walker will star in Merry & Bright with Jodie Sweetin!
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| image: Hallmark Crown Media |
Holiday films already announced by Hallmark for 2019 include: "The Christmas Song" starring Kristin Chenoweth and Scott Wolf, "Holiday for Heroes" starring Melissa Claire Egan and Marc Blucas, a Blake Shelton Executive Producer film, "Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses" starring Jill Wagner and Matthew Davis, an untitled Graceland movie, plus The Christmas Company, and Christmas Camp starring Lily Anne Harrison, Bobby Campo, and Ben Gavin! There's obviously going to be many more announcements to come - so stay tuned!
Joyous Blessings! Net
I am super excited, Net, over all the new Christmas movies and I think it's a pretty safe bet we will see all the regulars you referred to, but who knows with Andrew walker. If Hallmark is smart they will snatch him up this year before Lifetime.
ReplyDeleteI would also love to see Andrew do another Hallmark Christmas movie, Anna. Let's hope they can work it out this year. It's been too long. Plus, you never know - he could do both networks. Both Tatyana Ali and Tia Mowry-Hardrict had Christmas movies on both Hallmark & Lifetime last year. If they can work the filming time out, anything is possible!
DeleteAndrew and Bethany in a Hallmark Christmas movie...that would be great!
DeleteYes, that would be terrific!!! :)
DeleteSO excited for this!:)
ReplyDeleteMe too!!! Christmas is the best on Hallmark!!!
DeleteWow. They are already announcing some of the Christmas movies this early. That is great. Can't wait. Hallmark is really paying attention to its fans. Net, thank you for sharing your hard work with us. Don't know what I would do without you.
ReplyDeleteHey Mark! Yes, they've been releasing details, little by little, especially since, it seems, they are filming even more of them earlier than usual.
DeleteThanks so much for your comment! I do my best to share the latest scoops with all of you!
Blessings! Net
Like you, I'm a bit nervous about where I'll store all of these (and when I'll have the time to see them all!!). Still, it's exciting to see some familiar names on the list, and know we'll all discover new favorites among the upcoming originals. :)
ReplyDeleteExactly, Rissi! I hope we'll have enough room! 40 films = 80 HOURS! Yikes! Plus, with other networks, we'll need even more!
DeleteWe are overly blessed! It's a wonderful problem to have!
So great to hear from you! :)
Blessings! Net
Best news in this has to be a new movie during Christmas in July. Missed that last year.
ReplyDeleteI also love, CJ, knowing we'll have something new to look forward to - during Christmas in July - Keepsake Christmas! :)
DeleteMistletoe Secret by Richard Paul Evan
ReplyDeleteYes, that's another one that is in-the-works! Hallmark hasn't officially announced it, yet, but there has been talk elsewhere on social media!
DeleteI have it listed in my 2019 Christmas Movies List!
Earlier this year we upgraded to the DVR that gives us way more storage space. Looks like I'm going to need it! In addition to those you mentioned, I'm hoping to see Jordan Bridges in another Christmas movie. Christmas at Holly Lodge was one of my favorites in 2017.
ReplyDeleteThat's great news about your DVR! No matter how much room I have - it never seems like enough these days. I, too, would love to see Jordan in another Christmas movie! He's just wonderful in everything! My fave with him is "Holiday Engagement," but I love "Christmas at Holly Lodge," too!
DeleteBlessings, Net
Net,thanks for keeping all of us updated for the 2019 movie season. You do a phenomenal job. And I would think all the folks that follow on here feel the same way. Wow ,40 movies, I hope it isn't going to be over saturation. It scares me that some of our old favorites will be on less. I wonder if they would consider also using Hallmark Drama as a third network for the Countdown. Just a thought .
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Paul, for this incredibly sweet, thoughtful comment! It is certainly quite a task to keep up with all the new movies, but I truly enjoy sharing them with all of you!
DeleteI admit... 40 New Christmas movies does sound, a bit, overwhelming and exciting, all at once! I, too, am wondering how often we will be able to see old cherished favorites. When you consider all the repeat showings of those 40 films, it does leave a lot less time for airing Christmas movies from the past.
As for Hallmark Drama, I would also love to see them play some of the old ones on that channel, but I'm thinking, they will probably just move more of the old Christmas movies to their streaming service and make viewers pay to see them. However, they have a lot of movies - let's hope there's enough to spread around to both!
And, since they've announced two NEW Christmas Specials for Hallmark Drama - "Christmas Cookie Countdown" and "Project Christmas Joy: Alabama" (wt) - maybe there will be more Christmas surprises in store on Hallmark Drama! Let's hope!
Blessings, Net
As much as I love Hallmark movies, I wasn't exactly please with the quality of last year's Christmas movies, I feel it was more about quantity than quality. So hopefully, the quality will be there in this year's Christmas movies. Sometimes less is better.
ReplyDeleteHi Jill - Yes, I echoed those exact sentiments and concerns in an earlier post. While part of me says, yay, 40 films!, part of me says, ooh, what does this mean for quality?
DeleteNet, do you know how the ratings of last year's Hallmark Christmas movies compared with previous years? I thought I had heard that the ratings were down, possibly due to over-saturation. Perhaps after this 10th-anniversary year, Hallmark will cut back on the number of movies and focus more on quality. I know that I would welcome it!
Mark 25
I so agree Jill. I'm concerned too. I could hardly keep up last year and I didn't think the quality was as good. Plus, I feel we will not see the older and better movies as much now.
DeleteI'm right there with ya, Jill, Mark, and Joyce! Like I said above, I'm up for the challenge and I'm grateful that Hallmark gives us these wonderful wholesome Christmas movies, but it can be somewhat overwhelming, especially being such a busy time of year - on top of everything!
DeleteAs for ratings, Mark -
Here are the Top Ten Christmas Movies, by ratings, for 2017:
Switched for Christmas - 5.17
The Christmas Train - 4.87
The Christmas Cottage - 4.57
Christmas Next Door - 4.42
Christmas Getaway - 4.38
Coming Home For Christmas - 4.11
Finding Santa - 4.06
Christmas Connection - 3.99
Christmas in Evergreen - 3.96
Royal New Year's Eve - 3.91
Total = 43.44
And...
Here are the Top Ten Christmas Movies, by ratings, for 2018:
Christmas at Graceland - 4.66
A Shoe Addict's Christmas - 4.24
It's Christmas, Eve - 4.17
Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa - 4.00
Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe - 3.90
Mingle All the Way - 3.87
Homegrown Christmas - 3.81
When Calls the Heart:
The Greatest Christmas Blessing - 3.74
Christmas in Love - 3.66
Christmas at Pemberley Manor - 3.57
Total = 39.62
So, if we go by the top ten films for each year, recently, then yes, the ratings have gone down- a little. Since there is a BIG promotion for the Tenth Anniversary - I'm thinking viewership may also be bigger than ever before! We'll see! :)
Blessings! Net
Folks -- There was nothing wrong with the "quality" of the movies. The Hallmark of today is not the Hallmark of yesteryear, and they are making movies within a very narrow lane -- with a specific formula that does not allow for a lot of variations when they want to stick to a particular genre.
DeleteLet your expectations go, and you won't be quite as disappointed.
Now, while I think the quality is fine, whether or not I (or you) enjoyed some of the movies is a different story.
The types of movies you like to see are also another story. There are some fan favorites that people think are "of quality," and I do not care for them at all. So, should I then say that those movies are not of quality -- simply because they are not my cup of tea? Plenty of people DO like them, so what makes me a judge of perceived "quality"? It's all about personal tastes and preferences.
But imagine that you had not been watching years of Christmas movies across multiple channels, and 2018 was your first year of watching. Perhaps you would have a different perspective and would be viewing them through a less jaded and less critical lens than the one you are viewing them through now.
And I will repeat what I have said here before -- no one has to watch ALL of the movies. If it's too much of a daunting task, and if you are afraid of getting disappointed and burnt out, then just look at the synopses (when they are released) and pick 10 of them to watch so you won't reach your own personal saturation level. You can't do it, can you? The urge to watch each one is too strong, isn't it? lol
Put things in perspective, folks. Many Christmas movies is not and should never be a problem for anyone -- not in a world with real, actual problems. Having a lot of movies to enjoy is a gift and a blessing, even if you don't personally enjoy some of them. Many people wish that their biggest inconvenience and hardship in life was being overwhelmed with Christmas movies.
