It's that TIME again... to look forward to another weekend filled with Christmas movie premieres, as we transition from November to December! Christmas is in full swing now, and I'm loving all of the hustle and bustle the Christmas season brings! It truly is The Most Wonderful TIME of the Year!!!
Look for NEW Christmas movie premieres on Great American Family, the Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Lifetime, and UPtv!
See ALL of the movie details below, plus details on the Christmas movie I removed from the Christmas schedule, and extra Holiday Programming Notes...
Thursday, November 30, 2023:
Synopsis: 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.
Friday, December 1, 2023:
Synopsis: JJ (Rhiannon Fish), grieving the loss of her grandmother and seeking dissertation inspiration, stumbles upon an unexpected holiday destiny. Meeting Henrik (David 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, 2023:
Synopsis: To save her family’s legacy windmill, a woman (Taylor Brown) must remind her ex-boyfriend (Michael Murray) of the best of their hometown.
Saturday, December 2, 2023:
Synopsis: Tabloid journalist Charlotte (Brooke D'Orsay) attempts to land an interview with a reclusive Count. In response, the royal family has a groundskeeper (Will Kemp) pose as the Count since the real one fled years ago.
Saturday, December 2, 2023:
Synopsis: In Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas, 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.
Sunday, December 3, 2023:
Synopsis: When small-town wedding planner Rachel is faced with planning her biggest Christmas wedding yet for an out-of-town influencer couple, she is thrown an unexpected surprise when the bride’s manager turns out to be Logan, her first love and high school sweetheart. He reminds her what it is to love, and through rediscovering the magic of Christmas, she rediscovers a part of her heart she closed off long ago.
Sunday, December 3, 2023:
Synopsis: A city manager (Marshall Williams) recruits the help of a childhood friend (Erin Agostino) in setting right his town’s Christmas Charity event, while she sets to work setting him up with her close friend.
Sunday, December 3, 2023:
Synopsis: 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.
Sunday, December 3, 2023:
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?
Weekend Christmas Programming Notes:
CBS:
Christmas Cartoons on Saturday night...
Reindeer in Here, Robbie the Reindeer: Hooves of Fire, and Robbie the Reindeer: Legend of the Lost Tribe
(*Reminder: Candace Cameron Bure is the voice of "Pinky" in the Christmas cartoon "Reindeer In Here.")
ABC:
Christmas programs on Sunday night:
The Santa Clause and The Great Christmas Light Fight
Hallmark Drama:
Christmas Classics:
Catch some wonderful Classic Christmas Movies Saturday and Sunday on Hallmark Drama, including the Hallmark Hall of Fame movies- A Season for Miracles (Love this one sooo much!) and Fallen Angel, Window Wonderland (so fun!), Northpole, and more!
INSP:
*Catch an encore airing of Christmas in the Rockies on Saturday night.
Freeform:
25 Days of Christmas is Here! See beloved Christmas classics...
Eloise at Christmastime (one of my faves!) airs Friday morning at 11am/10c.!
Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York air Friday night.
The Santa Clause trilogy airs Saturday night.
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, and more air Sunday night.
TBS:
A Christmas Story (1983) and A Christmas Story Christmas (2022) air on Saturday and Sunday nights. (Note: I have not seen the 2022 sequel)
UPtv:
MUSICAL SPECIAL - HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS: A CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING, a Christmas Music Special on SATURDAY AT 7:00PM ET.
Show details via UPtv: Get ready to ring in the holidays with Bill & Gloria Gaither and all of their homecoming friends on Home for the Holidays: A Christmas Homecoming! Sit back and listen to an array of Christmas standards, nostalgic seasonal favorites, and power-packed anthems. This timeless recording features the powerful voices you have grown to love during the most wonderful time of the year. Featuring Gospel Music Hall of Fame Members, Gaither Vocal Band singing “Home for the Holiday’s”, Multi-platnum-selling recording artist Josh Turner’s rendition of “Joy to the World”, award-winning singer/songwriter Mark Lowry performance of “Mary Did You Know?”, DOVE Award-winning musical artist Lynda Randle & brother Michael Tait’s lively cover of “Go Tell It On the Mountain”, the unparalleled tenor voice of David Phelps’ moving edition of “O Holy Night”, and many more of your friends from the Homecoming Family of artists. Home for the Holidays: A Christmas Homecoming is sure to usher you into the holiday season of joy and love.
