Forever Hallmark Christmas Podcast
Just two guys talking about Hallmark Christmas movies. That’s it—nothing else.
No other channels, no series, no reality TV, and no detours into Loveuary, Spring Into Love, Summer Nights, or Fall Harvest. If it’s not a Hallmark Christmas movie, we’re not covering it. Each week on The Forever Hallmark Christmas Podcast, we review a favorite from past years and keep up with the current films from Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas every October through December.
Christmas... all year long!
*** The Forever Hallmark Christmas Podcast is not affiliated with Hallmark Media.
Forever Hallmark Christmas Podcast
Hallmark 2026 Christmas Preview Show - Part 2
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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 December, these familiar faces will be hanging lights, building gingerbread houses, and sipping plenty of peppermint hot chocolate:
Victor Webster • Amanda Schull • Jessy Schram • Will Kemp • Daniella Monet • Kevin McGarry • Daniel Lissing • Janel Parrish • Rachel Leigh Cook • Owain Yeoman • Emilie Ullerup • Corey Sevier • Rhiannon Fish • Jake Foy • Taylor Cole • Charles Michael Davis • Ali Liebert • Brooke D’Orsay • James Denton • Pascale Hutton • Brendan Penny • Lori Loughlin • Tom Cavanaugh
We’ll break down what we know about their upcoming movies — and share our first thoughts along the way.
The countdown starts October 17th… and we’re ready!
For the love of Hallmark!
Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas
Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com
*** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.
Welcome to Forever Hallmark Christmas Podcast. We review Hallmark Christmas movies year-round. My name is Rich, as always, joined by my partner, Crime Renee. How's it going, buddy? It's going very well. Rich, nice to talk to you this morning. Absolutely. And Renee, just a couple weeks ago, we did a countdown to Christmas episode, and we covered 12 new Christmas movies coming for 2026. Renee, we know we never get like emails to Forever Hallmark Christmas at gmail.com. You know, we're using it to talk with Hallmark Media or other podcasters and stuff. We literally got emails like, hey, are you guys gonna what about what about this actor? You didn't mention this one. Or do we have more movies than just the 12 you covered? So um not only that, Renee, we looked at the numbers. This is like one of our most listened to episode ever. We said, okay, well, that's wild. People want people want to hear about more countdown to Christmas. Uh so we'll give it to them because there's definitely more that we know about. So we're gonna talk about 11 new uh Christmas movies that are coming for 2026. Oh yeah. Oh yeah, here we go. And uh, if you haven't listened to part one, that what came out a lake a couple weeks ago, but please go listen to that. We talked about the big three movies, the Bears, uh Biltmore, and Disney. We talked about Tyler Hines' new time loop movie, uh, we talked about Aaron Cahill and Andrew Walker together, Autumn Reese and Wes Brown together, a new Hanukkah movie written by Tamar Laddie, who wrote Round and Round. So go back and listen to that episode. Uh, because we talked about 12 uh new movies in that one that are gonna be very popular. Uh and we're gonna talk about 11 more today. But just a reminder 2026, we're looking at somewhere around 30 Christmas movies.
SPEAKER_01So that means we're gonna have another countdown to Christmas episode, then, right?
SPEAKER_00Maybe we'll see if we get some more information. Yeah, uh, but it might be more than 30. Uh, some people are getting a little bullish uh out there that it might be more like 32, 33. We'll see. Wow. Uh, there's still more. There's Christmas movies that hadn't even started production yet, that aren't even gonna film until September, October. So that blows my mind. But we're gonna talk about 11 movies today that have all wrapped production and that we know the actors that are attached to each of these movies. Um, and the first one, Renee, is called Double Con Christmas. Uh, and what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna read the actors that we know that are attached, as well as the last Hallmark Christmas movie they were in. Now, it doesn't necessarily mean the last Hallmark movie they were in because they might have done their stuff. But hey, we're a Christmas podcast. We're gonna talk about the last Christmas movies they did.
SPEAKER_01Got it.
SPEAKER_00Uh Double Con Christmas stars, Victor Webster and Amanda Scholl. Uh, we last saw Victor Webster 2023, Mystery on Mistletoe Lane, and Amanda Scholl was in Merry Go Round back in 2022. So it's been a minute for each of these two actors. Uh, we know uh popular director Jeff Beasley uh directed this one. He did A Kiss Before Christmas, The Santa Summit, one of their best directors out there, if not their best, and he's a follower of Forever Hallmark Christmas on Instagram. Got a shout out, shout out, shout out to Jeff Beasley. Uh Barbara Niven is also in this cast, Renee. Lovely. I'm in already, I'm in. And we teach this one months ago, like early when we first first started doing the podcast. So I'm pretty sure this one was kind of filmed during the winter. Um, but here's a quick little what we know about it a busy single mom is forced into a family ski vacation, not realizing it's her mother's way of trying to set her up for love with help from a childhood friend. I like it. And yeah, and I I I like both of these actors. Uh, like I said, we haven't seen Victor Webster or Amanda Scholen in in years, so it's kind of cool to have them back into a movie.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for for a while to me, Victor Webster was like the hallmark actor. Like he was the number one guy. He's super good looking, he's super tall. And I he was just doing so many movies. I considered him like the top of the top, you know, for for a long time. He's really great. I'm glad to see him back doing a Christmas movie.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and uh really excited to have Barbara Niven. Whenever Barbara Niven's in a cast, you and I are all in. So uh yeah, we we love Barbara Niven. Oh, absolutely. All right, our next one here, Christmas in Canterbury. Uh, this stars Jesse Schramm and Will Kemp. Very cool pairing here. Uh, we saw Jesse in Sweet Holiday Romance in 2025. Uh Will Kemp was in 2024's My Sweet Austrian Holiday. And apparently this movie's been in about three years in the making, and it was shot in the UK. Uh, it was written by Michelle Ricci, and she's done a ton of writing for Hallmark Mysteries, including a lot of the scripts for seasons uh two and three of Mistletoe Murders. Uh, in case anybody cares, Canterbury is a UNESCO World's Heritage Site uh located in Kent County, England. Um, and other than that, we really don't have too much information about this one. Anything anything you know, Renee?
