Forever Hallmark Christmas Podcast

Lea Thompson and Christopher Lloyd reunite for another time-travel adventure—with a Hallmark Christmas twist—in 2021’s Next Stop, Christmas. Lyndsy Fonseca and Chandler Massey take the lead in a movie that feels like part Polar Express, part A Christmas Carol, and, of course… part Back to the Future. The story tackles some surprisingly serious themes, including empty-nest struggles and the challenges of trying to have a second child. But it also delivers plenty of comedy—from a clueless fianc...

On November 28, 2010, 13.5 million viewers tuned in to watch November Christmas—a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie featuring one of the most impressive casts in Hallmark history: Sam Elliott, Karen Allen, Sarah Paulson, and John Corbett. Vanessa is a young girl living in a small Rhode Island community who is facing a life-threatening illness. As summer approaches, her family worries she may not be strong enough to make it to the holidays. But the tight-knit community rallies around Vanessa and her...

FOUR PODCASTERS. 34 MOVIES. 28 DRAFT PICKS. LET THE HALLMARK GAMES BEGIN! 🎄🏈 What happens when four massive Hallmark Christmas movie fans decide to hold their own fantasy football-style draft? You guessed it… instead of quarterbacks and kickers, they’re drafting their favorite 2026 Countdown to Christmas movies! Rene and Rich, co-hosts of The Forever Hallmark Christmas Podcast, might be family… but today they’re going head-to-head to see who can build the ultimate movie roster. And over at Po...

If you love Christmas magic, 2024’s Sugarplummed may be the perfect Hallmark Christmas movie for you! The Hallmark Channel doesn’t take itself too seriously in this fun, self-aware Christmas comedy written and directed by Ryan Landels (Santa Tell Me). Emily (Maggie Lawson) wants to create the perfect “Hallmark Christmas” for her family. Enter Sugarplum (Janel Parrish), a Christmas fairy with a very detailed book of rules for creating the ultimate holiday season. At first, everything goes exac...

It’s Hallmark talent galore in A Dickens of a Holiday! Brooke D’Orsay (Cassie) and Kristoffer Polaha (Jake) lead the way, with one of Hallmark’s best writers, Julie Sherman Wolfe, delivering a fantastic screenplay. This movie has a little bit of everything: a Dickens festival in a cozy Ohio Christmas town, a Christmas Eve performance of A Christmas Carol, a director returning home from Manhattan, and a big-time action movie star doing the same. Throw in Christmas vibes, two brothers working t...

On August 28th, 2026, the Hallmark Channel made a classy move, airing a special presentation of the 2019 movie Christmas at Dollywood just days after the world lost Dolly Parton at age 80. For a week, flags were ordered lowered to half-staff as people around the world mourned a beloved icon whose legacy stretched far beyond music to film, philanthropy, and so much more. Forever Hallmark Christmas is a movie review podcast. But this week, we’re putting that aside to celebrate Dolly and her inc...

Countdown to Christmas 2026: The Forever Hallmark Christmas Preview Show… Part 2!!! Hallmark is expected to release the official Countdown to Christmas 2026 schedule in just a few weeks. Until then… we’re breaking it all down! In our first preview episode, we discussed 12 new Christmas movies coming in 2026. Now, in Part 2, we’re spotlighting 11 more movies that are on our radar! From October through December, these familiar faces will be hanging lights, building gingerbread houses, and sippi...

We wrap up the Christmas in Evergreen series with its fourth and final installment, Bells Are Ringing! Hannah (Rukiya Bernard) and Elliott (Antonio Cayonne) continue the relationship that started getting serious in Tidings for the Season, while an all-star supporting cast returns to Evergreen: Barbara Niven, Ashley Williams, Jaeda Lily Miller, Holly Robinson Peete, Malcolm Stewart, Chris Cope, and Keith Martin Gordey—one of Hallmark’s best Santas ever! If you like a movie with a lot going on—...

Every Christmas season, we tend to get a storyline involving a youth choir, a high school theatre production, or some other holiday competition. But what happens when you take that familiar Hallmark setup, add the Broadway star who originated the role of Princess Anna in Frozen the Musical, put her opposite one of Hallmark’s leading hunks — wearing glasses for a good part of the movie, no less — and give them a script from a first-time Hallmark writer who would go on to write favorites like T...

