We are four months and three days away from Christmas. However, we get to open one gift today, thanks to Lifetime. That is because they announced most of their plans for the holiday season. They will be unwrapping 28 new movies and a game show starting on October 25th. They are not even waiting for Halloween to start the season.
This Christmas will be full of stars on the network and I am not talking about the ones we put on the trees. Their movies are full of them like Kelly Rowland, Melissa Joan Hart, Tia Mowry-Hardrict, Vanessa Lachey, Hilarie Burton, Megan Hilty, Sarah Drew, Tatyana Ali, Jana Kramer, Soleil Moon Frye, Marla Sokoloff, Kim Fields, Erin Cahill, Tiya Sircar, Kyla Pratt, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Marie Osmond, Jaclyn Smith, Cheryl Ladd, Loretta Devine, Megan Park, Ricardo Chavira, Jaleel White, Patrick Duffy, Moira Kelly, Markie Post, Pam Grier, Willie Garson, Patricia Richardson, George Stults, Ryan McPartlin, Antwon Tanner, Tyler Hilton, Ted McGinley, Michael Gross, Christian de la Puente, Erica Durance, Lesley Ann Warren and many more.
Since there are so many of them, they decided to have some of the actors compete on Battle of the Christmas Movie Stars on December 21st after all of the films have aired. They will take part in DIY challenges like gift-wrapping a co-star to decorating an ugly Christmas sweater. The winner will be chosen from a panel of fans. The one who has the spirit is the winner of the holiday. However, I bet all they really want is to have a telemovie franchise of their own.
Before they get that present, they still have to star in one of their many heartfelt movies that will warm up our cold October, November and December nights. To read descriptions of the so-far announced telemovies, then
SWEET MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS
Starring Megan Hilty & Marcus Rosner
10/25 AT 8PM ET/PT
Country music star Laney Blu (Hilty) hasn’t been back to her Tennessee hometown in years. It wasn’t the kindest place to grow up, so when her career skyrocketed at seventeen she was happy to leave it behind. Though she’s set to headline a Christmas concert in NYC, Laney decides to make a quick pit-stop to see her family. When a freak snowstorm hits, she finds herself stranded in the town, and is roped into taking part in a local Christmas concert. As Laney spends more time in her hometown, it becomes less and less like she remembered it. She begins to fall in the love with the people, place and just maybe, a handsome snowplow driver named Robbie (Rosner). When the storm lets up, will Laney head off to NYC or will home be where her heart is?Sweet Mountain Christmas is produced by Brightlight Pictures. Tamara Trexler and Nancy Bennett serve as executive producers.
THE ROAD HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
Starring Marla Sokoloff, Rob Mayes & Marie Osmond
10/26 AT 8PM ET/PT
Two rival musicians, Lindsay (Sokoloff) and Wes (Mayes), who perform in a dueling piano show, suddenly find themselves without a gig on Christmas Eve and decide to road trip to their neighboring hometowns together. During the drive, the mismatched pair find themselves surrounded by Santa conventioneers, saving a Christmas nativity play, performing onstage in Nashville with music royalty (Osmond), and braving a massive snowstorm which just may lead them to making sweet music together. The Road Home for Christmas is produced by Hybrid, LLC. Jeff Schenck serves as executive producer.
NO TIME LIKE CHRISTMAS
Starring Kyla Pratt, Ed Ruttle, Rachel McLaren & Jim O’Heir
10/27 AT 8PM ET/PT
After Emma (Pratt) finds her college boyfriend’s engraved watch at a vintage jewelry shop, her sister Bronwyn (McLaren) believes it is a sign, and decides to secretly play cupid by sending Emma to the same bed and breakfast in Vermont that Fletcher (Ruttle) is staying at one week before Christmas. However, upon arrival, Emma is not only shocked to bump into her first love after all these years, but also his vivacious daughter. Throughout the week, the two fight their feelings for one another as they plan a Christmas Eve show in hopes of saving the local theater.No Time Like Christmas is produced by Howard Braunstein Films.
