Hallmark Christmas Movies (+ other channels) ❤️ comfort & joy

I can't believe we're already at the end of the season! I have seen most of the Hallmark movies above and would agree with them having top ratings. I missed "We Met in December" and "Tidings for December" and need to watch those this weekend. Ted Cooper is my #1 for the season, I think.
 
Oohhhh... Ted Cooper has a real contender tonight in A Make or Break Holiday! This movie brought up so many crazy memories from previous past holidays in our families. You gotta love family but they can definitely drive you crazy, especially over Christmas. I knew when they opened that front door and both families were standing there that it was gonna get good! Great chemistry, hilarious siblings... and great lessons about communication. :) Recommend!
 
Oohhhh... Ted Cooper has a real contender tonight in A Make or Break Holiday! This movie brought up so many crazy memories from previous past holidays in our families. You gotta love family but they can definitely drive you crazy, especially over Christmas. I knew when they opened that front door and both families were standing there that it was gonna get good! Great chemistry, hilarious siblings... and great lessons about communication. :) Recommend!
Thanks for the recommendation! I'm excited to watch it today!!
 

We've just now been getting into watching Christmas movies

Christmas at Mistletoe Manor (Great American Family)- my rating is 7.5 Sometimes I really enjoy the simplistic "bought for" movies as they aren't constrained with having to conform to the formulas of a specific channel. Yes it was predictable but with little cast, less sets IDK it just worked well for me. I would have rated it an 8 but felt the ending was a tad too rushed.

A Newport Christmas (Hallmark)- my rating is 7 I did want to give it a 7.5 rating but just couldn't. I think it's a preference thing to like people going from modern times to the past versus the opposite. While predictable I did like how they "solved" the fiancé part. The greenscreen (especially at the beginning) was quite off-putting though. I also think some of the critiques are correct that she really didn't seem to struggle much with modern times and part of the time travel stuff can be seeing how someone adapts (either from being too modern and now you're in the past or being too in the past and now you're in modern times). But the leads weren't bad with each other IMO.

Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper! (Hallmark)- my rating is 7.5. I almost rated it an 8 but stopped short. I liked that it kept itself from being too serious for the majority of the movie, made fun of itself at the same time and the rivalry between Ted Cooper and Ken was made for great laughs. However, I didn't like how Hope's character so easily turned her back on Ted Cooper for the misunderstanding at the ending. The whole movie she seemed very open to his quirkiness and went with what antics they got into taking it all really in stride but them wham without even pausing she just believed the worst and got on him for his too upbeat attitude. Fair point about him not seemingly being able to experience disappointment and yeah they had her admit "she was doing it again" but it just felt like an unnecessary debbie downer tone switch to what the rest of the movie was like. It was still a very watchable movie and having seen it now I could just fast forward at the end of it when that tone switch happens to get to the last few minutes (which were soooo cute to have the on air moment 😍 )

Christmas Above the Clouds (Hallmark)- my rating is 8. It's a story told so frequently that it can be hard to rate it so high but I did enjoy this rendition. The airplane setting unique. I do think the Jake character was owed a tad bit more groveling from Ella at the end but otherwise easily rewatchable to me despite having seen the story in countless different ways.

A Christmas Murder Mystery (UP TV)- my rating is 6. I did not have high expectations of this movie. It's not a conventional warm cozy feeling movie which is totally fine by me. It just didn't quite catch my attention as much. I wouldn't mind however if they took the Vera character and had her do other movies as sequels. As a standalone movie it's easily forgettable.

Deck the Hallways (Lifetime)- my rating is 6. I think you have to be okay with the actress Loretta Devine because she can be a strong if not sometimes annoying in her mannerisms actress. I happen to not mind her and she did well enough in this movie but I couldn't quite get with the way they wrote her being so into what she was into, it felt like they were trying too hard there to get rid of her being older and now a widow. But I liked the romance between the leads.
 
Repeating First List:

These are the highest rated Hallmark & Great American Family (GAF) Christmas movies this year so far according to the IMDb .com.

General good IMDb ratings for Hallmark movies fall between 6.2 - 8.0.
(Remember YOUR tastes may vary - a lot!) Just, if you are only planning to watch a few movies, these may be the better ones to watch. (Number of people rating the movie are in parentheses)

Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper!

7.4 (1.2K)
A weatherman reunites with his high school crush while on vacation in his hometown.
Stars: Robert Buckley & Kimberley Sustad

A Newport Christmas

7.1 (1K)
Ella is a charitable and spirited Newport socialite in 1905 who dreams of using her wealth to start a foundation to help others in town. She learns her father intends for her to become engaged to a man she's never met at the upcoming Christmas Eve ball.
Stars: Ginna Claire Mason & Wes Brown

A Christmas Prayer

(GAF)
7.0 (346)
An illustrator discovers a girl's Christmas list of prayers for others, including her widowed father. As she secretly fulfills these wishes, she finds renewed creativity and creates an angel character.
Stars: Shae Robbins & Christopher Russell

Christmas Above the Clouds

6.9 (1.2K)
"A comedic, modern-day reimagining of A Christmas Carol."
Stars: Erin Krakow & Tyler Hynes
Director: Peter Benson

We Met in December

6.8 (876)
Annie Lane and Dave Weeks meet in a holiday hotel, falling in love. They embark on separate quests to find each other, sharing wisdom and making significant life changes.
Stars: Autumn Reeser & Niall Matter

Timeless Tidings of Joy

6.8 (393)
(GAF)
A woman planning to sell her grandmother's letterpress shop finds unexpected purpose when she meets a passionate preservationist, leading them both toward a chance at redemption and romance.
Stars: Candace Cameron Bure & Paul Greene & Natasha Bure

Three Wisest Men

6.7 (904)
(Sequel to Three Wise Men & a Baby.)
Three siblings deal with personal changes and their mother's decision to sell the family home before Christmas. Between in-laws, wild animals, and a mall Santa, they try to make the holidays perfect.
Stars: Paul Campbell & Tyler Hynes & Andrew W. Walker

Tidings for the Season

6.5 (493)
A serious TV newscaster's life changes when he meets his young superfan and the boy's hardworking single mom. As he embraces positive holiday stories, romance blooms-but a career opportunity forces him to choose between ambition and love.
Stars: Tamera Mowry-Housley & B.J. Britt

A Keller Christmas Vacation

6.3 (878)
Three reluctant adult siblings join their parents on a Christmas river cruise through Europe, each dealing with personal issues, only to find unexpected joy, romance, and family bonds along the journey.
Stars: Jonathan Bennett & Brandon Routh & Eden Sher

Some GAF movies got a 6.2 rating. But with only around 300 people rating so far, I didn't think the rating may be a fair assessment.
 
Last edited:
These are the highest rated Hallmark & Great American Family (GAF) Christmas movies this year so far according to the IMDb .com.

General good IMDb ratings for Hallmark movies fall between 6.2 - 8.0.
(Remember YOUR tastes may vary - a lot!) Just, if you are only planning to watch a few movies, these may be the better ones to watch. (Number of people rating the movie are in parentheses)

Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper!

7.4 (1.2K)
A weatherman reunites with his high school crush while on vacation in his hometown.
Stars: Robert Buckley & Kimberley Sustad

A Newport Christmas

7.1 (1K)
Ella is a charitable and spirited Newport socialite in 1905 who dreams of using her wealth to start a foundation to help others in town. She learns her father intends for her to become engaged to a man she's never met at the upcoming Christmas Eve ball.
Stars: Ginna Claire Mason & Wes Brown

A Christmas Prayer

(GAF)
7.0 (346)
An illustrator discovers a girl's Christmas list of prayers for others, including her widowed father. As she secretly fulfills these wishes, she finds renewed creativity and creates an angel character.
Stars: Shae Robbins & Christopher Russell

Christmas Above the Clouds

6.9 (1.2K)
"A comedic, modern-day reimagining of A Christmas Carol."
Stars: Erin Krakow & Tyler Hynes
Director: Peter Benson

We Met in December

6.8 (876)
Annie Lane and Dave Weeks meet in a holiday hotel, falling in love. They embark on separate quests to find each other, sharing wisdom and making significant life changes.
Stars: Autumn Reeser & Niall Matter

Timeless Tidings of Joy

6.8 (393)
(GAF)
A woman planning to sell her grandmother's letterpress shop finds unexpected purpose when she meets a passionate preservationist, leading them both toward a chance at redemption and romance.
Stars: Candace Cameron Bure & Paul Greene & Natasha Bure

Three Wisest Men

6.7 (904)
(Sequel to Three Wise Men & a Baby.)
Three siblings deal with personal changes and their mother's decision to sell the family home before Christmas. Between in-laws, wild animals, and a mall Santa, they try to make the holidays perfect.
Stars: Paul Campbell & Tyler Hynes & Andrew W. Walker

Tidings for the Season

6.5 (493)
A serious TV newscaster's life changes when he meets his young superfan and the boy's hardworking single mom. As he embraces positive holiday stories, romance blooms-but a career opportunity forces him to choose between ambition and love.
Stars: Tamera Mowry-Housley & B.J. Britt

A Keller Christmas Vacation

6.3 (878)
Three reluctant adult siblings join their parents on a Christmas river cruise through Europe, each dealing with personal issues, only to find unexpected joy, romance, and family bonds along the journey.
Stars: Jonathan Bennett & Brandon Routh & Eden Sher

Some GAF movies got a 6.2 rating. But with only around 300 people rating so far, I didn't think the rating may be a fair assessment.

