{blackbabes} Hallmark Unveils 2020 'Countdown to Christmas' Slate, Including Gay Adoption Movie, Hanukkah Celebration

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It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas — and, at least for one night, Hanukkah — at Hallmark Channel.

The basic cable network has unveiled its slate of 40 (!) original holiday movies airing in 2020, including The Christmas House, starring Mean Girls' Jonathan Bennett as one-half of a gay couple looking to adopt their first child. The lineup also includes Love, Lights, Hanukkah!, a Hanukkah-themed flick featuring Star Trek: Discovery's Mia Kirshner and Boy Meets World's Ben Savage.

The three dozen-plus films feature a plethora of network vets, including Candace Cameron Bure (in her ninth Hallmark Christmas movie), Danica McKellar (in her sixth Hallmark movie overall), Catherine Bell, Alison Sweeney and Tamera Mowry-Housley, as well as Lacey Chabert and Holly Robinson Peete — both of whom appear in two original movies this year.

New to the Hallmark family in 2020 are Aaron Tveit (Grease Live), Janel Parrish (Pretty Little Liars), Jeremy Jordan (Supergirl), Marisol Nichols (Riverdale), Mallory Jansen (Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Rochelle Aytes (S.W.A.T.), among others.

"Our holiday table is bigger and more welcoming than ever," Hallmark Channel's EVP of programming Michelle Vicary said in a statement. "This year's movies reflect our most diverse representation of talent, narratives, and families, including The Christmas House, featuring a storyline about a gay couple looking to adopt their first child, and starring Jonathan Bennett in an ensemble cast. Our movies are rooted in warmth and positivity, meaningful connections, family gatherings, and seasonal traditions — a winning formula we hope will bring our millions of viewers much-needed levity and holiday cheer at the end of a tough year."

Added Crown Media President and CEO Wonya Lucas, "For more than a decade, Hallmark holiday movies have represented the gold standard that many aspire to replicate. What we bring to the table and what truly sets us apart is an immersive holiday experience that has become a pop culture phenomenon for millions of fans… We have created a destination that evokes the spirit and feeling of the season in a way that is uniquely Hallmark."

Hallmark's "Countdown to Christmas" slate begins rolling out on Friday, Oct. 23. Scroll down for a complete list of this year's holiday movies, then hit the comments and tell us which of the following flicks pique your interest.

 

JINGLE BELL BRIDE

CAST: Julie Gonzalo (Supergirl) and Ronnie Rowe Jr. (Star Trek: Discovery)
PREMISE: Wedding planner Jessica Perez (Gonzalo) travels to a remote town in Alaska to find a rare flower for a celebrity client and is charmed by the small town during Christmas, as well as the handsome local (Rowe Jr.) helping her.
PREMIERE DATE: Saturday, Oct. 24 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

 

CHRISTMAS TREE LANE

CAST: Alicia Witt (Our Christmas Love Song), Andrew Walker (Christmas on My Mind), Drake Hogestyn (Days of Our Lives) and Briana Price (13 Reasons Why)
PREMISE: Music store owner Meg (Witt) spearheads the community effort to save the Christmas Tree Lane shopping district from demolition. As she finds herself falling for Nate (Walker), a recent acquaintance, she's thrown when she learns his surprising tie to the developer.
PREMIERE DATE: Saturday, Oct. 24 (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9/8c)

 

 

CHATEAU CHRISTMAS

CAST: Merritt Patterson (Picture a Perfect Christmas) and Luke Macfarlane (Just Add Romance)
PREMISE: Margot (Patterson), a world-renowned pianist, returns to Chateau Newhaus to spend the holidays with her family and is reunited with an ex (Macfarlane) who helps her rediscover her passion for music.
PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Oct. 25 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

 

DELIVER BY CHRISTMAS

CAST: Alvina August (Nancy Drew) and Eion Bailey (Switched for Christmas)
PREMISE: Bakery owner Molly (August) meets Josh (Bailey), a widower who recently moved to town with his young son, but she is also charmed by a mysterious client whom she's never met in person and she doesn't realize that they're the same man.
PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Oct. 25 (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9/8c)

