Hallmark Christmas in July 🎄 comfort & joy ❤️

[Imzadi]

It's here!

https://www.hallmark.com/keepsake-ornament-events/ornament-premiere/

Keepsake Ornament Club (KOC) members get to shop NOW, while everyone else can start loading up their online shopping cart. Still time to join the KOC and become a member:

https://www.hallmark.com/ornaments/...p_061722_op-event-koc-early-shopping-join-now

With Christmas in July here, there’s no better time to get in the Christmas spirit. See over 250 new ornament releases which include: Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, LEGO, Harry Potter, Batman & DC Comics, Charlie Brown and the Peanuts Gang, the Muppets, Dr. Who, Sesame Street, Hallmark exclusives, and many more. Plus there are event-only offers and the best Crown Rewards Bonus Points of the year.

https://www.hallmark.com/keepsake-ornament-events/ornament-premiere/



(Disclaimer: All photos are from the Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments website and all copyrights and trademarks belong to their respective companies. No copyright/trademark infringement intended.)

 

[Imzadi]

Reminder:

The second of three brand new Christmas movies airing during Christmas in July is premiering tonight, Saturday night.

Campfire Christmas premieres at 8pm ET on the Hallmark Channel.
Re-airs: Sun 7/17 at 6pm ET
and Fri 7/22 at 8pm ET
and Sun/24 at 2pm ET

Starring: Tori Anderson and Corbin Bleu.

Description: This is the first scripted Hallmark Christmas movie set in July. Peyton (Tori Anderson) is writer whose parents run Camp Evergreen, a summer camp she attended as a teen, where Christmas in July is a big deal. With their impending retirement, and the camp's sale, Peyton heads home for one last hurrah and a 15-year reunion with some of her former fellow camp counselors.

While she's thrilled to reunite with old friends, the possibility her ex-boyfriend Thomas, now a school teacher, attending causes a problem. After high school he broke her heart, so unless Peyton can let go of her resentment, and Thomas his regrets, an encounter could be the downer that ruins both their campfire Christmas.

It follows a group of friends with three separate storylines going on where everyone is kind of trying to overcome something. One storyline is a diverse and inclusive storyline of two of Peyton's male friends.

 

[Imzadi]

Many of you remember the post about Alicia Witt losing her both her parents right before Christmas. They were found dead in their Massachusetts home. By various accounts from neighbors, they were kind of hermits. Alicia was never allowed in their home. She would have to meet them out somewhere, when visiting. So she had no idea the state of disrepair they lived in, or she would have helped. Although, they often refused help from her and others. Their heater had broken down and they died from the cold during an extremely cold week.

Alicia has finally re-surfaced. She reported last week on Instagram that she was filming a movie for Lifetime, not Hallmark or GAC, up in Winnipeg, CAN. No idea on what type of movie it is. And she has since taken the post down. Lifetime may want to be the ones to officially announce the movie.

 

[RamblingMad]

I definitely have to check out the ornaments at Hallmark this weekend. I'm currently binge watching The Good Witch TV series.

 

[Imzadi]

A big congrats to Sheryl Lee Ralph. She was in Christmas at Holly Lodge with Alison Sweeney, years ago. (One of my favorite movies.) She sung Joy to the World at the very end. (I got to see her originate the role of Deena in the Broadway production of Dreamgirls, decades ago. She was fantastic. Beyonce played the same role in the movie.)

Last Christmas, Sheryl was in Hallmark's Christmas in My Heart starring Luke Macfarlane and Heather Hemmens. (No singing from Sheryl in that.)

She has just been nominated for an Emmy award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Abbott Elementary where she plays the role of Barbara Howard, an elementary school teacher.

“I honestly thought Barbara was going to be invisible in the show,” she told the New York Times. “I had no idea that people would really see me. I thought I was invisible. So I leave those things open to God.”

In total, “Abbott Elementary” received seven Emmy nominations. The show airs on ABC.

 

[Imzadi]

Reminder:

The last of three brand new Christmas movies airing during Christmas in July is premiering tonight.

Christmas in Toyland premieres at 8pm ET on the Hallmark Channel.
Re-airs: Sun 7/24 at 6pm ET
and Thur 7/28 at 8pm ET
and Sun/31 at 12pm ET

Starring: Vanessa Lengies and Jesse Hutch.

Description: It tells the story of a toy store data analyst who attempts to save hundreds of jobs right before Christmas to help keep the in-person experience alive.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I thoroughly enjoyed Abbott Elementary! Glad to read about the awards it has been nominated for! I’m former math teacher in an inner city middle school.

