HALLMARK CHANNEL'S 'COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS' 2016
ORIGINAL MOVIE PREMIERES
'A WISH FOR CHRISTMAS' - Saturday, October 29 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Stars: Lacey Chabert ("Party of Five," Mean Girls), Paul Greene ("A Christmas Detour")
Sara Shaw (Chabert) is the type of woman who prefers to sit on the sidelines at work, but when her big idea for a Christmas initiative is stolen, she makes a wish to Santa that she'll finally have the courage to stand up for herself. When Santa grants her wish and she gets a chance to make prove herself to her boss (Greene) but Santa's wish only gives her 48 hours. As the clock ticks down, Sara will discover how to channel the Christmas magic and speak her mind all on her own.
'THE MISTLETOE PROMISE' - Sunday, November 6 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Stars: Jaime King ("Hart of Dixie," Pearl Harbor), Luke Macfarlane ("The Night Shift," "Brothers and Sisters")
A chance meeting between two strangers who share a disdain for Christmas results in The Mistletoe Promise, a pact to help them navigate their holiday complications - together. But as they spend more time with each other and experience the magic of Christmas the phony couple discovers there may be more to their contract than business. Based on the bestselling novel by Richard Paul Evans.
'EVERY CHRISTMAS HAS A STORY' - Saturday, November 12 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Stars: Lori Loughlin ("When Calls the Heart," "Fuller House"), Colin Ferguson ("Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove," "Eureka"), Willie Aames ("Charles in Charge")
A TV personality (Loughlin) has an on-air snafu and admits she hates Christmas. Following the debacle, she is invited to the Most Christmas-y town in America to try and repair her image. Forced to work with her ex-boyfriend Jack (Ferguson), the show's producer, the magic of Christmas and this special town will change the way she views Christmas and her life.
'CHRISTMAS COOKIES' - Sunday, November 13 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Stars: Jill Wagner ("Wipeout"), Wes Brown ("True Blood," "Hart of Dixie")
Aunt Sally's Christmas Cookie Company is sold to a large conglomerate and executive Hannah (Wagner) must seal the deal and shut down the factory, which is the small town of Cookie Jar's lifeblood. What was supposed to be a simple assignment for Hannah becomes complicated when she meets Jake (Brown), the factory owner who's determined to keep the factory in town. Despite not being a fan of the holiday, the Christmas spirit in this small town is infectious and she gets swept up in the joy of the season while also falling in love.
'MY CHRISTMAS DREAM' - Saturday, November 19 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Stars: Danica McKellar ("Wonder Years"), David Haydn-Jones ("A Cookie Cutter Christmas"), Deidre Hall ("Days of Our Lives")
Christina Masters (McKellar), the manager of McDougal's flagship department store, is determined to land the manager position for their new Paris location. She sets out to impress Victoria (Hall), the store's owner, by creating the best holiday display in McDougal's history. Fresh out of inspiration despite assuring Victoria otherwise, Christina turns to a recently-fired store employee (Haydn-Jones) who also happens to be a talented artist and single dad to his young son. As they work side-by-side, the business relationship becomes personal and she finds herself falling in love. Will the allure of her dream be too strong or will she choose to follow her heart?
'A DECEMBER BRIDE' - Sunday, November 20, (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Stars: Jessica Lowndes ("90210"), Daniel Lissing, ("When Calls the Heart")
Aspiring interior designer Layla O'Reilly (Lowndes) is dreading the Christmastime wedding of her cousin who's marrying Layla's ex-fiancé. Although Seth Murphy (Lissing) is the one responsible for introducing the bride and groom, she begrudgingly accepts his offer to be her date as she's out of options. Seth gets carried away at the reception and announces they're engaged, forcing a mortified Layla to keep up the pretense. But as the faux couple spends more time together they find themselves feeling something very real. Based on the book by bestselling author Denise Hunter.
'CHRISTMAS IN HOMESTEAD' - Wednesday, November 23 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Stars: Taylor Cole ("My Summer Prince," "The Originals"), Michael Rady
One of the most famous actresses in world (Cole) heads to the Christmas-obsessed town of Homestead, Iowa to shoot a holiday-themed. She is thrown for a loop when a romance brews between her and local inn keeper and single dad, Matt (Rady). As she gets a taste of small-town life and people who give of themselves without asking anything in return, she discovers the true meaning of Christmas.
