Halloween is still a week away, but the Hallmark Channel — as usual — is all revved up and ready to celebrate Christmas.
The cable network’s annual blizzard of festive flicks gets under way on Saturday night with the 8 p.m. debut of “Jingle Bell Bride.” It’s one of 23 new holiday movies airing on the Hallmark Channel this season.
But that’s not all. The Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel will have 17 debuts of its own, also beginning Saturday with “Christmas Tree Lane.”
The total output matches last year’s record of 40 films — and that’s in addition to the countless reruns of past classics airing throughout the season.
The feel-good films turned out by Hallmark are always embraced by their fervent fans. But in a turbulent year dominated by a global pandemic and divisive politics, they may carry even more meaning for viewers seeking some comfort and joy.
“Our movies are rooted in warmth and positivity, meaningful connections, family gatherings,” says Michelle Vicary, the executive vice president of programming for Crown Media Family Networks, who hopes it’s a “winning formula” that will bring viewers “much-needed levity and holiday cheer at the end of a tough year.”
In “Jingle Bell Bride,” wedding planner Jessica Perez (Julie Gonzalo) travels to a remote town in Alaska to find a rare flower for a celebrity client. There, she finds herself charmed by the small town during Christmas, as well as the handsome local (Ronnie Rowe Jr.) helping her.
Meanwhile, “Christmas Tree Lane” has a music store owner (Alicia Witt) spearheading a community efforts to save her street from demolition. She’s shocked to find out that the man she’s falling for (Andrew Walker) is actually working for the company she’s fighting.
The 2020 Hallmark slate appears to be more diverse than usual. It features a gay couple trying to adopt (“The Christmas House,” starring Jonathan Bennett and Brad Harder) as well as a woman who discovers via a DNA test that she’s Jewish (“Love, Lights, Hanukkah!” with Mia Kirshner, Ben Savage and Marilu Henner).
“This year, our holiday table is bigger and more welcoming than ever,” says Vicary. “The movies reflect our most diverse representation of talent, stories and families.”
Of course, Hallmark isn’t the only platform churning out holiday films these days. Lifetime is set to unleash 30 premieres of its own this year, starting tonight (Oct. 23) with “Christmas on Ice,” a story that has a former competitive figure skater (Abigail Klein) and a ex-professional hockey player (Ryan Cooper) teaming up to save a public rink for closure.
Lifetime also has a Saturday night offering — “Christmas Unwrapped” — about an investigative reporter (Amber Stevens West) assigned to get the scoop on millionaire Erik Gallagher (Marco Grazzini) and his charitable organization that gives away millions of dollars in gifts and holiday cheer—while insisting the gifts are from Santa.
The Link LonkOctober 24, 2020 at 04:50AM
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Hallmark holiday movies: Blizzard of festive flicks begins this weekend - The Mercury News
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