*Following Home for the Holidays is an encore airing of the musical special Josh Turner: King Size Manger at 8pm/7c.
WEEKEND MOVIE PICKS:
It looks like we have another weekend of great Christmas movies!
I'm very much looking forward to seeing Great American Family's TWO NEW Christmas movies this weekend, Christmas on Windmill Way and The Jinglebell Jubilee, especially since I like both of the main actors in these films - Chad Michael Murray (An Autumn Romance) and Marshall Williams (When Hope Calls).
Another movie that has piqued my interest is Hallmark Channel's A Not So Royal Christmas. Will Kemp and Brooke D'Orsay are two of my all-time favorites, and this one, based on the promo, looks delightfully comical.
I'm also looking forward to the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries premiere of Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas. By the way, Maria (who is such an excellent reviewer here at It's a Wonderful Movie) has seen this and she said (paraphrasing) it is family-friendly, plus the movie has some Easter eggs in it! That sounds like so much fun! Thank you so much, Maria, for giving us this early review!
Also, it has been announced that country singer-songwriter, Grace Leer, will be seen in Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas, and her new song, "Star on Top of the Tree," will be featured prominently in the film.
You can hear the song here...
MOVIE REMOVED FROM SCHEDULE:
Although this movie is not premiering this weekend, I wanted to inform you all that I have decided to remove the Lifetime movie A Cowboy Christmas Romance from my Christmas Schedule, and I will not be promoting it next week due to sexual content. You can see details in the article at EW. My suspicions were first raised when I saw the promo for this movie last week, but this article confirmed it. As much as I like a Christmas movie in a country setting, this will be a skip for my family and me. I believe the Christmas season should be held in reverence as a holy time.
Please note: I haven't pre-screened the new Christmas movies listed above. If you'd like to post a review on whether a film is family-friendly, please share in the comments below.
Caution: Based on the promos I've seen, please know that Ladies of the ‘80s: A Divas Christmas will contain Adult Dialogue and is not suitable for young children.
SPECIAL LINKS:
Visit the *Christmas TV Schedule* for the dates and times of NEW Christmas movies airing in November and December.
You can find the NEW 2023 Christmas Movie Review post *here*.
Aww, thanks for the love. π
ReplyDeleteMan, another busy weekend for me with new movies. My picks are: 2 of Hallmark, Both of GAF's, UP TV's (yes, I'll eventually get around to it along with the others!), and both of Lifetime's (I'm a grown up, so I don't really mind adult material. Plus, it'll probably be of the more tame look anyways, I'm guessing).
Happy December! -Maria
Maria, I always appreciate your many, helpful reviews! It was especially nice to receive your early review of "Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas."
DeleteYou're a blessing, honey, to so many of us here!
Happy December to you, as well! :)
Merry Christmas!!! Net
Now i am little worried. What's wrong with Lifetime movies above that we need to be a grown ups in other to watch them?
DeleteSome of the upcoming Lifetime Christmas movies will contain Adult Content, Adult Dialogue, and (to be blunt) Sexual Situations. These themes are not suitable for children, and honestly, it's not something I want to see either, at Christmastime or any time, for that matter. ~Net
DeleteThank you Net for the helpful warning! I couldn't agree more!
DeleteCan you believe it's December now!!? I spent the day with my mom, hanging outdoor wreaths and garland. Filled in day 1 on our chalkboard December calendar (25) that we have on our kitchen wall. This year is a snowman.π⛄
Wow! Lots of Christmas movies.
ReplyDeleteI read from another source about the Lifetime movie. Sorry to read the turn of presentation under the guise of a Christmas movie. It appears that some networks in the future will have “Christmas “ movies with plenty of adults only material in the coming years.
For some reason GAF “Christmas on Windmill Way” was available on Pure Flix. I watched it. Chad Michael Murray was terrific along with the supporting cast. I will be interested in everyone’s take.
Hope everyone is preparing for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Merry Christmas.
-Gabe’s Mom
Gabe's Mom, Thank you for sharing this review for “Christmas on Windmill Way”!
DeleteThat's fun that you were able to watch it early on Pure Flix, like Maria was able to stream "Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas" on Hallmark Movies Now. I guess both networks are doing that with some of their movies now.
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it; I always value your opinion.
God bless & Merry Christmas to you!!! Net π
I want to try A Not So Royal Christmas. I love watching Will Kemp. You can count on it being funny.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Will, I wonder if we might see more mysteries with him and Lacey again.... I hope so.
