Forever Hallmark Christmas Podcast
Rich & Rene 35 episodes Nov 11, 2026
A podcast hosted by Rich and Rene where two guys talk about Hallmark Christmas movies. Each week they review favorites from past years and keep up with the current films from Hallmark's Countdown to Christmas, from October through December. They stay focused only on Hallmark Christmas movies and ignore other channels, series, reality TV, and other seasonal programming blocks. The show is not affiliated with Hallmark Media.
Episodes
Holiday Unplugged
HOLIDAY UNPLUGGED – Part of Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas 2026Hallmark Air DateNovember 7, 2026 – now streaming on Hallmark+CastNikki DeLoach – Juan Pablo Di PaceWritten byZac HugThe Forever Hallmark Christmas “Holiday Hook”When a widow accidentally loses years of treasured family videos of her late husband, she declares a screen-free Christmas while secretly searching for the originals. With
A Season of Promises
A SEASON OF PROMISES – Part of Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas 2026Hallmark Air DateNovember 8, 2026 – now streaming on Hallmark+CastAli Liebert – Brooke D’Orsay – James DentonWritten byMichael GrimmThe Forever Hallmark Christmas “Holiday Hook” When two very different sisters decide their widowed father needs a date for Christmas, they launch a matchmaking mission that could bring him a second
Hallmark's Countdown to Christmas 2026: The Hits, The Misses & What's Next!
We’re THREE weeks into Hallmark’s 2026 Countdown to Christmas, and there are plenty of movies still to come!So it’s time to take stock of the season so far and look ahead to what’s coming in Weeks 4 and 5!First, we rewind through Weeks 1–3:🎄 Week 1: Tis the Season for Setups, Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story, and Mr. and Mrs. Christmas🎄 Week 2: Winter Wonderlanes, Forgotten Holiday, and What
Who's Coming for Christmas
WHO’S COMING FOR CHRISTMAS – Part of Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas 2026Hallmark Air DateOctober 30, 2026 – now streaming on Hallmark+CastRhiannon Fish – Jake FoyWritten byJuliana WimblesThe Forever Hallmark Christmas “Holiday Hook”New to town and inspired by her late grandmother's traditions, Julie plans a Christmas Eve dinner for eight despite having no guest list. With help from a frien
A Danish Christmas
A DANISH CHRISTMAS – Part of Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas 2026Hallmark Air DateNovember 1, 2026 – now streaming on Hallmark+CastEmilie Ullerup – Corey SevierWritten byJuliana WimblesThe Forever Hallmark Christmas “Holiday Hook”Determined to save her family's Copenhagen inn, Marie sets out to give a supposed travel writer the ultimate Danish Christmas experience. But between festive misha
Adopting St. Nick
ADOPTING ST. NICK – Part of Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas 2026Hallmark Air DateOctober 31, 2026 – now streaming on Hallmark+CastAmy Groening – Michael RadyWritten bySusan BrightbillThe Forever Hallmark Christmas “Holiday Hook”A fiercely independent single mom who never stops helping others meets a traveling retirement community director who never stays in one place long, but a Christmas projec
FHC Rewind: The One That Started It All! (The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, 2008)
THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR (2008)The FIRST EPISODE in the history of the Forever Hallmark Christmas Podcast!!!Podcast Originally aired: February 14, 2026Re-Air date: November 2, 2026Hallmark Air DateDecember 13, 2008 – Now available on Hallmark+CastBrooke Burns – Warren Christie – Henry WinklerWritten byBruce GrahamThe Forever Hallmark Christmas “Holiday Hook”A holiday-weary single mother
What If Christmas
WHAT IF CHRISTMASHallmark Air DateOctober 25, 2026 – Now streaming on Hallmark+CastLori Loughlin – Tom CavanaghWritten byCara Russell & Julie Sherman WolfeThe Forever Hallmark Christmas “Holiday Hook”A magical Christmas ornament gives a woman the career of her dreams in an alternate reality, but when success comes at the cost of her marriage, she must discover what truly makes a life worth cel
Winter Wonderlanes
WINTER WONDERLANESHallmark Air DateOctober 23rd, 2026 on the Hallmark Channel – now available on Hallmark+CastAshley Newbrough – Franco Lo PrestiWritten byAlan Donohue (story) - Barbara Kymlicka (script)The Forever Hallmark Christmas “Holiday Hook”Strike up some Christmas magic! When Audrey returns home to save her grandfather’s bowling alley, reviving its holiday youth tournament with her former