 

 

CHRISTMAS WITH THE DARLINGS

CAST: Katrina Law (Arrow) and Carlo Marks (Angel Falls: A Novel Holiday)
PREMISE: Just before the holidays Jessica Lew (Law) is ending her tenure as the assistant to her wealthy boss to use her recently earned law degree within his company, but offers to help his charming, younger brother (Marks) as he looks after his orphaned nieces and nephew over Christmas.
PREMIERE DATE: Saturday, Oct. 31 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

 

CRANBERRY CHRISTMAS

CAST: Nikki DeLoach (Two Turtle Doves) and Benjamin Ayres (A Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas)
PREMISE: A separated couple (DeLoach and Ayres) feign marital bliss on national television to help their town's Christmas festival – and their business. But what will the future hold for them when rekindled love is complicated by new opportunities?
PREMIERE DATE: Saturday, Oct. 31 (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9/8c)

 

 

ONE ROYAL HOLIDAY

CAST: Laura Osnes (In the Key of Love), Aaron Tveit (Les Miserables), Krystal Joy Brown (Sydney to the Max), Victoria Clark (Homeland) and Tom McGowan (Everybody Loves Raymond)
PREMISE: When Anna (Osnes) offers a stranded mother (Clark) and son (Tveit) shelter in a blizzard, she learns that they are the Royal Family of Galwick. Anna shows the Prince how they do Christmas in her hometown, encouraging him to open his heart and be true to himself.
PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Nov. 1 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

 

HOLLY & IVY

CAST: Janel Parrish (Pretty Little Liars), Jeremey Jordan (Supergirl) and Marisol Nichols (Riverdale)
PREMISE: When Melody's (Parrish) neighbor, Nina (Nichols), learns that her illness has returned, Melody promises to keep Nina's kids, Holly & Ivy, together. To adopt the children, she must renovate her new fixer-upper, which she does with the help of contractor, Adam (Jordan).
PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Nov. 1 (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9/8c)

 

 

NEVER KISS A MAN IN A CHRISTMAS SWEATER

CAST: Ashley Williams (How I Met Your Mother) and Niall Matter (Christmas at Dollywood)
PREMISE: Single mom Maggie (Williams) is facing Christmas alone until Lucas (Matter) crashes into her life and becomes an unexpected houseguest. Together they overcome Christmas while finding comfort in their growing bond.
PREMIERE DATE: Saturday, Nov. 7 (Hallmark, 8/7c

 

THE CHRISTMAS RING

CAST: Nazneen Contractor (Ransom) and David Alpay (The Mistletoe Inn)
PREMISE: A reporter (Contractor) searches for the love story behind an antique engagement ring. With the help of the ring's owner's grandson (Alpay), they learn the legacy his grandparent's left behind.
PREMIERE DATE: Saturday, Nov. 7 (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9/8c)

 

 

ON THE 12TH DATE OF CHRISTMAS

CAST: Mallory Jansen (Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Tyler Hynes (The Mistletoe Secret)
PREMISE: Two seemingly incompatible game designers team up to create a romantic, city-wide scavenger hunt themed for the "12 Days of Christmas."
PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Nov. 8 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

THE CHRISTMAS BOW

CAST: Lucia Micarelli (Treme) and Michael Rady (You're Bacon Me Crazy)
PREMISE: When an accident puts her music dreams on hold, a gifted violinist (Micarelli) reconnects with an old family friend (Rady), who helps her heal and find love during the holidays.
PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Nov. 8 (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9/8c)

 

 

CHRISTMAS IN VIENNA

CAST: Sarah Drew (Grey's Anatomy) and Brennan Elliott (Crossword Mysteries)
PREMISE: Jess (Drew), a concert violinist whose heart just isn't in it anymore, goes to Vienna for a performance. While there, she finds the inspiration she has been missing, and a new love.
PREMIERE DATE: Saturday, Nov. 14 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

 

MEET ME AT CHRISTMAS (WORKING TITLE)

