Hallmark Channel 2023 Countdown to Christmas Lineup
Just like Buddy the Elf jumping up and down shouting, “Santa! I know him!” we’re over here jumping for joy because it’s almost the most wonderful time of the year.
Sure, we mean the holiday season, but we also mean Countdown to Christmas on Hallmark Channel! The 2023 lineup is here and we are ready to spill all of the details.
Of course we’ll be reviewing Countdown to Christmas movies all season long on Girls Gone Hallmark, so be sure to subscribe on the podcast player of your choice!
When does Countdown to Christmas 2023 begin?
The annual Countdown to Christmas is a highly anticipated event that signals the start of the holiday season. This year, the countdown will begin on Friday, October 20th, 2023.
How many movies will air for Countdown to Christmas 2023?
Hallmark fans can breathe a sigh of relief as the current writer and actor strikes did not impact the number of movies that will be released this year. Despite the ongoing labor disputes within the entertainment industry, Hallmark was able to maintain their production schedule and deliver the same number of movies as they usually do.
This means that fans can expect 40 brand new, heartwarming, and romantic stories to enjoy during the upcoming holiday season. We can all look forward to the magic of Hallmark movies and the joy they bring to our lives.
Hallmark Channel will air 31 original movies. Hallmark Movies and Mysteries will air 9 new, original movies.
Related: Play along with our Hallmark Christmas movie bingo free printables!
What’s on Hallmark this Holiday Season
Checkin’ It Twice
Friday, October 20th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Kevin McGarry and Kim Matula
Synopsis: When a professional hockey player (McGarry) is traded to his love interest’s hometown team, he finds himself falling head over heels for a real estate agent (Matula).
First impressions: We love seeing Kevin McGarry back in a role without a Boston accent. Kim Matula shined in last year’s “Ghosts of Christmas Always.”
Where Are You, Christmas?
Saturday, October 21st 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Lyndsy Fonseca, Michael Rady, Jim O’Heir, Julie Warner
Synopsis: After Addy (Lyndsy Fonseca) wishes for a year without Christmas, she wakes up in a black and white world and works with the town mechanic (Michael Rady) to restore Christmas.
First impressions: Pleasentville, revisited. And we’re here for it.
Under the Christmas Sky
Sunday, October 22nd, 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Jessica Parker Kennedy, Ryan Paevey
Synopsis: Kat (played by Jessica Parker Kennedy) is scheduled for her first trip into space but is sidelined due to an accident. She meets a new man (Ryan Paevey) at the local planetarium and together they must work hard to open a new exhibit by Christmas.
First impressions: A new exhibit by Christmas? Long time listeners of the Girls Gone Hallmark podcast know how we feel about that.
Ms. Christmas Comes to Town
Thursday, October 26th 8pm EST – Hallmark Movies and Mysteries
Stars: Erica Durance, Brennan Elliott, Barbara Niven
Synopsis: When Ms. Christmas (Barbara Niven), a shopping channel host, receives a terminal diagnosis, she heads on a multi-city excursion to spread Christmas cheer.
First impressions: No surprise this one is on “Movies and Misery.” Get the tissues ready.
Christmas By Design
Friday, October 27th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Rebecca Dalton, Jonathan Keltz
Synopsis: As part of a Christmas competition to design a clothing line with a holiday theme, a fashion designer (Dalton) takes a moment to reflect on what truly matters in life
First impression: Sounds like a cookie-cutter Hallmark movie of yore. Let’s hope we’re wrong.
Mystic Christmas
Saturday, October 28th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Jessy Schram, Chandler Massey, Patti Murin, William R. Moses
Synopsis: As Juniper spends time during the holiday season, she reunites with the proprietor of the pizza parlor in Mystic, Connecticut. This happens while she is employed at the rehabilitation center and aquarium, which are also located in the same town.
First impressions: Are we just recycling movies from the nineties? If this doesn’t include a Julia Roberts cameo, we’re going to be very disappointed.
Joyeux Noel
Sunday, October 29th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Jaicy Elliot, Brant Daugherty
Synopsis: Copy editor Lea and pragmatic reporter Mark head to France to learn about a mysterious artist behind a romantic Christmas painting.
First impressions: Jaicy Elliot was great in last year’s “My Southern Family Christmas” and we look forward to seeing her with wowie-zowie Brant Daugherty in a Parisian setting.