CHRISTMAS RESERVATIONS
Starring Melissa Joan Hart, Ricardo Chavira,
Ted McGinley, Michael Gross & Markie Post
11/2 AT 8PM ET/PT
It’s Christmas at the Treeline Ski Resort, where Holly (Hart) is the event coordinator at her family lodge. She plans every event and keeps all the guests happy. But when her college sweetheart, (Chavira) now widowed with two children, checks in, Holly discovers she has her own reservations about life and love. Christmas Reservations is produced by Hartbreak Films and Cineflix International.
FOREVER CHRISTMAS
Starring Lexi Lawson, Mark Ghanimé & Beth Broderick
11/3 AT 8PM ET/PT
When marketing exec Lucy (Lawson, Hamilton) learns that she’s inherited her grandfather’s year-round Christmas store, “Forever Christmas,” she makes a trip back home to support the store during its final Christmas season before she sells it to a hip athletic leisurewear company. But once she is back in Vermont, she begins to understand why her grandfather’s shop is so special with the help of local diner owner, Scott (Ghanimé, The Bold Type) and the magic of a Christmas stranger from the north (Broderick, Sharp Objects, Sabrina the Teenage Witch). Executive Producers are Sheri Singer (Death of a Cheerleader) and Howard Braunstein (Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story) with Juliette Hagopian (I am Somebody’s Child: The Regina Louise Story) as the producer.
RADIO CHRISTMAS
Starring Keshia Knight Pulliam, Michael Xavier,
Tim Reid & Belinda Montgomery
11/9 AT 8PM ET/PT
When her Philadelphia radio station is closed for repairs during the holidays, DJ Kara Porter (Pulliam) is forced to broadcast from the small town of Bethlehem. Desperate to increase her numbers and get promoted outside of Radio Christmas – a year-round Christmas station, Kara seeks to uncover the identity of the town’s Secret Santa, an anonymous benefactor that saved all of Bethlehem’s Christmas festivities. Along the way, she discovers the true meaning of family, community, love and of course, Christmas. Radio Christmas is produced by Howard Braunstein Films.
A SWEET CHRISTMAS
Starring Adelaide Kane, Greyston Holt & Loretta Devine
11/10 AT 8PM ET/PT
When food stylist Holly (Kane) returns home for Christmas, she learns that Loretta (Devine), the elderly owner of her favorite childhood bakery, is retiring and has started a contest to give the bakery away to whoever can recreate her famous 12 Days of Christmas recipes. Holly enters, despite not being much of cook. When a local baker named Brad (Holt) also enters the contest, the two adversaries end up cooking up something special together for the holidays. A Sweet Christmas is produced by Front Street Productions and Stephanie Germaine Productions.
CHRISTMAS A LA MODE
Starring Katie Leclerc, Ryan Cooper, Jennifer Ellis, Caroline Keeler & Kathy Harum
11/15 AT 8PM ET/PT
Since her father passed away, Emily (Leclerc) has been running her family’s dairy farm with the help of her mother and best friend. But this Christmas, the farm has fallen on hard times so Emily’s sister, Dorothy (Ellis)–who is part owner with Emily–and her handsome business partner, Charlie (Cooper) – show up with a proposition to sell the farm. Emily comes up with an ingenious plan to buy out her sister’s shares and hold an online holiday ice cream flavor contest that goes viral with the help of a key ingredient, Charlie’s amazing apple pie. Christmas à la Mode ice cream is born! Still as the Christmas Eve deadline for the buyout approaches, Emily needs a Christmas miracle to save the farm and her father’s legacy in time for a happy Christmas. Christmas a la Mode is produced by Gaumont.
