Hallmark's 2023 Countdown to Christmas movie lineup is here

It may be September, but the most wonderful time of the year is right around the corner at the Hallmark Channel.

The TV network just unveiled its Countdown to Christmas and Miracles of Christmas movie lineups.

This year's batch of holiday films is full of romances with titles like “Checkin’ It Twice,” “Never Been Chris’d” and “Holiday Hotline.” Other stories focus on the power of friendship, like “A Season for Family,” “The Santa Summit” and “Everything Christmas.”

Hallmark also sprinkled several inspiring stories into the mix like "Ms. Christmas Comes to Town," "A World Record Christmas" and "Heaven Down Here."

Ready to deck the halls and trim the tree? Here's everything we know about Hallmark's holiday offerings so far.

When will Hallmark's Countdown to Christmas begin?

Who needs Halloween anyway? Hallmark is skipping over spooky season and diving right into Christmas. Starting Oct. 20, the network will begin to debut its seasonal films.

The lineup are 40 new movies this year

Yep, you read that right: 40 new holiday movies! As part of the Countdown to Christmas (on the Hallmark Channel) and Miracles of Christmas (on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries), a new movie will premiere on the following days:

• Hallmark Channel: Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m.
• Hallmark Movies & Mysteries: Thursday at 8 p.m. and Wednesday at 8 p.m. the week of Thanksgiving

Here's how to stream new and old Hallmark movies

Hallmark Movies Now is a subscription streaming service that features hundreds of movies from "Christmas past and Christmas present," according to a press release.

This year, subscribers will also get early access to two new movies before they debut on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries: "A World Record Christmas" and "Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas." The streaming service will also exclusively premiere two movies.

Countdown to Christmas lineup 2023

Per a Hallmark press release, here's the full Countdown to Christmas lineup and a synopsis for each film from the company.

Friday, October 20: “Checkin’ It Twice”

• Stars: Kim Matula (“Ghosts of Christmas Always”), Kevin McGarry (“When Calls the Heart”)
• Synopsis: "A journeyman hockey player (McGarry) falls for a real estate agent (Matula) in a career crisis when he’s traded to her hometown and moves into the cottage in her hockey-loving family’s backyard."

Saturday, October 21: “Where Are You, Christmas?”

• Stars: Lyndsy Fonseca (“How I Met Your Mother”), Michael Rady (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants), Jim O’Heir (“Parks and Recreation”), Julie Warner (“The Good Doctor”)
• Synopsis: "When Addy (Fonseca) wishes for a year without Christmas, she wakes up in a world of black and white. She must work together with the town mechanic (Rady) to restore Christmas."

Sunday, October 22: “Under the Christmas Sky”

• Stars: Jessica Parker Kennedy (“The Flash”), Ryan Paevey (“Fourth Down and Love”)
• Synopsis: "Kat (Kennedy) is an esteemed astrophysicist, who is scheduled for her first trip into space next year until an accident grounds her. While on leave, coming to terms with the reality that her dream of being an astronaut is over, she volunteers at the local planetarium. There, she is paired up with by-the-book David (Paevey) to work on an exhibit opening right before Christmas. Will the stars align to bring these two together at the holidays?"

Friday, October 27: “Christmas by Design”

• Stars: Rebecca Dalton (“Spun Out”), Jonathan Keltz (“Reign”)
• Synopsis: "A fashion designer (Dalton) gets accepted into a Christmas challenge to create a new holiday-themed collection and not only finds the inspiration for her next line but decides to redesign her approach to what’s most important in life."

Saturday, October 28: “Mystic Christmas”

• Stars: Jessy Schram (“Chicago Med”), Chandler Massey (“Days of our Lives”), Patti Murin (“In Merry Measure”), William R. Moses (Mystic Pizza)
• Synopsis: "Juniper (Schram) travels to Mystic, Connecticut during the holidays to work at the rehabilitation center and aquarium. She reconnects with Sawyer (Massey), the owner of the pizza shop."