Countdown to Christmas 2026: The Forever Hallmark Christmas Preview Show! We’re getting closer to the start of Hallmark’s annual Christmas movie season — so what can we expect in 2026? We’re breaking it all down: • We had 24 new Christmas movies in 2025 — how many will Hallmark deliver this year? • What might the nightly programming schedule look like? • How many episodes of Mistletoe Murders Season Three will we get — and when will they air? Plus, we’re spotlighting 12 of the 202...

Snow Bride (2013) is one of those Hallmark Christmas classics that seems to land on nearly every fan’s favorites list. Katrina Law and Jordan Belfi make their Hallmark debuts, joined by Patricia Richardson (Home Improvement) in a fantastic supporting role. Shot in Southern California’s mountain community of Big Bear, this movie embraces the wonderfully bonkers side of the Hallmark rom-com. Deception runs rampant, the fake-boyfriend trope takes center stage, and somehow… it all works. And ther...

Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade (2012) marks the Hallmark debuts of Autumn Reeser, Antonio Cupo, and Ali Liebert. Featuring top-tier production from Ron Oliver (The Christmas Train) and a sharp script by Nancey Silvers (The Nine Lives of Christmas), it's widely considered one of Hallmark's most mature films of the era, with scenes you probably wouldn't see on the network today. But one question has fueled debate for years: Is it a Thanksgiving movie... or a Christmas movie? To settle the ...

Christmas in July 2026 wraps up with Jen Lilley (Grace) and Nick Bateman (Ryan) starring in Love Under the Mistletoe. With only six speaking roles in the entire movie (yes... six!), this one leans heavily on the classic Hallmark formula—and it absolutely embraces it. We've got the overworked big-city executive returning to his small hometown for Christmas. Two former high school crushes reconnect. A charity gala is organized to save a struggling town. And, of course, a BBD (Big Bad Developer)...

Trey runs a rustic ski lodge where both he—and the lodge itself—seem to be stuck in the 1990s. When tech and hospitality specialist Cassidy arrives, "opposites attract" is put to the ultimate test. Filmed in a small town in northern Ontario during the dead of winter, the movie fully embraces its Christmas atmosphere. From the whimsical snow tubing and wish lantern scenes to the tender dance and almost-kiss (Walkman included!), it delivers plenty of heartfelt moments. In this episode, we share...

The guys kick things off with a little history lesson on Hallmark's Christmas in July—from its beginnings with a single weekend in 2012 and how it evolved, to the very first original July Christmas movie in 2015 (yes, it's a Lacey Chabert classic), where the event stands today, and the highest-rated Christmas in July originals of all time. Then it's on to Christmas in July 2026 – Week 2 as Kat Barrell (The Christmas Baby) and Stephen Huszar (Melt My Heart This Christmas) star in O Little Chri...

Hallmark’s Christmas in July 2026 kicks off with Christmas Under Construction, a movie that first debuted on Hulu two years earlier. Fan favorites Daniel Lissing and Jessica Lowndes reunite a decade after Hallmark’s beloved December Bride. But after ten years, is the chemistry still there? For a movie with only eight speaking roles, there’s a surprising amount going on. There’s a couples therapist who moonlights as a home renovation host, her boyfriend who’s obsessed with every grooming trend...

Evergreen… Part Three! This time we’re heading back to Hallmark’s beloved Christmas town for Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy (2019), featuring a star-studded cast led by Maggie Lawson and Paul Greene in their second Hallmark movie together. Joining them are Ashley Williams, Jill Wagner, Holly Robinson Peete, and Barbara Niven. A 50-year-old time capsule takes center stage, Evergreen’s magical snow globe suffers an unexpected mishap, and three intertwined romances keep the Christmas spi...

Rich and Rene join forces with Amy and Garry from Pour the Wine, It's Romcom Time (so grab a glass of vino) to celebrate Hallmark's landmark 2022 film, A Holiday Spectacular. Then we hit the Hallmark lottery. Writer Julie Sherman Wolfe joins us for an incredible behind-the-scenes look at one of Hallmark's most ambitious projects ever: a period piece set in 1958 and centered around the legendary Radio City Rockettes. Think you know this movie? Think again. In this episode: • How a conversation...

