Happy Weekend, Friends!
It's the last weekend of January and the Hallmark Channel is premiering their first Valentine-themed movie for 2025 this Saturday night! This is also Hallmark's last *Winter Escape* movie for the month. Laci J. Mailey (Chesapeake Shores) stars opposite of David Elsendoorn (My Norwegian Holiday) in The Perfect Setting.
Some people have said they didn't quite recognize Laci J. Mailey from the poster with her shorter, blonde hair since they are used to seeing her as a brunette, so I wanted to mention that, yes, it is her! Laci portrayed Jess, the youngest of the O'Brien sisters, on Chesapeake Shores.
Also, Saturday is January 25th... so that marks 11 months 'til Christmas! I'll probably watch one of the Christmas movies I missed over the holidays, but I haven't picked which one, yet. If you have something Christmassy you are watching this weekend, please share in comments below. There are lots of Christmas movies actually airing Friday night on TV, as well, on the Hallmark Channel, Great American Family, and Hallmark Family. Plus, UPtv will air two holiday movies over the weekend and Hallmark Mystery will air one. See the schedule below.
And Sunday night, there's a new episode of "When Calls the Heart" on the Hallmark Channel called the "Dancing Teens"! The Charleston dance (as you can see in the second image above) has taken over Hope Valley... unless Molly, who is opposed, can stop this scandalous behavior.
See all of the details below...
Friday, January 24, 2025:
'Tis the Season to be Irish ... Hallmark Channel ... 5pm
Christmas on Windmill Way ... Great American Family ... 6pm
Karen Kingsbury's The Bridge Part 1 ... Hallmark Family ... 6pm
A Merry Scottish Christmas ... Hallmark Channel ... 7pm
A Little Women's Christmas ... Great American Family ... 8pm
Karen Kingsbury's The Bridge Part 2 ... Hallmark Family ... 8pm
Jingle Bell Princess ... Great American Family ... 10pm
Saturday, January 25, 2025:
A Holiday Hideout ... UPtv ... 11:30am
Note: This movie (also known as A Christmas Witness) is not rated in the TV guide I checked, but I would say it is TV-14, at least, with adult, mature themes.
Sunday, January 26, 2025:
A Christmas Thief ... UPtv ... 9:30am
Murder, She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery ... Hallmark Mystery ... 2pm
Saturday, January 25, 2025:
Storyline: An aspiring jewelry designer returns to Belgium to visit her grandfather and hopefully win the Valentines Day Diamond Contest.
Premieres Saturday, January 25, 2025
at 8pm/7c. on the Hallmark Channel
Sunday, January 26, 2025:
Episode 4 - Dancing Teens
Storyline: Elizabeth helps Allie plan a birthday dance, and Nathan struggles with Allie growing up. Rosemary and Bill team up again to investigate a train robbery. Lucas lends Edie a hand.
Premieres Sunday, January 26, 2025
at 9pm/8c. on the Hallmark Channel
I hope you all have a great weekend planned. Mine, as usual, includes spending time with family and worship.
As I'm writing, we are receiving more snow! I feel like singing, "Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland!" The flakes were heavier earlier, but now it is a soft, gentle snowfall. It's incredible to hear stories from my family, who live down south and are experiencing snow, which they haven't seen in years. I know those Southern states aren't used to it, so I pray the people there will be safe. Are any of you experiencing an unusual snowfall in your area?
What a perfect time it is to stay inside from the cold and watch something fun on TV!
I'm looking forward to the next all-new episode of When Calls the Heart. I think it's cute that the kids want to dance, but Molly feels their behavior is outrageous. That sounds aptly appropriate for the 1920's era. Since Molly is speaking out against the dance to the mayor and council and the kids are being persistent in doing it, this episode is giving me Footloose vibes in a G-rated sort of way, of course. In the end, I think their dance will be completely innocent and sweet.
Please Note: I haven't pre-screened the new movie premiering this weekend. If you'd like to post a review on whether this movie is family-friendly, please share in the comments below. Thank you in advance to everyone who shares with us.
Once again, keep warm this weekend, everyone!
Blessings to You All!
Net
❤️ SHARING HIS LOVE: ❤️
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these."
~Mark 12:30-31
I'm glad this cold snap is over.
ReplyDeleteWatching The Perfect Setting. -Maria
Maria, I so agree! Whoever thought temps in the 20's & 30's would be so great, but after fluctuating from negative to single digits for so long, they are a welcoming sight!