More movies that received high IMDb .com ratings. (I didn't realize these movies were left off the previous list.) Some were already recommended by people here earlier. :thumbsup2

1. Mistletoe Murders

7.6 (2.4K)
This is a 2 season mystery series of 12 episodes executive produced by Sarah Drew.
Christmas store owner Emily Lane's sleuthing skills are put to the test as she investigates local murders. Despite Detective Sam Wilner's growing affection for her, Emily's enigmatic past raises.
Starring: Sarah Drew & Peter Mooney

A Grand Ole Opry Christmas

7.1 (868)
Gentry Wade, who gave up music after her father's death decades ago must confront her past when Nashville's Grand Ole Opry invites her to honor her late country star dad at their Christmas.
Starring: Nikki DeLoach & Kristoffer Polaha

Single on the 25th

7.0 (991)
The story follows a 30-something who spends Christmas alone in the city, only to find unexpected companionship with a handsome neighbor.
Starring: Lyndsy Fonseca & Daniel Lissing

Christmas at the Catnip Café

6.8 (943)
Olivia Pierce, a marketing executive, discovers her late great aunt's cat café in New York, which she believes will be a Christmas miracle. She helps plan fundraising events, gaining appreciation for the feline inhabitants.
Starring: Erin Cahill & Paul Campbell

The More the Merrier

6.6 (852)
Alice, an emergency room doctor, volunteers to work Christmas Eve shifts at a rural hospital. During a snowy Christmas, Alice and Brian, a top-rated cardiologist, help deliver three baby booms, sparking a lasting bond.
Starring: Rachel Boston & Brendan Penny
Director: Peter Benson

A Suite Holiday Romance

6.6 (598)
Writer Sabrina stays at a luxury hotel to ghostwrite a memoir. She meets Ian at the bar and lets him think she's wealthy. He's actually a secretary posing as nobility while managing a royal jewels exhibit.
Starring: Jessy Schram & Dominic Sherwood

The Twelve Dates 'Til Christmas

6.5 (598)
This is a 6 episode series.
Follows Kate, a textile pattern designer living in Blexford, England, who lives next door to her father Mac. Kate spends much of her time caring for Mac, who is recovering from a motorcycle accident and rarely leaves his recliner.
Starring: Mae Whitman & Julian Morris

Have We Met This Christmas

(GAF)
6.5 (254)
After a car wreck leaves her with amnesia, a real estate exec recovers at a small town inn at Christmas. Unaware of their past connection, she falls for the innkeeper's son - until her returning memories jeopardize their budding romance.
Staring: Danica McKellar & Jesse Hutch

She's Making a List

6.2 (1.1K)
A Naughty-or-Nice inspector evaluating a girl's Christmas status falls for her widowed father, making her question the strict rules of her consulting firm and forcing her to choose between protocol and love.
Starring: Lacey Chabert & Andrew W. Walker

Another Sweet Christmas

(GAF)
6.2 (209)
This is the second Xmas movie this year by Candace Cameron Bure this season. Her other movie: Timeless Tidings of Joy.
A couple's love story becomes a movie, but filming threatens their relationship and wedding plans. As production problems mount and their connection fades, they must rediscover their original spark to save both film and future.
Staring: Candace Cameron Bure & Cameron Mathison

A Wisconsin Christmas Pie

(GAF)
6.2 (428)
A pastry chef returns to Door County, Wisconsin for the holidays, and must choose between her dream job and the legacy of her family's cherry orchard business - with a little help from her high school sweetheart, and a lost cherry pie recipe.
Staring: Katie Leclerc & Ryan Carnes

Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story

6.2 (1.2 mil)
The movie centers around the Quinns and DeLucas who have lived next door to each other for decades in the shadow of Highmark Stadium - the home of their beloved Buffalo Bills.
Starring Holland Roden & Matthew Daddario.
 