Forgotten Holiday
FORGOTTEN HOLIDAYHallmark Air DateSaturday - October 24th, 2026. Now available on Hallmark+CastJanel Parrish - Daniel LissingWritten byTracy AndreenThe Forever Hallmark Christmas “Holiday Hook”When her boyfriend loses his memory after she rejects his proposal, an antiques buyer retraces their romance to bring him back, risking a second heartbreak when the truth returns.In this episode of Forever H
Mr. & Mrs. Christmas
MR. & MRS. CHRISTMASHallmark Air DateOctober 18th, 2026 – Now airing on Hallmark+CastPascale Hutton – Brendan PennyWritten byRyan SmithThe Forever Hallmark Christmas “Holiday Hook”A single dad and holiday display expert teams up with a practical accountant to revive a town’s beloved Christmas Market. As sparks fly and his teenage daughter resists old traditions, he discovers that Christmas mag
Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story
HOLIDAY TOUCHDOWN: A BEARS LOVE STORYHallmark Air DateOctober 17th, 2026 - Now airing on Hallmark+CastLyndsy Fonseca – Robert Buckley – Marsha MasonWritten byChristine Garver – Stephanie Jackson – Marcy HollandThe Forever Hallmark Christmas “Holiday Hook”An ambitious reporter covering a legendary Chicago Bears superfan’s 500th game knows nothing about football until the fan’s handsome firefighter
Tis the Season for Setups
TIS THE SEASON FOR SETUPSHallmark Air DateOctober 16th, 2026 - Now airing on Hallmark+CastAmanda Schull – Victor Webster – Barbara Niven – John LoweWritten byElena ZaretskyThe Forever Hallmark Christmas “Holiday Hook”When hyper-organized party planner Lexi clashes with free-spirited ski instructor Ridge, they team up to play matchmaker for their parents. But as their festive schemes keep turning i
Haul Out the Holly
When Haul Out the Holly hit Hallmark in 2022, Christmas movies were already getting more comedy-forward. But Lacey Chabert (Emily) and Wes Brown (Jared) took things to an entirely different level!We’re talking a bonkers storyline, snappy dialogue, fantastic pacing, and laugh-out-loud comedy. Writer Andy Sandberg (Five More Minutes) delivers a screenplay that’s anything but ordinary, while Melissa
Hallmark's Countdown to Christmas 2026 - BOLD PREDICTIONS!
Forever Hallmark Christmas makes some BOLD PREDICTIONS about the upcoming 34 movies in Hallmark’s 2026 Countdown to Christmas!We’ve come up with 12 fun & interesting questions for this season’s slate of Christmas movies!👑 1. EXCITEMENT OFF THE CHARTS: Our MOST anticipated movie of 2026!🍪 2. PEAK COMFORT FOOD: Which movie screams CLASSIC HALLMARK?🕵️ 3. UNDER THE RADAR: The potential SLEEPER mov
Next Stop, Christmas
Lea Thompson and Christopher Lloyd reunite for another time-travel adventure—with a Hallmark Christmas twist—in 2021’s Next Stop, Christmas.Lyndsy Fonseca and Chandler Massey take the lead in a movie that feels like part Polar Express, part A Christmas Carol, and, of course… part Back to the Future.The story tackles some surprisingly serious themes, including empty-nest struggles and the challenge
November Christmas
On November 28, 2010, 13.5 million viewers tuned in to watch November Christmas—a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie featuring one of the most impressive casts in Hallmark history: Sam Elliott, Karen Allen, Sarah Paulson, and John Corbett.Vanessa is a young girl living in a small Rhode Island community who is facing a life-threatening illness. As summer approaches, her family worries she may not be stron
2026 Hallmark Christmas Movie Fantasy Draft with Pour The Wine, It's Romcom Time
FOUR PODCASTERS. 34 MOVIES. 28 DRAFT PICKS. LET THE HALLMARK GAMES BEGIN! 🎄🏈What happens when four massive Hallmark Christmas movie fans decide to hold their own fantasy football-style draft?You guessed it… instead of quarterbacks and kickers, they’re drafting their favorite 2026 Countdown to Christmas movies!Rene and Rich, co-hosts of The Forever Hallmark Christmas Podcast, might be family… but t
Sugarplummed
If you love Christmas magic, 2024’s Sugarplummed may be the perfect Hallmark Christmas movie for you!The Hallmark Channel doesn’t take itself too seriously in this fun, self-aware Christmas comedy written and directed by Ryan Landels (Santa Tell Me).Emily (Maggie Lawson) wants to create the perfect “Hallmark Christmas” for her family. Enter Sugarplum (Janel Parrish), a Christmas fairy with a very
A Dickens of a Holiday!
