Hallmark Channel Celebrates 16 Sweet Years of Spreading Joy as the Destination for Holiday Viewing When “Countdown to Christmas” Kicks Off on October 17 [VIDEO]

Every year, fans of heartwarming, festive holiday fare have their remotes at the ready as they eagerly await the merriest time on TV – Hallmark Channel’s beloved Countdown to Christmas programming event, celebrating its Sweet 16 this year. Starting Friday, October 17, viewers can satisfy their craving for 24/7 holly-jolly programming. The network’s elves have wrapped up a joyful season of movies starring fan-favorite actors in yuletide tales of romance, uplifting stories of families and communities coming together as well as feel-good, aspirational series to keep the Christmas party going all holiday long.

“It’s an honor that millions of viewers welcome Hallmark into their homes each year and make us part of their annual holiday traditions,” began Darren Abbott, Chief Brand Officer, Hallmark. “Audiences turn to Hallmark Channel and Hallmark+ for programming that they can watch with their families that they know will fill them with hope and joy. This year promises an unforgettable slate of movies and series featuring fan-favorite actors that will deliver everything fans love about Christmas on Hallmark Channel.”

As the Buffalo Bills are playing their farewell NFL season at iconic Highmark Stadium, Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story helps to celebrate this occasion. Set against the backdrop of the unique, tight-knit community of fans known as Bills Mafia, viewers will be treated to a heartwarming story highlighting the importance of family and, of course, featuring two touching love stories that span generations. Appearing in the movie are Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott, Running Back Ray Davis, Safety Damar Hamlin, Offensive Tackle Dion Dawkins, Tight End Dawson Knox, Long Snapper Reid Ferguson, Defensive Tackle DeWayne Carter, and Wide Receiver Joshua Palmer. Buffalo Bills legend Jim Kelly, former teammates Steve Tasker, Thurman Thomas, Scott Norwood, and Andre Reed, along with Bills play-by-play announcer Chris Brown also appear. And paying homage to the late, great broadcast journalist and die-hard Bills fan Tim Russert, his son Luke Russert rounds out the team.

This year marks the centennial of the Grand Ole Opry, the show that made country music famous. Hallmark is thrilled to be part of this milestone with A Grand Ole Opry Christmas, a magical trip across time filled with music, hope, and healing. GRAMMY® Award winner and Opry Member Brad Paisley wrote and performed original music in the movie. He’s joined by other Opry members and country music artists Bill Anderson, Dailey & Vincent, Drew Baldridge, Jamey Johnson, Maggie Baugh, Megan Moroney, Mickey Guyton, Pam Tillis, Rhett Akins, Riders in the Sky, Suzy Bogguss, Tigirlily Gold, and T Graham Brown.

ALL THE NEWS THAT’S FIT FOR YULE

In Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper!, Robert Buckley stars as a happy-go-lucky, small-market weatherman who has a history of suffering a myriad of mishaps every holiday season, much to the amusement of his co-workers. Always upbeat, when he goes home for the holidays and reconnects with his high school crush (Kimberley Sustad) this could be the Christmas that ends his unlucky streak. B.J. Britt is a serious-minded local news anchor in Tidings for the Season, but when he crosses paths with Robbie Sullivan (Elijah-Justus Lewis), a 10-year-old aspiring newscaster, and his mother Lucy (Tamera Mowry-Housley), his outlook on the news that’s important to report – and what’s important in life – begins to change.

FESTIVE FAMILY TIME

Inspired by Star and Executive Producer Jonathan Bennett’s own family excursions, A Keller Christmas Vacation sends three siblings (Bennett, Brandon Routh, Eden Sher) on a Christmas market cruise down the Danube with their parents for a trip they’ll never forget. In An Alpine Holiday, two sisters (Ashley Williams, Laci J Mailey) embark on a journey mapped out by their late grandmother where they reconnect, learn about themselves, discover surprising family history… and possibly find romance. Meanwhile, the Brenner boys (Paul Campbell, Tyler Hynes, Andrew Walker) are back for one final holiday with their mother (Margaret Colin) in their childhood home in Three Wisest Men, as the siblings all face exciting life changes and try to navigate adulting at a level they have yet to reach.

FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN

Hallmark grants viewers’ wishes with the highly anticipated reunions of two fan-favorite Hallmark pairings in all-new, original movies. Seven years after My Secret Valentine, the only time they’ve shared the screen, Lacey Chabert and Andrew Walker reunite in She’s Making a List. When a Naughty or Nice inspector (Chabert) investigating a case unexpectedly falls for the child’s father (Walker), things get complicated. Erin Krakow and Tyler Hynes team up once again for Christmas Above the Clouds, a comedic, modern retelling of A Christmas Carol set on a long-haul holiday flight. The movie marks Krakow and Hynes’ first movie together since 2021’s It Was Always You and their first Christmas movie together.

