As faithful Hallmark fans will know, tonight is the night! Countdown to Christmas 2022 has officially begun! As promised, here is the preview of the movies we’ll be enjoying this weekend on both Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.
Hallmark Channel:
Noel Next Door, starring Natalie Hall and Corey Sevier (Friday, October 21, 2022 at 8 p.m. ET)
Plot: A hard-working, single mom gets into a war of words with a neighbor who she feels is ruining Christmas, only to find that this misunderstood grouch just may steal her heart.
Written by newcomer Keith Hemstreet, who must be a wunderkind because he wrote THREE of this year’s Countdown to Christmas movies with no other IMDb credits to his name. I enjoyed these two actors together in the Renaissance Festival movie, Road Trip Romance, so I expect I’ll enjoy them together in this movie as well. I have my doubts that Natalie Hall can play the mother of a teenager, but maybe I’ll buy into it at some point. Either way, I enjoy the trailer and have high hopes for the movie that kicks off the entire season tonight!
We Wish You a Married Christmas starring Marisol Nichols and Kristoffer Polaha (Saturday, October 22 at 8 p.m. ET)
Plot: A couple goes to a quiet town to reconnect at Christmas on the advice of their marriage coach.
I’ll get this out of the way now: this is the one I’m most excited about this weekend. Kristoffer Polaha went next level in last year’s A Dickens of a Holiday! and I’m hoping he brings that same incredible energy to this year’s Christmas movie. Plus it was written by Nicole Baxter, who wrote 2017’s “Love at the Shore,” which I love, and this year’s The Presence of Love, which is still sitting in my Top 5 for the year so far.
While I’m not a huge fan of the Hallmark movies that feature married couples struggling, just hearing Polaha scream, “YOU’VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME?” in the trailer is enough for me to know I’m looking forward to this movie and Polaha’s performance in particular.
A Kismet Christmas starring Sarah Ramos, Carlo Marks and Marilu Henner (Sunday, October 23 at 8 p.m. ET)
Plot: Sarah is a children’s book author who returns to her hometown, where she reconnects with her family and Travis, her teenage crush. She soon discovers that a long-held family legend might actually be true.
I have NO IDEA what to think of this movie because the trailer shows nothing at all. And from the pictures that Hallmark posted on their website, it’s almost as if Carlo Marks is hardly in it. So is it a rom-com, or is it a feel-good reconnection movie with a dash of romance thrown in a couple scenes? No telling. Screenwriter Betsy Morris also wrong Snowcoming, so who knows what to expect.
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
We Need a Little Christmas starring Erica Durance, Patrick Sabongui and Lynn Whitfield (Saturday, October 22 at 10 p.m. ET)
Plot: Julie is juggling being a single mother to a grieving child and facing her first Christmas without her husband when she develops an unexpected friendship with a neighbor.
I’m all for Hallmark finding new, younger actors for their movies, but I appreciate that they are still giving movie roles to actresses that may be considered “older” (even if they are all younger than me!). While I don’t mind young love at all, I appreciate middle age love, too. And Erica Durance is a fabulous actress, to boot!
Of these first four, which ones are you looking forward to the most? Comment below!
I’m looking forward to “We Wish You a Married Christmas.” Kristoffer Polaha’s Hallmark movies are some of my favorites, and I tend to rewatch them when I catch them on the schedule. BTW – I actually still have “A Dickens of a Holiday!” saved on the DVR from last year and do watch it from time to time.
Other actors with films I will rewatch when I see they are on: Kimberley Sustad, Paul Campbell and Tyler Hynes.
I have “Dickens” permanently saved on my DVR as well!
Me too!