CAST: Catherine Bell (Good Witch) and Mark Deklin (Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy)
PREMISE: When Joan's (Bell) son's wedding planner unexpectedly quits, she must coordinate his Christmas Eve wedding with the help of Beau (Deklin), the bride's uncle. As they work alongside each other they discover their fates and pasts are intertwined.
PREMIERE DATE: Saturday, Nov. 14 (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9/8)

 

 

A TIMELESS CHRISTMAS

CAST: Ryan Paevey (Christmas at the Plaza) and Erin Cahill (Love, Fall & Order)
PREMISE: Charles Whitley (Paevey) travels from 1903 to 2020 where he meets Megan Turner (Cahill), a tour guide at his historic mansion, and experiences a 21st Century Christmas.
PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Nov. 15 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

 

THE CHRISTMAS DOCTOR

CAST: Holly Robinson Peete (A Family Christmas Gift) and Adrian Holmes (V-Wars)
PREMISE: A week before Christmas, Dr. Alicia Wright (Peete) is offered an assignment away from home. A mysterious man (Holmes) from her past journeys to find her before Christmas and brings with him a revelation that could change Alicia's life forever.
PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Nov. 15 (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9/8c)

 

 

A NASHVILLE CHRISTMAS CAROL

CAST: Jessy Schram (Country at Heart), Wes Brown (Christmas at Graceland), Wynonna Judd (The Judds), Sara Evans (Nashville), RaeLynn (The Voice), Kix Brooks (Home by Spring), Kimberly Williams-Paisley (Darrow Mysteries)
PREMISE: Vivienne Wake (Schram), a workaholic television producer in charge of a country music Christmas special showcasing newcomer Alexis (Raelynn), never lets personal feelings get in the way of business. On the verge of accepting a job in LA, and with the return of Gavin Chase (Brown), her childhood sweetheart and manager to the special's headliner, Belinda (Evans), she receives a visit from the ghost of her recently deceased mentor, Marilyn (Judd). Her mentor warns her current path leads to a dark future and has recruited both the Spirit of Christmas Past (Brooks) and the Spirit of Christmas Present (Williams-Paisley) to help her get back on track. The Spirits' time-jumping adventures force Vivienne to take hold of her life.
PREMIERE DATE: Saturday, Nov. 21 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

 

A LITTLE CHRISTMAS CHARM (WORKING TITLE)

CAST: Ashley Greene (Twilight) and Brendan Penny (Chesapeake Shores)
PREMISE: Holly (Greene), a jewelry designer finds a lost charm bracelet and teams up with investigative reporter Greg (Penny) in hopes of finding the owner and returning it by Christmas Eve.
PREMIERE DATE: Saturday, Nov. 21 (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9/8c)

 

 

THE CHRISTMAS HOUSE

CAST: Robert Buckley (One Tree Hill), Jonathan Bennett (Mean Girls), Ana Ayora (In the Dark), Treat Williams (Chesapeake Shores), Sharon Lawrence (NYPD Blue) and Brad Harder (Aurora Teagarden Mysteries)
PREMISE: Working through some difficult decisions, Mitchell family matriarch Phylis (Lawrence) and patriarch Bill (Williams), have summoned their two grown sons – TV star, Mike Mitchell (Buckley) and Brandon Mitchell (Bennett) – home for the holidays. It is their hope that bringing the family together to recreate the Christmas house, will help them find resolution and make a memorable holiday for the entire family and community. As Brandon and his husband Jake (Harder) make the trip home, they are anxiously awaiting a call about the adoption of their first child. Meanwhile, Mike reconnects with Andi (Ayora), his high school sweetheart.
PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Nov. 22 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

 

THE ANGEL TREE

CAST: Jill Wagner (Teen Wolf) and Lucas Bryant (Country at Heart)
PREMISE: A writer (Wagner) seeks the identity of the person who helps grant wishes that are placed upon the angel tree, and in the process, reconnects with her childhood friend (Bryant).
PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Nov. 22 (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9/8c)

 

ADDITIONAL MOVIE TBA

CAST: TBD
PREMISE: TBD
PREMIERE DATE: Monday, Nov. 23 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