Sunday, October 29: “Joyeux Noel”

• Stars: Jaicy Elliot (“Grey’s Anatomy”), Brant Daugherty (“Pretty Little Liars”)
• Synopsis: "When a romantic painting of a Christmas market captures the imagination of copy editor Lea (Elliot), she is sent to France with pragmatic reporter Mark (Daugherty) to uncover the mystery behind the artist."

Friday, November 3: “Flipping for Christmas”

• Stars: Ashley Newbrough (“Love in Glacier National: A National Park Romance”), Marcus Rosner (“Arrow”)
• Synopsis: "It’s almost Christmas when busy realtor Abigail (Newbrough) agrees to help her sister with the 'simple flip' of a recently inherited home. Unfortunately, co-beneficiary Bo (Rosner) has other plans in mind."

Saturday, November 4: “Never Been Chris’d”

• Stars: Janel Parrish (“Pretty Little Liars”), Pascal Lamothe-Kipnes (“Trigger Me”), Tyler Hynes (“Three Wise Men and a Baby”)
• Synopsis: "Home for the holidays, BFFs Naomi (Parrish) and Liz (Lamothe-Kipnes) reconnect with high school crush Chris Silver (Hynes). A complex love triangle forms, forcing them to take stock of their lives and find the value of friendship."

Sunday, November 5: “The Santa Summit”

• Stars: Hunter King (“The Young and The Restless”), Benjamin Hollingsworth (“Virgin River”)
• Synopsis: "It’s time for the annual Santa Summit, in which revelers put on Santa suits and hop around designated locations in town to eat, drink, and be merry. Three best friends decide to go together: Jordin (King), a recently dumped art teacher looking to cut loose; Ava, a shy woman hoping to run into her crush; and Stella, a Christmas cynic with no interest in the Santa Summit whatsoever. At the start of the night, Jordin meets and bonds with Liam (Hollingsworth), but doesn’t get his name before getting separated and lost in a sea of Santas. As the night progresses and hijinks ensue, amidst the chaos, celebration, and a sea of Santas, they all find what they’re looking for: Christmas spirit, potential romance, and a strengthened bond of friendship."

Friday, November 10: “Everything Christmas”

• Stars: Katherine Barrell (“Good Witch”), Cindy Busby (“Love in Zion National: A National Park Romance”), Corey Sevier (“Take Me Back for Christmas”), Matt Wells (“Spencer Sisters”)
• Synopsis: "Lori Jo’s (Busby) love for Christmas takes her on a road trip to Yuletide Springs with her roommate Tori (Barrell), where Christmas is celebrated year-round, to participate in a longstanding town tradition to honor her late grandmother. Along the way, the friends meet Carl (Sevier) and Jason (Wells), and the foursome make stops during their journey to enjoy more small-town Christmas attractions. But when a series of events puts a damper on their plans, a little Christmas magic may put this trip back on the right path."

Saturday, November 11: “Christmas Island”

• Stars: Rachel Skarsten (“The Royal Nanny”), Andrew Walker (“Three Wise Men and a Baby”)
• Synopsis: "When a snowstorm diverts Kate’s (Skarsten) first private flight en route to Switzerland to Christmas Island, she must team up with an air traffic controller (Walker) to secure her dream job as the family’s pilot."

Sunday, November 12: “A Heidelberg Holiday”

• Stars: Ginna Claire Mason (“A Holiday Spectacular”), Frédéric Brossier (“Todo lo Que Necesitas”)
• Synopsis: "Heidi Heidelberg (Mason) receives the dream opportunity to sell her beautiful, handmade glass ornaments at the prestigious Heidelberg Christmas Market in Germany. While there, she meets Lukas (Brossier), a local artisan who helps her reconnect with her lost heritage."

Friday, November 17: “Navigating Christmas”

• Stars: Chelsea Hobbs (“Dream Moms”), Stephen Huszar (“A Royal Christmas Crush”)
• Synopsis: "Recently divorced Melanie (Hobbs) and her son Jason visit a remote island for Christmas, only to find themselves running a real working lighthouse where she connects with the curt but cute owner (Huszar)."

