Hallmark Channel is giving families more chances than ever to gather for Christmas stories this year, with a record 34 original movies set for its 2026 COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS event.
“We have our wonderful fans to thank for this longevity and are so grateful to them for joining us on this journey,” Michelle Vicary, Hallmark Media Head of Programming, said.
The network’s 17th annual lineup begins Friday, Oct. 16, with ‘TIS THE SEASON FOR SETUPS, starring Amanda Schull, Victor Webster and Barbara Niven. The 10-week run will bring new premieres every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, generally at 8 p.m. ET/PT, while each original movie will stream the next day on Hallmark+.
Three big event movies anchor the packed schedule. HOLIDAY TOUCHDOWN: A BEARS LOVE STORY arrives Saturday, Oct. 17, extending Hallmark’s NFL partnership with a Chicago-set tale starring Lyndsy Fonseca, Robert Buckley, Marsha Mason, Barbara Alyn Woods and Khary Payton.
The story follows a reporter profiling a devoted Bears fan who is approaching her 500th game, only to find help from the woman’s firefighter grandson. Chicago Bears players, alumni and Coach Ben Johnson will make cameos, but the announced premise puts family memory, belonging and community ahead of the scoreboard.
Vicary also noted that the event has grown from four original movies in its first year to 24/7 holiday programming across 10 weeks. The 34-movie count is 10 higher than in 2025, giving returning Hallmark stars and newcomers alike room in the sleigh.
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The full roster mixes familiar Hallmark stars with several splashy settings. Lacey Chabert and Travis Van Winkle lead HOLIDAY EVER AFTER: A DISNEY WORLD WISH COME TRUE on Saturday, Nov. 28, alongside Richard Kind, Christy Carlson Romano, Bryce Durfee and Taegen Burns.
That story takes an extended family to Walt Disney World Resort, where an awkward reunion and a wish made at Cinderella Fountain complicate the holiday. Hallmark shot the movie on location, giving families a recognizable destination amid a weekend already built around Thanksgiving gatherings.
A GRAND BILTMORE CHRISTMAS follows on Saturday, Dec. 5, with Holland Roden, Niall Matter, Andie MacDowell and Jonathan Frakes. The companion to 2023’s A BILTMORE CHRISTMAS again uses North Carolina’s Biltmore Estate, this time sending its romance partly into the Gilded Age.
Beyond the showcase titles, several premises lean into intergenerational care and reconciliation. ADOPTING ST. NICK pairs a girl who misses having a grandfather with a resident in a retirement community, while A SEASON OF PROMISES brings estranged sisters together after their widowed father suffers a health scare.
HOLIDAY UNPLUGGED may spark an especially timely conversation at home when a widowed mother declares a screen-free Christmas after treasured family videos disappear. MERRY MEMORIES follows an aunt caring for her nephew while his mother serves overseas, and the pair create a holiday scrapbook to send her.
The season also includes the third season of MISTLETOE MURDERS, beginning Thursday, Nov. 5, with Sarah Drew and Peter Mooney returning for weekly mysteries. Hallmark’s official preview keeps the movie premieres rolling through Sunday, Dec. 20, when SAVE THE DATE FOR CHRISTMAS closes the announced slate.
For families, the volume means plenty of choices — and a reason to choose thoughtfully. The announced themes of hospitality, forgiveness, service and renewed family bonds sound promising, but parents should still consult Movieguide® reviews as the premieres arrive, since a cozy synopsis cannot replace a full content assessment.
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