Graduation Cards
On Saturday night, July 13th, 2019 at 10pm/9c., the Hallmark Channel gave viewers a first hand look at NINE of the FORTY CHRISTMAS MOVIES that will be airing this Christmas Season on both Hallmark networks.
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| *Images Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Alexx Henry/Alexx Henry Studios, LLC |
This "Christmas: A First Look Preview Special," hosted by Lacey Chabert, focused on the Hallmark Channel, giving Hallmark viewers a glimpse of the first Christmas movies to premiere - starting in October, plus an enticing sweet taste of Thanksgiving week and Crown Media's highest achievement of all, the chosen Hallmark Hall of Fame movie!
Here are the Hallmark Channel Christmas movies
that were highlighted in this Preview Special:
1.) Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses
Starring: Jill Wagner and Matthew Davis
Premiere Date: October 26, 2019
2.) Merry & Bright
Starring: Jodie Sweetin and Andrew Walker
Premiere Date: November 2, 2019
3.) Picture a Perfect Christmas
Previous title: A Family Under the Christmas Tree
Starring: Merritt Patterson and Jon Cor
Premiere Date: November 3, 2019
4.) Write Before Christmas
Previous title: Five Cards for Christmas
Starring: Chad Michael Murray and Torrey DeVitto
Premiere Date: November 9, 2019
5.) Christmas in Rome
Starring: Lacey Chabert and Sam Page
Premiere Date: November 16, 2019
6.) Christmas Scavenger Hunt
Starring: Kevin McGarry and Kim Shaw
Premiere Date: November 27, 2019 (Thanksgiving week!)
7.) A Christmas Love Story - Hallmark Hall of Fame
Previous title: The Christmas Song
Starring: Kristin Chenoweth and Scott Wolf
Premiere Date: November 30, 2019 (Thanksgiving week!)
8.) Christmas Town
Starring: Candace Cameron Bure and Tim Rozon
Premiere Date: December 1, 2019 (Thanksgiving week!)
9.) A Merry Christmas Match
Starring: Ashley Newbrough and Kyle Dean Massey
Premiere Date: December 22, 2019
So what can we glean from the information we were given during this one hour Christmas preview special? Well... it looks like the Hallmark Channel is definitely bringing us a Thanksgiving week filled once again with Christmas movies, which has become a very popular, highly rated programming event every year. Also, it was confirmed that "A Christmas Love Story" would earn the crown jewel, as Crown Media's Hallmark Hall of Fame production, which now traditionally airs the Saturday after Thanksgiving. In the meantime, Hallmark's Christmas queen, Candace Cameron Bure, will once again have her Christmas movie complete Thanksgiving week on Sunday night, with "Christmas Town."
Two of the movies also had new titles. "A Family Under the Christmas Tree" has been renamed "Picture a Perfect Christmas," while "Five Cards for Christmas" has been renamed "Write Before Christmas." I'm not usually into changing titles, but in this case, I really like the upgraded versions. They both seem to suit the unique originality of the stories.
Most of all... in this Christmas Preview special, Lacey Chabert shared with us her spirited enthusiasm, great joy and vibrant hope for this upcoming Christmas season... and I know we all can't wait for it! Until then, may we enjoy the simple pleasures of this day, until it leads to the next!
Joyous Blessings! Net
Let's not forget this important detail that was shown at the very beginning of the special:
ReplyDeleteWhat used to be the event called the Countdown to Valentine's Day is apparently now being called "Love Evert After."
Did you see the 9 squares on the screen right when the special began? There was a square for every themed event throughout the year, and the one that should have been the Countdown to Valentine's Day had a photo of a dog holding a flower, and it said "Love Ever After"!
I guess the new event name is a way for Hallmark to apply a theme to the month of February that includes some Valentine movies and also their big pet-related specials, BUT is not an event solely about Valentine's Day. It's an event about love -- romantic love, and love for fur babies.
Oh yes... I've been noticing a change in the "Countdown to Valentine's Day" block to "Love Ever After" for awhile now. I think the first time I saw it, may have been a segment on Home & Family in the Spring. One of the crafters was doing a project in relation to one of the holidays/seasons and they showed the board with "Love Ever After." It immediately stood out to me. Since then, it hadn't shown up in any of the Preview Specials, until now. However, it was shown, quite prominently, in the promo commercials for June Weddings! (see clip here)
DeleteI was glad to see "Love Ever After" FINALLY shown in a preview special, as I think this will be a much better event title for the month of February, and maybe, part of March, too!
