Christmas on the small screen: Set that DVR for some new holiday favorites
During the Christmas season, a struggling New York actress returns to the small hometown she once left behind to follow her dreams of performing on Broadway. Feeling that she's failed everyone's expectations, she hides the reality of her difficult life from her former high school friends, until she finds herself opening up to a very special old acquaintance. When they start to fall for each other, she must decide if chasing her dreams in the big city can really compare to the unexpected happiness-and love- she's found right at home. Photo: Brendan Penny, Sarah Lancaster Credit: Copyright 2015 Crown Media United States, LLC/Photographer: Bettina Strauss
A young bakeshop owner's holiday season takes a surprising turn when she finds a body at a local Christmas tree lot and winds up involved in a dangerous murder investigation. With colorful characters popping up as suspects, shady business practices uncovered at the tree lot and holiday romance in the air, the young baker-turned-sleuth must race against time to track down the killer and save the Christmas season. Photo: Alison Sweeney Credit: Copyright 2015 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Bettina Strauss
A fast-climbing business woman with a tendency to be dishonest is placed under a spell in which she can no longer tell a lie. Photo: Alicia Witt, Mia Bagley Credit: Copyright 2015 Crown Media United States, LLC/Photographer: Fred Hayes
When an actual, honest-to-goodness royal princess runs off from her official obligations and duties for a couple of days to see how the other half lives, she winds up falling for a good Samaritan who is unaware of her real identity during the holiday season. Will her true love still feel the same way once he learns the truth? Photo: Briana Evigan, Paul Campbell Credit: Copyright 2015 Crown Media United States, LLC/Photographer: Marcel Williams
A bubbly bride-to-be's Christmas plans take an unexpected turn when her holiday flight to New York is detoured and she encounters a cynical bar manager who has lost his faith in love. As she scrambles to make it back east for Christmas - and plan her upcoming wedding - the young bride-to-be begins wondering if she's marrying the right man, and learns a surprising lesson about love. Photo: Candace Cameron Bure, Paul Greene Credit: Copyright 2015 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Marcel Williams
Mariah Carey, Lacey Chabert, Brennan Elliott, Kathy Najimy and 10-year-old Broadway sensation Fina Strazza star in "A Christmas Melody," directed by Mariah Carey: "A Christmas Melody" revolves around Kristin (Chabert), a beautiful, stylish divorcee who is a talented clothing designer and her young daughter. Kristin has just had to close her small Manhattan boutique to return to her Ohio home town and live in her parents' former home. It's an adjustment for Kristin and Emily - especially when she runs into her former high school rival Melissa (Carey). Melissa is president of the PTA and tries to make Kristen feel as unwelcome as possible. Kristen and Emily struggle to find their new normal with the help of the hunky local music teacher Danny (Elliott) and Kristin's Aunt Sarah (Najimy), the local coffee shop owner. With a little holiday magic and music, Kristin and Emily find that home is where the heart is. Photo: Fina Strazza Credit: Copyright 2015 Crown Media United States, LLC/Photographer: Brian Douglas
Can’t get enough Christmas? Television can’t either.
Dozens of original movies, and a long list of new specials, make debuts on cable, broadcast and streaming networks this season.
Some, courtesy of the Hallmark Channel, started appearing around Halloween, and all will continue right up to Christmas Eve.
This year, some oddball themes have emerged. One is inheritance.
Imagine: A woman (somehow, it’s always a woman) inherits a bakery, an ornament factory or a tree farm. Will she sell, ruining the holidays for everyone, or will she discover the real meaning of Christmas?
In other new yarns, women become personal shoppers (and find love), or royals find love with commoners, and vice versa. In the always-favorite “stranded” theme, seemingly mismatched couples trying to get home for Christmas are stranded, often by blizzards, and wind up having to make do with each other.
Hallmark and its Hallmark Movies & Mysteries spin-off lead the way with 19 new movies, but Lifetime has seven of its own.