It’s Hallmark talent galore in A Dickens of a Holiday! Brooke D’Orsay (Cassie) and Kristoffer Polaha (Jake) lead the way, with one of Hallmark’s best writers, Julie Sherman Wolfe, delivering a fantastic screenplay.This movie has a little bit of everything: a Dickens festival in a cozy Ohio Christmas town, a Christmas Eve performance of A Christmas Carol, a director returning home from Manhattan, a
Remembering Dolly Parton: Hallmark's Christmas at Dollywood
On August 28th, 2026, the Hallmark Channel made a classy move, airing a special presentation of the 2019 movie Christmas at Dollywood just days after the world lost Dolly Parton at age 80.For a week, flags were ordered lowered to half-staff as people around the world mourned a beloved icon whose legacy stretched far beyond music to film, philanthropy, and so much more.Forever Hallmark Christmas is
Hallmark 2026 Christmas Preview Show - Part 2
Countdown to Christmas 2026: The Forever Hallmark Christmas Preview Show… Part 2!!!Hallmark is expected to release the official Countdown to Christmas 2026 schedule in just a few weeks. Until then… we’re breaking it all down!In our first preview episode, we discussed 12 new Christmas movies coming in 2026. Now, in Part 2, we’re spotlighting 11 more movies that are on our radar!From October through
Christmas in Evergreen: Bells are Ringing
We wrap up the Christmas in Evergreen series with its fourth and final installment, Bells Are Ringing!Hannah (Rukiya Bernard) and Elliott (Antonio Cayonne) continue the relationship that started getting serious in Tidings for the Season, while an all-star supporting cast returns to Evergreen: Barbara Niven, Ashley Williams, Jaeda Lily Miller, Holly Robinson Peete, Malcolm Stewart, Chris Cope, and
In Merry Measure
Every Christmas season, we tend to get a storyline involving a youth choir, a high school theatre production, or some other holiday competition. But what happens when you take that familiar Hallmark setup, add the Broadway star who originated the role of Princess Anna in Frozen the Musical, put her opposite one of Hallmark’s leading hunks — wearing glasses for a good part of the movie, no less — a
Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas 2026: The Forever Hallmark Christmas Preview Show!
Countdown to Christmas 2026: The Forever Hallmark Christmas Preview Show!We’re getting closer to the start of Hallmark’s annual Christmas movie season — so what can we expect in 2026?We’re breaking it all down:• We had 24 new Christmas movies in 2025 — how many will Hallmark deliver this year? • What might the nightly programming schedule look like? • How many episodes of Mistletoe Murders Season
Snow Bride
Snow Bride (2013) is one of those Hallmark Christmas classics that seems to land on nearly every fan’s favorites list. Katrina Law and Jordan Belfi make their Hallmark debuts, joined by Patricia Richardson (Home Improvement) in a fantastic supporting role.Shot in Southern California’s mountain community of Big Bear, this movie embraces the wonderfully bonkers side of the Hallmark rom-com. Deceptio
Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade
Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade (2012) marks the Hallmark debuts of Autumn Reeser, Antonio Cupo, and Ali Liebert. Featuring top-tier production from Ron Oliver (The Christmas Train) and a sharp script by Nancey Silvers (The Nine Lives of Christmas), it's widely considered one of Hallmark's most mature films of the era, with scenes you probably wouldn't see on the network today.B
Love Under the Mistletoe
Christmas in July 2026 wraps up with Jen Lilley (Grace) and Nick Bateman (Ryan) starring in Love Under the Mistletoe. With only six speaking roles in the entire movie (yes... six!), this one leans heavily on the classic Hallmark formula—and it absolutely embraces it.We've got the overworked big-city executive returning to his small hometown for Christmas. Two former high school crushes reconn
Snowbound for the Holidays
Trey runs a rustic ski lodge where both he—and the lodge itself—seem to be stuck in the 1990s. When tech and hospitality specialist Cassidy arrives, "opposites attract" is put to the ultimate test.Filmed in a small town in northern Ontario during the dead of winter, the movie fully embraces its Christmas atmosphere. From the whimsical snow tubing and wish lantern scenes to the tender dan
O Little Christmas Market
The guys kick things off with a little history lesson on Hallmark's Christmas in July—from its beginnings with a single weekend in 2012 and how it evolved, to the very first original July Christmas movie in 2015 (yes, it's a Lacey Chabert classic), where the event stands today, and the highest-rated Christmas in July originals of all time.Then it's on to Christmas in July 2026 – Wee