DeleteHappy weekend movie-watching!!! Stay warm! :)
Wow...it's so hard to believe that a month has gone by since Christmas already! Although my decorations are down, I'm still staying in the Christmas spirit by playing Christmas music and, yes, watching some older Christmas movies.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I think for the first time ever, I did not watch A Charlie Brown Christmas this season! I don't know why, but I know, shame on me! So I am going to make a point of watching that tomorrow, along with some movie to be determined.
Net, I think you have gotten a lot more snow this season than we have gotten here in the Chicago area. It seems to go all around us! I just heard that we have had about 10 less inches of snowfall than normal so far this season. I'm missing it! Hopefully one of these days we'll get a good one! And for those of you who have been experiencing unusually bad weather this winter, you have been in my prayers!
Have a great weekend, everyone, and keep warm!
I agree Mark, I can’t believe it’s been a month since Christmas! That just tells us this year is going to fly by & it will be October with new Christmas movies before we know it 😊 So I will for sure be watching “The Perfect Setting”. I watched Laci Mailey for the first time in “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” and that episode just tore me up, I was hooked after that & binge watched the rest. I still need to watch the Argentine one from last weekend. But that won’t stop me from watching a Christmas movie this weekend in honor of the 25th. I think it will be “Engaged by Christmas”
DeleteHave a blessed weekend everyone!
~Paula
Mark 25, I know! I know! It's seriously hard to believe it's been a whole month since Christmas! Where does the time go?
DeleteI haven't counted, but I still have a good deal of new Christmas movies to watch. So... that's keeping me in the spirit, and my Christmas tree is still up! We love to have the glow of it in the room while we relax throughout January and enjoy the Christmas movies we missed during the busy holiday season.
Today's movie pick to *Mark the 25th* ended up being... "A Country Music Christmas" from UPtv. Haven't seen it, yet, so I'll have to write up a review after I watch. I remember Maria saying it was family-friendly in her review, so I was grateful for that info!
It goes without saying, but enjoy your re-watch of "A Charlie Brown Christmas"! Just thinking about it, warms my heart! ❤️ It's so innocent and beautiful. Since it's not on TV any more, I'm sure many people didn't see it and what a shame, since it's probably the only way many people remember the true meaning.
As for our snow, we were predicted once to get a lot, and then we only received about an inch. Then the next week, the weatherman said it might snow a little, and then we received around 5 inches. But even with it being so cold, somehow the sunshine melts it off some during the day, so now we have areas around our farm that have no snow and other areas that have 1-3 inches, with icy patches. So... it's a mix here for us. I attempted to pick up a snowball yesterday, but the snow is still sooo hard. I couldn't pack it for a ball and definitely not for a snowman. It was way too cold. It just fell apart like powder from my hand.
Hopefully, you'll get some more snow before Winter ends. We still have plenty of more time to go, don't we?
Have a blessed weekend, my friend! :)
Paula, I'm so glad you mentioned that! I love Laci in that first “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” pilot movie. She was perfect for that role. Wouldn't it be fun to see her and Benjamin Hollingsworth star in a movie together, especially since they are both still making movies for Hallmark.
DeleteHope you enjoy watching “Engaged by Christmas”! That's one of the movies I'm saving for last from Lifetime. Would love to know what you think of it. :)
I hope you have a blessed weekend, too!
Psalm 30:11 says, "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing". The verse continues, "You have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness
ReplyDeleteAnon, Thank you for sharing this beautiful scripture!
DeleteI have a good feeling the kids will keep it innocent, but that kind of dance(Charleston)an the outfits are frowned upon in my family. My great Grandma was a flapper and did not live a godly life, despite her father being a clergyman, but when she was in her twenties she made a poor decision to ride in a car with friends very late after dancing. They were hit by a train. My Great Grandma was flown out of the car. I forget how far, but I’m told it was ridiculously far to believe and she was the only survivor. God spared her and she gave her life to the Lord that night. After her husband died in his 60’s, she became a missionary in Africa. She was very devoted to Him until her dying day. Her last words were, “Oh, Can you see Him, He’s so Beautiful!”
ReplyDeleteAbigail, Oh my! What an incredible story about your Great Grandma. Wow! She must've been a fascinating woman. God really got a hold of her and turned her life around. That is such a remarkable story about redemption. It gives me chills just reading about it. Thank you for sharing with us her powerful story.
DeleteWhat Bible verse is used in the movie Footloose?
ReplyDeleteAren't we told in Psalm 149 "Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song. Let them praise His name in the dance"?
What verse in the Bible talks about dancing?
In the Bible, Psalms 149:3says, “Let them praise his name with dancing…Praise him with tambourine and dance…”3 In 2 Samuel 6:14–22, David dances before the Lord with all his might, providing us with a wonderful example of what it truly means to surrender to God in worship.
