Karen Kingsbury's "The Christmas Ring" Coming to Great American Family

More exciting Christmas movie news from Great American Family! Karen Kingsbury's The Christmas Ring will premiere on the channel and its streamer, Great American Pure Flix, this Christmas season!

This movie, which first premiered in theaters last Christmas, has such an incredible cast - Jana Kramer, Ben Hollingsworth, and Kelsey Grammer, to name a few!

See all of the wonderful details in the press release...

KAREN KINGSBURY’S 

THE CHRISTMAS RING

TO PREMIERE AS PART OF

GREAT AMERICAN CHRISTMAS 2026

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author Karen Kingsbury’s Unforgettable Christmas Story Comes to Great American Pure Flix, November 5, Great American Family and GFAM+, November 7

All-Star Cast Led by Jana Kramer, Ben Hollingsworth, Kelsey Grammer, Megan Ashley Brown, and Jessie James Decker in A Story of Love, Family, Faith, and the Extraordinary Meaning Held in One Treasured Christmas Ring

NEW YORK, NY – September 2, 2026 – Great American Media announced today the heartfelt film from #1 New York Times bestselling author, Karen Kingsbury, The Christmas Ring, featuring an all-star ensemble cast led by Jana Kramer, Ben Hollingsworth, multiple Emmy Award® and Golden Globe Award® winner, Kelsey Grammer, Megan Ashley Brown, and Jessie James Decker, will premiere across its platforms, streaming FIRST on Great American Pure Flix, Thursday, November 5, and airing on Great American Family and GFAM+, Saturday, November 7 (8p).

Based on Karen Kingsbury’s 2025 book by the same name, in The Christmas Ring, military widow Vanessa Mayfield (Kramer) has spent years searching for her family’s treasured Christmas ring, a gold-and-ruby heirloom discovered by her great-grandfather in Normandy on D-Day and passed down through generations before Vanessa lost it. Her search leads her to Ben Miller (Hollingsworth), a widowed antiques dealer who understands her loss, and a friendship between them gradually becomes an unexpected second chance at love. As Christmas approaches, Vanessa prepares for her annual military Christmas dance and the return of her college-age daughter, Sadie (Ashley Brown) who doesn’t yet know about Ben. Meanwhile, Ben’s father and business partner, Howard Miller (Grammer), unknowingly acquires Vanessa’s missing ring in a box of antiques and, unaware of its history, plans to sell the valuable find. When Ben realizes the ring his father is about to sell is the heirloom Vanessa has searched for all these years, he races to save it – setting in motion a Christmas reunion with a treasured piece of Vanessa’s past and the possibility of a new future neither Vanessa nor Ben thought they would find again.

“Karen Kingsbuy has an extraordinary ability to tell stories that reach people where they live; stories grounded in faith, family, and precious relationships,” said Bill Abbott, President & CEO, Great American Media. “The Christmas Ring beautifully reflects what Great American Christmas stands for: exceptional storytelling with heart, purpose, and lasting meaning. We are honored to bring Karen’s beloved story to the screen and to share it with families this Christmas,” Abbott concluded.

The Christmas Ring also features nearly one hundred actual retired or active military members, all of whom answered Kingsbury’s call to give honor to those who have served the United States. One of the actors, James Daniels, was a World War II Veteran, who has since passed on.

“It was my honor to include actual military for the background acting in our movie,” Kingsbury said. “I am absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Great American for The Christmas Ring’s TV and streaming release this coming holiday season. I have a feeling people will want to watch it with their families and loved ones … again and again this Christmas.”

The Christmas Ring movie adaptation is written by Karen Kingsbury and Tyler Russell. Tyler Russell directs. Karen Kingsbury is Executive Producer. More than 100,000 copies of The Christmas Ring book have been sold, and publisher Thomas Nelson expects the book to be a top seller this season, as well.