Christmas Under Construction
Hallmark’s Christmas in July 2026 kicks off with Christmas Under Construction, a movie that first debuted on Hulu two years earlier. Fan favorites Daniel Lissing and Jessica Lowndes reunite a decade after Hallmark’s beloved December Bride. But after ten years, is the chemistry still there?For a movie with only eight speaking roles, there’s a surprising amount going on. There’s a couples therapist
Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy
Evergreen… Part Three! This time we’re heading back to Hallmark’s beloved Christmas town for Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy (2019), featuring a star-studded cast led by Maggie Lawson and Paul Greene in their second Hallmark movie together. Joining them are Ashley Williams, Jill Wagner, Holly Robinson Peete, and Barbara Niven.A 50-year-old time capsule takes center stage, Evergreen’s magica
A Holiday Spectacular with Julie Sherman Wolfe
Rich and Rene join forces with Amy and Garry from Pour the Wine, It's Romcom Time (so grab a glass of vino) to celebrate Hallmark's landmark 2022 film, A Holiday Spectacular.Then we hit the Hallmark lottery.Writer Julie Sherman Wolfe joins us for an incredible behind-the-scenes look at one of Hallmark's most ambitious projects ever: a period piece set in 1958 and centered around the
A Bride for Christmas
Kimberley Sustad’s first Hallmark movie. Andrew Walker’s Hallmark debut. Arielle Kebbel’s first turn with the network too. With an average age of just 28, our three leads bring plenty of youthful energy - but don’t expect perfection. This movie is packed with wonderfully flawed characters!In A Bride for Christmas (2012) - Writer Barbara Kymlicka delivers a clever, sharp script that borrows a few e
The Nine Lives of Christmas
Kimberley Sustad's first Hallmark starring role. Brandon Routh fresh off a career that includes playing Superman. Firefighters. Cats. A terrific Nancey Silvers script. And one of the most delightfully unlikeable characters Hallmark has ever given us.That's the recipe for the 2014 fan favorite The Nine Lives of Christmas. And Hallmark fans clearly agree—when Entertainment Weekly ranked th
A Timeless Christmas
Erin Cahill (Megan) may be one of Hallmark’s most charming leading ladies. And Rich and Rene are confident enough to admit it: Ryan Paevey (Charles) is one remarkably handsome dude.Things get delightfully complicated when Charles travels from 1903 to 2020 and must convince Megan—a historian who has spent years studying his life—that he’s actually the man she’s written about.This beloved 2020 Hallm
An Unexpected Christmas
Bethany Joy Lenz (Emily) may be the best actress Hallmark has ever seen. Tyler Hynes (Jamie) is arguably the most popular leading man in Hallmark history. And Paul Campbell — already beloved as a Hallmark leading man — has also become one of the network’s most talented writers.Put them all together and you get the 2021 Hallmark Christmas favorite: An Unexpected Christmas.When Variety released its
Crashing Through the Snow
Hallmark Christmas in July gets a little hotter with Crashing Through the Snow! Starring Amy Acker as Maggie - a divorced mom invited to spend Christmas in Aspen with her ex and his soon-to-be fiancée Kate - the movie takes off when Kate’s charming brother Sam (Warren Christie) unexpectedly arrives home from Japan. The chemistry between Maggie and Sam? Off the charts… and not exactly your typical
Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa
It’s Christmas in Evergreen… round two! In Letters to Santa, Jill Wagner and Mark Deklin lead the second installment in Hallmark’s beloved Evergreen franchise. Since the original Christmas in Evergreen earned a pretty strong grade in one of our very first podcast reviews, the big question is: does the sequel deliver the same holiday magic?Rich is thrilled to see Allie — and her iconic red truck —
It's Christmas, Eve
The same duo that brought us A Kiss Before Christmas — the rare Hallmark movie to earn a PERFECT score from both Rene and Rich - returns as writers Mark Amato (story) and Tracy Andreen (script) deliver It's Christmas, Eve starring LeAnn Rimes and Tyler Hynes - both working with Hallmark for the first time. And the chemistry? Off the charts!Rich crowns LeAnn driving down Main Street during the
Christmas in the Air
Incredible lakeside visuals, a charming small-town Christmas, and Jewel’s “Winter Wonderland” setting the tone - Hallmark’s Christmas in the Air (2017) knows how to make an entrance.Eric Close stars as Robert, a widowed dad doing his best to hold it all together for the holidays, alongside Catherine Bell as Lydia, a professional organizer who brings a refreshing twist to the usual Hallmark career