What true story is Footloose based on?
ReplyDeleteFilm inspiration
Footloose is loosely based on the town of Elmore City, Oklahoma. The town had banned dancing since its founding in 1898 in an attempt to decrease the amount of heavy drinking. One advocate of the dancing ban was the Reverend from the nearby town of Hennepin, F. R. Johnson
dancing OK in the Bible?
Dancing is mentioned often in the Bible and is used throughout the Old Testament as a means of worship and praise to God. As with other activities, dancing can also be used to worship the wrong idols and many Christians think poorly of dancing all together. God was pleased with dancing that worshipped him
The dance ban in the 1984 movie Footloose was inspired by a real-life ban in Elmore City, Oklahoma. The ban lasted from 1898 until 1980.
ReplyDeleteWhy was dancing banned? To reduce heavy drinking, To prevent sexual arousal and sex outside of marriage, and To uphold religious beliefs.
How did people get around the ban?
They held "play parties" where people sang and moved their bodies in non-dance ways
They performed choreographed movements to European folk songs
What happened when the ban was challenged?
In 1980, the high school junior class requested permission to hold a prom
The school board voted 2–2, but the president broke the tie and allowed the prom
What happened to the ban after the movie?
Similar dance bans have been lifted in other towns, including Henryetta, Oklahoma
Why was dancing banned in Footloose?
Rusty and her friends, Wendy Jo and Urleen, then explain to a bemused Ren that dancing is illegal after Moore passed a law forbidding dancing after a horrifying car accident involving four kids returning from a dance— one of whom was his son, though this is unknown to Ren or to the audience at the time.
Really looking forward to the new episode of When Calls the Heart!! This has been my favorite season, so far! Christie
ReplyDeleteChristie, I'm so glad to hear how much you are enjoying it, too! Happy watching Sunday night! :)
DeleteIt really feels like the writers are bringing us back to the original storylines, but keeping it present to the time. This has been a great season and the last episode was spot on too!
DeleteIt’s seem like Footloose & Dirty Dancing Vibe on WCTH Season 12
ReplyDeleteWow, WHEN CALLS THE HEART and FOOTLOOSE!!! Who ever dreamed those two could be tied together, but you’re right, this episode does feel a whole lot like the movie.
ReplyDeleteAlso, is it really 11 months until Christmas already?🎄 (I’m with Mark 25 , how is this even possible???) I’ll probably watch A Reason for the Season again.
Allie B, Yeah, I agree! I wouldn't have dreamed WCTH and Footloose could be so similar. Definitely didn't have that one on my bingo card for this season.
DeleteEnjoy watching the new WCTH episode + A Reason for the Season! :)
Those kids on When Calls the Heart are growing up fast. I can’t believe that is little Opal with the curly hair.
ReplyDeleteAnon, I know just what you mean! Wasn't Opal holding her bear, Brownie, just the other day, and now she's whispering about boys. It's incredible to watch them all grow up before our eyes. I wonder what will happen to their characters in the next few years... if the show continues.
DeleteThe Perfect Setting is family friendly about an aspiring jewelry designer named Abby Vandenrick returns to Belgium to visit her Grandfather & Hopefully win the Valentine’s Day Diamond Contest
ReplyDeleteAnon, Thanks so much for sharing that this movie is family-friendly! :)
DeleteThe Perfect Setting is safe and lovely. Good slate of movies to start the year. -Maria
ReplyDeleteMaria, This is wonderful to hear! Thank you so much for sharing with us. Hopefully, there will be many more family-friendly movies to come this year. Really hoping Lacey's is one of them, cuz it looks sooo cute from the promos, and I think she and Robert Buckley will be such a fun match in their Valentine movie. ❤️
DeleteI loved the episode of When Calls the Heart last night. I was expecting it to be a fluff episode merely about a dance, but it was much more. I really appreciated the story with Angela, and how she expressed to Joseph how different she feels from others. If anyone knows a special needs person then this surely spoke to you. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one crying at that moment. Christie
ReplyDeleteChristie, Oh my goodness, I know just what you mean. I was totally prepared for a simple lighthearted show and that was fine, but I wasn't expecting the pure joy I would feel at seeing Angela dance with her daddy or Elizabeth fix up Allie's hair... and then, there was Molly, whose heart was broken at a dance years ago. Oh my... there was so much emotion in this one episode. I was laughing, smiling, and crying throughout. It was truly beautiful from start to finish! My heart lifts now just thinking about it!!! :)
DeleteHi.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! We loved everything about "The Perfect Setting". What an incredibly sweet and endearing movie. It was just lovely. Great chemistry, good storyline, amazing location and nice backstory. I especially liked the scene in the stunning cathedral. I have such a soft spot for religious places and no matter where I travel, I make time to visit churches, chapels and cathedral's. That scene was especially poignant, for me, because "Amazing Grace" is one of my favorite hymns. And, it was my Aunt Mazie's favorite hymn. They played it at her funeral. You know how music can transport you and stir up memories. Well, that scene did. It was truly special. Also, I especially loved the relationship between Laci and Hans 'her bompa'. It was my favorite part of the entire movie. I thought Laci was excellent, in her role. She was the perfect lead. And, I did like her relationship with David. I definitely recommend this movie. Well done!