My Christmas Guide
Thursday, November 2nd 8pm EST – Hallmark Movies and Mysteries
Stars: Amber Marshall, Ben Mehl
Synopsis: A college professor connects with a guide dog trainer after losing his eyesight and adopting a seeing eye dog.
First impressions: “Guiding Emily” was a near perfect movie from earlier this year that featured a similar storyline.
Flipping For Christmas
Friday, November 3rd 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Ashley Newbrough, Marcus Rosner
Synopsis: Right before Christmas, realtor Abigail agrees to help her sister with what she believes will be an easy flip of an inherited home. Things get tricky when the co-beneficiary Bo has a different idea.
First impressions: Mr. BDE is back but as a co-beneficiary to an inherited home? Sounds like the same scenario we saw in “Autumn in the Vineyard.”
Never Been Chris’d
Saturday, November 4th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Janel Parrish, Pascal Lamothe-Kipnes, Tyler Hynes
Synopsis: Best friends Naomi and Liz return home for the holidays and simultaneously enter a love triangle when they both reconnect with their high school crush Chris Silver.
First impressions: Tyler Hynes. That’s all you need to know.
The Santa Summit
Sunday, November 5th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Hunter King, Benjamin Hollingsworth
Synopsis: Three best friends take on the annual Santa Summit, a night when everyone bar and restaurant hops in Santa suits.
First impressions: Feels like Hallmark is going for a younger demo with this one.
Mystery on Mistletoe Lane
Thursday, November 9th 8pm EST – Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Stars: Erica Cerra, Victor Webster
Synopsis: When moving to a new town, Heidi (Erica Cerra) and her kids discover a Christmas mystery with the help of the local handyman (Victor Webster).
First impressions: Nice to see Victor Webster back on Hallmark outside of “The Wedding Veil” movies.
Everything Christmas
Friday, November 10th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Katherine Barrell, Cindy Busby, Corey Sevier, Matt Wells
Synopsis: Christmas lover Lori Jo and her roommate head to Yuletide Springs for a longtime tradition to honor her late grandmother — and meet two men, Carl and Jason, along the way.
First impressions: Listeners of the podcast know how we feel about green screen driving movies, and Cindy Busby.
Christmas Island
Saturday, November 11th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Rachel Skarsten, Andrew Walker
Synopsis: After Kate’s (Skarsten) first private flight, en route to Christmas Island in Switzerland, gets diverted due to a snowstorm, she teams up with an air traffic controller (Walker) to land her dream job.
First impressions: Ah, the holidays – that magical time of year when we all come together to eat, drink, and try not to get stranded at the airport.
A Heidelberg Christmas
Sunday, November 12th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Ginna Claire Mason, Frédéric Brossier
Synopsis: Glass ornament maker Heidi (Mason) heads to Germany to sell her items at the prestigious Heidelberg Christmas Market in Germany. During her trip, she connects with a local artisan Lukas (Brossier), who helps her reconnect with her lost heritage.
First impression: Ginna Claire Mason dazzled us in last year’s “A Holiday Spectacular.”
A World Record Christmas
Thursday, November 16th 8pm EST – Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Stars: Nikki DeLoach, Lucas Bryant, Aias Dalman
Synopsis: Marissa and Eric encourage their young son with autism, who is determined to set a Guinness World Record — and has the chance to do so on Christmas Eve.
First impression: We truly hope Hallmark cast a neurodivergent actor in the role.
Navigating Christmas
Friday, November 17th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Chelsea Hobbs, Stephen Huszar
Synopsis: Recently divorced Melanie (Hobbs) brings her son to a remote island for Christmas, where she connects with a lighthouse owner (Huzar).
First impression: Stephen Huszar has yet to wow us over in a Hallmark movie. Maybe this one will be different?
A Merry Scottish Christmas
Saturday, November 18th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Lacey Chabert, Scott Wolf
Synopsis: Estranged siblings Lindsay (Queen of Christmas Lacey Chabert) and Brad (Scott Wolf) travel to Scotland at Christmas to reunite with their mother.
First impression: This is the first of two Lacey Chabert movies we’re looking forward to this holiday season.
Holiday Hotlline
Sunday, November 19th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Emily Tennant, Niall Matter
Synopsis: Upon leaving London and working at a cooking hotline, Abby (Emily Tennant) connects with an anonymous caller — a single dad (Niall Matter) who Abby unknowingly is also smitten with in real life.
First impression: It’s a Butterball Hotline story!
A Season for Family
Wednesday, November 22nd 8pm EST – Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Stars: Brendan Penny, Stacey Farber, Benjamin Jacobson, Azriel Dalman
Synopsis: While Maddie’s adopted son wants to meet his brother Cody, who was adopted into another family, Cody’s father, isn’t ready.
First impressions: All jokes aside, we hope Brendan Penny wears glasses in this one.
Catch Me if You Claus
Thursday, November 23rd 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Italia Ricci, Luke Macfarlane
Synopsis: On the verge of her big break, aspiring news anchor Avery Quinn catches a home intruder wearing a red suit claiming to be Santa’s son, Chris.
First impressions: Luke Macfarlane is back to Christmas movies after his fall return in “Notes of Autumn.”
Letters to Santa
Friday, November 24th 6pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Katie Leclerc, Rafael de la Fuente
Synopsis: Young siblings use a magic pen from Santa to wish for their parents to get back together.
First impression: Kicking the season off with a little bit of magic sounds nice!
Holiday Road
Friday, November 24th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Sara Canning, Warren Christie
Synopsis: A travel writer, a tech entrepreneur, a devoted mother and more strangers are stranded at the airport for the holidays, they rent a van for an unexpected road trip. Apparently inspired by true events!
First impression: We’re guessing a happy ending and not a murderous one like the book “Five Total Strangers.”
Christmas in Notting Hill
Saturday, November 25th 6pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Sarah Ramos, William Moseley
Synopsis: Usually too busy for love, famous soccer star Graham’s (Moseley) life changes when he returns home to Notting Hill for Christmas and meets a woman (Ramos) visiting who doesn’t know who he is.
First impression: We’re really hoping this British story doesn’t let us down like last year’s “Jolly Good Christmas.”
Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up
Saturday, November 25th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Lacey Chabert, Wes Brown, Stephen Tobolowsky, Melissa Peterman, Ellen Travolta, Seth Morris, Jennifer Aspen
Synopsis: A sequel to last year’s “Haul out the Holly,” Emily and Jared are excited to spend the holidays together as a couple — regardless of the new residents moving in on Evergreen Lane.
First impression: Cannot wait for our Queen of Christmas and country crooner Wes Brown.
Our Christmas Mural
Sunday, November 26th 6pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Alex Paxton-Beesley, Dan Jeannotte
Synopsis: When single mom Olivia is secretly entered into a mural contest by her mom, she partners with the teacher, Will.
First Impressions: Pinstripe is back. #IYKYK
A Biltmore Christmas
Sunday, November 26th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Bethany Joy Lenz, Kristoffer Polaha, Jonathan Frakes, Robert Picardo
Synopsis: Screenwriter Lucy Hardgrove lands her dream job — writing the remake of a beloved, holiday movie classic, filmed at the historic Biltmore House in 1947. While visiting the estate for inspiration, she discovers the ability to travel to the original set of “His Merry Wife” and connects with one of the film’s stars.
First Impressions: We’ve waited all year for this one!
A Time For Her To Come Home For Christmas
Thursday, November 30th 8pm EST – Hallmark Movies and Mysteries
Stars: Shenae Grimes-Beech, Chris Carmack, Grace Leer
Synopsis: Carly heads to a small town to lead a church choir at Christmastime, facing her first holiday season without her mother. While there, she connects with a man back in town after serving in the Army.
First Impressions: Can we put this series to bed yet?
My Norwegian Holiday
Friday, December 1st 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Rhiannon Fish, David Elsendoorn
Synopsis: JJ, grieving the loss of her grandmother, jumps at the chance to join a new friend, Henrik, on a trip to Norway to discover her grandmother’s history and look into how she landed a troll figurine from his hometown.
First Impressions: We would have loved to see Tyler Hynes reunited with Rhiannon Fish since those two gave off some serious heat earlier this year.
A Not So Royal Christmas
Saturday, December 2nd 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Brooke D’Orsay, Will Kemp
Synopsis: When tabloid journalist Charlotte requests an interview with a famously private Count — not knowing he fled town years ago — the royal family convinces their groundskeeper to pose as him.
