It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Christmas movie season! For those looking for sweet holiday stories to warm your heart as the weather gets colder, you’re in luck, because Hallmark’s annual Countdown to Christmas celebration is back with old favorites, original movies and plenty of new festive series and holiday movies to add to your list.
Check out the full programming schedule for the gift that is the Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas right here.
And watch it all live or On Demand with DIRECTV’s MyEntertainment!
When Does Countdown to Christmas Start?
Countdown to Christmas kicked off on the Hallmark Channel on October 17 with the series premiere of Mistletoe Murders – the perfect way to get the holiday season started early. The event continues on until December 22.
How to Watch Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas
If you’re looking to watch Countdown to Christmas, you’ll need a TV plan that includes the Hallmark Channel.
Luckily for those who don’t want to opt in to a full TV package, the MyEntertainment Genre Pack from DIRECTV provides 60+ top entertainment channels – including Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Family – and access to Disney+, Hulu Bundle, and HBO Max Basic With Ads, all for just $29.99/mo. for the first two months! Not to mention, you get a five-day free trial and you can cancel anytime.
Now, if that doesn’t sound like a Christmas wish come true, we don’t know what does.
Hallmark’s 2025 Countdown to Christmas Schedule
Explore the 2025 Countdown to Christmas Movie previews and schedule listed below, so you won’t miss any of your favorite films on the Hallmark Channel.
Unless otherwise listed, the movies and shows listed below premiere at 8 p.m. ET.
‘Mistletoe Murders‘ (Christmas Series, Season 1)
Premiere Date: Friday, Oct. 17
Starring: Sarah Drew, Peter Mooney
Format: Scripted drama, 6 episodes
Episodes: Two episodes every week through Friday, Oct. 31
Originally released on Hallmark+ in 2024, Mistletoe Murders follows Emily Lane (Drew), the owner of a year-round Christmas shop whose smiling facade hides an ultra-observant personality with a secret talent for solving murders. Living in the quaint town of Fletcher’s Grove, Emily is forced to investigate a series of local murders. Detective Sam Wilner (Mooney), a clever cop smitten with Emily, begins to suspect she knows more than she lets on.
‘A Royal Montana Christmas’
Premiere Date: Saturday, Oct. 18
Starring: Fiona Gubelmann, Warren Christie
Overwhelmed by her royal duties during the Christmas season, Princess Victoria of Zelarnia (Gubelmann) retreats to Montana’s Peaceful Pines Ranch, where she meets Huntley Blaylock (Christie), a handsome, rustic guide set to inherit his family’s ranch. As she helps revive the ranch’s Christmas dance and the two fall for each other, her secret identity threatens their newfound love.
‘A Christmas Angel Match’
Premiere Date: Sunday, Oct. 19
Starring: Meghan Ory, Benjamin Ayres
Two Christmas angels, Monica (Ory) and Michael (Ayres), are paired up to help destined soulmates find love. Their different methods – and growing chemistry – test their mission as they race against the clock to help a couple fall in love ahead of the Christmas holiday.
‘Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper!’
Premiere Date: Saturday, Oct. 25
Starring: Robert Buckley, Kimberley Sustad
A weatherman with a deep love for Christmas, Ted Cooper (Buckley) is determined to turn his holiday luck around when he returns home for the holidays. Reuniting with his old crush Hope (Sustad), Ted’s chaotic holiday becomes a heartwarming journey of resilience, love and rediscovering the joy in life.
‘Baked With Love: Holiday’ (Series Premiere)
Premiere Date: Monday, Oct. 27, 9pm ET/PT
Starring: Tamera Mowry-Housley (host); Chef Anna Haugh, Vaughn Vreeland (guest judges)
Format: Reality competition, 8 episodes
Episodes: One episode every week through Monday, Dec. 15
Ten pairs of skilled home bakers compete in Baked with Love: Holiday by sharing beloved family recipes in a cozy and lively holiday bake-off. Combining tradition and creativity, these contestants sprinkle their dishes with festive magic. One team will clinch $50,000 and have their prize-winning bake featured in a Hallmark movie.
