Laci J Mailey and Ashley Williams star in “An Alpine Holiday.”
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Hallmark has announced that this year their annual Countdown to Christmas will kick off on Friday, October 17th.
Spanning across ten weeks, Hallmark is set to deliver nearly 80 hours of all-new programming, with original movies premiering every Saturday and Sunday night.
A big event finds Hallmark teaming up with the National Football League for Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story.
Set against the backdrop of the unique, tight-knit community of fans known as the Bills Mafia, and celebrating the Bills final season at their iconic venue, Highmark Stadium, the movie includes Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott, Running Back Ray Davis, Safety Damar Hamlin, Offensive Tackle Dion Dawkins, Tight End Dawson Knox, Long Snapper Reid Ferguson, Defensive Tackle DeWayne Carter and Wide Receiver Joshua Palmer.
Buffalo Bills legend Jim Kelly, former teammates Steve Tasker, Thurman Thomas, Scott Norwood and Andre Reed, along with Bills play-by-play announcer Chris Brown also appear. And paying homage to the late, great broadcast journalist and die-hard Bills fan Tim Russert, his son Luke Russert rounds out the team.
Other new fare includes movies Tidings for the Season, An Alpine Holiday, She’s Making a List, A Suite Holiday Romance, and The Christmas Baby.
Also airing during the season will be reality cooking series, Baked with Love, and the second season of Finding Mr. Christmas, Hallmark’s competition to find their next leading man.
To mark the centennial of country music’s iconic venue, the Grand Ole Opry, Hallmark will present A Grand Ole Opry Christmas.
Grammy-award winner and Opry Member Brad Paisley wrote and performs original music in the movie. He’s joined by other Opry members and country music artists Bill Anderson, Dailey & Vincent, Drew Baldridge, Jamey Johnson, Maggie Baugh, Megan Moroney, Mickey Guyton, Pam Tillis, Rhett Akins, Riders in the Sky, Suzy Bogguss, Tigirlily Gold and T Graham Brown.
Brad Paisley Performs ‘Counting Down the Days,’ his original song written specially for the 16th Annual Countdown to Christmas.
Special programming also includes Hallmark’s annual Merry Thanksgiving Weekend. during which an all-new original movie premieres on Thanksgiving night and starting on Friday and continuing through Sunday, fans can enjoy a double feature with two new movies premiering each night.
In conjunction with Hallmark’s holiday movies and series, the network is presenting in-person fan events including a ‘Holiday Takeover’ in Opry Plaza on Wednesday, October 15th, with in-person talent including Jonathan Bennett, Lacey Chabert, Nikki DeLoach and more.
On Thursday, October 16th, Hallmark will host its Countdown to Christmas launch event in downtown Nashville. Fans can attend the special evening featuring a sneak peek of this year’s holiday programming, country Christmas line dancing, and special musical guests.
Returning this season to the home of Hallmark’s headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, The Hallmark Christmas Experience allows superfans to get a sneak peek behind the curtain and catch their beloved Hallmark stars and artists in action while they celebrate the season with games and competitions, panel discussions, creative workshops, holiday movie screenings, photos opportunities, and more. The event runs every weekend from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
Guests can visit the event website to choose their own adventure and purchase tickets now at experiencehallmarkchristmas.com.
Also happening in 2025, is the Hallmark Christmas Cruise, which sets sail November 6th through the 10th from Miami, Florida, to Cozumel, Mexico. The cruise is sold out, but fans can follow this year’s journey, via Hallmark Channel on social media or visit hallmarkchristmascruise.com.
“It’s an honor that millions of viewers welcome Hallmark into their homes each year and make us part of their annual holiday traditions,” says Darren Abbott, Chief Brand Officer, Hallmark. “Audiences turn to Hallmark Channel and Hallmark+ for programming that they can watch with their families that they know will fill them with hope and joy. This year promises an unforgettable slate of movies and series featuring fan-favorite actors [who] deliver everything fans love about Christmas on Hallmark Channel.”
A full schedule for ‘Countdown to Christmas’ is available here.
All original movies and series will be available for streaming the day after they air on the Hallmark Channel on Hallmark+