'CHRISTMAS LIST' - Thursday, November 24 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Stars: Alicia Witt ("Nashville," "Justified"), Gabriel Hogan ("Heartland")
Isobel Gray (Witt) plans a storybook Christmas with her boyfriend (Hogan), including a snow-covered cottage in the Northwest, and a carefully composed bucket list of classic holiday traditions. But when the boyfriend goes AWOL, the list proves challenging and a tempting new romance turns her life upside down. Will Isobel have a White Christmas ending under the mistletoe?
'JOURNEY BACK TO CHRISTMAS' - Friday, November 25 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Stars: Candace Cameron Bure ("Fuller House," "Aurora Teagarden Mysteries"), Oliver Hudson ("Rules of Engagement," "Nashville"), Tom Skerritt ("Picket Fences," "Steel Magnolias")
A WWII era nurse (Cameron Bure) is transported in time to 2016 and meets a man (Hudson) who helps her discover the bonds of family and that the true meaning of Christmas is timeless.
'A HEAVENLY CHRISTMAS' - Saturday, November 26, (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Stars: Kristin Davis ("Sex & the City"), Eric McCormack ("Will & Grace," "Perception"), Shirley Maclaine ("Terms of Endearment")
Upon her untimely death, Eve Morgan (Davis), a workaholic finds herself tethered to her guardian angel (MacLaine) learning to become a Christmas angel in Heaven. Despite being the worst recruit in the history of Christmas, Eve is assigned the difficult task of helping a struggling singer Max (McCormack) use his musical gifts to heal old family wounds. As Max begins to overcome his issues, Eve begins to embrace the meaning of Christmas, heal wounds of her own and perhaps find love along the way.
'BROADCASTING CHRISTMAS' - Sunday, November 27 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Stars: Dean Cain ("Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman"), Melissa Joan Hart ("Melissa & Joey," "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch")
Meredith Martin (Hart) is an ambitious television anchor, aimed at climbing the ranks. When the prized position presents itself shortly before Christmas, Meredith is ready to leap. To her surprise, she discovers she has stiff competition with Nolan Barnes (Cain), the local TV anchor who is her near equal on another station. With such interest and support for both reporters, a contest is drawn up: for the two weeks leading up to Christmas, who can cover the best and most meaningful Christmas stories on the local news? Meredith and Nolan go toe to toe. The surprising turn of events is that Nolan and Meredith start to realize top prize is not really as important as they thought. The true meaning of Christmas and the heartfelt experiences that stand out in the stories they're covering challenge their career ambitions. This awakening also brings them into a connection they never saw coming as they start to fall in love.
'A DREAM OF CHRISTMAS' - Saturday, December 3 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Stars: Nikki DeLoach ("Awkward."), Andrew Walker ("Date with Love", Cindy Williams ("Laverne & Shirley")
Penny (DeLoach), an ambitious but discontented young married woman, gets more than she bargained for when she is granted a wish to be single again. She awakens one morning to discover she has everything she thinks she wanted: Her dream home, a great car, and a dream job where she's the boss. But the tradeoff is not all wine and roses. Her husband Stuart (Walker) is gone - their marriage doesn't exist because in this world they never even met. Penny eventually adjusts to life in this new "wish world". In spite of her professional successes and romantic advances from a handsome, bachelor client of hers (Christopher Russell), Penny soon discovers the most important thing is missing in her life - her husband Stuart. She resolves to find and meet Stuart - for a second time - and get to know him all over again in the hope they'll fall in love and rekindle the romance that was lacking in the "real world."
'LOOKS LIKE CHRISTMAS' - Sunday, December 4 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Stars: Anne Heche ("Aftermath"), Dylan Neal ("50 Shades of Grey," "Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove")
Carol (Heche) is an over-involved mother but nothing compares to the holiday season when she goes over-the-top spearheading her kid's school's Christmas Spectacular each year, which earned her the nickname Christmas Carol by the parents and faculty. All that changes the day Terry (Neal) moves to town with his teenage daughter. Also single, he is very fond of the holiday himself, having volunteered to mount the Christmas play each year at his daughter's former school. Carol tries to politely tell the single dad his help won't be needed but he has no intention of stepping aside. The tug-of-war turns into something of a rumble and it becomes clear neither of these parents is willing to work with the other. With the competition lines clearly drawn in the sand, the dueling duo sets out to outdo each other to create the most memorable Christmas spectacular ever. The pressure is ON to make this the best Christmas ever as it's anybody's guess if "Christmas Carol" will live up to her moniker or if newly titled "Terry Christmas" will become the new holiday hero. The two will ultimately learn the error of their ways and put aside their differences while learning they have a lot more in common as an unexpected romance begins to bloom.
