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Magical Santas, meet-cutes and dueling Donna Kelce roles: Hallmarkā€™s best holiday movies

A photo collage of stills from this year's Hallmark Christmas movies.
(Ross May / Los Angeles Times; photos courtesy of Hallmark)
  • This yearā€™s roster of Hallmarkā€™s Countdown to Christmas movies includes an NFL partnership and films that poke fun at the genreā€™s cliches.
  • Donna Kelce, mother of NFL stars Jason and Travis Kelce, appears in two different films, ā€œHoliday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Storyā€ and ā€œChristmas on Call.ā€
  • In a notable change, love interests kiss before the final five minutes of the movie.
1

A revolution is happening in the Hallmark Channelā€™s Countdown to Christmas universe.

Yes, there are still plenty of magical Santa Claus sightings and people with perfect hair despite wearing winter hats in the snow (if theyā€™re wearing hats at all), but things are changing.

Lead actors kiss before the final five minutes of the movie! Scripts wink at the ridiculous plots that have become cliche! Longtime Hallmark Christmas movie actors make cameos in other films! The NFL has partnered with the network (OK, we can attribute that to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelceā€™s romance)! Not every song is a rendition of ā€œJingle Bellsā€! There is more than one Hanukkah-themed movie!

With the holidays looming, we watched dozens of hours of Hallmarkā€™s Countdown to Christmas slate to pick the most notable releases this season. Which Donna Kelce cameo reigns supreme and which movies are worth watching while lounging in your favorite holiday PJs? We have answers. (Though Iā€™ll save my conspiracy theory about the connection between Hallmark Channelā€˜s rise in popularity and matching family jammies until next year).

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Spoiler alert: Each movie has a happy ending and everyoneā€™s in love ā€” but you probably already knew that.

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Best use of the magic of Christmas

Three men in coats stand with large plastic candy canes in the snow.
The three Nicks from ā€œSanta Tell Me,ā€ from left: Kurt Szarka, Benjamin Ayres and Christopher Russell.
(Ricardo Hubbs / Hallmark Media)

ā€œSanta Tell Meā€ might be the quintessential movie of this yearā€™s crop. It has holiday magic, multiple meet-cutes, an enemies-to-lovers relationship, an ambitious main character making a name for herself returning to her roots. And thereā€™s a sad backstory about her parents. Could it be any more fitting for Countdown to Christmas?

Olivia (Erin Krakow) has a chance to have her own interior design show, but her new producer, the bossy Chris (Daniel Lissing), who is in charge of a ā€œLove Islandā€-esque show called ā€œModel Home,ā€ changes plans and has Olivia restore her childhood home on a tight budget instead. Once sheā€™s there, she finds a magic letter from Santa. It answers a query from long ago, when as a precocious child ā€” one who presumably watched too many holiday romance movies ā€” she asked the name of her true love, which the magic letter reveals to be Nick.

And just like that, she meets three different guys named Nick and she has to pick the right one by Christmas or lose her true love forever.

Airing on the Hallmark Channel Dec. 19, 25, 30 and Jan. 5 and 17. Streaming on Hallmark+.

The contestants of ā€˜Finding Mr. Christmasā€™ talk about how showing their emotions was a big part of the Hallmark reality competition series seeking a new leading man.

3

Best chance for Donna Kelceā€™s Emmy campaign

Donna Kelce wears a red Chiefs football jersey.
Donna Kelce in ā€œHoliday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.ā€
(Joshua Haines / Hallmark Media)

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Donna Kelceā€™s sons, Travis (of Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs fame) and Jason (a retired Philadelphia Eagle), have starred in dozens of commercials, but Mama Kelce gets more lines in two Hallmark films.

ā€œHoliday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Storyā€ is the superior watch. It stars Hunter King as a woman in a family of die-hard Chiefs fans whose magic hat is responsible for multiple Super Bowl wins (take that, Patrick Mahomes). Tyler Hynes co-stars as a team marketing exec. Kelce works at the barbecue joint owned by the heroineā€™s grandparents. Though Iā€™m a Ravens fan whose championship dreams were crushed by the Chiefs last year, this was a fun watch with lots of NFL cameos, but it will trigger Raiders and Broncos fans.