SPEAKER_01Nothing. I when you said Christmas in Canterbury, I was thinking, oh, they're just gonna be eating chocolate eggs, but I didn't realize it was a location. Yeah. So I was like, okay, cool. I hope this is at a nice chocolate factory, which we like.
SPEAKER_00And uh, whenever anybody sees Will Kemp in a movie, of course, they're always wondering if he's gonna be dancing or not, uh, because Will Kemp is a professional ballet dancer, in addition to being a really, you know, well-known Hallmark actor. And I think I've seen Jesse Schramm do a little dancing in some Hallmark movies as well. So I'm gonna put it out there right now. I think these two, Renee, have a have a dance scene in this movie. Ooh, okay.
SPEAKER_01I like it's like a nice dance scene with I like when people dance or sing, and that's what they are known for outside of Hallmark movies or their acting.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, like that. And we've joked, Renee. You know, whenever we have a Broadway singer, it's like let them sing, you know. We will camp, professional ballet dancer, let's let the guy dance. Absolutely. All right, our next movie here, the Christmas Eve Feast. Uh, Daniela Monet and Kevin McGarry. Uh Daniela was last in Holiday Crashers in 2024, and she was that was opposite of Lindsay Fonseca, and she was almost like it was like one A and one B. She could have almost been the lead in that movie. Uh Kevin McGarry, 2024's A Reason for the Season, real popular uh movie back two years ago. Uh, this movie was filmed in Hamilton, Ontario, and IMDB lists a writing credit for James LaRosa. And it looks like his it's his first Hallmark venture uh in terms of writing. Yeah, don't know too much about a plot or a story, but yeah, I mean uh I really like these two leads and uh Christmas Christmas E Feast. I imagine we're gonna have some kind of a food angle to it.
SPEAKER_01That's what I'm hoping. Yep. Yeah, I'm not too familiar with Daniela, but I I I'm familiar, I've seen Kevin's a few, a few of his movies. So I'm looking forward to this uh this pairing. Uh I'm I I look forward to it. It looks fun to me.
SPEAKER_00And of course, Kevin McGary when calls are heart. I mean, that's uh we have a lot of uh we have some hardys out there who follow uh follow us on Instagram, and I'm sure they're really excited to see him in this as well.
SPEAKER_01Gosh, I really I wish I had more time. I I really want to get in more into that series. I just it's been so busy.
SPEAKER_00It's it it's you gotta be dedicated because that is a big series for sure. All right, forgetting Christmas is our next uh movie on the slate here. Daniel Lissing and Janelle Parrish. We saw both of these uh last season, Danielle uh Daniel on single on the 25th. Janelle was in 2025's Christmas on Duty. Uh we know this was shot in Vancouver over the summer, uh, directed by Jessa Harman, uh Jessica Harmon, who's done a ton of Hallmark stuff, including Tyler Hines' movie I'll Be Seeing You a few months ago. But uh really neat pairing here with Daniel Lissing and Janelle Parrish.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I wrote the same thing. This is a really nice pairing. Uh, I look forward to this one as well. All right, doubly booked.
SPEAKER_00Rachel Lee Cook, and I hope I hope I get this name right. Uh Ewane Yamon. Uh Rachel Lee Cook, uh, we last saw her in 2023's Rescuing Christmas. And pretty sure uh Owain Yamon, this will be his Hallmark debut, but he's best known for his role as Wayne Rigsby in the TV series The Mentalist. Uh, this was filmed a couple months ago in Wales, and it sounds like the town of Hay on Why in Wales inspired the film, which is also known as the Town of Books. So, Renee, I'm thinking maybe this has some sort of a literary angle to it. Um, I guess we'll see. Library, bookstore.
SPEAKER_01I'm I'm not sure. Yeah, and I mean Rachel's a good actress. Uh I had not familiar at all with Owain at all. But but I've seen movies and shows that he's been in, but he I don't remember him. That's not a comment on him, that's just more my my my ability to not remember certain things. But I I've seen shows that he's been in, but I just don't quite remember. I'll have to go back and see some of that acting that he's done.