CHRISTMASES PAST AND PRESENT

A trio of holiday movies proves that there’s no time like Christmas past… and the present! In A Newport Christmas, a wish upon a comet whisks away a Gilded Age socialite (Ginna Claire Mason) to the modern day for a date with destiny (Wes Brown). A Suite Holiday Romance finds a struggling writer (Jessy Schram) ghostwriting the memoir of a famous art dealer and, as he tells his love story through flashbacks to 1969, her own romance blooms in the present day with a charming Brit she believes is a wealthy Lord. And a visit to the famed Grand Ole Opry in A Grand Ole Opry Christmas sends an aspiring songwriter (Nikki DeLoach) and her lifelong friend (Kristoffer Polaha) to 1995, where she gets precious time with her late father, is inspired to finish writing the song she had long abandoned, and finds romance.

OH, BABY!

In The More the Merrier, two doctors in a rural hospital (Rachel Boston, Brendan Penny) working the Christmas Eve overnight shift get snowed in and find themselves in the middle of a bona fide baby boom when three women – including the only OBGYN for miles around – go into labor on the rarest birthday of the year. When a couple (Ali Liebert, Katherine Barrell) is left to care for an infant boy by an unknown mother in The Christmas Baby, his sudden arrival makes an impact on their lives they never could have imagined, and he just might be the Christmas miracle they didn’t know they needed.

HALLMARK CHANNEL’S MERRY THANKSGIVING WEEKEND

Viewers will have much to be thankful for when Hallmark Channel once again serves up extra helpings of holiday fare during its annual Merry Thanksgiving Weekend. After a long day of gridiron action and gobbling food, viewers can unwind with an all-new original movie premiere on Thanksgiving night @ 8PM ET/PT. Starting Friday, November 28 and continuing through Sunday, November 30, fans can stash their holiday shopping bags and put up their feet as they settle in to enjoy a double feature with new movies premiering @ 6PM ET/PT and 8PM ET/PT each night.

Thursday, November 27: We Met in December
Stars: Autumn Reeser (Junebug), Niall Matter (This Time Each Year)
On an unexpected layover in mid-December, Annie Lane (Reeser) and Dave Weeks (Matter) meet as strangers in a beautiful hotel all decorated for the holidays. It’s love at first sight, and they end up having a magical night of sharing hopes, dreams… and a perfect kiss. But when they fail to exchange numbers and miss each other the next morning, Annie and Dave fly back to Chicago with no easy way to track the other one down. The only clues they have are those shared about plans for the upcoming holiday season, and the two embark on separate quests to find one another. Along the way, insightful wisdom shared during their time together leads Annie and Dave to make important changes in their lives, leading them both to find ways of making this Christmas special for themselves, their families, and their loved ones.

Friday, November 28: The Snow Must Go On – premieres @6 PM ET/PT
Stars: Heather Hemmens (Christmas Under the Lights), Corey Cott (Season’s Greetings from Cherry Lane)
Isaiah Heyward (Cott) last appeared on Broadway almost 10 years ago. Since then, getting back on Broadway has been a challenge. To escape the grind of the city and re-evaluate his life, Isaiah visits his sister, Jess, and teenage niece, Aurora, in upstate New York for the holidays. But his yuletide respite is interrupted when he learns Aurora’s high school may have to cancel their annual Christmas musical because they can’t find a director. With a nudge from Aurora and the school’s guidance counselor, Lilly-Anne Brigente (Hemmens), Isaiah decides to save the Christmas show and jumps in as director. Isaiah’s situation gets a little more complicated when he learns that an influential Broadway producer’s daughter is in the school production, so Isaiah decides to cast himself as the lead in order to land a part in an upcoming Broadway show. But while the curtain rises on rehearsals and the Christmas Eve opening night fast approaches, Isaiah finds some Christmas surprises of his own, as he stumbles upon an unexpected romance with Lilly-Anne, creates an unanticipated bond with his students, reassesses his priorities, and ultimately discovers that the greatest holiday gift is found when love, family, and friendship take centerstage.

Friday, November 28: The More the Merrier – premieres @ 8 PM ET/PT
Stars: Rachel Boston (Adventures in Love & Birding), Brendan Penny (Chesapeake Shores)
Alice (Boston), an emergency room doctor at a small, rural hospital, always volunteers to work the Christmas Eve overnight shift and goes the extra mile to make the holiday merry and bright for patients and staff. When the hospital gets snowed in, Alice and Brian (Penny), the newly hired top-rated cardiologist, find themselves in the middle of a bona fide baby boom when three women – including the only OBGYN for miles around – go into labor on the rarest birthday of the year. As they team up to bring these bundles of joy into the world as the night wears on, Alice, Brian and the rest of the staff also work hard to make the holiday feel festive for all the patients. Though they may have different approaches to medicine – and to life – there’s a spark between them and by the end of their shift it’s clear that this may be the Christmas Eve that changes them both forever.