‘Finding Mr. Christmas’ (Season 2 Premiere)
Premiere Date: Monday, Oct. 27
Starring: Jonathan Bennett (host), Melissa Peterman (lead judge)
Format: Reality competition, 8 episodes
Episodes: One episode every week through Monday, Dec. 15
In this spirited reality show, ten hopeful actors face off in enchanting Christmas-themed challenges with the prize being a leading role in an upcoming Hallmark movie. Every week, a fan-favorite Hallmark star joins as a guest judge, as one participant is eliminated and sent “home for the holidays.”
‘Christmas on Duty’
Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 1
Starring: Janel Parrish, Parker Young
After a heated argument, former rivals Blair (Parrish) and Josh (Young) are forced to work Christmas duty. And when a storm delays the base’s holiday deliveries, they must come together to try and save the holidays, and maybe even find some common ground in the process.
‘A Newport Christmas’
Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 2
Starring: Ginna Claire Mason, Wes Brown
1905 Newport socialite Ella wishes she could get a fresh start in a different life – which is just what she gets when she wakes up in 2025. In the modern era, she meets Nick, a historian who helps her navigate the vast differences of the world. But when the opportunity presents itself, will she be able to say goodbye to love and return to the world she was born into?
In 1905 Newport, socialite Ella dreams of a new beginning – a wish granted when she unexpectedly wakes up in the year 2025. Thrown into modern times, she encounters Nick, a historian who guides her through the unfamiliar world. Ella must decide if she is willing to leave love behind and step back into her past.
‘Mistletoe Murders’ (Season 2 Premiere)
Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 7, 8pm ET/PT
Starring: Sarah Drew, Peter Mooney
Format: Scripted drama, 6 episodes
Episode Rollout: Two episodes every week through Friday, Nov. 21
Emily Lane (Drew) returns to Fletcher’s Grove for another season of intrigue and Christmas charm. As she and Detective Sam Wilner (Mooney) investigate new mysteries, a shadowy organization known as CH1M3RA surfaces – revealing shocking secrets about Emily’s past and even more shocking finale.
‘Christmas Above the Clouds’
Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 8
Starring: Erin Krakow, Tyler Hynes
Workaholic CEO Ella Neezer (Krakow) skips Christmas to fly to Australia, only to be haunted by the spirits of Christmas past, present and future – and an ex.
‘A Keller Christmas Vacation’
Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 8
Starring: Jonathan Bennett, Brandon Routh, Eden Sher
A European Christmas cruise throws the Keller family into a whirlwind of chaos, connection and holiday magic as three adult siblings uncover the importance of family bonds.
‘Three Wisest Men’
Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 15
Starring: Paul Campbell, Tyler Hynes, Andrew Walker, Margaret Colin
Spending their last Christmas in their family home stirs a mix of emotions for the Brenner brothers. As they navigate new babies, weddings and the inevitable family drama, they discover the true meaning of “home is where the heart is.”
‘Tidings for the Season’
Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 16
Starring: Tamera Mowry-Housley, B.J. Britt, Elijah-Justus Lewis
When Adam, a news anchor, meets his biggest fan – a young boy named Robbie – sparks fly immediately between him and Robbie’s mom. But can Adam successfully balance his professional aspirations with a budding romance?
‘Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story’
Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 22
Starring: Holland Roden, Matthew Daddario, Buffalo Bills cameos
Two families from Buffalo bonded by football and holiday traditions find experience a new purpose after uncovering a decades-old secret.
‘Melt My Heart This Christmas’
Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 23
Starring: Laura Vandervoort, Stephen Huszar
Glassblower Holly shares her art with the world — but conceals her identity. When her secret comes out, she will need to risk it all to rebuild the trust she lost, just in time for Christmas.
‘We Met in December’
Premiere Date: Thursday, Nov. 27
Starring: Autumn Reeser, Niall Matter
A whirlwind encounter at the airport leads to a missed connection that neither Annie or Dave can shake off, sending them on a search for one another during the holiday season.
‘The Snow Must Go On’
Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 28, 6pm ET/PT
Starring: Heather Hemmens, Corey Cott
When former Broadway star Isaiah (Cott) returns home for the holidays, he ends up taking over a struggling high school Christmas musical. With guidance counselor Lilly-Anne (Hemmens) at his side, he rediscovers passion, purpose and even finds unexpected love.
‘The More the Merrier’
Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 28
Starring: Rachel Boston, Brendan Penny
When ER doctor Alice and Cardiologist Brian get snowed in at a rural hospital on Christmas Eve, they much come together to deliver multiple babies. And they might just find a spark somewhere along the way.