Saturday, November 18: “A Merry Scottish Christmas”

• Stars: Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls), Scott Wolf (“Nancy Drew”)
• Synopsis: "When estranged siblings, Lindsay (Chabert) and Brad (Wolf) Morgan travel to Scotland at Christmas to reunite with their mother Jo, a big family secret is revealed."

Sunday, November 19: “Holiday Hotline”

• Stars: Emily Tennant (“Polly Pocket: Sparkle Cove Adventure”), Niall Matter (“Come Fly With Me”)
• Synopsis: "After leaving London, Abby (Tennant) connects with an anonymous caller while working at a cooking hotline. The caller is single dad “John” (Matter) who Abby unknowingly has become smitten with in real life."

Thursday, November 23: “Catch Me If You Claus” — premieres at 8p ET/PT

• Stars: Italia Ricci (“The Imperfects”), Luke Macfarlane (“Notes of Autumn”)
• Synopsis: "Avery Quinn (Ricci) is an aspiring news anchor who’s finally getting her big break on her station’s Christmas morning newscast. But that’s put in jeopardy when she captures an intruder in her home wearing a red suit claiming to be Chris (Macfarlane), Santa’s son, who is on his first mission. A night of adventure ensues as they find themselves being pursued by the police as well as some shady characters. Along the way, they connect over living in the shadow of their parents and inspire each other to go after their dreams."

Friday, November 24: “Letters to Santa” — premieres at 6p ET/PT

• Stars: Katie Leclerc (“Switched at Birth”), Rafael de la Fuente (“Dynasty”)
• Synopsis: "When young siblings receive a magic pen from Santa that appears to be granting wishes, they request a Christmas gift they want more than anything — for their separated parents (Leclerc, de la Fuente) to reunite."

Friday, November 24: “Holiday Road” — premieres at 8p ET/PT

• Stars: Sara Canning (“Christmas at the Golden Dragon”), Warren Christie (“Batwoman”)
• Synopsis: "When bad weather leaves each of them stranded at the airport for the holidays, a tech entrepreneur (Christie), a travel writer (Canning), a devoted mother (Enid-Raye Adams) and her son (Kiefer O’Reilly), a stubborn senior (Trevor Lerner), an enigmatic woman with a hint of mystery (Brittany Willacy), a couple traveling from Hong Kong (Sharon Crandall, Ryan Mah) and a social media influencer (Princess Davis) all agree to rent a shared van to embark on a road trip to Denver. When their unexpected journey brings them into uncharted territory, they navigate a series of misadventures together and form a deeper bond that just might change the trajectories of each of their lives. Inspired by true events."
• Saturday, November 25: “Christmas in Notting Hill” — premieres at 6p ET/PT
• Stars: Sarah Ramos (“Parenthood”), William Moseley (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)
• Synopsis: "Famous soccer star, Graham Savoy (Moseley), has always been too busy for love, but when he comes home to Notting Hill for Christmas, he changes his mind after meeting Georgia (Ramos) — a visiting American and the one person who has no idea who he is."
• Saturday, November 25: “Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up” — premieres at 8p ET/PT
• Stars: Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls), Wes Brown (We Are Marshall), Stephen Tobolowsky (“One Day at a Time”), Melissa Peterman (“Reba”), Ellen Travolta (“Charles in Charge”), Seth Morris (“History of the World: Part II”), Jennifer Aspen (“Party of Five”)
• Synopsis: "As the holidays approach, Emily (Chabert) and Jared (Brown) are looking forward to celebrating the holidays together again, this time as a couple. Emily, now embracing Evergreen Lane’s uniquely festive spirit, is ready to work with Jared, Ned (Tobolowsky), Mary Louise (Travolta) and Pamela (Peterman) to make this year’s Christmas celebrations the best yet — even if being the HOA president’s girlfriend doesn’t stop those dreaded decorating citations. When a house on the block goes up for sale, it causes quite a stir with residents. When the soon-to-be neighbors turn out to be holiday royalty (Morris, Aspen), it looks like this year’s competition is about to heat up. As the welcoming committee prepares for the new arrivals, only one thing is certain — this Christmas, Evergreen Lane is going to sleigh!"
• Sunday, November 26: “Our Christmas Mural” — premieres at 6p ET/PT
• Stars: Alex Paxton-Beesley (“Murdoch Mysteries”), Dan Jeannotte (“The Bold Type”)
• Synopsis: "Olivia (Paxton-Beesley) is a single mom who returns home for Christmas. Her mom secretly enters her into a mural contest; she wins but partners with teacher Will (Jeannotte) to create a Christmas masterpiece."