Broadcasters are heavier on specials, but NBC airs its third live holiday event, “The Wiz!,” and Netflix gets in on Christmas scheduling with a variety show headlined by Bill Murray.
Here are seven particularly promising new Christmas movies.
Following, in chronological order, are this season’s other new movies and specials. (Some other movies have already had premieres on Hallmark; check listings for possible repeats.)
What about “Frosty” and “A Christmas Carol,” etc.? Tune in to your local TV listings for a complete list of your favorite classics.
(NOTE: Please check your TV listings to confirm date and time of show.)
Six to see
”Murder, She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery”
- Aired Nov. 27 on Hallmark Murders & Mysteries
Who killed the cranky Christmas tree salesman? Will Hannah let the cookies burn while she investigates? Alison Sweeney is Hannah Swenson in an adaptation of the Joanne Fluke baking mystery, which finds Cookie Jar owner Hannah investigating a murder. Cameron Matheson also stars.
”Hallmark Hall of Fame’s Just in Time for Christmas”
- 6 p.m. Dec. 5 on Hallmark
A young woman (Eloise Mumford) faces a difficult Christmas choice: Accept a teaching job at an Ivy League college, or stay home and marry her boyfriend (Michael Stahl-David). Only a trip three years into the future can help her decide. William Shatner and Christopher Lloyd also star.
”The Flight Before Christmas”
- 6 p.m. Dec. 5 on Lifetime
Mayim Bialik goes outside “The Big Bang Theory” to star as a woman whose boyfriend (no, not Sheldon) dumped her right before Christmas. Stranded in a small town in Montana, she winds up sharing the last room at the bed and breakfast with a man (Ryan McPartlin) heading home to propose to his girlfriend. As icing on this Christmas cake, Reginald VelJohnson and Jo Marie Payton (“Family Matters”) run the B&B.
”Last Chance Christmas”
8 p.m. Dec. 6 on Lifetime
Call reindeer 911! When Prancer injures his hoof right before Christmas, Santa’s stable hand, John (Gabriel Hogan), finds an emergency replacement in Frankie, who belongs to a precocious 8-year-old girl and her mother (Hilarie Burton). Tim Matheson also stars.
”Debbie Macomber’s Dashing Through the Snow”
- 7 p.m. Dec. 13 on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Hilarity ensues when Ashley and Dash (Meghan Ory and Andrew Walker) are forced to share a rental car in an effort to get to Seattle for the holidays. Their adventures include “car trouble, adopting a puppy and being secretly tailed by federal agents.”
”A Christmas Melody”
- 7 p.m. Dec. 19 on Hallmark
Mariah Carey is a music teacher who helps a girl write a song for the town’s Christmas variety show. Guess who gets to sing it?
And many more
”Merry Matrimony”
- Aired Nov. 28 on Hallmark
Ad exec Brie (Jessica Lowndes) lands the job of organizing the perfect Christmas wedding for a fashion magazine, only to find the photographer is her former fiance (Christopher Russell), with whom she still has issues.
”Once Upon a Holiday”
- Aired Nov. 28 on Hallmark
A princess (Briana Evigan) runs away at Christmas and enchants a good Samaritan (Paul Campbell) who thinks she’s a commoner. Greg Evigan, Briana’s dad, also stars.
”The 12 Gifts of Christmas”
- Aired Nov. 27 on Hallmark
An unemployed painter is hired to become a personal Christmas shopper for an uptight businessman, and both learn lessons. Katrina Law, Aaron O’Connell and Donna Mills star.
”Crown for Christmas”
- Aired Nov. 27 on Hallmark
A hotel maid (Danica McKellar) trying to support her two younger siblings is fired right before Christmas and accepts an unexpected offer to become governess for a little girl whose father happens to be king of an obscure European country.