Abigail, I sure hope Will Kemp will do more mysteries! He and Lacey were fantastic in the Dancing Detective. It seems like most of the mystery franchises get at least 3 films, so I'm hoping we'll have, at least, 2 more of DD!!!
DeleteHope you're feeling better now... Bless you, honey!
Merry Christmas!!! Net
Thank you Net! I'm getting there... think I'm on round 2 of this cold. Tis the season they say. Or the church nursery. Haha ;)
DeleteHey Net, I have a question. Is there a way for us to load more older comments on the right sidebar? On days like today, I'm home and can check in to see what other folks have posted. But sometimes I'm busy and I have to skip a day or two or three and I regret missing things that others have said. I'm assuming there is not an easy way to do this, but I thought I'd double check with you. Thanks, Jane
ReplyDeleteJane, Unfortunately, the comment widget (in the right column) only lets me do 25 Comments, but this is something I will definitely look into. Hopefully, I can figure something out.
DeleteMerry Christmas! Netπ
Oh, thanks, Net. I figured there was probably a space limit to the comments. It's not that big of a deal, so don't stress trying to figure something out. π ~~Jane
DeleteI find this a problem too - it would be great if there was some way round this - Florence
DeleteI'm looking forward to A Not So Royal Christmas! Brooke is one of my favorites and who doesn't love Will! Brooke seems to have good chemistry with anyone they put her with so I believe this will be a good one!
ReplyDeleteJoyce, I wholeheartedly agree! Brooke is the sweetest... we've loved her ever since "How to Fall in Love"! And we have the same affection for Will, since "Love, Romance, & Chocolate!"
DeleteMerry Christmas and Blessings! Netπ
A Not So Royal Christmas was good. I'm deciding if I'm going to keep the dvr recording.
Delete--Namegirl
Yes another busy weekend with movies! My top ones are Time for her to come home for Christmas, Christmas on Windmill Way, The Jingle Bell Jubilee. Have a blessed weekend everyone!
ReplyDelete~Paula
Paula, We have mostly the same Christmas movie *must-see* list! Hope you are able to enjoy on or two of these movies over the weekend!
DeleteGod's blessings to you, too!
Merry Christmas! Netπ
*one* or two
DeleteA Biltmore Christmas, A Merry Scottish Christmas, A Text Before Christmas are keepers & I will buy these movies if they come out on DVD or Blu-ray. Christmas on Windmill Way, (Chad Michael Murray is Christian by the way),The Jingle Bell Jubilee, are good but not true keepers for me. I didn't care for the Haul out the Holly last year, and didn't consider watching HotH:Lit Up this year.
Delete--Namegirl Have a Merry Christmas everyone
a lot of great movies this weekend!
ReplyDeletedstoutholcomb - I agree! Hope you are able to enjoy many of the new Christmas movies!
DeleteMerry Christmas to You! Netπ
I am glad that you removed A Cowboy Chrismas Romance from your schedule. I will not be watching it. But I think this movie is just beginning. If this gets good ratings like I suspect it will than I look for more movies like that from Lifetime and possibly Hallmark as well.
ReplyDeleteBebe, I think you're right. Lifetime may be testing the waters with this as they try to differentiate their Christmas movie viewing choices from Hallmark, Great American Family, and UPtv. I think it's very sad they've taken this turn, but anything for ratings... right? ~Net
DeleteAll of this just makes me even more thankful for Great American Family and glad to see their movies improving each year. I read the EW link that you supplied above, Net, and was disgusted by everything Sarah Drew said (she's the one who wrote the sex scenes in the Lifetime movie). I'm definitely "of age" π€£, but there's still no way I want to watch that and put those images in my heart and mind!! That's just not my idea of a sweet Christmas movie! ~~Jane
DeleteIt’s sad about “Cowboy Christmas Romance” and I agree with you Net, I don’t want to see that especially during Christmas movies! But honestly, Lifetime is CRAZY with their storylines. The “based on true events” ones I understand, like they have a lot of true event movies. I watched the one on the Cleveland Ohio kidnapping years ago, it was probably rated R by movie standards, very raw and hard to watch, but again it was telling a true story of how the events happened. But Iv mentioned this before, even their movies that are not based on true events are so out there….I don’t remember them being like that when I was younger and my mom would watch it. Then when I got older and started getting into hallmark my mom said she was moving on from Lifetime as the storylines were too inappropriate and unbelievable so I stopped watching too. I will watch a Christmas movie here and there if I get a recommendation but I believe they will start making their Christmas movies the way they make their normal movies throughout the year.