Sunday, November 26: “A Biltmore Christmas” — premieres at 8p ET/PT

• Stars: Bethany Joy Lenz (“Good Sam”), Kristoffer Polaha (“A Winning Team”), Jonathan Frakes (“Star Trek: Picard”) , Robert Picardo (“Star Trek: Voyager”)
• Synopsis: "Lucy Hardgrove (Lenz) is a screenwriter who lands the job of a lifetime when she’s hired to pen the script for a remake of the beloved, holiday movie classic, His Merry Wife!, which was filmed in 1947 at beautiful, historic Biltmore House. When the head of the studio isn’t satisfied with the ending Lucy wrote because it deviates from the original’s feel-good conclusion, he sends Lucy to Biltmore Estate for research and inspiration. While there, she unwittingly discovers the ability to travel to the 1947 set of His Merry Wife! through the help of an hourglass. While on set, she and Jack Huston (Polaha), one of the film’s stars, spend time together and become close. But her sudden appearance has set off a chain of events that put the production in jeopardy. Before she can return to the present, Lucy must make things right or threaten to alter the future forever.""

Friday, December 1: “My Norwegian Holiday”

• Stars: Rhiannon Fish (“The 100”), David Elsendoorn (“Ted Lasso”)
• Synopsis: "JJ (Fish), grieving the loss of her grandmother and seeking dissertation inspiration, stumbles upon an unexpected holiday destiny. Meeting Henrik (Elsendoorn), a Norwegian from Bergen, their connection deepens when he discovers she has a troll figurine from his hometown. To explore the troll’s history and her grandmother’s ties, JJ agrees to join Henrik on a journey to Norway. In Bergen, they’re drawn into Henrik’s family Christmas and wedding traditions, with his sister’s wedding the day before Christmas Eve. JJ embarks on a holiday adventure, uncovering the troll’s origins and finding her own path to healing, love and family."

Saturday, December 2: “A Not So Royal Christmas” 

• Stars: Brooke D’Orsay (“A Fabled Holiday”), Will Kemp (“The Dancing Detective: A Deadly Tango”)
• Synopsis: "Tabloid journalist Charlotte (D’Orsay) attempts to land an interview with a reclusive Count. In response, the royal family has a groundskeeper (Kemp) pose as the Count since the real one fled years ago."

Sunday, December 3: “Christmas with a Kiss” (wt)

• Stars: Mishael Morgan (“The Young and the Restless”), Ronnie Rowe Jr. (“Star Trek: Discovery”), Jaime M. Callica (“Ruthless”)
• Synopsis: "A woman (Morgan) returns home to help with her family’s Christmas Carnival and romance ignites. A photojournalist (Rowe) curates a surprise reunion."

Friday, December 8: “Magic in Mistletoe”

• Stars: Lyndie Greenwood (“Holiday Heritage”), Paul Campbell (“Three Wise Men and a Baby”)
• Synopsis: "Harrington (Campbell) is the author of a popular book series but commercial success has left him a bitter recluse. As he returns to his hometown for an annual Christmas festival celebrating his books, he’s joined by April (Greenwood), a publicist for the major publishing house he works with. April is there for damage control after Harrington’s recent comments on social media have ruffled some feathers. But as she gets to know him better, hope springs that April can unlock Harrington’s guarded heart and help him rediscover the spirit of the holiday."