CHRISTMAS IN LOUISIANA
Starring Jana Kramer, Percy Daggs III, Moira Kelly, Brian McNamara
Dee Wallace & Barry Bostwick
11/16 AT 8PM ET/PT
The Winter Family is Christmas royalty in New Iberia, Louisiana, and Sarah Winter (Kramer), a successful lawyer and former Miss Christmas, is no exception. When she returns home to celebrate the anniversary of the town’s Sugarcane Christmas Festival with her mother (Kelly) and her grandparents (Wallace and Bostwick), she rediscovers the magic of the season–and a little romance– with her former Mister Christmas, Luke (Daggs III). Christmas in Louisiana is produced by Active Entertainment. Ken Badish and Daniel Lewis serve as executive producers.
RANDOM ACTS OF CHRISTMAS
Starring Erin Cahill, Kevin McGarry, Patrick Duffy & Jaclyn Smith
11/17 AT 8PM ET/PT
While uncovering who is behind the random acts of Christmas popping up around her city, investigative journalist, Sydney (Cahill, Hometown Christmas, How I Met Your Mother) meets a competing reporter, Cole (McGarry, When Calls the Heart), who ignites her Christmas spirit and captures her heart, but may not be the man he claims to be. Also stars Jaclyn Smith (Charlie’s Angels) and Patrick Duffy (Step by Step). Produced by Jolly Productions in association with Johnson Production Group.
MAGICAL CHRISTMAS SHOES
Starring Erin Karpluk & Damon Runyan
11/22 AT 8PM ET/PT
A pair of magical shoes step into Kayla Hummel’s (Karpluk) holiday season, allowing her to rediscover her Christmas spirit and find love too. Magical Christmas Shoes is produced by Chesler/Perlmutter Productions.
TWINKLE ALL THE WAY
Starring Sarah Drew, Ryan McPartlin & Lesley Ann Warren
11/23 AT 8PM ET/PT
To pull off a spectacular Christmas themed wedding at the exclusive Snowview Lodge, wedding planner, Cadence Clark (Drew) – joins forces with Henry Harrison (McPartlin), co-owner of a family-run Christmas decoration and house-lighting company. Cadence and Henry, both single parents of young daughters, grow closer as they contribute to each others’ projects – Cadence with the wedding and Henry with his high-profile client, Mrs. Sutton (Warren), and her annual VIP Christmas Eve party. However, a snow storm threatens to wreak havoc on the wedding. But with help from Henry, family, and some holiday magic, Cadence may just be able to pull off the wedding and perhaps fall in love along the way. Twinkle All the Way is produced by Off Camera Entertainment with Stephanie Slack serving as executive producer.
CHRISTMAS 9 TO 5
Starring Tiya Sircar & George Wendt
11/24 AT 8PM ET/PT
Jennifer (Sircar) is a tough crime beat reporter who gets the assignment of her life: to find the true meaning of Christmas. When she goes undercover in a department store as a 9 to 5 sales clerk from Black Friday to Christmas Eve, she finds her true calling and meets the man of her dreams. It’s a Christmas she will never forget. Christmas 9 to 5 is produced by MarVista Entertainment with Larry Grimadli and Danielle von Zerneck serving as executive producers.
A VERY VINTAGE CHRISTMAS
Starring Tia Mowry-Hardrict, Jesse Hutch & Patricia Richardson
11/27 AT 8PM ET/PT
The Christmas lights are up and shoppers are flooding the quaint town of Mountain View, including one special store, Very Vintage Antiques. The shop’s owner, Dodie (Mowry-Hardrict), is a hopeless romantic and absolutely one of a kind, similar to the pieces in her shop. When Dodie finds a hidden box containing an eclectic collection of mementos chronicling a timeless romantic union, she makes it her mission to deliver it to its rightful owner. Dodie manages to persuade the handsome new tenant, Edward (Hutch), at the listed address to help her with her search. Will they find the true owner and true love on their adventure? A Very Vintage Christmas is produced by Brightlight Pictures and The Kaufman Company.