Saturday, November 29: An Alpine Holiday – premieres at 6 PM ET/PT
Stars: Ashley Williams (To Barcelona, Forever), Laci Mailey (The Perfect Setting), Julien Samani (Holidate)
A grandmother’s last wish brings two estranged sisters Faith (Williams) and Kelly (Mailey), back together to travel to the French Alps for Christmas to recreate her first trip there with their grandfather. Facing all the challenges and wonder this unique holiday adventure brings, they learn to cherish their sisterhood above all, while also making room for romance to blossom between Kelly and their French mountaineer guide, Frederic (Samani).

Saturday, November 29: A Grand Ole Opry Christmas – premieres @ 8 PM ET/PT
Stars: Nikki Deloach (Curious Caterer Mysteries), Kristoffer Polaha (A Biltmore Christmas), Rob Maye (Lioness), Eliza Maher (Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up), Luke Benward (Miss Valentine), Sharon Lawrence (Joe Pickett), James Denton (Desperate Housewives)
Gentry Wade (Nikki DeLoach), daughter of late country music icon Jett Wade – half of the famed duo Winters & Wade – abandoned her dream of a songwriting career and distanced herself from her father’s legacy following his tragic accident 30 years prior. When the Grand Ole Opry invites her to represent Jett at their centennial celebration at Christmas, she’s hesitant to return to the place steeped in bittersweet memories. Encouraged by her good friends, Gentry visits the Opry and, while seated in one of the vaunted venue’s oak church pews, is suddenly transported to 1995. Gentry’s lifelong friend Mac (Kristoffer Polaha) a country music talent manager, finds himself in 1995 as well. Thanks to some Christmas magic, Gentry gets precious time with her father, creative inspiration to finish the song she began decades earlier as a teen and learns surprising answers to questions about her father that have followed her for the last three decades.
Cameos by: Bill Anderson, Brad Paisley, Dailey & Vincent, Drew Baldridge, Jamey Johnson, Maggie Baugh, Megan Moroney, Mickey Guyton, Pam Tillis, Rhett Akins, Riders in the Sky, Suzy Bogguss, Tigirlily Gold, T Graham Brown

Sunday, November 30: The Christmas Cup – premieres @ 6 PM ET/PT
Stars: Rhiannon Fish (A Prince in Paradise), Ben Rosenbaum (When Calls the Heart)
After a knee injury threatens to cut her career short, Staff Sergeant Kelly Brandt (Fish) returns home in low spirits for the holidays. Her family tries to help by encouraging her to lead her hometown team in the annual Christmas Cup against the rival town. It takes a lot of work, but Kelly organizes her team and gets them as competition-ready as she can with the help of Fire Captain Quinn Stokley (Rosenbaum). Sparks begin to fly with Quinn, and through the whole process, Kelly is reminded of how much she loves to lead, but her heart still hopes she will be cleared to return to serve. Kelly ultimately receives the call she has been waiting for; however, it’s not what she expects. With the Marines needing her to report to the Hawaiian base on the day of the competition, Kelly soon realizes there is more than one way to serve a community.

Sunday, November 30: Christmas at the Catnip Café – premieres @ 8 PM ET/PT
Stars: Erin Cahill (Holidazed), Paul Campbell (Three Wise Men and a Baby)
Olivia Pierce (Cahill) is a marketing executive from Oakland, California who is this close to realizing her dream of purchasing a condo, but she’s a bit short on the down payment. When she learns that her late great aunt left her half of a cat café in upstate New York she thinks it’s the Christmas miracle she needed – as long as she can sell and close the deal before the holidays. Olivia’s plan hits a bump in the road when she meets Dr. Ben Kane (Campbell), the veterinarian who owns the other half. The café serves an important role in the town – helping homeless cats find forever homes – and he has no intention of closing up shop. Christmas is the most important time of the year as they plan many activities to help raise funds and get them into the black. Olivia and Ben strike a deal – she agrees to help him plan the fundraising events at the café over the next three weeks in exchange for Ben promising not to drag his heels on selling at the end of that time. Unless, Ben notes, she ends up changing her mind – a lot can happen in three weeks, after all. As they work together and a spark between them grows, Olivia becomes part of the neighborhood, gains an appreciation for the café’s adorable feline inhabitants and what it means to Ben, as well as to the entire community. And when she learns the surprising reason her great aunt opened the café in the first place, that just might be the cat-alyst for change that will give them all a Merry Christmas.