Last edited:
Some bad news:

Crystal Lowe, who plays Rita in the Signed, Sealed, Delivered series and movies, is battling stage 3 breast cancer, announced back in October. (She may be undergoing a double mastectomy surgery sometime in January.) She's now halfway through her 12 courses of chemo. She talks about what she's found that works for her to make the treatments more comfortable, encouraging others to find tips and tricks that work for them. She's still upbeat, positive and grateful! The week before Christmas she was able to go to the Hallmark Christmas experience in Kansas City and spend time with other HallStars & fans and get some loving support. :grouphug:


https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17cyNiy3GL/
 
Prayers for Crystal indeed.

I enjoyed, Have We Met This Christmas," and re-watching, "Two Turtle Doves." Especially in the first movie, I felt much more connected to Emmett's family, supporting characters, than the two main leads. In the second movie, the young girl was awesome. I did really like how the main actress' character came around to recognize that relationships with those we care for matter so much and that we are both blessed to have old memories while creating new ones. Right now, I'm watching, "Another Sweet Christmas." I'm not sure about the romantic chemistry of Candace and Cameron, it is apparent they are real-life friends which is great.

Happy movie watching friends and prayers each of you did have a Merry Christmas.
 
Last edited:
That is sad news. I'm glad Crystal seems to have a great attitude and outlook. Hopefully, her treatment will be successful and we'll see her back soon.

I was curious earlier about what Hallmark has in store for us in January & February (I'm experiencing Christmas fatigue, I think!) I've seen the previews for the "Winter Escape" movies, which look great. While looking for Loveuary...er, February.... I found the following newsclip about another Hallmark movie being filmed at Biltmore. I'm glad to see Jonathan Frakes in this next one too!

 
I haven't kept up with this thread very well lately, but I did watch a few movies this season -

The Mistletoe Murders series
A Newport Christmas
A Grand Ole Opry Christmas
Christmas at the Catnip Cafe
The Christmas Baby, and
She's Making a List

(plus the 1984 version of a Christmas Carol - not on Hallmark, but I have a list of many versions I'm working my way through at one or two a year)

Based on catch-up reading here, I also set Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper to tape tonight.

I didn't do official ratings this year, but I think my favorite so far has been A Newport Christmas.

I'm excited for the WDW one next year!
 
More movies that received high IMDb .com ratings. (I didn't realize these movies were left off the previous list.) Some were already recommended by people here earlier. :thumbsup2

1. Mistletoe Murders

7.6 (2.4K)
This is a 2 season mystery series of 12 episodes executive produced by Sarah Drew.
Christmas store owner Emily Lane's sleuthing skills are put to the test as she investigates local murders. Despite Detective Sam Wilner's growing affection for her, Emily's enigmatic past raises.
Starring: Sarah Drew & Peter Mooney

A Grand Ole Opry Christmas

7.1 (868)
Gentry Wade, who gave up music after her father's death decades ago must confront her past when Nashville's Grand Ole Opry invites her to honor her late country star dad at their Christmas.
Starring: Nikki DeLoach & Kristoffer Polaha

Single on the 25th

7.0 (991)
The story follows a 30-something who spends Christmas alone in the city, only to find unexpected companionship with a handsome neighbor.
Starring: Lyndsy Fonseca & Daniel Lissing

Christmas at the Catnip Café

6.8 (943)
Olivia Pierce, a marketing executive, discovers her late great aunt's cat café in New York, which she believes will be a Christmas miracle. She helps plan fundraising events, gaining appreciation for the feline inhabitants.
Starring: Erin Cahill & Paul Campbell

The More the Merrier

6.6 (852)
Alice, an emergency room doctor, volunteers to work Christmas Eve shifts at a rural hospital. During a snowy Christmas, Alice and Brian, a top-rated cardiologist, help deliver three baby booms, sparking a lasting bond.
Starring: Rachel Boston & Brendan Penny
Director: Peter Benson

A Suite Holiday Romance

6.6 (598)
Writer Sabrina stays at a luxury hotel to ghostwrite a memoir. She meets Ian at the bar and lets him think she's wealthy. He's actually a secretary posing as nobility while managing a royal jewels exhibit.
Starring: Jessy Schram & Dominic Sherwood

The Twelve Dates 'Til Christmas

6.5 (598)
This is a 6 episode series.
Follows Kate, a textile pattern designer living in Blexford, England, who lives next door to her father Mac. Kate spends much of her time caring for Mac, who is recovering from a motorcycle accident and rarely leaves his recliner.
Starring: Mae Whitman & Julian Morris

Have We Met This Christmas

(GAF)
6.5 (254)
After a car wreck leaves her with amnesia, a real estate exec recovers at a small town inn at Christmas. Unaware of their past connection, she falls for the innkeeper's son - until her returning memories jeopardize their budding romance.
Staring: Danica McKellar & Jesse Hutch

