Hallmark Headlines: Countdown to Christmas Starts Now

You know what they say about imitation… we’ll leave it at that. Hallmark Headlines is back on Girls Gone Hallmark!

After hearing loud and clear in our listener survey that you wanted more Hallmark news, we’re dusting off the anchor desk and bringing back one of our favorite recurring episodes. As Hallmark starts dropping more announcements, casting news, movie updates, and Countdown to Christmas surprises, we’ll be here to break it all down with equal parts excitement, skepticism, and just enough snark.

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The Hallmark Headlines We’re Talking About This Week

• Paris Is Calling! – Hallmark dropped the first trailer for Paris is Always a Good Idea, coming to Hallmark+ on July 30. We’re talking first impressions, whether the romance is romancing, and if this series has enough je ne sais quoi to earn a spot on your watchlist.

• A Disney Christmas… or a Disney Vacation Commercial? – We got our first look at Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True, and yes, the trailer leans hard into the Disney parks magic. But as lifelong Disney fans, we’re not exactly complaining. Plus, we’re celebrating the appearance of the legendary Richard Kind – better known to Disney fans as the voice of Bing Bong from Inside Out.

• Countdown to Christmas Is Officially in Sight – Hallmark gave us our very first look at Countdown to Christmas 2026, including sneak peeks at Tyler Hynes, Lacey Chabert, Andrew Walker, Holland Roden, Luke Macfarlane, Autumn Reeser, Amy Acker, Andie MacDowell, and more. Naturally, we’re sharing our early reactions and wildly premature rankings based on approximately six seconds of footage.

• Hallmark+ Quietly Became Your Free Summer Binge – If you’re not following Hallmark+ on YouTube, you might be missing one of the best deals around. Hallmark has been dropping free episodes of Finding Mr. Christmas, Holidazed, 12 Dates ‘Til Christmas, and even the entire first season of Christmas at Sea. We’ll tell you what’s available and why now might be the perfect time to catch up.

• All Aboard the Hallmark Christmas Cruise… But Where’s Everybody Else?Hallmark revealed this year’s Christmas Cruise lineup, and while plenty of fan favorites are sailing away this October, a couple of very familiar names are noticeably absent. We break down who’s going, who’s missing, and what it could – or couldn’t – mean.

• Touchdown, Hallmark Is Headed to Chicago – Hallmark officially announced Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story, the latest NFL-inspired Christmas movie. No cast has been confirmed yet, but Hallmark sleuths already think they may have cracked the case—and we’ll tell you why Lyndsy Fonseca and Robert Buckley keep coming up.

• A Taylor Swift Wedding Gift with a Hallmark Connection – Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s reported charitable giving ahead of their wedding reached all the way to the Hallmark world. Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Brad Paisley’s nonprofit, The Store, was among the organizations receiving support, helping provide groceries and resources for families facing food insecurity in Nashville.

• Nikki DeLoach and Ashley Williams Are Throwing the Coziest Fundraiser Ever – Grab your pajamas. Nikki DeLoach and Ashley Williams are hosting the 2026 Dance Party to End ALZ, raising money for Alzheimer’s research with what might be Hallmark’s most on-brand charity event ever.

• Mistletoe Murders Is Almost Back in the Can – Production on Season 3 of Mistletoe Murders is down to its final week. We chat about what that could mean for the release timeline and why this mystery series continues to be one of Hallmark+’s strongest originals.

• Could Your Town Become a Hallmark Christmas Movie? – Hallmark is searching for America’s Merriest Christmas Town. Twenty-five communities will earn official Hallmark Christmas Town status, and one lucky winner will become the inspiration for an actual Hallmark original movie. Yes… we’re already thinking about who should enter.

• Hallmark Ornament Season Is Officially Here – The annual Keepsake Ornament Premiere kicks off July 11, bringing the first wave of more than 250 new ornaments. We share a few of our favorite picks—from nostalgic throwbacks to ornaments that somehow feel made specifically for Hallmark fans..

• The Finding Mr. Christmas Baby Coincidence We Can’t Ignore – Two Finding Mr. Christmas favorites welcomed babies on the exact same day. Is it just a coincidence? Of course. Are we still talking about it? Absolutely.

• Lori Loughlin Is Officially Back in Garage Sale Mysteries – Hallmark confirmed that Lori Loughlin will return as Jennifer Shannon in a brand-new Garage Sale Mysteries movie this fall. We’ll talk about the surprising announcement, what else is coming to the mystery lineup, and whether this is the comeback fans have been waiting for.

• Is Daniel Lissing Already Filming Christmas Again? – Daniel Lissing teased from Vancouver that he’s filming another Hallmark movie, and the internet immediately started connecting the dots. We discuss the rumors surrounding Forgetting Christmas and why Daniel may be becoming one of Hallmark’s busiest leading men.

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