To anonymous, if people think the quality is suffering for quantity, they are entitled to their opinion. I am one and believe I am allowed to have an opinion of my own. I do what you suggest, reading synopsis, or if I don't care for the actors then not watching, so last year I did weed out quite a bit of movies that I didn't even need to record. But I felt sad doing that, because there was a time that I wanted to watch every single hallmark movie and now I find myself not, of course I know everything in life changes, it evolves, but I also know that the other networks didn't have as many movies, but in the last 2 years at least, many of their movies are the best of that year, and they are not trying to outdo the previous years with 100 new movies.
DeleteI know it is my choice to watch or not watch, and I am all for new movies, but I am even finding myself just straight deleting movies this year, and not even watching, and we aren't even to Christmas yet.
Now what I will say for Christmas this year, it seems we are getting a lot of new to Hallmark's, as well as actors that haven't done a movie in a long time, with Torrey DeVito being one. And the countdown to summer movies--I am flat out excited for them. Heart of Texas with Jonna Walsh, Dan on A Paris Romance, Leah Renee on the Sailing movie, and then the June weddings with Cindy Busby and I love Tyler Hines in WM5. So keep up the new or haven't seen in a long time actors HM, it is starting to get good :)
Sabrina, I, too am allowed to have an opinion of my own, which I stated above. I think people complain too much (about something that is a joy and not a hindrance) and often have unrealistic expectations.
DeleteBut I am not going to say that the "quality is suffering" just because I personally dislike a movie -- because other people DO like things that I dislike. So what makes my assessment (or anyone else's) of the quality a fact? It's not a fact. It's an opinion.
I didn't care for most of the movies on the other networks last year. I only found a couple on other channels that I liked, and some of them seemed exactly like Hallmark movies. So does that mean the quality of those movies was suffering because I didn't like them? No. It means I did not personally care for them. Other people DID like a lot of the Lifetime, etc., movies. I didn't, for the most part.
And Lifetime certainly IS trying to step up their Christmas movie game. It wasn't possible for them to make a giant leap to 36 or 38 movies in one year. But they ramped it up to 18, which they had never done before. It's not only Hallmark that wants to increase the number of movies.
Anonymous - To comment on some of your points:
Delete1. You are correct that quality can be a matter of one's personal judgement. However, the general consensus of many can also determine "quality". For example, there are movies where the overall consensus is that the writing is better than in other movies. Or the acting is better than in other movies. Or some other factor is better than in other movies. And the closer the consensus is to 100%, the closer it is to being "factual". (Wouldn't you say it is a fact that Gone With the Wind is a higher quality movie than, say, Plan 9 From Outer Space? Think why.)
2. You seem to be under the impression that if I (we) dislike a movie, it is because I (we) think it is of poor quality. None of us have said that, and I am sure none of us would ever imply that. There are many movies of high quality - good scripts, good acting, etc. - that I don't care for simply because they don't resonate with me.
3. You are also implying that no one should voice a negative opinion because it is "complaining", or being "jaded" or "critical", especially in light of other "inconveniences and hardships in life". While of course there are serious concerns in our world , no one should ever be afraid to voice an opinion on anything, be it positive or negative. And getting back to the Hallmark movies, I appreciate those on this site who express an honest opinion - I don't want the reviews to be sugar-coated because it smacks of complaining.
Anonymous, I have been watching the Hallmark Christmas movies for many years, and I feel that in the last year or two, the quality - especially the writing - in general is not as great as it had been. And perhaps it is because Hallmark has been focusing too much on quantity rather than quality, and if so, I am hoping the trend reverses. That was the sole point I was trying to make.
Mark 25
I missed a lot of movies last time and I don't have DVR. I sure wish I could watch those. Plus, there were so many changes to the schedule. I hope that doesn't happen this time!
ReplyDeleteMisty
Oh, I know, Misty... the schedule always seems to change a lot throughout the Christmas season. I'm always searching for encore airings, too, and when the schedule changes, that makes it even more difficult to be able to watch an encore airing. I hope it helps, some, that Hallmark is playing now throughout the year, and maybe, you can catch some that you missed during the Christmas season.
DeleteBlessings! Net
I'd like to see Courtney Thorne Smith, Jordan Bridges, & Beau Bridges in future Hallmark movie!!! Since they work together on Thanksgiving Promise.