She's Making a List

6.2 (1.1K)
A Naughty-or-Nice inspector evaluating a girl's Christmas status falls for her widowed father, making her question the strict rules of her consulting firm and forcing her to choose between protocol and love.
Starring: Lacey Chabert & Andrew W. Walker

Another Sweet Christmas

(GAF)
6.2 (209)
This is the second Xmas movie this year by Candace Cameron Bure this season. Her other movie: Timeless Tidings of Joy.
A couple's love story becomes a movie, but filming threatens their relationship and wedding plans. As production problems mount and their connection fades, they must rediscover their original spark to save both film and future.
Staring: Candace Cameron Bure & Cameron Mathison

A Wisconsin Christmas Pie

(GAF)
6.2 (428)
A pastry chef returns to Door County, Wisconsin for the holidays, and must choose between her dream job and the legacy of her family's cherry orchard business - with a little help from her high school sweetheart, and a lost cherry pie recipe.
Staring: Katie Leclerc & Ryan Carnes

Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story

6.2 (1.2 mil)
The movie centers around the Quinns and DeLucas who have lived next door to each other for decades in the shadow of Highmark Stadium - the home of their beloved Buffalo Bills.
Starring Holland Roden & Matthew Daddario.
Thanks for that list! There are a few I haven't been able to find here in Canada but I will keep looking!
 
Another bit of sad news:

Actress Paula Shaw passed away in September. She played the reclusive, imposing grandmother in Coming Home For Christmas who couldn't scare Danica McKeller away, the zany, exuberant grandmother pretending to be a Russian(?) hotel guest in Five Star Christmas, the grandmother who was quickly onto Mrs. Miracle, and joined forces with her in healing her granddaughter's grief at losing a child, in the remake, A Mrs. Miracle Christmas, and she played Jeremy Jordan's Jewish grandmother in Hanukkah on Rye.

All of these movies are some of my Hallmark favorites, due in part to the characters she played. That's one thing a really like about Hallmark movies, they really highlight some of the elder supporting characters, instead of simply making them generic side characters. I think she was really happy to get such great roles in the last decade of her life, as she played them with such zeal.

MV5BNjk5MjQzOGEtN2Q2My00NmRhLWFjOGItZjkyOTdlMTdjODI5XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg



Rest in peace, Paula. Although, you may be creating a ruckus up there. Probably wouldn't want Heaven to get too boringly peaceful. :teeth:
 
Another bit of sad news:

Actress Paula Shaw passed away in September. She played the reclusive, imposing grandmother in Coming Home For Christmas who couldn't scare Danica McKeller away, the zany, exuberant grandmother pretending to be a Russian(?) hotel guest in Five Star Christmas, the grandmother who was quickly onto Mrs. Miracle, and joined forces with her in healing her granddaughter's grief at losing a child, in the remake, A Mrs. Miracle Christmas, and she played Jeremy Jordan's Jewish grandmother in Hanukkah on Rye.

All of these movies are some of my Hallmark favorites, due in part to the characters she played. That's one thing a really like about Hallmark movies, they really highlight some of the elder supporting characters, instead of simply making them generic side characters. I think she was really happy to get such great roles in the last decade of her life, as she played them with such zeal.

MV5BNjk5MjQzOGEtN2Q2My00NmRhLWFjOGItZjkyOTdlMTdjODI5XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg



Rest in peace, Paula. Although, you may be creating a ruckus up there. Probably wouldn't want Heaven to get too boringly peaceful. :teeth:
:sad1:

I liked her, also.
 
Oohhhh... Ted Cooper has a real contender tonight in A Make or Break Holiday! This movie brought up so many crazy memories from previous past holidays in our families. You gotta love family but they can definitely drive you crazy, especially over Christmas. I knew when they opened that front door and both families were standing there that it was gonna get good! Great chemistry, hilarious siblings... and great lessons about communication. :) Recommend!
I just watched this too. I really liked this one too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CGB
For all the Ted Cooper fans out there, I discovered another Robert-Buckley-Christmas-movie on Netflix tonight. It's a 2018 Lifetime movie and was pretty good. Cheryl Ladd (yes, Charlie's angel :)) and her daughter Jordan (she's the female lead) are also in the movie.

1767151188860.png
 


Disney Vacation Planning. Free. Done for You.
Our Authorized Disney Vacation Planners are here to provide personalized, expert advice, answer every question, and uncover the best discounts. Let Dreams Unlimited Travel take care of all the details, so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy a stress-free vacation.
Start Your Disney Vacation
Disney EarMarked Producer






DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest DIS Tiktok DIS Twitter

Back
Top Bottom