A CHRISTMAS WISH
Starring Hilarie Burton, Tyler Hilton,
Megan Park, Cristian de la Fuente & Pam Grier
11/28 AT 8PM ET/PT
~ THANKSGIVING ~
Every December in the small town of Ponchatoula, Louisiana a wooden wishing box is placed in the park as a Christmas tradition. People write down their true heart’s desire on a slip of paper and place it in the box in hopes that their wish will be granted. After a night out together, Maddie (Park) encourages her sister Faith (Burton) to put a wish in the box – a wish to experience true love for the first time. Faith and Maddie are surprised the next day when she meets the very handsome and eligible Andrew (de la Fuente). At first, Faith thinks that her Christmas wish has come true. But as Christmas nears, Faith begins to wonder if Andrew is really perfect for her, or if the wish is leading her to her best friend, Wyatt (Hilton). A Christmas Wish is produced by Active Entertainment. Ken Badish and Daniel Lewis serve as executive producers. Also starring Lee Norris, Antwon Tanner, Bruce MacVittie, Madeleine McGraw, Aidan McGraw, Willie Garson, Colin Fickes, Rhoda Griffis, Barbara Alyn Woods, and Ryan Cabrera.
STAGING CHRISTMAS
Starring Soleil Moon Frye, George Stults & Jaleel White
11/29 AT 8PM ET/PT
Lori (Moon Frye) stages homes for a living and her busiest season is Christmas! Though she normally only stages homes that are for sale, she’s intrigued when a wealthy widower named Elliot (Stults) asks her to stage his home for the holidays to cheer up his daughter, Maddie. As Lori starts remaking Elliott’s home, she finds that Maddie isn’t the only one in desperate need of the Christmas spirit. As Lori spends more and more time with Elliot and Maddie, she starts to feel like part of the family. While she was initially hired to simply stage the perfect Christmas in their house, she ends up creating it for the father and daughter in every way imaginable. Staging Christmas is produced by Hybrid, LLC with Jeff Schenck serving as executive producer.
MERRY LIDDLE CHRISTMAS
Starring Kelly Rowland
11/30 AT 8PM ET/PT
Marking her first foray into producing for television, Kelly Rowland partners with Kronicle Media for Merry Liddle Christmas.
Inspired by her own recent Christmas catastrophe, Kelly Rowland plays Jacquie– a successful, super-together single tech entrepreneur whose messy family descends on her gleaming new dream home for the holidays. Christmas traditions collide and family drama ensues as she struggles to keep her house together in time for a glossy video shoot of “the perfect Christmas.” On top of that, the possibility of romance with a new neighbor has Jacquie questioning all her dating rules, so even though this isn’t the Christmas she envisioned, it might just be the most magical one yet. Merry Liddle Christmas is produced by Kronicle Media and executive produced by Korin D. Williams, Harvey Kahn and Monique Nash. Kelly Rowland and Tim Weatherspoon serve as executive producers for Blue Den Productions.
A STORYBOOK CHRISTMAS
Starring Ali Liebert, Jake Epstein & Habree Larratt
12/6 AT 8PM ET/PT
If event planner Celeste Everett (Liebert) is going to save her business and give her niece a happy Christmas season, she is going to need help. When the nanny she hires turns out to be a man (Epstein), Celeste surprisingly realizes she may have also found Christmas love for herself.A Storybook Christmas is produced by Reel One Entertainment.
MATCHMAKER CHRISTMAS
Starring Corey Sevier & Emily Rose
12/7 AT 6PM ET/PT
As the Christmas party for a book publishing company approaches, editor Maggie volunteers to help her boss Amanda find a date. Matchmaking is a bit of a hobby for Maggie, but she is thrown off her game when Jaxson, her old boyfriend from her college years, shows up at her work—as a newly signed, successful author. Maggie would love to deny she feels 3anything for him still, but Jaxson isn’t making it easy. She’ll have to face her decisions of the past, along with Amanda eyeing Jaxson, to bring together the perfect matches at Christmas. Matchmaker Christmas is produced by Candlelight Media Group.