‘An Alpine Holiday’
Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 29, 6pm ET/PT
Starring: Ashley Williams, Laci Mailey, Julien Samani
Two estranged sisters travel to the French Alps to honor their grandmother, forcing them together after too long apart. The trip rekindles their sisterhood bond and open them up to finding love amid breathtaking winter peaks.
‘A Grand Ole Opry Christmas’
Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 29
Starring: Nikki Deloach, Kristoffer Polaha, Rob Mayes
As Gentry Wade (Deloach) revisits the Grand Ole Opry for its centennial celebration, she’s brought back in time to 1995 for a reunion with her late father, offering an opportunity to mend past relationships through the power of music and Christmas spirit.
‘The Christmas Cup’
Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 30, 6pm ET/PT
Starring: Rhiannon Fish, Ben Rosenbaum
Kelly, an injured Marine, returns home for the holidays in a rut. But when she gets put in charge of her town’s team in the Christmas Cup, she rediscovers love, leadership and a new way to serve.
‘Christmas at the Catnip Café’
Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 30
Starring: Erin Cahill, Paul Campbell
When a marketer from the big city suddenly inherits half of a cat cafe, she must work with the co-owner to save it – learning the true meaning of Christmas along the way.
Twelve Dates ’Til Christmas (Limited Series Premiere)
Premiere Date: Friday, Dec. 5
Starring: Mae Whitman, Julian Morris, Toby Sandeman, Nathaniel Parker, Jane Seymour, Lucy Eaton, Mary McDonnell
Format: Limited series, 6 episodes
Episode Rollout: Two episodes every week through Friday, Dec. 19
Talented designer and very single Kate lives in a picturesque village in England. When her well-meaning friends sign her up for a matchmaking program, The 12 Dates of Christmas she embarks on a number of dates, discovering unexpected love, family healing and a renewed sense of purpose.
‘She’s Making a List’
Premiere Date: Saturday, Dec. 6
Starring: Lacey Chabert, Andrew Walker
Santa’s new “Naughty or Nice” inspector Isabel (Chabert) begins to question her methodology when she falls for a widowed dad (Walker). As Christmas approaches, she must decide between following rules or her heart.
‘Single on the 25th’
Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 7
Starring: Lyndsy Fonseca, Daniel Lissing
Resolved to enjoy her single status, Nell (Fonseca) teams up with her neighbor Cooper (Lissing) to fully celebrate Christmas, unexpectedly finding love along the way.
‘A Suite Holiday Romance’
Premiere Date: Saturday, Dec. 13
Starring: Jessy Schram, Dominic Sherwood
When a ghostwriter lands her dream job at a luxury hotel in New York, she also finds unexpected romance with a mysterious man who isn’t quite who he seems.
‘Oy to the World!’
Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 14
Starring: Brooke D’Orsay, Jake Epstein
As the holiday season approaches, a church and synagogue must share a space for the holidays. Along the way, two old rivals must unite their choirs – and their holiday spirit – in a tale that honors love, faith and connection.
‘A Make or Break Holiday’
Premiere Date: Saturday, Dec. 20
Starring: Hunter King, Evan Roderick
Amid the stressful holiday season, a couple on the verge of breaking up hosts both families for Christmas. But as they feign happiness, they end up rediscovering genuine love.
‘The Christmas Baby’
Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 21
Starring: Ali Liebert, Katherine Barrell, Barbara Niven
When a baby is unexpectedly found on their doorstep, a couple must embrace love, connection and the stress of the foster care system during the most magical time of the year.
Watch Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas on DIRECTV
And there you have it: the full lineup of Hallmark Christmas movies and shows included in this year’s Countdown to Christmas.
You can watch it all with the MyEntertainment Genre Pack from DIRECTV, which provides 60+ top entertainment channels — including Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Family — and access to Disney+, Hulu Bundle, and HBO Max Basic With Ads, all for just $29.99/mo. for the first two months! Not to mention, you get a five-day free trial and you can cancel anytime.
DIRECTV Insider brings you our views on what’s happening in streaming, t.v., movies and sports. Companies and persons mentioned are not necessarily associated with and do not necessarily endorse DIRECTV. We will disclose sponsored content on our site when we show it to you, and some of the links on the site may be ads or affiliate links which means DIRECTV may earn compensation from your purchases.