First impressions: Two great actors…let’s hope the story doesn’t disappoint.
Christmas with a Kiss
Sunday, December 3rd 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Mishael Morgan, Ronnie Rowe Jr., Jaime M. Callica
Synopsis: This Mahogany film follows a woman who returns home for her family’s Christmas Carnival, unexpectedly meeting a photo journalist.
First impressions: Yay for a Mahogany movie but… this is also the first movie in the Countdown to Christmas line up featuring a diverse cast.
To All a Goodnight
Thursday, December 7th 8pm EST – Hallmark Movies and Mysteries
Stars: Kimberley Sustad, Mark Ghanimé
Synopsis: After a small-town photographer saves a man’s life, she learns he’s in town to buy her family’s parkland, the location of the annual Christmas celebration.
First impression: Queen Kimberley Sustad. That’s all.
Magic in Mistletoe
Friday, December 8th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Lyndie Greenwood, Paul Campbell
Synopsis: Successful yet recluse author Harrington returns to his hometown for an annual Christmas festival, where he must face his publicist there for damage control.
First impression: Please bring the funny, Paul Campbell. Love, Your #Paulmarkies
Christmas on Cherry Lane
Saturday, December 9th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Catherine Bell, Jonathan Bennett, John Brotherton, Erin Cahill, James Denton, Vincent Rodriguez III
Synopsis: Three couples at different parts of life navigate big turning points in their lives over the holidays.
First impression: Great cast and we think there will be a LGBTQ-friendly storyline with this one! Can’t wait to see who is coupled up!
Round and Round
Sunday, December 10th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Vic Michaelis, Bryan Greenberg, Rick Hoffman
Synopsis: While Rachel is stuck in a time loop, reliving the night of her parents’ Hanukkah party, she leans on the boy her grandmother is trying to set her up with to make it out.
First impression: Former One Tree Hill star Bryan Greenberg in what looks to be his first Hallmark movie.
Heaven Down Here
Thursday, December 14th 8pm EST – Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Stars: Krystal Joy Brown, Tina Lifford, Juan Riedinger, Richard Harmon, Phylicia Rashad
Synopsis: Four people find themselves stranded in a local diner on Christmas Eve amid a snowstorm. The movie is inspired by Mickey Guyton’s song.
First impression: Excellent cast with hopes of a moving storyline!
The Secret Gift of Christmas
Friday, December 15th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Meghan Ory, Christopher Russell
Synopsis: A personal shopper connects with a new client looking to find the perfect gifts for her daughter to reconnect.
First impression: Nice to see Meghan Ory back in a Hallmark movie. Let’s hope this personal shopper storyline is better than last year’s “Jolly Good Christmas.”
Sealed with a List
Saturday, December 16th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Katie Findlay, Evan Roderick
Synopsis: Carley is determined to get through her list of abandoned resolutions from last year and enlists the help of coworker Wyatt.
First impression: Sounds relatable!
Friends & Family Christmas
Sunday, December 17th 8pm EST – Hallmark Channel
Stars: Humberly Gonzalez, Ali Liebert
Synopsis: Bridget and Amelia, set up by their parents, pretend that they are dating to make their families happy for the holidays.
First impression: Oh hey… looks like a LGBTQ rom-com for Ali Liebert! Finally!
Miracle in Bethleham, PA
Thursday, December 21st 8pm EST – Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Stars: Laura Vandervoort, Benjamin Ayres
Synopsis: In this new DaySpring movie, successful Mary Ann Brubeck adopts a daughter right before Christmas. When bad weather lands her and her new baby stranded in Bethlehem, PA, their only option is to stay with the innkeeper’s brother Joe, a quintessential bachelor.
First impression: Hopefully Joe has a few extra Romance University sweatshirts to keep the stranded baby and mama warm.
How can I watch Countdown to Christmas movies?
You can watch Hallmark movies in several ways.
- A cable subscription that includes the Hallmark Channel
- A cord-cutting cable solution like YouTube TV which includes Hallmark channel access!
- Subscribe to Peacock for live and on demand Hallmark channel movies
- Subscribe to FrndlyTV for live, on demand and unlimited DVR space for Hallmark Channel and a variety of other options. We especially love the 72 hour look back feature that allows you to scroll back in the guide and watch or record anything you might have missed in the last three days.
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