The Philly-centric ā€œChristmas on Callā€ follows a doctor (Sara Canning) whoā€™s new in town and falls in love with an Eagles-loving EMT (Serā€™Darius Blain), but even the cheesesteaks ā€œwhiz witā€ that Kelce slings in the movie canā€™t spice up this offering.

ā€œHoliday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Storyā€ debuts an extended cut Dec. 20 and re-airs Dec. 25, 31 and Jan. 18 on the Hallmark Channel. Streaming on Hallmark+.

ā€œChristmas on Callā€ airs on the Hallmark Channel Dec. 18, 25 and Jan. 4.

Hallmark rolls out ā€˜Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story,ā€™ one of the holiday movies inspired by the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce romance. The football playerā€™s mother, Donna Kelce, has a small part.

4

Most meta Hallmark movie

A woman in a white coat stands at a doorway holding up a scroll and carrying a bag on the other arm.
Janel Parrish in ā€œSugarplummed.ā€
(David Astorga / Hallmark Media)

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When the plots of Hallmark Christmas movies have become so ubiquitous that theyā€™re punchlines and thereā€™s a plot generator, itā€™s nice to see the channel play along, as it does in ā€œSugarplummed.ā€

When overworked lawyer and mom Emily (Maggie Lawson) wishes for a perfect Christmas, Sugarplum (Janel Parrish), the beloved ā€œHarmony Home Networkā€ holiday movie character, comes to her aid. Sugarplum even tries to have the rules from her town of Perfection apply to the real world. For example, rule No. 47 says, ā€œWhen a big city girl meets a small town bachelor over the holidays, theyā€™re guaranteed to fall in love and get married.ā€

Another nod goes to ā€œThe Santa Class,ā€ which features Hallmark regular Paul Campbell as a minor character playing a fictional version of himself to hilarious results. He enrolls in classes at a struggling Santa school (the movieā€™s main plot) as he considers taking the role of Santa in an upcoming Hallmark Christmas movie.

ā€œSugarplummedā€ airs on the Hallmark Channel Dec. 21, 25, 30 and Jan. 3. Streaming on Hallmark+.

ā€œThe Santa Classā€ airs on the Hallmark Channel Dec. 18, 21, 27 and Jan. 4.

Los Angeles Times TV critic Robert Lloyd imagines the plots of the seasonā€™s holiday TV movies based on their titles alone.

5

Best fake dating trope

A woman in a gray coat stands next to a woman in a blue coat. Both are wearing red and white striped scarves.
Beth Broderick and Caroline Rhea in ā€œHoliday Mismatch.ā€
(Philippe Bosse / Hallmark Media)

In ā€œHoliday Mismatch,ā€ Kath (Caroline Rhea) and Barbara (Beth Broderick) clash on the Chamber of Commerce Christmas committee. Itā€™s an ā€œOdd Coupleā€-type scenario, where Barb, a recently retired accountant and control freak, joins the committee as a volunteer and is aghast at Kathā€™s touchy-feely vibes and disorganization. However, both are overbearing mothers and set up dating profiles for their respective kids, Lauren (Maxine Denis) and Shane (Jon McLaren), who agree to go on a date to get their moms to stop meddling in their personal lives.

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Lauren and Shane decide to fake date to keep their moms off their backs, but when Kath and Barbara realize who their kids are seeing, they join forces to break them up.

ā€œā€˜Twas the Date Before Christmasā€ is borderline on the fake dating trope. In order to keep her family from canceling their Christmas Olympics, Jessie (Amy Groening) brings a date (Robert Buckley) she met on an app. While itā€™s their first date, she lies to her freakishly competitive family about it, saying theyā€™ve been together for a minute.

ā€œHoliday Mismatchā€ airs on the Hallmark Channel Dec. 19, 26 and Jan. 4.