ABOUT GREAT AMERICAN MEDIA

Great American Media is theleader in faith and family entertainment,and one of the fastest-growing entertainment networks on television. Great American Media is home to a portfolio of entertainment brands that celebrate faith, family, and country, including Great American Family, the flagship linear network featuring original Christmas movies, rom-coms, and beloved series; Great American Pure Flix, the leading faith and family streaming service; Great American Faith & Living, the unscripted companion network; and GFam+, an app that lets viewers watch anytime, anywhere. Great America Media, established in June 2021 by Bill Abbott and a group of US-based family offices, is available via cable, streaming on Pure Flix and YouTube TV, and on the GFam+ app.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Pam Slay
Head of Network Program Publicity & Talent Relations
pamslay@gacmedia.com
818.415.3784
media@crosswindpr.com

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I don't know about you, but I'm getting more & more excited for Great American Christmas! It's really nice to have something joyful to look forward to this week.

This movie has been on my want-to-see list since last year, so I'm really looking forward to finally seeing it.

If any of you have seen The Christmas Ring, I would love to know your thoughts on it! Please share in comments below.

Blessings on your day,

Net

Hallmark Announces MAY 2024 New Movie Premieres - SEE DETAILS:

Hallmark will be premiering NEW MOVIES in MAY!

Two new romantic comedies will premiere on the Hallmark Channel, while one all-new mystery is set to premiere on Hallmark Mystery!

You can see my thoughts on these new movies at the end of this post.

See all of the movie details below...


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HALLMARK CHANNEL
All premieres are at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

A Whitewater Romance

Starring: Cindy Busby and Ben Hollingsworth

Premieres: May 11, 2024

Storyline: Maya attends an exclusive business retreat in the Rocky Mountains where she meets Matt who, initially, is her competitor. As they're forced to pair up, an unlikely connection begins to evolve.

Movie Review:

🌊 A Whitewater Romance is a fun, clean movie! -Maria

🌊 A White Water Romance – This movie was sooo funny! Even just thinking about certain scenes still makes me laugh.

I previously adored Cindy Busby and Benjamin Hollingsworth in the more dramatic Christmas movie, "A Godwink Christmas: Meant for Love" (which is my favorite of the series), and I thought they were also sweet together in this!

Most Hallmark rom-com movies these days are geared for an older demographic, but this is one I think even younger viewers would enjoy due to the outdoor activities and comedy.

"A White Water Romance" is very family-friendly and wholesome; it may inspire viewers to try new things and go on an adventure! ~Net



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Everything Puppies

Starring: Pascal Lamothe-Kipnes, Stephen Huszar, and Kathryn Davis

Premieres: May 18, 2024

Storyline: A dedicated entrepreneur and inventor looking to make it big creating innovative dog toys and treats finds success with the support of a handsome client.

Movie Review:

🐶 Everything Puppies is family friendly about a dedicated entrepreneur & inventor named Scarlet Townsend works at Pup Palate Premium Treats Nutrition for Palate Healthy Treats who is looking to make it big creating innovative dog toys and treats finds success with the support of a handsome client named Alex Paulsen works at Happy Harvest on 10th Avenue Store. Alex & Scarett are attending to Paws & Wellness Emporium. Bernese Mountain Dog smells chew dog treats goes all the way down the hall at the meeting

Scarlett (Lamothe-Kipnes) is a hardworking entrepreneur and inventor looking to make it big with innovative dog toys and treats. Her latest puppy treat recipe is already all the rage with the dogs on her block, she just needs a distributor to bring her product to the masses. But she can’t land it on the shelves of any local grocers until she meets Alex (Huszar), who runs Happy Harvest and is so impressed by her product that he puts in an order and quickly sells out. As he and Scarlett work together to keep the supply of puppy treats coming, a competitor gets a whiff of her product and does everything he can to shut her down. ~Anonymous

🐶 Everything Puppies – This movie is mostly wholesome, cute, and lighthearted, but it’s also rather cheesy. The puppies in the movie are extremely adorable.

It didn't make sense that this was a Countdown to Summer movie; it looked more like Fall.