As far as Christmas Movies I recently watched. Did not enjoy Christmas in Toyland. Unrealistic may be my kindest thought. I enjoyed the one about Christmas Camp a bit. I was a camp counselor in summers and enjoyed Christmas in July week.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

I enjoyed the first half hour of Sharing Christmas before the recording of it froze! It would still play but wouldn't allow me to fast forward. I'll be keeping an eye out for it to re-air.

Thank you always Imzadi especially and to all of you, friends, for keeping this thread going!

Hug, Bobbiwoz, glad you have good memories of being a camp counselor. I also have some good memories of working at church camps. I never did attend a sleepaway camp. All that said, I am sorry to say I didn't get into Campfire Christmas. To be far, we began watching it later in the evening when starting to wind down for the night. Maybe I'll give it another try some other time. Oh no! I will watch a few minutes of Christmas in Toyland in about an hour before recording it as I had planned.

I do look forward to new Christmas movies in November. Meantime, I still don't understand why the majority of Hallmark's programming are sitcoms (not very movie channel oriented) or reruns of the same movie. Oh well, I'm grateful for the many good movies and, always, to all of you! Have a good evening, everyone.

 

[RangerPooh]

@bobbiwoz I enjoyed Christmas Camp. I too was a camp counselor, but never had Christmas in July. Our oldest has spent the last two summers as a camp counselor and they do a secret Santa exchange.

@flyingdumbo127 I too question the programming on all three hallmark channels. I understand an hour of the same sitcoms, but why half day blocks? Ugh. Same with a channel airing nonstop Waltons and Little House. I spent my childhood watching both shows on repeat in the 80s/early 90s, and have no desire to rewatch either. Even my parents who are in their 70s are burned out in both shows, plus Murder She Wrote, another staple in our house growing up.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Hug and thanks for understanding Ranger Pooh! To me and another friend, how many times does Golden Girls or Reba need to be on? I never personally watched either, other than I did like the GG's theme song, so perhaps not fair for me to say. Enough already with the same old. I did write Hallmark once a year or so ago but never heard back. What fun memories you and your oldest must have of summer camp

Do any of you remember an old Disney Channel show called Bug Juice? I thought the boys' counselor Rhett was quite handsome! One day post pandemic perhaps I'll get to spend a weekend (I am a homebody at heart) at a local Christian summer camp and help out.

 

[RangerPooh]

Hug and thanks for understanding Ranger Pooh! To me and another friend, how many times does Golden Girls or Reba need to be on? I never personally watched either, other than I did like the GG's theme song, so perhaps not fair for me to say. Enough already with the same old. I did write Hallmark once a year or so ago but never heard back. What fun memories you and your oldest must have of summer camp

Do any of you remember an old Disney Channel show called Bug Juice? I thought the boys' counselor Rhett was quite handsome! One day post pandemic perhaps I'll get to spend a weekend (I am a homebody at heart) at a local Christian summer camp and help out.

I’ll occasionally watch Golden Girls, but don’t need to watch it on repeat.

I remember Bug Juice! I think it first aired when I was either in high school or first year of college. Always wanted to attend camp there or work there. I believe it was Camp Highlander. I did work for a nice camp in CA that had both a day camp and resident camp. I worked on the day camp side, but was paid well and had beautiful scenery. My daughter worked at a Scouts BSA camp in Arkansas. She’s unsure if she’ll return next summer or apply for a position at an international BSA camp.

 

[AustinTink]

Reminder:

The last of three brand new Christmas movies airing during Christmas in July is premiering tonight.

Christmas in Toyland premieres at 8pm ET on the Hallmark Channel.
Re-airs: Sun 7/24 at 6pm ET
and Thur 7/28 at 8pm ET
and Sun/31 at 12pm ET

Starring: Vanessa Lengies and Jesse Hutch.

Description: It tells the story of a toy store data analyst who attempts to save hundreds of jobs right before Christmas to help keep the in-person experience alive.

How was this movie? I saw her on one of her other Hallmark movies the other day and thought she looked so familiar. Turns out she was in a movie with Ryan Reynolds maybe 20 years ago called Waiting. It's a raunchy comedy that I saw on cable. It was pretty gross.

She has a very distinct look but I still can't believe I recognized her from a bad Ryan Reynolds movie from 20 years ago.

 

[Imzadi]

I still don't understand why the majority of Hallmark's programming are sitcoms (not very movie channel oriented) or reruns of the same movie. Oh well, I'm grateful for the many good movies and, always, to all of you! Have a good evening, everyone.