ReplyDelete~Paula
Thank you for the heads-up on Cowboy Christmas Romance. I clicked on the EW article. Very disappointed to read this was written by Sarah Drew, who claims to be a Christian. I'm fine with "fade to black" for married couples in certain genres, but I don't need "spice" in my Christmas movies.
ReplyDeleteA Not so Royal Christmas is so much fun and a sheer delight! (plus, did anyone catch that small promo blip for Lovuary?). Only vice I could find is that the female lead admitted to previously living unmarried with her ex at the start. -Maria
ReplyDeleteWill Hallmark have Time for ___to Come Home for Christmas in 2024?
ReplyDeleteI think they've used up all the titles that they can think of. -Maria
DeleteBy using same Christmas song: Time for Me to Come Home or
DeleteTime for Me to Come Home for Christmas
Time for Y’all to Come Home for Christmas in 2024
Time for Who Come for Christmas as referred as guess who comes home for Christmas in 2025
What are the 15 pronouns?
In Modern English the personal pronouns include: "I," "you," "he," "she," "it," "we," "they," "them," "us," "him," "her," "his," "hers," "its," "theirs," "our," "your." Personal pronouns are used in statements and commands, but not in questions; interrogative pronouns (like "who," "whom," "what") are used there
Reviews:
ReplyDeleteDespite the swearing and 1 of the divas admitting she kissed a girl in collage, Ladies of the 80's was so much fun!
Christmas on Windmill Way was charming, if not a bit boring.
-Maria
Hallmark’s “My Norwegian Holiday” is family-friendly and features Rhiannon Fish as a PhD student who accompanies an injured Olympic skier back to his hometown in Bergen, Norway. The story is a little far-fetched given the endless series of coincidences, but the Nordic scenery and holiday traditions that were showcased made this most enjoyable. Kudos to Ms. Fish and her co-star David Elsendoorn.
ReplyDeleteChristmas by Candlelight is available on steaming platforms: Pluto TV, Peacock, Apple TV, Paramount+
ReplyDeleteChristmas by Candlelight is family friendly about Wellness expert Juliet pitches selling Christmas memory candles to her boss hopes of earning a promotio, & enlists the help of boutique candle store owner Tom Turner to create new candle scents. He refuses ho thinks the wellness industry is a scam, refuses at first but agrees when he realizes the money will help make his Daughter named Olive Turner’s Christmas wish come true. Can Juliet and Tom work together to impress the boss or will their differing views result in disaster. Grandma Ruth Turner is Tom Turner’s Mother who babysits when Tom goes after Juliet who with her assistant named Lucy. Lucy leaves those 2 alone: Tom & Juliet. Tom & Juliet are in front of Christmas tree π² (streaming on Pluto TV)
A Not So Royal Christmas...
ReplyDeleteThis one was cute. Family friendly. Will Kemp was his great self, always adds comedy to a film. And Brooke D'Orsay was her original self. Kind and passionate. I'm not a fan of gossip magazines, would have preferred them change that and it's not my favorite when the characters lie to each other. I kinda talked to the TV(thinking of you Joan! ;) when her secret was found out and Adam was mad at her. When he had one of his own.
But, overall. It was a sweet movie. Not one I would re watch, but I enjoyed it.
Hi Abigail!
DeleteYour comment made me smile! That is too funny! :-) I haven't seen the movie yet but I am looking forward to it. I am a fan of both Brooke and Will. When I watch it, I will think of you. :-)
Abigail, these were my feelings on the movie, too. I thought both Will and Brooke were very good, but the plot didn't thrill me, so this is only a one-time watch for me as well.
DeleteBy the way, are you feeling 100% yet? Sure hope so!
Haha, just about. Just have the lingering cough. Let's say...99% ππThanks for asking, my friend!
DeleteThe Jingle Bell Jubilee was quite sweet. -Maria
ReplyDeleteHallmark’s “Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas” is a family-friendly and faith-based story about a musician, Carly, invited to spend her Christmas holiday preparing a church choir for a Christmas Eve service. I enjoyed the many sub-plots that unfolded as we learned about each member of the choir; as well as the blossoming romance between the leads played by Shenae Grimes-Beech and Chris Carmack. As a bonus there is intrigue as we learn the reason why Carly was invited for this assignment, and we’re treated to singing of Grace Leer (of American Idol fame).