'A NUTCRACKER CHRISTMAS' - Saturday, December 10 (8 p.m ET/PT)
Stars: Amy Acker ("Person of Interest"), Sascha Radetsky ("Flesh and Bone"), Sophia Lucia ("So You Think You Can Dance," "Dance Moms")
Rising star, Lilly James (Acker) lives and breathes ballet. Her sister, Beth, is not only her biggest fan but often forgoes her own needs to make sure Lilly has every opportunity possible. Lilly's devotion pays off when she is accepted into the New York City Ballet. Her biggest dream comes true when she lands the lead role of Clara in The Nutcracker and will make her debut on Christmas Eve. As she prepares for her big night, she receives the tragic news that her sister has died. She is removed from the show by none other than Mark (Radetsky), her boyfriend and dance partner. Betrayed and heartbroken, she vows never to dance again. Years later, Lilly's niece (Lucia) receives the same Christmas wish, the role of Clara in the prestigious Philadelphia Nutcracker Ballet, only to find that the Ballet Director is Mark, who betrayed Lilly years ago. Will Lilly see the truth about her past, and allow herself a second chance to dance and another chance to find love?
'MEANT TO BE' - Sunday, December 11 (8 p.m. ET/PT) (working title)
Stars: Bonnie Somerville ("Code Black"), Brennan Elliott ("Flower Shop Mystery," "UnREAL")
Maddie (Somerville), a high-powered marketing executive, is on her way to a client's wedding but her plans are derailed by car trouble. When a fork in the road leads her to Christmas Valley, a town in love with Christmas, an unexpected encounter and a group of strangers that start to feel like family will have her questioning what she's really been missing in life.
'MY CHRISTMAS LOVE' - Saturday, December 17 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Stars: Meredith Hagner ("Royal Pains," "Veep"), Bobby Campo ("Scream: The TV Series"), Gregory Harrison ("Rizzoli & Isles," "Signed, Sealed, Delivered")
A hopeless romantic (Hagner) starts receiving each gift from the song "The 12 Days of Christmas" compliments of an anonymous benefactor. As she tries to figure out the gifter's identity with the hope that the person on the other end of the parade of presents will be her one true love, she discovers that what she was looking for was right in front of her the entire time.
'SLEIGH BELLS RING' - Sunday, December 18 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Stars: Erin Cahill ("Saving Grace," "Power Rangers Time Force"), David Alpay ("Quantico," "Ice Sculpture Christmas")
Single mom Laurel Bishop (Cahill) is ready to be promoted to City Manager, but first she needs to put together a gorgeous Christmas Parade in just two weeks! When she finds a beautiful old sleigh she knows it will be perfect for the Santa float if she can fix it up in time. But things go awry as the magical sleigh seems to have a mind of its own, and keeps nudging her back to her handsome former high school sweetheart, David (Alpay).
'WHEN CALLS THE HEART CHRISTMAS' - Sunday, December 25 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Stars: Erin Krakow ("Army Wives"), Daniel Lissing ("Last Resort"), Jack Wagner ("The Bold and the Beautiful") and Lori Loughlin ("Fuller House," "90210")
An intriguing peddler comes to Hope Valley selling the townspeople his wears and teaching them valuable lessons about joy and giving. And when the townspeople realize that the recently displaced settlers in the area will not have a proper Christmas, they come together to create a special holiday celebration - including a Nativity presentation from the schoolchildren - that will infuse everyone with the true spirit of Christmas.
'A ROSE FOR CHRISTMAS' - Sunday, January 1, 2017 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Stars: Rachel Boston ("The Witches of East End," "In Plain Sight")
Andy (Boston) is a passionate and talented artist whose Pasadena family has been building Rose Parade floats for generations. But when her Dad gets sick and can't lead this year's efforts as usual, Andy has no choice but to take the helm and supervise the construction and decoration of their client's float over Christmas with only a few weeks to go. And to make matters worse, she's saddled with the extra challenge of dealing with Cliff (, a demanding businessman whose company commissioned the float. Forced to work together, these two can't help but clash - she's a creative type who knows this flower-strewn process inside out, while he's all business with no time for art. But working side-by-side over Christmas, they each learn the other is not who they seem. And together, with a ragtag team of volunteers, they might just have what it takes to create a magnificent Rose Parade float... IF they can pull it together by New Year's.
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