Paevey (left) in 2018’s Hope at Christmas; Greene (right) in 2016’s “A Wish for Christmas”. | Photos: Crown Media

Word on the street is that two of our favorite Hallmark actors are coming back home to the network for the holiday season in all new original movies!

Ryan Paevey is set to co-lead “Christmas at the Plaza”, which will be directed by Ron Oliver with production beginning in September. The announcement came during Crown Media’s Summer 2019 TCA press event last Friday.

Reeser (left) in 2017’s A Bramble House Christmas; Metcalfe (right) in 2017’s Christmas Next Door. | Photos: Crown Media

If you were a fan of the chemistry between Autumn Reeser and Jesse Metcalfe‘s characters in the 2015 Hallmark Channel movie, “A Country Wedding”, you’ll be excited to know that the two are reuniting for a Christmas movie on the network!

In a now deleted Instagram Story (they only last for 24 hours!), Metcalfe posted a photo of their “A Country Wedding” poster with a Santa Claus emoji covering his face and the message “We have a little surprise for you this Christmas!”. Additionally, a video of Reeser on set of the movie was posted on Instagram where it was mentioned that the name of the film is “Christmas Under the Stars”.

Pictured: Erin Krakow of “When Calls the Heart”. / Credit: Crown Media

Back in March, I posted about the two Christmas reality shows coming to the Hallmark Drama Network — and now, thanks to announcements at Hallmark’s Summer TCA 2019 press event yesterday, we have more details on one of them!

In the five-part weekly competition series “Christmas Cookie Countdown”, amateur bakers will team up with the stars of Hallmark Channel’s successful series “When Calls the Heart” to put their skills to the test. Erin Krakow, Pascale Hutton, Kavan Smith, Chris McNally, Paul Greene and Andrea Brooks are all confirmed to take part in the show alongside their co-star Jack Wagner, who will serve at the host of the competition!

– Update (07/31/19): Wagner confirmed on his Official Instagram that
the series will now be called “Christmas Cookie Matchup”! –

In each episode, a panel of two professional bakers will judge as the contestants go spatula-to-spatula in a variety of Christmas cookie and holiday dessert competitions. One team will be eliminated each week and, in the end, only one pair of cookie connoisseurs will prevail, winning the $25,000 grand prize. “This show is a different kind of seasonal programming for us and when we first announced it at our Upfront event in March,we were still developing the concept,” said Crown Media Executive Vice President, Programming & Network Publicity, Michelle Vicary.

“Since that time, we have created an incredibly fun and engaging format that is designed to become anew Hallmark holiday tradition for our audience, while also inspiring baking-inclined viewers to create cookie masterpieces of their own.”

“Christmas Cookie Countdown” will be the first-ever original content developed for Hallmark Drama since the network launched in 2017. Will you be tuning in?

Stay merry!

L-R: Chenoweth, Seeley and Rose. | Photos: Crown Media

What’s the holiday season without some carols?!

Many stars will bring their musical talents to the Hallmark networks for their respective festive movies, which are set to premiere during the 10th anniversary of Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas as well as Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ Miracles of Christmas programming.

“The right Christmas music is key to setting the mood for the holiday season so we couldn’t be more thrilled to feature original songs in our movie premieres this year,” said Michelle Vicary, Executive Vice President, Programming & Network Publicity, Crown Media Family Networks at the networks bi-annual Television Critics Summer Press Tour yesterday. “We’re fortunate to have so many new songs performed by such talented stars, so turn up the volume because this holiday season will be triumphant and bright on Hallmark.”

“A Christmas Love Story” (Hallmark Channel)
Tony®and Emmy®Award winner Kristin Chenoweth (You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, “Pushing Daisies”) will lead the Hallmark Hall of Fame film “A Christmas Love Story”, in which she will star as a youth choir director who needs to write a big song for the Christmas Eve show but becomes distracted from that endeavor when Danny (Kevin Quinn, “Bunk’d”), a boy with a golden voice joins her choir, much to the surprise of his widowed father played by Scott Wolf (“The Night Shift,” “Party of Five”). Little does she know a life-changing, emotional surprise is in store for her moments before the show as she gets ready to take the stage and sing “When Angels Land” with Danny.