ā€œā€˜Twas the Date Before Christmasā€ airs on the Hallmark Channel Dec. 24 and Jan. 3.

We ran the plots of more than two dozen Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies through AI art generator DALL-E. The results are funny and disturbing.

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Most likely to get ā€˜Die Hardā€™ fans to watch a Hallmark Christmas movie

A man and a woman in dark parkas standing near a rocky wall.
ā€œThe Christmas Quest,ā€ starring Kristoffer Polaha and Lacey Chabert, offers some action and adventure.
(Eva Rut Hjaltadottir / Hallmark Media)

There will be no exclamations of ā€œYippee-ki-yayā€ and you know what because this is still Hallmark, but the network has stepped up its action/adventure offerings.

ā€œThe Christmas Quest,ā€ starring perennial faves Kristoffer Polaha and Lacey Chabert as divorced academics who trudge through Iceland deciphering clues in search of treasure centered around the folklore of the 13 prank-pulling Yule Lads, is a fit for fans of ā€œIndiana Jones.ā€ It even references the boulder scene and has the animated traveling-across-the-map graphics.

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If you prefer a holiday heist, ā€œThe Christmas Charadeā€ pairs up a grumpy FBI agent (Cory Sevier) with a quiet librarian (Rachel Skarsten) after a blind date mix-up leads to a fake dating partnership chasing down art and jewel thieves. There is an entertaining letā€™s-turn-the-librarian-into-an-undercover-agent montage.

Both have big gala scenes, because can you really have an action-adventure movie without a formal Christmas Eve event? For both, be prepared to overlook major plot holes and just enjoy the ride.

ā€œThe Christmas Questā€ is streaming on Hallmark+.

ā€œThe Christmas Charadeā€ airs on the Hallmark Channel Dec. 18, 24 and Jan. 4.

7

Most entertaining meet-the-parents culture clash

A couple stands together touching hands near a Christmas tree.
A family culture clash is at the heart of ā€œChristmas With the Singhs,ā€ starring Benjamin Hollingsworth and Anuja Joshi.
(Syd Wong / Hallmark Media)

Many movies have mined comedy gold about the hilarious/traumatic experience of blending families, with scenes so cringe theyā€™re funny.

In ā€œChristmas With the Singhs,ā€ ER doctor Asha (Anuja Joshi) is working on Christmas when high school crush Jake (Benjamin Hollingsworth) walks in. They fall in love, he proposes (but makes the misstep of not asking for her fatherā€™s permission) and they head to their hometown for a parental showdown between her extended Indian family and his divorced white parents. Sheā€™s also been taming the spice of Indian recipes by adding ketchup.

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This film may hold the record for the earliest kiss in a Hallmark Christmas movie, with our leads locking lips 12 minutes in.

ā€œTo Have and to Holidayā€ follows the whirlwind engagement of Celeste (Madeleine Arthur) and Jason (Robert Bazzocchi). Her father (Eric Close) is the pastor in town and he will only agree to marry them if they pass his marriage boot camp. Among the challenges: he makes them navigate an obstacle course while a blindfolded Celeste drives a golf cart, leaving the viewer wondering how his boot camp can possibly be insured.

ā€œChristmas With the Singhsā€ airs on the Hallmark Channel Dec. 19 and 25.

ā€œTo Have and to Holidayā€ airs on the Hallmark Channel Dec. 20.

The actor talks about becoming a mainstay on Hallmark and ā€˜This Time Each Year,ā€™ premiering Thursday, her 30th film for the channel.

8

Most competitive spirit

A woman and a man in red jackets stand near a sign that reads "The Great Holiday Dash."
Ashley Williams and Andrew Walker in ā€œJingle Bell Run.ā€
(Allister Foster / Hallmark Media)

So many movies have a ridiculous number of holiday competitions. Who has time to plan these multi-day adventures? Idea for next year: A film about competing competition organizers who fall in love.