Joan, Thank you for this lovely review for The Perfect Setting! I am so glad to hear how much the movie touched you and your memories of your sweet Aunt Mazie. (I know just what you mean about music & memories. I've had that same feeling.)
DeleteI'm really looking forward to watching this now! And, I'm sure others who read your review will feel the same.
Again, thank you so much for your wonderful review!!!!! :) :)
Hi Net,
DeleteYou are welcome! I am so happy to hear you are really looking forward to watching this sweet movie. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. :-) And, I hope others do as well. :-) I know a movie left an impression when I am still thinking about it the next day. Again, the scene, in the chapel with Laci and Hans was so touching. Lighting a candle, in memory of a loved one, is one of life's greatest gifts. :-)
I loved this episode! The kids kept it innocent and I thought it was sweet that the town officials cared enough about their youth to have that meeting. Good that they had chaperones. Even if it was planned innocent, it’s always good to have adults around.
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing Rosemary being there for Elizabeth in supporting her in learning the dance and doing it with her.
It was sweet seeing Elizabeth tending to Allie’s hair like a mother would. It was very touching.
But poor Oliver! He’s a catch! He bravely started the Dance for Allie when you could tell he was nervous himself. Made me sad when she didn’t see him almost asking her to dance. Hopefully she’ll see something special in him soon. But poor Nathan. Eventually he’s going to have that father talk with a boy.
I loved seeing Henry give Joesph advice about listening to, the father/daughter scene was so special to me. Of course she would feel different. That kind of school did wonders for Mary Ingalls. I think it would be neat to actually see Angela in a similar classroom scene and see her make friends.
I also loved the Edie and Lucas scenes. She is perfect for him. She’s educated, spunky and kind and cares about the people(and baby cows :) I enjoyed seeing Lucas happy this episode when they chased the cow. I see a real friendship there leading to something really special.
And how could I leave out dear Molly! How sweet that she didn’t want Allie to be hurt. I can’t wait to see more of her and Jed.
And speaking of Jed, that coin mystery. And now Mountie Nathan is going undercover. Looking forward to see how that goes!!
The next episode is called Mom’s the Word. I wonder if we’ll get more Elizabeth and Allie moments or Rosemary and Goldie???
This has been such a fantastic season! I can’t wait for more! Great job to the writers!!
Hi Abigail!
DeleteYes, the last episode, of "When Calls the Heart" was so good! I hope Allie realizes that bad boy Wyatt is totally wrong for her. She needs to give Oliver a chance. I think Jacob has been an excellent addition, to the cast and I mentioned that in a prior comment. He is such a sweet boy and my heart just broke for him when Wyatt asked Allie to dance. I agree with you this season has been fantastic. So many facets to this season have been wonderful and poignant. There have even been some truly funny scenes.
Wyatt is actually Earl Wyatt is a bad boy image of the side of his family & relatives
DeleteRay Wyatt's (Jeremy Guilbaut) nephew Earl will be played by River Codack in WCTH Season 12
Allie's interest is piqued when Earl Wyatt returns to town because she is too young for him. Opal tells Allie to stay away from him because he was a bully
Earl Wyatt is back in town, catching Allie's eye! He is the wrong for Allie. Oliver is way better fit for Allie
Oliver likes Allie. He’s about Allie’s age. He has feelings for her. He has a birthday gift for Allie to keep when he will gonna give her birthday gift sooner or later
Allie & Oliver will work together & they uncover the threat
Abigail and Joan,
DeleteI also love hearing your thoughts on the latest "When Calls the Heart" episode! Like I shared with Christie in my comment above, there was so much emotion in this one episode, I was literally laughing out loud and crying, too... happy tears!!!
There were so many heartwarming scenes and happy moments... I love all of the ones you both highlighted! :)
The next upcoming episode certainly looks interesting with Nathan going undercover. I love that Bill and Rosemary are helping him prepare for this mystery. Looks like another fun one! :)