Saturday, December 9: “Christmas on Cherry Lane”

• Stars: Catherine Bell (“Good Witch”), Jonathan Bennett (“The Holiday Sitter”), John Brotherton (“Fuller House”), Erin Cahill (“Hearts in The Game”), James Denton (“Good Witch”), Vincent Rodriguez III (“With Love”)
• Synopsis: "A young couple preparing to welcome their first child (Brotherton, Cahill); an empty-nester (Bell) and her fiancé (Denton) ready to start a new chapter; and a couple (Bennett, Rodriguez III) who unexpectedly have the chance to expand their family on Christmas Eve celebrate the holiday as they navigate these turning points in their lives."

Sunday, December 10: “Round and Round”

• Stars: Vic Michaelis (“Upload”), Bryan Greenberg (“One Tree Hill”), Rick Hoffman (“Suits”)
• Synopsis: "Rachel’s (Michaelis) stuck in a time loop, reliving the night of her parents’ Hanukkah party. Can Zach (Greenberg), the “nice boy” Grandma’s trying to set her up with, help her make it to tomorrow?"

Friday, December 15: “The Secret Gift of Christmas” (wt)

• Stars: Meghan Ory (“Chesapeake Shores”), Christopher Russell (“The Most Colorful Time of the Year”)
• Synopsis: "Bonnie (Ory) is a personal shopper who helps her new, widowed client Patrick (Russell) reconnect with his young daughter. Though Bonnie and Patrick’s ideas of shopping couldn’t be more different, she is determined to get Patrick and his daughter everything on their wish list."

Saturday, December 16: “Sealed with a List”

• Stars: Katie Findlay (“Walker: Independence”), Evan Roderick (“Arrow”)
• Synopsis: "This holiday season, festive Carley (Findlay) sets out to conquer her list of abandoned resolutions from last year. Aided by coworker Wyatt (Roderick), she finds love and the confidence to chase her dreams."

Sunday, December 17: “Friends & Family Christmas” 

• Stars: Humberly Gonzalez (“Ginny & Georgia”), Ali Liebert (“Bomb Girls”)
• Synopsis: "Daniella (Gonzalez) has recently moved to New York to pursue an art career and decides to stay in town to share the holidays with her circle of artist friends, instead of going home to see her sweet, if overbearing parents. Amelia (Liebert) is a talented entertainment lawyer trying to stay focused on her work after a broken engagement. When Daniella and Amelia are set up by their parents, they agree to pretend that they are dating, to appease them for the holidays. However, as they spend time in eachother’s worlds, they soon build a connection that is deeper than either of them could have hoped for."

Miracles of Christmas lineup

Per a Hallmark press release, here’s the full Miracles of Christmas lineup and a synopsis for each film from the company.

Thursday, October 26: “Ms. Christmas Comes to Town” 

• Stars: Erica Durance (“Unexpected Grace”), Brennan Elliott (“The Gift of Peace”), Barbara Niven (“Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery”)
• Synopsis: "A shopping channel host known as Ms. Christmas (Niven) receives a terminal diagnosis, which inspires a multi-city excursion set to spread Christmas cheer before her farewell broadcast."

Thursday, November 2: “My Christmas Guide” 

• Stars: Amber Marshall (“Heartland”), Ben Mehl (“You”)
• Synopsis: "After losing his eyesight, a college professor (Mehl) adopts a seeing eye dog from a guide dog trainer (Marshall). As they all begin to spend time together, his confidence returns and his heart begins to open."

Thursday, November 9: “Mystery on Mistletoe Lane” 

• Stars: Erica Cerra (“Eureka”), Victor Webster (“Continuum”)
• Synopsis: "New to town, Heidi Wicks (Cerra) and her kids discover a Christmas mystery in their historic home. Local handyman and historian David (Webster) helps along the way, finding his own surprising connection."

