We need a little Christmas … right this very minute! Luckily, Hallmark Channel, Great American Media, Lifetime and more networks have holiday lovers covered starting as early as October.
Hallmark Channel and its sister station, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, will unveil 40 original movies as part of its annual “Countdown to Christmas” and “Miracles of Christmas” programming. The festive movie schedule begins on Friday, October 21, and lasts through December.
“It’s just a fun bit of Christmas magic mixed in with some really relatable ideas and characters that you’ll relate to and identify with right away,” Alison Sweeney exclusively told Us Weekly in October of her new Hallmark movie, A Magical Christmas Village, which premieres on Friday, November 4. “I’m really looking forward to engaging with the fans about it because I had a lot of fun doing it.”
Great American Media, for its part, will kick off its second annual Great American Christmas schedule on October 21 as well with a rerun of 2021’s hit Jingle Bell Princess. The network’s first original film for 2022, Destined at Christmas, will premiere on Saturday, October 22. The company’s 18 fresh films will air on Great American Family through mid-December.
“I play Dylan. I think people are going to love Dylan mostly because he loves Christmas,” Cameron Mathison said in Us’ exclusive behind-the-scenes look of Great American Family’s A Merry Christmas Wish.
The former Home and Family cohost teased that fans will enjoy his costar Jill Wagner’s role as Janie in the November 12 movie, “Because you make her so authentic and likable and sweet and sensitive and also at the same time, conflicted.”
While Lifetime’s annual “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” lineup doesn’t begin until Saturday, November 5, the network has a whopping 26 movies for viewers to tune in for each week.
“So excited to announce @lifetimetv It’s A Wonderful Lifetime movie slate, and my movie #MerrySwissmas is kicking things off!” Jodie Sweetin wrote via Instagram on October 11. “Had the BEST costar @realtimrozon ❤️.”
UPtv, meanwhile, is giving the big three networks a run for their money with its 17 new movies, including The Christmas Retreat and The Snowball Effect.
“With so many people needing to scale back in different ways this holiday season, we wanted to deliver an abundance of Christmas programming so uplifting, holiday cheer was plentiful for our viewers,” vice president or content strategy and acquisition at UPtv Hector Campos, said in a September press release. “Whether Christmas lovers are seeking a cozy romantic holiday escape, an uplifting story, or singing along with their favorite songs, we have a diverse slate with something for everyone this Christmas season.”
If streaming services are more your style, BET+ has 10 new holiday releases coming out this year. Discovery+ is also getting in on the Christmas fun with its four movies — all of which include talent from either the Food Network or HGTV — and Netflix will have three premieres over the next few months.
Freevee, CBS, FOX Nation, OWN, VH1, Comedy Central and Paramount Network will also have content for its holiday-obsessed viewers. Plus, AppleTV+’s Spirited, starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell, will be available beginning November 18 — or in theaters one week prior.
Scroll down to see every holiday movie — totaling more than 120 films — coming to TV for the 2022 season:
