Photo: Crown Media

Countdown to Christmas viewers who fell in love with the movie, “Christmas in Evergreen” when it premiered last year on the Hallmark Channel will be happy to know that a sequel is in the works—and it’s premiering this year!

“Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa” is set to debut during the networks holiday programming this holiday season, and several of the stars of the first film will be back–including: Ashley Williams, Holly Robinson Peete, and Barbara Niven as well as new faces Jill Wagner and Mark Deklin.

Country Living reports that the sequel will take us back to the fictional small town of Evergreen as we follow Lisa (Jill Wagner), who is busy repairing the community’s abandoned General Store ahead of the holidays. With a little help from the rest of the townspeople, she’ll deliver a special, lost letter to the North Pole while trying to restore the Christmas spirit in her Vermont village. The inspiration of Evergreen, Vermont is based on Hallmark artist Geoff Greenleaf‘s Christmas illustrations.

Stay merry!

Essence Atkins (left) & Candace B. Harris (right)

There’s nothing like starting your week off with some Christmas movie news, amiright?!

As I was browsing Instagram this morning, I discovered photos of actress Candace B. Harris (“Gifted”) on the set of a new Christmas movie entitled, “Coins for Christmas”. Considering I hadn’t heard about this film in the midst of all the latest movie news, I decided to do a little digging and found out that it’s an upcoming film for the TV One network also starring Essence Atkins (“Marlon”)!

Synopsis: Single mom Madison (Atkins) finds herself scraping pennies together two weeks before Christmas after the IRS freezes her bank account, her ex fails to come through with any help and her boss fires her. Desperate to pay bills and buy gifts for her teenage children, Madison jumps into the ever-popular “gig economy.” That’s when she meets and eventually gets hired by obnoxious, sidelined former pro football player Alec Darby (Stephen Bishop), also secretly on the verge of going broke. This odd couple butts heads time and time again, but they eventually forge a friendship. And, to their surprise, they learn a lot about themselves and teach one another how to be better people.

Photo: Crown Media

Lacey Chabert and Candace Cameron Bure aren’t the only ‘Hallmark Christmas queens’ returning this holiday season in new films, according to Entertainment Tonight, network favorite Alicia Witt is coming back to spread some cheer as well!

Witt, who has starred in six Hallmark Channel movies for the ‘Countdown to Christmas’ programming, will make her debut on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries network in “House on Honeysuckle Lane”–based on the novel by Mary Elizabeth McDonough, as part of the ‘Miracles of Christmas’ line-up.

Tori Anderson (“Blindspot”), a Hallmark newbie, will headline “Return to Christmas Creek” alongside Steven Weber, Kari Matchett and Stephen Huszar. Get some details on both movies below!

L-R: Lori Loughlin, Candace Cameron Bure and Jodie Sweetin. | Photos: Crown Media

It’s gonna be a ‘full house’ on the Hallmark Channel this year when Lori Loughlin and Jodie Sweetin join Candace Cameron Bure in having their own films as part of the Countdown to Christmas lineup this holiday season.

Loughlin will have two films as she is set to star in the previously announced When Calls Christmas movie, an annual holiday film centered around Hallmark Channel’s hit series “When Calls the Heart” on which she stars. EW reports that the second will be called “Homegrown Christmas”, which is about a socialite (Loughlin) who loses everything when her husband is arrested for insider trading. Upon returning to her childhood hometown in shame, she’s reunited with family and a former flame that help give her a lesson in the meaning of Christmas.

Photo: Michael Campion’s Official Instagram

The highly-anticipated new season of Netflix’s “Fuller House” is returning later this year and the season four premiere episode will be called “Oh My Santa”, that’s right–a Christmas-themed episode right off the bat!  There’s not much to be said about the plot just yet, but the episode is written by Bryan Behar & Steve Baldikoski, directed by Rich Correll and produced by Uncle Jesse himself, John Stamos! The title is also a pun for D.J. Tanner-Fuller’s (Candace Cameron Bure) beloved catchphrase “Oh Mylanta!”

Photo Courtesy of John Legend

It may be August, but I’d say ‘we need a little Christmas…right this very minute’ — how about you?! I guess John Legend agrees because, as it turns out, Refinery29 reports that the multi award-winning musician has been spending his spare time–as if he actually has any–making a Christmas album!

Now, if you’re a hardcore John Legend fan and/or a true Christmas music aficionado, you’d know that several years ago he did a duet with Mariah Carey, “When Christmas Comes” and in 2006 NBC released a special John Legend edition of their “Sounds of the Season” music collection. There were 6 holiday songs included on that record, which has provided a soothing vibe to my season each year, but that doesn’t mean I’m not eager to get a full-fledged Christmas album from Mr. Legend!

Happy August! As summer begins to wind down this month and school starts again, I hope every minute is exciting and memorable for you and your loved ones.

I don’t know how it’s been in your neck of the woods but, I’ve had to endure lots of rain and humid weather where I live in recent weeks, so I’m hoping for some non-humid sunny days and breezy summer nights before the season ends.

In the meantime, I’ll #StayMerry and I hope you will too!

Photo: Crown Media

In more holiday programming news straight from Crown Media Family Network–via the 2018 Summer TCA Tour, it’s been announced that Candace Cameron Bure will serve as Executive Producer for an all new one-hour special for Hallmark Channel entitled “Christmas in America” during Countdown to Christmas 2018.

This special will feature footage of people from every corner of the country and all walks of life as they celebrate the season and embrace their Christmas spirit. From Christmas light festivals to support for charitable causes, get ready to ring in the season with this joyful event.

Photo courtesy the {m} media collective

It was announced during the Crown Media Family Networks’ bi-annual Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour–aka the Summer TCA Tour 2018, that Amy Grant will premiere a new one-hour special during the Countdown to Christmas 2018 programming entitled “Amy Grant’s Tennessee Christmas”, which is named after her 2016 holiday album.

“We’re excited to partner with beloved country music star Amy Grant for this heartwarming special we know will resonate with our viewers, especially during Christmastime,” said Michelle Vicary, Executive Vice President, Programming and Network Publicity, Crown Media Family Networks.

Photos: Crown Media

During this month’s holiday programming on Hallmark Channel dubbed “Christmas Keepsake Week”, the network premiered a special hosted by Lacey Chabert called “Christmas: A First Look”, which gave us insight into the movies we’ll see during Countdown to Christmas 2018 later this year.

While the preview special left me very excited for all of the upcoming movies, my eyes were drawn to the gorgeous red dress that Lacey wore. She embodied the Christmas in July spirit in a Red Knit Dress with Jewels by The Kooples.