I too question the programming on all three hallmark channels. I understand an hour of the same sitcoms, but why half day blocks? Ugh. Same with a channel airing nonstop Waltons and Little House.

I think the reason of showing old sitcoms and shows from the 70's is that the residuals & fees to re-air them are a lot less than it costs to re-air a movie, and especially a more current movie.

Back in the 60's & 70's it wasn't even conceived that a TV episode would re-air more than once, (during the summer hiatus.) And then, it was probably thought it would never be seen again, ever. So, the contracts for the actors getting paid per showing was a 1-2 time showing. (Maybe a few more times, and that was it.)

I remember seeing an interview with one of the cast of Gilligan's Island, where none of them were paid for all the times it re-airs. Same for the Brady Bunch kids. IF they got something, it was only pennies per re-airing. Then it stopped after say, the 1000th re-airing, and they make nothing. That's why a lot of low budget cable channels re-air all that old stuff.

The Golden Girls cast, since it was on later, maybe get a few dollars each per episode. Times that by 3 actresses, and all the supporting guest stars, and the money adds up to $$ per episode.

BUT, it's not the amount that has to be paid out to re-air a new movie, formed under newer union contracts. Once it was realized that re-airing TV shows and movies is a popular thing, especially for cable channels, in which there are hundreds of them, the unions demanded the cast get paid decently for all the re-airings, so now the pay to re-air a TV episode or movie is a lot more: $$$. I bet the Hallmark Hall of Fame actors negotiated to get a lot more per re-airing, so those movies aren't re-aired at all now.

So, Hallmark has really cut back on the times they show their movies. GAC is even worse. It only re-airs the movies it made for last Christmas during special weekend events, or this month, during their Christmas in July celebration. Remember when Danica McKeller signed a 3 year, exclusive contract, and she was supposed to star in 3 movies per year? I think that had to be re-negotiated, as GAC probably just doesn't have it in their budget to make all the new Christmas movies, any non-Christmas movies, let alone re-air any old ones, right now.

I think both networks are budgeting all their money toward making Christmas movies, and the rest of the year suffers quite a bit.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

How very cool, Ranger Pooh! I'm PM-ing you

Imzadi, thanks for the programming explanation. That does sadly make sense that Hallmark might want to earn easier revenue. Sad though, of course.

Austin Tink, a few minutes of Christmas in Toyland near the end did nothing for me.

Have a good Tuesday everyone

 

[Imzadi]

Reminder:

We are down to the last two days of Christmas movies. Then back to summertime movies. Tonight's movie premiere eases us back in with a whale watching movie:

A Splash of Love at 8pm ET on the Hallmark Channel.
Re-airs: Sun 7/31 at 10pm ET
and Thur 8/4 at 6pm ET
and Sun 8/7 at 12pm ET

Starring: Rhiannon Fish and Benjamin Hollingsworth.
Description: Chloe is halfway through her PhD program in marine mammalogy (the study of whales) at one of Miami’s top universities. At the top of her class, she is considering applying for a highly sought-after scholarship that would fund the last two years of her doctorate. Chloe’s mentor encourages her to go beyond their local waters, to expand her studies to cover whales in the Pacific Northwest. While there, Chloe meets a whale watching tour guide, Ben, and they soon find themselves bonding over more than just Orcas.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Thanks, as always, Imzadi. I am so looking forward to some new Christmas movies in November.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I was reading posts and laughed. My only experience with Bug Juice is the kool aid like drink served in mess halls!

 

[hdrolfe]

I am watching Splash of Love and it is cute, not Christmas-y so that's a bit nice at the moment. So far you can see the romance coming but it's about the Orcas too which is a nice change. The scenery is beautiful.

 

[RangerPooh]

So I’m watched the 9 Lives of Christmas last night and laughed at bad footage splicing they expected us to not notice. The scene is about 1hr45min into the movie and ‘Zachary’ is sitting in an armchair talking to Ambrose. The patio door behind him goes from open, to closed, to open, to closed again. The reason I noticed it was because having lived in the snowy PNW in the winter, I thought why the heck would you leave your door wide open? The outside temps are probably below freezing!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Bobbiwoz, when I was much younger, I used to enjoy Kool-Aid every now and then. Last time I had some, wow did it not taste good! It felt as though I was drinking red sugar which I was.

Thanks for the update on Splash of Love, Hydrolfe. I hope you enjoy the rest of the movie.

That is pretty bad, Ranger Pooh! I do remember thinking at least once in a Hallmark move that I saw in a kitchen a cameraman which wasn't too good movie planning/editing either.