A REASON TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT MONDAYS ALL SEASON LONG

Mondays will be twice as merry this holiday with season two of the hit series Finding Mr. Christmas, hosted by co-creator/executive producer Jonathan Bennett, followed by the all-new competition series, Baked with Love: Holiday, hosted by Tamera Mowry-Housley. Featuring judge Melissa Peterman, with help from fan-favorite guest judges, Finding Mr. Christmas takes 10, new acting hopefuls through a series of fun and festive challenges to show who has the talent – and the heart – to be Hallmark’s next leading man. Then the competition heats up, literally, with Baked with Love: Holiday, boasting a judging panel featuring renowned Irish chef and restauranteur, Anna Haugh (MasterChef: The Professionals) and New York Times cooking expert, Vaughn Vreeland (NYT Cooking), and 10 pairs of family bakers competing for a chance to win $50,000 and to have one of their bakes featured in an upcoming Hallmark movie.

COZY CHRISTMAS TOWNS OFFER MYSTERY AND ROMANCE

Thrilling and cozy Chris-mysteries await viewers every Friday night starting October 17, when the first season of Mistletoe Murders kicks off Countdown to Christmas. Starring Sarah Drew and Peter Mooney, Sleuthers will be able to catch up – or rewatch – the episodes and see how Emily Lane’s (Drew) story began. The suspense continues when season two premieres with all-new episodes on November 7, featuring more small-town intrigue and a glimpse into Emily’s life before coming to Fletcher’s Grove. The limited series Twelve Dates ‘Til Christmas, based on the popular book The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenni Bayliss, premieres on December 5. Mae Whitman stars as Kate, a Saville Row textile pattern designer, living in the quaint village of Blexford, England. When her best friend Laura (Lucy Eaton) signs her up for The 12 Dates of Christmas – a festively themed matchmaking program in the days leading up to the holiday featuring carefully curated, yuletide dating experiences, Kate is forced to get out of her rut. As she wends her way through the 12 dates, she takes a circuitous route to romance while also making some important discoveries about herself.

HALLMARK MYSTERY’S MERRY-THONS

Every Sunday beginning October 19, Hallmark Mystery offers movie merry-thons presented in festive, themed collections including A Cozy Country Christmas, Thank You for Your Service, The Magic of Christmas and A Little Christmas Faith. Every Tuesday night starting October 21, viewers wanting to binge holiday movies led by their favorite stars will have their Christmas wish granted with back-to-back films featuring Paul Campbell, Jessy Schram, Victor Webster and more.

JOY TO YOUR WORLD

Once again this year, the holiday magic makes the leap from screen to real life with unique opportunities enabling fans to experience the joy of Hallmark in person, get the chance to connect with their favorite stars and engage in festive activities that are sure to create memories to last a lifetime.

HALLMARK JINGLE STOP

Hallmark is hitching up its holiday wagon and heading to Music City, Nashville, for this year’s Jingle Stop!

Kicking off on Wednesday, October 15, fans can join in on the fun at the Hallmark Holiday Takeover on Opry Plaza from 2:00 – 7:00PM All are invited to celebrate the magic of the season, experience festive photo opportunities and see their favorite Hallmark talent in person, including Jonathan Bennett, Lacey Chabert, Nikki DeLoach and more!

On Thursday, October 16, Hallmark will host its Countdown to Christmas launch event at Category 10 in Downtown Nashville, from 7:30 – 10:00 PM. Fans can attend the special evening featuring an unprecedented sneak peek of this year’s holiday programming, Country Christmas line dancing and special musical guests on the eve of our 16th Annual Countdown to Christmas programming event.

HALLMARK CHRISTMAS CRUISE AND HALLMARK CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCE

Due to popular demand, fans will once again have the opportunity to enjoy everything they love about Hallmark in real life, on land as well as on sea.

The SOLD-OUT 2025 Hallmark Christmas Cruise sails November 6-10, 2025, from Miami, FL to Cozumel, Mexico aboard the mesmerizing Norwegian Joy. To follow along this year’s journey, fans can follow Hallmark Channel on social media or visit hallmarkchristmascruise.com.

Meanwhile, the ultimate destination for holiday celebration on land returns this season to the home of Hallmark’s headquarters in Kansas City, MO, delivering even more joy, wonder, and cherished memories every weekend from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Hallmark superfans can get a sneak peek behind the curtain and catch their beloved Hallmark stars and artists in action while they deck the halls with spirited games and competitions, heartfelt and humorous panel discussions, renowned creative workshops, anticipated holiday movie screenings, photos opps, and much more. Guests can visit the event website to choose their own adventure and purchase tickets now: experiencehallmarkchristmas.com.