 

A CHRISTMAS TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN

CAST: Rochelle Aytes (Mistresses) and Mark Taylor (Memories of Christmas)
PREMISE: Erin (Aytes) is planning the town's Christmas celebration and must win over firefighter Kevin (Taylor) in order to obtain the beautiful spruce tree from his property for the celebration.
PREMIERE DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 24 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

 

A BRIGHT AND MERRY CHRISTMAS

CAST: Alison Sweeney (Days of Our Lives) and Marc Blucas (The Fix)
PREMISE: Two competing TV hosts (Sweeney and Blucas) are sent to a festive small town over Christmas. While pretending to get along for the sake of appearances, they discover that there's more to each other than they thought.
PREMIERE DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 25 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

FIVE STAR CHRISTMAS (WORKING TITLE)

CAST: Bethany Joy Lenz (One Tree Hill) and Victor Webster (MatchMaker Mysteries)
PREMISE: After moving back to her hometown, Lisa (Lenz) plots with her siblings and grandparents to help her father's new bed and breakfast get a five-star review from an incognito travel critic (Webster), but ends up falling for him, not knowing he is the real critic.
PREMIERE DATE: Thursday, Nov. 26 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

 

CHRISTMAS BY STARLIGHT

CAST: Kimberley Sustad (Travelers) and Paul Campbell (Battlestar Galactica)
PREMISE: Annie (Sustad), a lawyer, must help her loved ones this holiday season. Her family's restaurant, The Starlight Café, is slated for demolition. The heir to the development firm responsible, William (Campbell), makes her an unlikely proposition: he'll spare the café if Annie spends the week "appearing" as the legal counsel his father is demanding he hire in the wake of some costly mistakes.
PREMIERE DATE: Friday, Nov. 27 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

CHRISTMAS WALTZ

CAST: Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls), Will Kemp (Royal Matchmaker) and JT Church (Dancing With the Stars: Juniors)
PREMISE: After Avery's (Chabert) storybook Christmas wedding is canceled unexpectedly, dance instructor Roman (Kemp) helps her rebuild her dreams.
PREMIERE DATE: Saturday, Nov. 28 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

 

USS CHRISTMAS

CAST: Jen Lilley (Angel Falls: A Novel Holiday), Trevor Donovan (Nostalgic Christmas) and Barbara Niven (Chesapeake Shores)
PREMISE: Maddie (Lilley), a reporter for a Norfolk newspaper, embarks on a Tiger Cruise during Christmastime where she meets a handsome naval officer (Donovan) and stumbles upon a mystery in the ship's archive room.
PREMIERE DATE: Saturday, Nov. 28 (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9/8c)

 

 

IF I ONLY HAD CHRISTMAS

CAST: Candace Cameron Bure (Fuller House) and Warren Christie (The Color of Rain)
PREMISE: At Christmas, a cheerful publicist (Bure) teams up with a cynical business owner (Christie) and his team to help a charity in need.
PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Nov. 29 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

 

CHRISTMAS IN EVERGREEN: BELLS ARE RINGING

CAST: Holly Robinson Peete (A Family Christmas Gift), Colin Lawrence (Riverdale), Rukiya Bernard (One Winter Weekend), Antonio Cayonne (Fashionably Yours) and Barbara Niven (Chesapeake Shores)
PREMISE: As Michelle's (Peete) wedding approaches, Hannah (Bernard) steps up to help finish the launch of the new Evergreen museum while questioning her relationship and future with Elliot (Cayonne).
PREMIERE DATE: Saturday, Dec. 5 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

TIME FOR US TO COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

CAST: Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls) and Stephen Huszar (A Homecoming for the Holidays)
PREMISE: Five guests are mysteriously invited to an inn to celebrate Christmas. With the help of the owner Ben (Huszar), Sarah (Chabert) discovers that an event from the past may connect them and change their lives forever; from executive producer Blake Shelton.
PREMIERE DATE: Saturday, Dec. 5 (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9/8c)

 

 

