The launch of the new Christmas movies from the Hallmark Channel has officially ended with the airing of the film “Friends & Family Christmas,” which is the last film in a list of 31 original movies and witnessed a significant increase in the channel’s popularity, making it one of the most-watched cable networks this season.
Key Facts
Hallmark released 31 original movies through the Hallmark “Countdown to Christmas” channel, in addition to nine new films on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries “Miracles of Christmas” channel. The releases coincided with a sharp rise in the popularity of both networks – Hallmark rose from sixth place on the list of most-watched networks in the first week of October to third place in the week of November 20, surpassing MSNBC and CNN in total daily viewers, while the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel climbed from thirteenth to sixth place. According to Nielsen data, there was at least one Hallmark movie in the list of the most-watched cable programs every week since November 6, with a total of 17 films making the list of the most-watched films of the week. The movie “A Merry Scottish Christmas,” which is the first release of this year and stars Hallmark star Lacey Chabert, outperformed all news programs on cable television in the week it aired in November, garnering 3.33 million viewers during its debut on Saturday and ranking second only to the “Monday Night Football” coverage on ESPN. During Thanksgiving week, six different Hallmark Christmas movies topped the list of the most-watched cable programs that week.
The Big Number
313,000. This is the average daily viewership achieved by the Hallmark channel between the week of October 16, when the first Christmas movie of the season aired, and the week of November 20, which was the channel’s most popular this year.
Guide to All Original Christmas Movies of 2023 from Hallmark
“A Merry Scottish Christmas” – is Hallmark’s most popular Christmas movie this year, telling the story of estranged siblings (Lacey Chabert and Scott Wolf) traveling to Scotland to reconcile with their mother, starting with 3.3 million viewers. “A Biltmore Christmas” – when a screenwriter inadvertently discovers his ability to time travel, it sparks a series of events that could ruin the making of the classic Christmas film of 1947, starting with 3.1 million viewers during Thanksgiving week. “Christmas Island” – aired on Saturday night to 2.6 million viewers on Hallmark, following the story of a pilot teaming up with an air traffic controller to save a family’s holiday after a private flight is diverted to a small town called Christmas Island due to weather. “Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up” – is the second film starring Lacey Chabert on Hallmark this season, making it her 14th film overall on the channel, attracting 2.38 million viewers for a sequel featuring a woman in a feud with a stubborn homeowners’ association president as an unlikely duo. “Holiday Hotline” – tells the story of a single father and a woman answering his desperate Christmas call to a cooking hotline, drawing in an audience of 2.26 million viewers. “A Heidelberg Holiday” – was watched by 2.17 million viewers during its premiere, telling the story of an artist who achieves great success in the Christmas market in Heidelberg, Germany, where he meets a local craftsman who helps him explore his lost heritage. “Holiday Road” – tells the story of a group of lost strangers embarking on a road trip to Denver after their flight is canceled due to weather, working together to overcome a series of adventures, starting with 2.13 million viewers the day after Thanksgiving. “Letters to Santa” – was watched by two million people, telling the story of siblings who use a magic pen from Santa Claus to make their ultimate Christmas wish: to reunite their parents. “Christmas on Cherry Lane” – three couples celebrate the holidays while facing intense life changes in a movie that started airing to two million viewers. “My Norwegian Holiday” – was watched by two million people, telling the story of two strangers embarking on a journey to Norway after discovering a mysterious connection between their ancestors. “A Not So Royal Christmas” – a journalist is deceived by a park ranger trying to hide the fact that the reclusive Count she was supposed to interview has skipped his duties for years, viewed by two million viewers on December 2. “Sealed with a List” – after being fired from her job before Christmas, Carly is determined to turn things around by completing all of her unfulfilled goal lists from the past year before the year ends, starting with two million viewers. “Navigating Christmas” – tells the story of a recently divorced mother and her son’s visit to a remote island for Christmas (and the handsome lighthouse keeper they meet there), drawing 1.97 million viewers to Hallmark during its airing on November 17. “The Secret Gift of Christmas” – the personal gift buyer Bonnie and the single father Patrick couldn’t be more different, but they have one thing in common this season: they will do everything in their power to give their daughter the best Christmas ever, attracting 1.92 million viewers during its airing. “Christmas in Notting Hill” – Hallmark responded to criticisms about the annual holiday lineup in the last season of “Ted Lasso” with this film starring a famous football player, which started airing to an audience of 1.91 million viewers. “Magic in Mistletoe” – tells the story of a successful writer in trouble due to his controversial social media comments, who is tasked with having public relations help control the damage, but has a different goal: to help him regain his holiday spirit, watched by 1.84 million viewers. “Our Christmas Mural” – after her mother enters her name in a contest to create the best mural, a single mother teams up with a local teacher to create a Christmas masterpiece, watched by 1.74 million viewers during its premiere.
WhatMust Watch
Hallmark will continue to air Christmas movies on its cable channel until January 1, and the films are available on demand through the network’s streaming service, Hallmark Movies Now. The service includes a 7-day free trial and costs $4.99 per month for the annual plan.
Further Reading
For more information, you can read the following articles:
- Tis The Season: A Hallmark Christmas Movie Outrated Everything On Cable News Last Week
- Hallmark Channel Beats Fox News In Prime Time As Christmas Movies Drive Up Ratings
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Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2023/12/22/what-to-watch-hallmark-channels-31-new-holiday-movies-a-supersized-guide/
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