This was the first time that I, personally, had ever seen or heard of them refer to the February event as Love Ever After. I have not seen anyone mention it talk about it elsewhere, so I am guessing most people did not know about it.
DeleteI had seen them refer to February as "Unconditional Love Month" (in a press release earlier this year), and then wondered if they were going to stick with ULM for 2020!
Right, I think this was the first official time anyone has announced "Love Ever After" and basically, confirmed this event title. Unless, they mentioned it on Home & Family when I saw it there.
DeleteAnyway, I wasn't overly fond of "Unconditional Love Month" back in February and apparently they weren't either. So glad they changed that one!
"Love Ever After" seems simple and sweet. It perfectly suits Hallmark - since their movies always end with the fairytale ending... "and they lived happily ever after."
And, I love that it closely resembles their pet initiative - "Adoption Ever After." Like you said above, this is a wonderful way for them to tie in romantic stories and our love for our animals! I can't wait to see the movies they create under this event next year!
I wasn't thrilled with "Unconditional Love Month" as a label for February either. I think that Love Ever After has a better ring to it, for sure.
DeleteIt's interesting how what used to be the Countdown to Valentine's Day has been gradually changing over the last couple of years, isn't it?
Remember the good old days, when there would be press releases about 5 new Countdown to Valentine's Day movies, and the Countdown to Valentine's Day even started on the last weekend of January at one point in time?
In 2017, they even had the press release that promoted 7 new Valentine movies (but one of those titles was "Valentine's Again" and we all know what happened with that one), so I thought for sure that we would be up to 8-10 Valentine movies by now!
In the last couple of years, as we have seen, as Hallmark has been building up Winterfest more and more, the Countdown to Valentine's Day is no longer starting on the last Saturday (or Sunday) of January. Also, instead of increasing the number of Valentine movies each year, they seem to do that weird thing of airing just 2 or 3 "official" Countdown to Valentine's Day movies leading up to February 14th, and then airing the post-February 14th Valentine/love movies that are not technically part of the Countdown to Valentine's Day.
In other words, the way February was set up was getting a bit awkward and limiting if they just promoted it as a Valentine-themed month -- it was starting to seem as though they couldn't quite decide on a sole focus for February.
So, although people may still think of February as the Valentine month, it seems as though Hallmark does not ONLY want it to be known as that anymore, although they will, of course, make a few new Valentine movies for Love Ever After month every year!
Sounds great!:)
ReplyDeleteI agree! This was one of the best preview specials I've ever seen! :)
DeleteDefinitely a great preview special. My warm and fuzzy meter rose pretty high.
DeleteMe too, Jim! And that warm feeling wasn't just summer heat. ha!
DeleteWatching makes me feel so good inside, at peace.
Nice Xmas line up with familiar faces. However I'm a tad disappointed that no movies will feature my favorite HM actors Chris McNally Tyler Hines Kris Polaha Julie Gonzalo or Emily Ullerup this season..maybe we'll get to see them on Lifetime UP etc.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm with you, Vee... as it's always great to see so many familiar faces. It's highly possible/probable will see most, if not all, of the actors you mentioned, as there are many more Hallmark movies to announce!
DeleteHovever, it's possible, as you mentioned... any Star we are used to seeing on Hallmark, could very well end up on Lifetime, UP, ION, or INSP. There are so many great possibilities!
Vee, I agree with you 100%. Chris McNally and Kristoffer Polaha are my favorite among all of HM actors.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure lots of fans (myself included!) would love to see both of these handsome gentlemen! :)
DeleteThere's so many more movies to announce that I don't get why they are giving dates. But, it was fun to see the previews.
ReplyDeleteMisty
Hi net I was just wondering if hallmark channel will air one new movie during the Christmas in July celebration like HMM did? Thank you
ReplyDeleteHello to You! Unfortunately, there will not be a new Christmas movie premiere during Hallmark Channel's Christmas in July. There was a movie previously announced, A Merry Christmas Match, but Hallmark shared in their preview special, they have now moved that premiere to December 22, 2019. We'll have to wait a little longer to see it, but fortunately we'll have a lot of Christmas movies to keep us busy watching until then! :)
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