My only caution is - at the end (SPOILER) they made it clear that the lead couple is engaged and they are going away for the weekend camping. Just before the credits roll, we see them kissing around a campfire with their dogs in one small tent together and one tent for them in the background. With or without the end, it was already a one-time watch for me. ~Net




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HALLMARK MYSTERY
Premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Family Practice Mysteries: Coming Home

Starring: Amanda Schull and Brendan Penny

Premieres: May 17, 2024

Storyline: A former Army surgeon moves back to her hometown and joins a practice of family doctors, but when she's drawn into solving the mysterious death of a patient, her quiet life becomes upended.


Movie Reviews:

🔎📌 Family Practice Mysteries: Coming Home Review.... A very good mystery. I can see this being a great series. Her relationship with her teenage children (who are very respectful) is great like Garage Sale Mysteries and has the same with her widowed father(similar to Mystery 101). It was family-friendly and it was another one of those kinds when the detective shares information!! His only fault is that he's a cat person...haha ;) I laughed when Rachel said Einstein had a dog.😂😂

There was a scene when her work friend is doing yoga meditation. I was glad they didn't really go into it and in the end(killer reveal scene) there is a mention of the "D" word. Which was unfortunate, normally there is no language. Overall, I am glad I watched it and hope to see more! ~Abigail

🔎📌 "Family Practice Mysteries: Coming Home" - I saw this movie on streaming service. It's family friendly. Acting was good. Story is a little hard to follow. No real dynamics, but over all was a good mystery. ~Joyce in Carolina

🔎📌 The Family Practice mysteries is streaming early on Hallmark Now. The movie was family-friendly, but I'll admit I was surprised that two swear words were included towards the end of the movie. Other than that it was surprisingly good. ~Laura

🔎📌 Review: Family Practice Mysteries: Coming Home (watched on Hallmark Now) -

Family-friendly? Yes (and I didn't catch any language problems at the end, and I double-checked with subtitles) -
Recommended? Worth a one-time watch -

I mentioned during the Christmas season how so many recent movies seem to be putting the relationship between the main couple on the side and emphasizing something else (like family relations). Here, the murder mystery is front and center, with the relationship a distant second (or maybe even third, since the kids' struggles are also emphasized). Anyway, this is an enjoyable mystery (although pretty easy to solve) with a few sub-plots and great acting by Amanda and Brendan. I can see where they would be considering this for a series. For me, this is worth a one-time watch - it's not great, but not bad. ~Mark 25



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Once again, it appears that Cindy Busby is Chasing Waterfalls in her new May movie premiere, A Whitewater Romance. Cindy has starred in several previous movies that center around the great outdoors, Love in Zion National: A National Park Romance, Marry Me in Yosemite, Warming up to You (included an outdoor health retreat camp), and, of course, the aforementioned movie, Chasing Waterfalls. I think Cindy Busby and Ben Hollingsworth look like a good pairing in this new outdoor movie!

The puppy movie looks cute enough. I mean, who doesn't love adorable puppy dogs on TV? The title, Everything Puppies, I must admit, is a little cheesy, but it still might be sweet. At least it looks like it should be a lighthearted, family-friendly movie.

Also, another all-new mystery is coming in May. While I'm generally not excited about another new mystery when others have been left undone, since this one will star two actors who are well-liked in the Hallmark family, Amanda Schull, and Brendan Penny, I'm rather looking forward to hearing more about it!

I would love to hear your opinions, too! Please share your thoughts in comments below.

Happy movie watching, 

Net

🌳♥ Love Under the Olive Tree -a Hallmark Channel Movie Starring Tori Anderson & Benjamin Hollingsworth! 🍂 🎃

MOVIE REVIEW

Movie: Love Under the Olive Tree

Network: Hallmark Channel

Original Air Date: June 20, 2020

*This Movie is NOT It's a Wonderful Movie Approved!