”A Christmas Detour”
- Aired Nov. 28 on Hallmark
Travelers (Candace Cameron Bure and Paul Greene) stranded in Buffalo team up to try to get to New York in what’s billed as a madcap adventure.
”A Gift-Wrapped Christmas”
- Aired Nov. 28 on Lifetime
Personal shopper Gwen sets out to get new client Charlie, a single dad, into the Christmas spirit, for the sake of his 7-year-old son.
”Angel of Christmas”
- Aired Nov. 29 on Hallmark
A newspaper reporter (Jennifer Finnigan) writing about her family’s heirloom Christmas angel meets an artist (Jonathan Scarfe) who could be Mr. Right. Does the angel have the ability to bring people together? Holly Robinson Peete also stars.
”The Christmas Note”
8 p.m. Sunday on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
In an adaptation of the Donna VanLiere novel, a newly separated woman with a young son is caught up in her new neighbor’s quest to find a long-missing sibling.
”The Christmas Gift”
- Aired Nov. 29 on Lifetime
A young journalist (Michelle Trachtenberg) looks for the person who changed her life with a Secret Santa gift when she was 10. Rick Fox also stars.
”CMA Country Christmas”
- Aired Dec. 1 on ABC
Jennifer Nettles returns as host.
”Christmas in Rockefeller Center”
- Aired Dec. 3 on NBC
A highlight of the 18th annual special is the lighting of New York’s big tree.
”The Wiz! Live!”
- Aired Dec. 3 on NBC
Newcomer Shanice Williams is Dorothy in this year’s live holiday musical, with Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige, David Alan Grier, Ne-Yo, Uzo Aduba, Amber Riley, Common, Stephanie Mills and Cirque du Soleil.
’A Very Murray Christmas”
- Coming Dec. 4 on Netflix
In what’s billed as an homage to the classic Christmas variety show, Bill Murray (as himself) worries that no one will show up for his TV show because of a New York blizzard. But guests (including George Clooney, Paul Shaffer, Amy Poehler, Julie White, Michael Cera, Chris Rock, David Johansen, Maya Rudolph, Jason Schwartzman, Jenny Lewis, Rashida Jones and Miley Cyrus) do arrive for the singing and dancing festivities.
”Karen Kingsbury’s The Bridge”
- 7 p.m. Dec. 6 on Hallmark
Students (Katie Findlay and Wyatt Nash) bond at a coffee shop called the Bridge in a drama with Ted McGinley and Faith Ford.
”Magic Stocking”
- 8 p.m. Dec. 6 on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
When her daughter buys a Christmas stocking at a craft fair, a new widow begins finding things inside it that hold importance in her life.
”On the Twelfth Day of Christmas”
- 7 p.m. Dec. 12 on Hallmark
When her long-time crush (Robin Dunne) returns home, a young woman (Brooke Nevin) discovers that he’s lost his love for Christmas, and vows to bring him back via 12 Christmas gifts.
”Becoming Santa”
- 7 p.m. Dec. 12 on Lifetime
Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter (“Family Ties”) are Mr. and Mrs. Claus, whose daughter, Holly (Laura Bell Bundy), has never told her toy designer boyfriend who her parents are.
”Wish Upon a Christmas”
- 8 p.m. Dec. 13 on Lifetime
A woman (Larisa Oleynik) returns home to help a family-run ornament company but shocks the employees with a plan for massive layoffs at Christmas. Aaron Ashmore plays her ex-boyfriend, the company’s owner.
”Michael Buble’s Christmas in New York”
- 7 p.m. Dec. 17 on NBC
Buble returns for his fifth holiday special.
”The Spirit of Christmas”
- 7 p.m. Dec. 19 on Lifetime
A lawyer brokers the sale of an old Vermont inn haunted by a man who died 95 years earlier.
”Christmas Land”
- 7 p.m. Dec. 20 on Hallmark
A woman inherits a Christmas tree farm that she plans to sell, but the perfect buyer turns out to have ulterior motives.