ā€œJingle Bell Runā€ pairs an egocentric retired hockey player (Andrew Walker) with an introverted teacher (Ashley Williams) for a holiday-themed reality TV competition where teams figure out clues, complete challenges and travel across the country ā€œAmazing Raceā€ style. The interesting concept and Walker playing against type compensate for some clunky dialogue setting up the premise and the resolution.

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Winning ā€œTrivia at St. Nickā€™sā€ doesnā€™t get you fame and fortune, but it does come with bragging rights. Tammin Sursok stars as an astronomy professor who butts heads with Brant Daugherty, a football coach who cuts in the faculty buffet line but also has to join her trivia team. Itā€™s worth putting on in the background if youā€™re tasked with being a Christmas trivia quizmaster.

ā€œJingle Bell Runā€ airs on the Hallmark Channel Dec. 20, 25 and Jan. 4. Streaming on Hallmark+.

ā€œTrivia at St. Nickā€™sā€ airs on the Hallmark Channel Dec. 26 and 31.

9

More than an obligatory nod to other cultures and traditions

A man with white hair in a quarter-zip sweater standing near a bar with bottles of liquor.
Marc Summers steals the show in ā€œHanukkah on the Rocks.ā€
(Steven Ackerman / Hallmark Media)

In ā€œHanukkah on the Rocks,ā€ a Chicago lawyer (Stacy Farber) loses her job and fills in at a local bar, which is described as a dive but has gourmet food, fancy drinks and nary a Pabst Blue Ribbon tallboy in sight. She plans a bunch of Hanukkah events, such as speed dating, that somehow come together via Instagram in hours. (Beating the algorithm is the unsung holiday miracle in this one.)

The filmā€™s meet-cute happens while fighting over the cityā€™s last box of special Hanukkah candles, but itā€™s her love interestā€™s grandfather and resident barfly Sam, played by Marc Summers, known to many as the former host of Nickelodeonā€˜s game show ā€œDouble Dare,ā€ who steals the movie. I want an entire spinoff series with Sam set in the bar.

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Hallmarkā€™s other Hanukkah offering, ā€œLeahā€™s Perfect Gift,ā€ focuses too much on a Jewish woman trying to fit in while celebrating her first Christmas with her boyfriendā€™s uber-uptight parents. Leah, and viewers, deserve better.

ā€œHanukkah on the Rocksā€ airs on the Hallmark Channel Dec. 22, 26 and 31.

ā€œLeahā€™s Perfect Giftā€ airs on the Hallmark Channel Dec. 19, 24, 28 and Jan. 3.

Hallmarkā€™s rare Jewish-themed film is a pleasant, frictionless story from screenwriter Julie Sherman Wolfe, who also wrote ā€˜Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.ā€™

10

Most deserving of a lump of coal

A woman in a plaid coat holds her arms out in a store.
Ashley Greene in ā€œDeck the Walls,ā€ which features a scene inside a Homegoods store.
(Fred Hayes / Hallmark Media)

Yes, the network is named after a greeting card empire, but scenes that are blatant commercials are inexcusably and awkwardly shoehorned into the script of ā€œDeck the Walls.ā€

It features a big-city interior designer returning to her hometown for the first time since her parentsā€™ death to help her brother and his best friend flip their grandparentsā€™ home into a charity project for a local family that has given so much to the community. So far that hits on multiple Hallmark holiday movie themes, right?

What doesnā€™t is the hokey scene set in a Homegoods store where apparently small children with big designer dreams practice elaborate tablescaping. (I was only shocked that a ā€œLive, laugh, loveā€ throw pillow didnā€™t magically come to life to start delivering Christmas wishes ā€” at least that would have been mildly entertaining.) And did I mention thatā€™s only one of the egregious product placements with accompanying dialogue in this film?

Honestly, youā€™re going to be inundated with enough Balsam Hill commercials for luxury fake trees and Weather Tech ads for car floor mats just by watching the channel that further product placement isnā€™t necessary.

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ā€œDeck the Wallsā€ airs on the Hallmark Channel Dec. 21, 27, 30 and Jan. 5.

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