CAST:

Tori Anderson ... Nicole Cabella
Benjamin Hollingsworth ... Jake Brandini
Gardiner Millar ... Grandpa Frank
Hrothgar Matthews ... Tom
Laura Drummond ... Gloria
Jerry Wasserman ... Grandpa Raphael
Barry Levy ... Maxwell
Robyn Bradley ... Eleanor
Shawn Roberts ... Adam Caulfield
Andrew Dunbar ... Billy Stevens
Amanda May ... Julie
June B. Wilde ... Judge Monroe
Marc-Anthony Massiah ... Principal Evans
Karen Holness ... Mayor Evans
Isis Wright ... Tourist
Kyle Toy ... Choreographer

PLOT:

Storyline via Hallmark: Nicole has plans to expand her family’s Northern California olive oil business until childhood crush Jake Brandini, heir apparent to the neighboring ranch and her biggest competitor, discovers the land where Nicole wants to build on may belong to his family, stemming from a decades-long feud since their grandfathers ended their partnership. When a local judge decides to resolve the dispute by awarding it to the winner of the upcoming olive oil competition, the flames are further fanned between the families, but Nicole and Jake begin to find common ground and a romance develops as the big competition looms.

Movie Review:

Although the main story-line is sweet, I cannot endorse this movie because of the relationship that was shown between two of Nicole's male friends.


See or Skip:

I must recommend skipping this movie for those who believe in traditional marriage as I do.


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Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Dolsen
*images via: Hallmark Crown Media Family Networks

"Can't Buy My Love" a PixL Original Movie (Also Known As: "The Big Grab")

MOVIE REVIEW

Movie: Can't Buy My Love

Also Known As: The Big Grab

Network: PixL
Original Air Date: March 4, 2017

Network: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Original Air Date: June 29, 2017


*UPDATE: The movie The Big Grab has unfortunately been removed from the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries TV schedule on June 29th. Stay tuned for more updates!

*UPDATE #2: The Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Facebook page is showing this will air on July 6, but it is NOT showing up on their schedule... Looking into it!

CAST:

Adelaide Kane ... Lilly Springer
Ben Hollingsworth ... Jeff Alexander
Rodrigo Rojas ... Nick Boxton
Andrea Bordeaux ... Megan
Lamon Archey ... Vince
Jean Louisa Kelly ... Veronica
James Remar ... Rex
Alesha Renee ... Keely
Brian Chin ... Finn
Nadine Ellis ... Dr. Kathleen Richwood
Alexandra Grossi ... Crystal
Ethan Maher ... Carter
Jackie Geary ... Carter's Mom
Peter Banifaz ... Private Courier aka Fred
Malea Rose ... Calandre


PLOT:

Storyline: A wealthy playboy tries to change his immature ways when he falls for a tough EMT driver.

More via Pixl: Lilly (Adelaide Kane), a hard working EMT, is only focused on her job and getting into medical school. So when wealthy slacker Jeff (Benjamin Hollingsworth) enters her life it throws her off course. At first, Lilly wants nothing to do with Jeff or his sense of entitlement and lack of direction. As she spends more time with him, she starts to realize that you can’t always judge a book by its cover.


Interview - Last year I interviewed screenwriter Cara J. Russell (thanks to my movie friend Gina, who set it up!) and Cara shared a little bit about this movie - which was untitled at the time of our interview together last April! You can see that full interview - HERE!


Movie Review:

Coming...


See or Skip:

Coming...

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Hallmark Channel Movie: A WISH COME TRUE

MOVIE REVIEW

Movie: A Wish Come True

Previously titled: 30th Birthday

Network: Hallmark Channel

Original Air Date: January 31, 2015

 

 

CAST:

Megan Park ... Lindsay
Benjamin Hollingsworth ... Dave
Anthony Lemke ... Reed
Aidan Shipley ... Joey
Dean Cain ... As Himself

 

 

PLOT:

Lindsay Corwin is a long-time believer in birthday wishes and she has wished for everything over the years from a puppy to a promotion. As she approaches her 30th birthday, Lindsay laments to her best friend Dave that not one of them has ever come true and her life is nothing like she envisioned. Still just an assistant at her green product firm and reeling from her latest dating disaster, Lindsay is ready to give up on her long wish list. But when Dave throws her a surprise 30th birthday party, Lindsay resolves to blow out her candles and make one final wish: for all of her wishes to come true!

Movie Review:

Coming...


See or Skip:

Coming...

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