ReplyDeleteGAF’s “Christmas on Windmill Way” is a family-friendly story featuring Christa Taylor Brown in her first leading role as Mia, operator of her grandmother’s historic windmill. Although the story is a familiar one where Mia has to save the windmill from demolition by a real estate developer (played by her HS crush, Chad Michael Murray), the chemistry is good and Ms. Brown is stunning. It’s low-key and predictable, but still entertaining.
ReplyDeleteMy Norwegian Holiday was okay. Didn't care for the reference to 'social distancing' though. Any reference to what happened in 2020 has no place in a cozy Christmas movie! -Maria
ReplyDeleteA Not So Royal Christmas was not what I expected. It's family friendly but in my opinion totally unrealistic. I was disappointed in this one! It's a one time watch for me!
ReplyDeleteReview: Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas -
ReplyDeleteFamily-friendly? Yes -
Keeper? Yes -
At times I felt that I was watching this movie on GAF, because of the religious theme! Anyway, I enjoyed this movie from start to finish. I was not familiar with Grimes-Beech, but I thought she did a wonderful job (but didn't it seem like her hair was longer near the end, with her bangs gone? Just wonderin'...). And like MPT pointed out, it was great to have the sub-plots with the individual choir members. I do wish, though, that they had sung a religious song at the service instead of the non-religious Time to Come Home song. Still, because of the storylines and the wonderful acting by everyone, this is a keeper for me.
Hi Net,
ReplyDeleteWell, I don’t know if it’s just me, but this past weekend’s movies were not as good as the previous weekends movies. My husband and I did not like or finish the following movies:
“Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas”, “Christmas on Windmill Way”, “Mistletoe Match”, “Yuletide the Knot”,” Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas”
I agree with Abigail on “A Not So Royal Christmas” – it was definitely a one-time watch. I am kind of over movie plotlines with lie upon lie. I love Brooke and Will, but I wish screenwriters would stop recycling storylines over and over.
The only movie, my husband and I even liked was “My Norwegian Holiday”. It was cute, the scenery was lovely, and I enjoyed the family dynamic with a few surprises dropped in. The acting was quite good from every one of the actors and actresses.
I still need to watch “The Jingle Bell Jubilee” and “Christmas with a Kiss”. The sneak peek, of both movies looked good, so I hope they end up being fun.
Finally, I am also very disappointed to hear the news about "A Cowboy Christmas Romance"! Seriously, it is so disheartening but that specific scene that Jana and Sarah are 'so proud of' is helping the movie get advance press. I am saddened to know that some people will watch the movie because they are curious. Why or why did they have to 'go there'. :-( :-( :-(
Joan
A NOT SO ROYAL CHRISTMAS *clean*
ReplyDeleteI loved Will Kemp and Brooke D'orsay together. They had a lovely chemistry. The storyline is not quote convincing to me. Personally, I just found it hard to believe that the real Count Lars was never seen in public before. Also, I am not a fan of a story that is based on lies so I felt a bit nervous the whole time. I do love that Adam was a sweet dorky Count and it was just so sweet to watch Adam and Charlotte fall in love. The almost-kiss scenes were all so swoony. Overall, the movie was also quite engaging all throughout. I found myself laughing several times. Storyline aside, both Will Kemp and Brooke D'orsay were wonderful in this.
NEVER BEEN CHRIS'D
Ughh.. i should've read all the reviews here before watching. I did not finish this. I watched it for 20 minutes before calling it quits. I thought it would get better. I don't know where the storyline was going. Everything was so annoying. Tyler Hynes should have never participated in this nonsense. Don't waste your time.
I just caught up on GAF Christmas movies. A few things I really love about GAF movies is you know they are going to be family friendly. You don't have to worry 20 minutes into a movie they will sneak an controversial scene in. Another thing is the faith scenes thought out there movies. I love in a Christmas blessing that they prayed before the meal. CHRISTMAS has Christ in the name. Movies should not hid the fact that Christmas is a faith holiday. The last thing is I am really disappointed Jana Kramer would do a classless Christmas movies on another network.
ReplyDeleteThe Jingle Bell Jubilee was wonderful. Clean, cozy and Christmasy, and sweet.
ReplyDelete