CHRISTMAS SHE WROTE

CAST: Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years) and Dylan Neal (Gourmet Detective: Roux the Day)
PREMISE: When Kayleigh (McKellar), a romance writer, has her column cancelled right before Christmas, she heads home to reconnect with her family. Kayleigh gets an unexpected visit from the man (Neal) who cancelled her column who fights not only to bring her back to the publisher but also for her heart.
PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Dec. 6 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

 

A GODWINK CHRISTMAS: FIRST LOVES, SECOND CHANCES

CAST: Brooke D'Orsay (Royal Pains) and Sam Page (The Bold Type)
PREMISE: After 15 years, Pat (Page) moves home from Hawaii with his two sons and through a series of coincidences, or Godwinks, ends up stuck in traffic next to his high school sweetheart, Margie (D'Orsay), at Christmas.
PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Dec. 6 (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9/8c)

 

 

CROSS COUNTRY CHRISTMAS

CAST: Rachael Leigh Cook (She's All That) and Greyston Holt (Chesapeake Shores)
PREMISE: Former classmates Lina (Cook) and Max (Holt) are traveling home for the holidays, until a storm hits and they have to work together to make it home in time, no matter the mode of transportation.
PREMIERE DATE: Saturday, Dec. 12 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

 

A GLENBROOKE CHRISTMAS

CAST: Autumn Reeser (The O.C.) and Antonio Cupo (Hats Off to Christmas!)
PREMISE: As Christmas nears, heiress Jessica Morgan (Reeser) seizes what seems like her last chance to experience a relaxed Christmas and heads off to the small town of Glenbrooke, where she meets a handsome fireman (Cupo).
PREMIERE DATE: Saturday, Dec. 12 (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9/8c)

 

 

CHRISTMAS COMES TWICE

CAST: Tamera Mowry-Housley (Sister, Sister) and Michael Xavier (Paris, Wine and Romance)
PREMISE: Emily (Mowry-Housley) is a top newscaster who has achieved her career dreams but still has regrets about the guy (Xavier) who got away five years earlier. When the Christmas carnival comes to town, a ride around the carousel takes her magically back in time to the carnival five years before…giving her a second chance at love before she must return to Christmas present.
PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Dec. 13 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

Photo: Courtesy of Crown Media

CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING (WORKING TITLE)

CAST: Taylor Cole (Matching Hearts) and Steve Lund (The Art of Us)
PREMISE: When a mysterious key and a holiday riddle arrive on their doorsteps, Kate (Cole) and Kevin (Lund) embark on a Christmas romance adventure they'll never forget.
PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Dec. 13 (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9/8c)

 

CHRISTMAS CAROUSEL

CAST: Rachel Boston (Check Inn to Christmas) and Neal Bledsoe (Shameless)
PREMISE: When Lila (Boston) is hired by the Royal Family of Marcadia to repair a carousel, she must work with the Prince (Bledsoe) to complete it by Christmas.
PREMIERE DATE: Saturday, Dec. 19 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

SWEPT UP BY CHRISTMAS (WORKING TITLE)

CAST: TBD
PREMISE: An antique seller and a cleaner clash over how to downsize a magnificent estate right before Christmas. As the two uncover the house's treasures, they find a way to reconnect the reclusive owner with his own Christmases past.
PREMIERE DATE: Saturday, Dec. 19 (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9/8c)

 

LOVE, LIGHTS, HANUKKAH!

CAST: Mia Kirshner (Star Trek: Discovery), Ben Savage (Boy Meets World) and Marilu Henner (Aurora Teagarden Mysteries)
PREMISE: As Christina (Kirshner) prepares her restaurant for its busiest time of year, she gets back a DNA test revealing that she's Jewish. The discovery leads her to a new family and an unlikely romance over eight nights.
PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Dec. 20 (Hallmark, 8/7c)

 

PROJECT CHRISTMAS WISH

CAST: TBD
PREMISE: For years Lucy has played Santa to her small town's community by making their holiday wishes come true. But when Lucy grants a little girl's wish for a Christmas like she used to have with her Mom, she unexpectedly finds her own wishes coming true in life and love.
PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Dec. 20 (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9/8c)

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