Kimberley Sustad’s first Hallmark movie. Andrew Walker’s Hallmark debut. Arielle Kebbel’s first turn with the network too. With an average age of just 28, our three leads bring plenty of youthful energy - but don’t expect perfection. This movie is packed with wonderfully flawed characters! In A Bride for Christmas (2012) - Writer Barbara Kymlicka delivers a clever, sharp script that borrows a few elements from the 2003 movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and somehow turns them into pure Hallma...

Kimberley Sustad's first Hallmark starring role. Brandon Routh fresh off a career that includes playing Superman. Firefighters. Cats. A terrific Nancey Silvers script. And one of the most delightfully unlikeable characters Hallmark has ever given us. That's the recipe for the 2014 fan favorite The Nine Lives of Christmas. And Hallmark fans clearly agree—when Entertainment Weekly ranked the best all-time Hallmark Christmas movies back in 2025, Nine Lives landed at #2, second only to A Biltmore...

Erin Cahill (Megan) may be one of Hallmark’s most charming leading ladies. And Rich and Rene are confident enough to admit it: Ryan Paevey (Charles) is one remarkably handsome dude. Things get delightfully complicated when Charles travels from 1903 to 2020 and must convince Megan—a historian who has spent years studying his life—that he’s actually the man she’s written about. This beloved 2020 Hallmark favorite was written and directed by Hallmark legend Ron Oliver (Christmas at the Plaza, Th...

Bethany Joy Lenz (Emily) may be the best actress Hallmark has ever seen. Tyler Hynes (Jamie) is arguably the most popular leading man in Hallmark history. And Paul Campbell — already beloved as a Hallmark leading man — has also become one of the network’s most talented writers. Put them all together and you get the 2021 Hallmark Christmas favorite: An Unexpected Christmas. When Variety released its 2025 list, “The 25 Best Hallmark Christmas Movies, Ranked,” the Hallmark world exploded with de...

Hallmark Christmas in July gets a little hotter with Crashing Through the Snow! Starring Amy Acker as Maggie - a divorced mom invited to spend Christmas in Aspen with her ex and his soon-to-be fiancée Kate - the movie takes off when Kate’s charming brother Sam (Warren Christie) unexpectedly arrives home from Japan. The chemistry between Maggie and Sam? Off the charts… and not exactly your typical Hallmark romance. Rich and Rene rave about the sharp script from Tamar Laddy, heartfelt conversat...

It’s Christmas in Evergreen… round two! In Letters to Santa, Jill Wagner and Mark Deklin lead the second installment in Hallmark’s beloved Evergreen franchise. Since the original Christmas in Evergreen earned a pretty strong grade in one of our very first podcast reviews, the big question is: does the sequel deliver the same holiday magic? Rich is thrilled to see Allie — and her iconic red truck — return, loves the movie’s three “almost kisses,” and still considers Evergreen one of Hallmark’s...

The same duo that brought us A Kiss Before Christmas — the rare Hallmark movie to earn a PERFECT score from both Rene and Rich - returns as writers Mark Amato (story) and Tracy Andreen (script) deliver It's Christmas, Eve starring LeAnn Rimes and Tyler Hynes - both working with Hallmark for the first time. And the chemistry? Off the charts! Rich crowns LeAnn driving down Main Street during the opening credits - while her own song plays in the background - the ultimate “Boss Move,” while also ...

Incredible lakeside visuals, a charming small-town Christmas, and Jewel’s “Winter Wonderland” setting the tone - Hallmark’s Christmas in the Air (2017) knows how to make an entrance. Eric Close stars as Robert, a widowed dad doing his best to hold it all together for the holidays, alongside Catherine Bell as Lydia, a professional organizer who brings a refreshing twist to the usual Hallmark career lineup. Rich is all in on Lydia’s poinsettia greenhouse and that bold outdoor holiday show, whil...

Winnie Cooper is all grown up! Danica McKellar trades suburbia for royalty in Hallmark’s 2015 hit Crown for Christmas - the network’s highest-rated holiday movie of the year. And yes… this royal romance actually hits different. Allie heads to Europe for the holidays as governess to the spirited Princess Theodora and Rene loves how instantly likable the King is, while Rich connects surprising dots between this film and other favorite movies. And both agree: this is absolutely a top-tier Hallma...