ReplyDeleteAwe, the "Thanksgiving Promise," what a sweet movie! It's been years since I've seen it. That would be so nice to see them together again. Jordan & Beau should make an appearance on Courtney's "Emma Fielding Mysteries!" Wonderful idea! :)
DeleteI hope Hallmark could air Christmas Camp in Christmas in July
ReplyDeleteThat's definitely a possibility! :)
DeleteBethany Joy Lenz & Andrew Walker could do Mystery movies together in the future
ReplyDeleteOh YEEEESSSS... they would be wonderful sleuthing together!!! Great idea!!!
DeleteLol!! We are overly blessed, Net, rather too many than not enough! I plan on watching each and every one of them as I did last year...whew...what a job, but I did it!! Yay!!
ReplyDeleteLinda... Yes, we are blessed, indeed, with an abundance of Christmas movies!!! :)
DeleteLike you, I watched them all! It took some time to do - but I enjoyed each and everyone - even into the New Year!
We'll make this pact together to watch them all again this year - no matter how long it takes! We will do it! LOL!!!
Blessings, Net
I think Cindy Busby should also be part of the Hallmark Christmas movies for last year she wasn’t. It would be great to see her reunited with her co star Ryan Paevey in a Christmas movie.
ReplyDeleteYes! Yes! Yes! I would love to see Cindy Busby in a Hallmark Christmas movie this year. She has done a few now for ION and one for UP, but none for Hallmark. That is almost unbelievable. With the number of Christmas movies coming this year to Hallmark, perhaps it will finally be possible!
DeleteAs for the movie, In, "The Christmas Song,” Chenoweth plays a youth choir director who “needs to write a big song for the Christmas Eve show but ‘finds herself distracted’ when a boy with a golden voice joins her choir, which will come as news to his widowed father.”
ReplyDeleteThey filmed in Charlotte, NC for Christmas movie: The Christmas Song
Christmas music prodigy with a golden voice
A Ring for Christmas (2019)
ReplyDeleteNEWBURYPORT – The city’s Christmas tree in Market Square has been declared dead, so it will be coming down in the next few days — ending weeks of speculation by residents and workers alike.
But another tree, either a real or artificial one, will be erected in the same spot soon after, according to the mayor’s office.
Weeks ago, Lois Honnegar, executive aide to Mayor Donna Holaday, said the city was approached by a movie production company considering Market Square as a shooting location.
On Thursday, Honnegar confirmed the Hallmark Channel movie “A Ring For Christmas” will be at least partly filmed in Market Square. She said film crews will be there for a week or two starting in late February.
Honnegar said she hopes someone will want to donate a tree that will be featured in the movie.
Five Cards for Christmas (2019)
ReplyDeleteStarring Drew Seely, Chad Michael Murray, & Torrey DeVitto
Chad Michael Murray, who played Lucas Scott for six seasons of the 2000s teen drama, and Torrey DeVitto, who portrayed nanny Carrie, are reuniting for an upcoming Hallmark Channel Christmas movie to premiere during the holiday season later this year, ET has exclusively learned.
Drew Seeley, who guest starred as mutual friend Vegas on One Tree Hill, Lolita Davidovich and Grant Showalso star in the original film, titled Five Cards for Christmas. Production kicks off next week.
The film's To All the Boys I've Loved Before-esque premise revolves around the recently single Jessica (DeVitto), who sends Christmas cards to five people who have impacted her life: the aunt (Davidovich) who raised her, her younger brother in the military, a pop star Jax (Seeley) who provided the soundtrack to her life, the music teacher who inspired her and her best friend, Mimi, who always tells her the truth.
DeVitto's Jessica owns a music store and is a cellist, though she hasn't played in quite some time. Through a connection her best friend has at the philharmonic, she scores Jessica an audition, who reluctantly agrees to give it a shot and has only a week to dust off the rust.
Murray will play Luke, the son of Jessica's music teacher, who is one of the recipients of her cards. With the teacher out of the country, Luke is the one who opens Jessica's card. They have a chance meeting when Luke goes to Jessica's apartment to let her know in person how much the card meant to his mother.
Seeley plays Jax, a former pop star who receives one of Jessica's cards. In the card, she reveals his music helped her through a difficult time in her life.
Murray (2018's Road to Christmas), DeVitto (2014's Best Christmas Party Ever), Seeley (2018's A Christmas for the Books) and Davidovich (2018's Once Upon a Christmas Miracle) have all previously starred in holiday movies for Hallmark. Show makes his Hallmark debut with this movie.