Photos: Disney Parks

You know the holiday season is fast-approaching when the Walt Disney team starts releasing the schedule for Christmas festivities. If you’re planning for a festive trip to the ‘Happiest Place on Earth”, at least I can tell you when to expect Disney to celebrate the season at the Disneyland Parks located in Anaheim, California.

According to the Disney Parks Blog, Disneyland and California Adventure will begin decking the halls from November 8, 2019 and continue on through January 6, 2020.

L-R: Wes Brown, Rachel Boston, Alicia Witt and Kristoffer Polaha. Credit: Crown Media

I have the biggest Christmas movie announcement yet for you today!

During Crown Media Family Networks’ bi-annual Television Critics Summer Press Tour, eleven new original movie titles were announced for Hallmark’s upcoming holiday programming slate, yes, you read that correctly — 11 new movies were revealed!

“Each year our holiday movie slates get bigger, the movies get better, and the ratings grow stronger and I have no doubt that this will prove to be the most successful season yet,” said Michelle Vicary, EVP, Programming & Network Publicity.

“We are so fortunate to work with such incredible talent –from the actors, to the writers, to the director and producers –who bring our signature holiday movies to life and have been instrumental in establishing Crown Media as the leader in compelling, top-quality holiday entertainment.”

Get the full scoop below of everything we new about these upcoming features. Expect to see many of your network favorites as well as a few fresh faces you’re sure to fall in love with.

Photo: Cabin 24

I don’t tend to post about Scifi things on here, but with the success of the Netflix series “Stranger Things”, I figured there might be a few visitors out there who would be interested to know that Ingrid Michaelson has released an album inspired by the show — and it includes a Christmas song!

Michaelson, who debuted her first Christmas album last year, wrote a song on her new record, Stranger Songs, called “Christmas Lights” inspired by the first season of the series in which a character communicates using the holiday lights.

That being said, the lyrics and melody aren’t restricted for fans of the show; I think it’s a sweet holiday song, and now there’s a music video to go with it. Check it out below!

MERRY CHRISTMAS IN JULY! 🎄☀️ Five months from today, Santa will be on his way! 🎅

It always shocks me a bit at how quickly we get back to this second most wonderful time of the year, but here we are! I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun.

I hope you’ve been celebrating with tropical holiday tunes, the last days of the Hallmark Channel #ChristmasinJuly programming, and maybe some peppermint ice cream to feel the spirit… even in these hot summer days.

Stay merry!

L-R: Melissa Joan Hart, Marie Osmond, Marla Sokoloff & Keshia Knight Pulliam | Photos: Lifetime

Lifetime has been increasing their Christmas cheer little by little each year, and it looks like they’re officially hit peak holiday spirit because we’ll be getting non-stop festive programming this year…starting in October!

The network’s annual holiday programming slate, It’s A Wonderful Lifetime, which usually doesn’t begin until after Thanksgiving, will kick off on October 25 and run through December 25 – aka – Christmas Day with a record-setting 28 original movies. You’ll also be able to enjoy those premieres plus old favorites 24-hours a day, seven-days-a-week, throughout the season.

Lifetime has released information on 6 out of the 28 original films — including another movie featuring a mini-“One Tree Hill” reunion, which was a hit last year, as well as more fan-favorites: Melissa Joan Hart, Tia Mowry-Hardict, Marie Osmond and Keisha Knight Pulliam, for starters.

Get the scoop below!

Photos: Publicity

I don’t know about you, but watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is a beloved tradition in my household. Not only do we love watching the Peanuts gang, but ornaments inspired by the classic can be found throughout my family Christmas tree…and I might have more trinkets scattered around my home. Okay, I have a lot.

That being said, I’m really excited that this beloved animated classic has been brought to life for the stage to bring families together during the holidays. Share the spirit of the season with your loved ones this year when “A Charlie Brown Christmas: LIVE on Stage” comes to a city near you this holiday season! Tickets for select cities are officially on sale TODAY! Click here for details!

Stay merry!