Thursday, November 16: “A World Record Christmas” 

• Stars: Nikki DeLoach (“Curious Caterer Mysteries”), Lucas Bryant (“Five More Minutes: Moments Like These”), Aias Dalman (When Time Got Louder)
• Synopsis: "Charlie (Dalman) is an autistic boy determined to set a Guinness World Record by stacking 1400 Jenga blocks. His mother Marissa (DeLoach) and stepfather Eric (Bryant) encourage him to reach for his dream and they all celebrate when he gets the good news that he’ll have get his chance on Christmas Eve. In the spirit of the holiday, they organize a fundraiser giving the townspeople an opportunity to donate and decorate a Jenga block, with the proceeds going to benefit kids with autism. Charlie’s journey to setting the Jenga world record gives them all the chance to learn more not just about themselves, but about what family really means."

Wednesday, November 22: “A Season for Family” 

• Stars: Brendan Penny (“Chesapeake Shores”), Stacey Farber (“Virigin River”) Benjamin Jacobson (“A Fabled Holiday”), Azriel Dalman (“Heart of the Matter”)
• Synopsis: "Maddy’s (Farber) adopted son Wesley (Jacobson) has just one Christmas wish -- to meet his brother Cody (Dalman), who was adopted into a different family. Cody’s father Paul (Penny) is a widower who is not ready to have this conversation with his son, so he turns down a meeting. However, circumstances bring the two brothers unknowingly together and they become fast friends, while sparks fly between Maddy and Paul."

Thursday, November 30: “Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas”

• Stars: Shenae Grimes-Beech (“90210”), Chris Carmack (“The O.C.”), Grace Leer (“American Idol,” Singer-Songwriter)
• Synopsis: "Facing her first Christmas without her mother and looking to avoid loneliness, Carly (Grimes-Beech) heads to a quaint town to lead the church choir at Christmas. Once there, Carly meets Matthew (Carmack), a man back in town after serving in the army. As she gets to know Matthew, the choir and townspeople, she stumbles across clues that suggest she may have been brought here for a life changing reason. As the mystery unravels one thing is clear, this journey will teach Carly about true love, learning to trust, and that forgiveness is needed to finally heal."

Thursday, December 7: “To All a Good Night”

• Stars: Kimberley Sustad (“Game of Love”), Mark Ghanimé (“Virgin River”)
• Synopsis: "A small-town photographer (Sustad) saves the life of a mysterious man (Ghanimé), who may just be in town to buy her family’s parkland — which is also the location of the annual Christmas celebration."

Thursday, December 14: “Heaven Down Here”

• Stars: Krystal Joy Brown (“Girlfriendship”), Tina Lifford (“Queen Sugar”), Juan Riedinger “Riverdale”), Richard Harmon (“Game, Set, Love”), Phylicia Rashad (Creed III)
• Synopsis: "Inspired by Mickey Guyton’s song of the same name, 'Heaven Down Here' tells the story of four disparate people who find themselves stranded in a local diner on Christmas Eve when a snowstorm hits the town. Imami (Brown) is a widowed mother of two who’s having trouble making ends meet and reluctantly agrees to work the Christmas Eve shift, where she clashes with her boss Dan (Harmon), who doesn’t exactly embody the Christmas spirit. Felix (Riedinger) is a local pastor desperately trying to secure food for parishioners while his faith is challenged by his alienation by his son. Clara (Lifford) is a hospice nurse with an obstinate patient (Rashad) and whose daughter is moving away, causing her to question her place in this world. Throughout the evening, these four bicker, bond and unwittingly provide each other with the answer to their respective prayers."

Thursday, December 21: “Miracle in Bethlehem, PA”

• Stars: Laura Vandervoort (“A Christmas Together with You”), Benjamin Ayres (“Family Law”)
• Synopsis: "Successful and fiercely independent, Mary Ann Brubeck (Vandervoort) adopts a baby girl to raise on her own just before Christmas. Due to weather, she and the baby get stuck in Bethlehem, PA for the holidays. When there is no room at the inn, her only option is to stay with the innkeeper’s brother Joe (Ayres), a quintessential bachelor who lives in a house that he treats like a barn. As Mary Ann learns the value of community by spending time with Joe’s family and participating in the local church’s Christmas events, Joe starts getting his act together with new motivation … and the two begin to see each other in a new light."

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