There have been countless takes on A Christmas Carol, but in 2022, Hallmark writer Zac Hug delivered one of the most unique twists yet with Ghosts of Christmas Always. Widely considered one of Hallmark’s best, the film gives Rich and Rene plenty to unpack - from its layered story to the chemistry between the three ghosts and a standout musical score. Rene questions whether Peter would really fall for a ghost, while Rich wonders if a bolder ending - with Kat staying in the afterlife - might ha...

It was 2014. On November 29, a massive 5.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the “Queen of Christmas,” Candace Cameron Bure, in Christmas Under Wraps - a record-setting night Hallmark still hasn’t matched since. With just 15 films in that year’s Countdown to Christmas (a number that doubled within three years), this movie helped spark the boom. Set in a small Alaskan town, Dr. Lauren Brunell finds unexpected community - and romance - with pilot, electrician, and all-around awesome dude, Andy ...

2022 brings us “A Royal Corgi Christmas” - featuring the charismatic Hunter King in her first Hallmark Christmas movie alongside Jordan Renzo. But let’s be honest… the real star? An energetic corgi named Mistletoe. Can America’s favorite YouTube dog trainer tame a “Playboy Prince” with little interest in the throne? Rich isn’t buying Cecily’s college psychology classes magically turning her into a master dog trainer - and also has questions about Hobbs making a move on the Queen. Rene wonders...

Hallmark’s A Kiss Before Christmas (2021) breaks just about every cozy rom-com rule. A meet-cute that takes nearly an hour to fully reveal itself. A misunderstanding resolved immediately. A real antagonist working against our leads—so refreshing! And two card-carrying AARP members with off-the-charts chemistry. With a gentle nod to It’s a Wonderful Life, James Denton and Teri Hatcher prove that TV flames from 2004 can still create magic at Christmastime. Add Marilu Henner into the mix a...

Crazy. Bonkers. Ridiculous. And somehow impossible to stop watching. That pretty much sums up Hallmark’s A Very Merry Mix-Up, starring Alicia Witt. For the first time, the show introduces a new segment featuring information from a filmmaker from the movie sharing some “stories behind the story” from the making of the film. Rene and Rich both embrace the sweet story of Grandpa Joe and his wife, while also sharing a mutual pet peeve: characters dropping an “I love you” after only a few days. Ri...

Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe (2018) features a stellar cast including Hallmark royalty Lacey Chabert and network favorite Brendan Penny. The classic Hallmark setup is here: a career-driven woman heads home for the holidays to save something important (this time, a struggling charity gala) while reconnecting with her high school rival. It was a hugely popular storyline back in the day—but can writer Nina Weinman’s eight-year-old script still hold up in 2026? With a title like Pride, Prejudi...

Hallmark’s Christmas Cookies (2016) stars Jill Wagner and Wes Brown in their Hallmark Christmas debuts — but does this fan-favorite actually hold up? Rich can’t quite make sense of the central storyline, while Rene believes young Bonnie (the adorable scene-stealer) might be the movie’s secret weapon. We break down: • The meet cute (for the first time on the show) • A loaded “What Would We Rewrite?” segment • That big end-of-movie speech • And whether Jake and Hannah would really last 12 month...

Finding Santa (2017) proves that not every Hallmark Christmas movie needs to be overly deep and complex — sometimes a cozy holiday romcom is exactly what the season ordered. Rich and Rene don’t quite see eye-to-eye on Ben and Grace’s chemistry, debate the best supporting character, and — like the seasoned professionals we are — assign letter grades to two kissing scenes with four overall kisses (with “Professor” Rich nearly handing out a failing grade to one of them). And that public proposal...

In this episode, we’re reviewing Christmas in Evergreen, and we’re convinced writer Rick Garman must have had a checklist: How many incredible Christmas vibes can we pack into one movie? From a puppy-filled opening scene to a final kiss that Rene analyzes in impressive detail, this one keeps the holiday energy rolling. Along the way we tackle the big questions: Was Spencer too nice? Do Allie and Ryan last as a couple? Should Zoe have gone on the cruise? And which member of the incredible (and...

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year tries to convince us that complete opposites really can make it work. Along the way, we get a few things we’re not sure Hallmark would show in 2026 - one of our stars stepping on someone’s throat outside a bar, our female lead making a memorable post-shower entrance, and… did our male lead really bash someone with a trash can lid? And hey, we’re okay with all of it. At its heart, this movie is about bonds—mother to son, uncle to niece, and even stranger to ...