Photo: Crown Media

There’s been a lot of development in recent months regarding Hallmark Drama’s first original series, “Christmas Cookie Matchup”, a holiday reality competition — and earlier today, SouthernLiving.com exclusively announced the two judges that will join the show.

In “Christmas Cookie Matchup”, Jack Wagner will host as amateur baker contestants team up with cast members from Hallmark Channel’s “When Calls the Heart” to create tasty holiday treats with their eye on a $25,000 winning prize!  Hearties will be excited to know that stars Erin Krakow, Pascale Hutton, Chris McNally, Paul Greene, Kavan Smith, Kevin McGarry, and Andrea Brooks will all take part of the competition.

As for the judges, food and lifestyle expert Chadwick Boyd will be joined by self-taught baking expert, Emily Hutchinson. Boyd is known for traveling nationally with chef Carla Hall for their “Biscuit Time” class while Hutchinson has been sharing creative tips with fellow bakers through her popular blog The Hutch Oven. Hutchinson’s new book, Creative Cookie Decorating: Buttercream Frosting Designs and Tips for Every Occasion, doesn’t release until October 15th — but it’s already a best seller in Amazon pre-sales.

A premiere date for “Christmas Cookie Matchup” is not yet set, but I’ll keep you posted!

Stay merry!

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.

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!