Crown for Christmas
Winnie Cooper is all grown up! Danica McKellar trades suburbia for royalty in Hallmark’s 2015 hit Crown for Christmas - the network’s highest-rated holiday movie of the year. And yes… this royal romance actually hits different.Allie heads to Europe for the holidays as governess to the spirited Princess Theodora and Rene loves how instantly likable the King is, while Rich connects surprising dots b
Ghosts of Christmas Always
There have been countless takes on A Christmas Carol, but in 2022, Hallmark writer Zac Hug delivered one of the most unique twists yet with Ghosts of Christmas Always.Widely considered one of Hallmark’s best, the film gives Rich and Rene plenty to unpack - from its layered story to the chemistry between the three ghosts and a standout musical score.Rene questions whether Peter would really fall fo
Christmas Under Wraps
It was 2014. On November 29, a massive 5.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the “Queen of Christmas,” Candace Cameron Bure, in Christmas Under Wraps - a record-setting night Hallmark still hasn’t matched since. With just 15 films in that year’s Countdown to Christmas (a number that doubled within three years), this movie helped spark the boom.Set in a small Alaskan town, Dr. Lauren Brunell finds
A Royal Corgi Christmas
2022 brings us “A Royal Corgi Christmas” - featuring the charismatic Hunter King in her first Hallmark Christmas movie alongside Jordan Renzo. But let’s be honest… the real star? An energetic corgi named Mistletoe.Can America’s favorite YouTube dog trainer tame a “Playboy Prince” with little interest in the throne?Rich isn’t buying Cecily’s college psychology classes magically turning her into a m
A Kiss Before Christmas
Hallmark’s A Kiss Before Christmas (2021) breaks just about every cozy rom-com rule. A meet-cute that takes nearly an hour to fully reveal itself. A misunderstanding resolved immediately. A real antagonist working against our leads—so refreshing! And two card-carrying AARP members with off-the-charts chemistry. With a gentle nod to It’s a Wonderful Life, James Denton and Teri Hatcher prove that TV
A Very Merry Mix-Up
Crazy. Bonkers. Ridiculous. And somehow impossible to stop watching. That pretty much sums up Hallmark’s A Very Merry Mix-Up, starring Alicia Witt.For the first time, the show introduces a new segment featuring information from a filmmaker from the movie sharing some “stories behind the story” from the making of the film.Rene and Rich both embrace the sweet story of Grandpa Joe and his wife, while
Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe
Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe (2018) features a stellar cast including Hallmark royalty Lacey Chabert and network favorite Brendan Penny. The classic Hallmark setup is here: a career-driven woman heads home for the holidays to save something important (this time, a struggling charity gala) while reconnecting with her high school rival. It was a hugely popular storyline back in the day—but can wr
Christmas Cookies
Hallmark’s Christmas Cookies (2016) stars Jill Wagner and Wes Brown in their Hallmark Christmas debuts — but does this fan-favorite actually hold up? Rich can’t quite make sense of the central storyline, while Rene believes young Bonnie (the adorable scene-stealer) might be the movie’s secret weapon.We break down:• The meet cute (for the first time on the show)• A loaded “What Would We Rewrite?” s
Finding Santa
Finding Santa (2017) proves that not every Hallmark Christmas movie needs to be overly deep and complex — sometimes a cozy holiday romcom is exactly what the season ordered. Rich and Rene don’t quite see eye-to-eye on Ben and Grace’s chemistry, debate the best supporting character, and — like the seasoned professionals we are — assign letter grades to two kissing scenes with four overall kisses (w
Christmas in Evergreen
In this episode, we’re reviewing Christmas in Evergreen, and we’re convinced writer Rick Garman must have had a checklist: How many incredible Christmas vibes can we pack into one movie? From a puppy-filled opening scene to a final kiss that Rene analyzes in impressive detail, this one keeps the holiday energy rolling. Along the way we tackle the big questions: Was Spencer too nice? Do Allie and R
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year tries to convince us that complete opposites really can make it work. Along the way, we get a few things we’re not sure Hallmark would show in 2026 - one of our stars stepping on someone’s throat outside a bar, our female lead making a memorable post-shower entrance, and… did our male lead really bash someone with a trash can lid? And hey, we’re okay with all of
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