A DOGGONE CHRISTMAS
Starring Vanessa Lachey & Christopher Russell
12/7 AT 8PM ET/PT
When Marla’s (Lachey) dog runs away on Christmas Eve, she must team up with her ex-boyfriend Max (Christopher Russell) to find him. As the pup leads the exes on an all-day-and-night search through their North Carolina hometown, they revisit people, places and things that remind them of the Christmas pasts they spent together. A Doggone Christmas is produced by Lighthouse Pictures. Nancy Bennett and Charles Pugliese serve as executive producers.
GROUNDED FOR CHRISTMAS
Starring Julianna Guill & Corey Sevier
12/8 AT 8PM ET/PT
When a winter storm hits Cleveland and grounds flights, the nearby hotels quickly fill up with stranded travelers. Nina (Guill), a pilot, reluctantly agrees to let her arrogant but charming fellow pilot, Brady (Sevier), stay at her nearby parents’ home. But when they discover her family is hosting a tree trimming party that night and that her ex will be there, Brady pretends to be her boyfriend to help her out. When the snowstorm continues, their ruse snowballs as Nina and Brady are stuck attending holiday events together. But as Christmas nears, these two opposites begin to realize the best gift they could ever receive, is perhaps, each other. Grounded for Christmas is produced by MarVista Entertainment. Larry Grimaldi serves as executive producer.
A CHRISTMAS MELODY
Starring Erica Durance & J.T. Hodges
12/13 AT 8PM ET/PT
When aspiring R&B artist Layla (Durance) crosses paths with amateur songwriter Spence (Hodges), she thinks she’s found her shot at finally getting a record deal. But as the holidays approach, the fast-paced, high stakes music business threatens to change their sound and relationship – especially when the label executives begin to see Spence as the real star. A Christmas Melody is produced by Chesler/Perlmutter Productions.
YOU LIGHT UP MY CHRISTMAS
Starring Kim Fields & Adrian Holmes
12/14 AT 8PM ET/PT
Inspired by true events, Emma (Fields) returns to her hometown built around her family’s pioneer Christmas Light Factory two weeks before Christmas. However upon Emma’s return, she discovers the lights have gone dim in the once festive town, prompting her to reconnect with an old flame to set their hearts and the town ablaze with light again. You Light Up My Christmas is produced by Tim Johnson. Tim Johnson and Kim Fields serve as executive producers.
REDISCOVERING CHRISTMAS
12/15 AT 8PM ET/PT
Mia is a window dresser in a big city department store, living and breathing Christmas for months to get the store ready for the holidays. But now that the season is actually near, she’s a little burned out on holly, sugarplums and Santas of all shapes and sizes. All she wants is a tropical beach getaway with her sister Sara. But, plans change when Sara begs for Mia’s help putting on the annual Snowflake festival in their home town in Vermont. Just when she thought she was out – Santa pulls her back in! Rediscovering Christmas is produced by Brainstorm Media with Meyer Shwarzstein and Larry Gershman serving as executive producers.
THE CHRISTMAS TEMP
12/20 AT 8PM ET/PT
An out of work artist discovers a special Christmas temp agency that matches her with a handful of festive jobs, but falls into a creative rut while juggling holiday preparations and feelings for the agency’s HR manager. The Christmas Temp is produced by Chesler/Perlmutter Productions.
THE CHRISTMAS HOTEL
Starring Tatyana Ali
12/21 AT 8PM ET/PT
Erin (Ali) grew up in the small town of Mt. Holly but always dreamt of living in a big city. Her first job – working the desk at the Mt. Holly Inn – started her on a path to New York where she now works at the prestigious Windsor Hotel. When her boss tells her she will receive a promotion if she can pull off a big project, she is thrilled – until she realizes the project is in her hometown. Erin returns home to discover that the locals don’t appreciate their precious Mt. Holly Inn being bought out by a big corporation. And heading up the charge? Erin’s ex-boyfriend Conner. But when several hotel staff members come down with the flu, Erin is forced to enlist Conner’s help with hotel’s Christmas events. As they two re-establish their relationship, Erin has to figure out if what she really wants is a promotion or to be home again. The Christmas Hotel is produced by Hybrid, LLC with Jeff Schenck serving as executive producer.