SPEAKER_00And I'm gonna throw right there right now. If you haven't seen 2023's Rescuing Christmas, Rachel E. Cook's uh last Hallmark Christmas movie, go give that one a watch. It kind of got lost in the shuffle in a great 2023 year because it came out on Hallmark Plus only. It wasn't on Linear Hallmark channel. Uh, it's a great, great movie, so go give that a watch. We haven't reviewed that one though, right? No, we have not. But uh maybe we should, because you know, like I said, that was the one that's never on the Hallmark channel, it would be kind of fun. I'm sure we'll get to it eventually because it's a really good movie. Yeah. So we've already called out uh two movies shot in Europe Christmas in Canterbury and uh Doubly Booked, and we have a third one here, Renee, Christmas in Copenhagen. Uh Emily Ularup and Corey Sev Corey Sevier. Uh we saw Corey Sevier uh in Christmas charade in 2024. Emily hasn't been in one in eight years. Uh 2018's Christmas Bells Are Ringing. Uh, this was filmed in Denmark in late 2025. Uh Colin Thies directed this one, and he's done both a lot of directing and producing for Hallmark throughout the year.
SPEAKER_01This is one of the movies I am most looking forward to. I like both these actors and I like the premise. Uh, you know, I like the Copenhagen thing. So I'm this is one of the top ones I have high hopes for.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I circle this one. All the ones we're the 11 we're talking about today. This is the one I circled this. I'm with you. I'm really excited about this one because of the whole Denmark angle. I mean, I'm hoping we get some Danish Christmas markets. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm I'm you know, we have a little Danish community solving uh up here. Uh nearest by by the way, Renee, speaking of solving, did you know that Dolly Parton, who of course just passed away uh uh you know a few days ago, uh, that she had a little cottage up in Solving, kind of a little getaway.
SPEAKER_01I did not know that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so uh, but yeah, I'm really excited for the Denmark angle on this one. And again, this is the third movie we're gonna have shot on location in Europe. So um, yeah, pretty pretty cool. Uh, and I'm excited for this one as well. Yeah, I hope to see some nice traditional uh Christmas attire. That would be really cool. All right, next movie here, Christmas for Eight, uh starring Rihannon Fish and Jake Foy. Uh Rihannon was last seen in the Christmas Cup in 2025, and Jake had a supporting role in Confessions of a Christmas Letter 2024. Uh we know that David Strasser directed this one. It was shot in Vancouver. And here's what we know not a heck of a lot, but a single woman looking to connect with her community hosts a very eventful Christmas Eve dinner.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I've I've seen uh Rihannon in a few movies. I like her. Not that familiar with Jake, but I like the premise of this movie. So I'd look forward to it as well. I'm into it.
SPEAKER_00All right. The Bell Ringer, Taylor Cole. A lot of people are asking, hey, what about Taylor Cole? Uh Taylor Cole's in this one, and she's opposite Charles Michael Davis. Uh we saw Taylor in a reason for the season back in 2024, and it looks like this is Charles' first Hallmark movie, but he did start in an ABC Christmas movie back in 2019. Uh shot in Vancouver, uh, directed by uh Hallmark director Terry Ingram. And here's what we know about this one it's about a woman who takes a fake boyfriend home for the holidays to meet her football crazy family. Renee, fake boyfriend and football. I'm in.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, this is the one, you know, besides Christmas and Copenhagen being like my number one, I think this one could easily rival my number one as well. Like I love the premise. I love people that are into sports and are nutty about sports. You know, that's why I like the the the not the Chiefs one, the Bills movie so much, right? That's why I like that one so much because the the characters are just so crazy over sports. I am totally into this one. This is one I'm really looking forward to seeing and enjoying because I just love nutty sports-loving people and Christmas time.
SPEAKER_00All right, here's a movie I had starred. Um I'm pretty high on. It's called A Wing Daughters Christmas. Now, that is a working title, and I gotta think that title is gonna change. Um, but it starts Allie Liebert, Brooke Dorsey, and James Denton. Uh, we saw all of these actors in 2025. Allie was in The Christmas Baby, of course. Uh Brooke uh was in 2025's Oi to the World and James uh had a role in a grand old Christmas. Uh, this one is directed by Stacey Harding. And here's what we know about this one. Two sisters, who I'm assuming are Allie and Brooke, reunite to honor their late mother's final request by helping their dad find a new love, acting as his as his dating wingman, but also his daughters.
SPEAKER_01I love this premise. Uh, I love James Denton. He's in my top-rated emotional hallmark movie of all time. For me, I think this is gonna be a movie that will get you choked up a little bit because, you know, uh a mother lost. And I am really looking forward to this one. Uh, not to say that I'm gonna have tissues near me in case I get choked up, but I might have tissues near me in case I get choked up.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you know, there's always a tearjerker uh movie or two every year on Hallmark Christmas. I think this could be the one. Um, I think you're right. I mean, uh two daughters helping James Denton, you know, find true love again, being as, you know, supporting him, being his what they call wing men or winged women, whatever you want to call them. And again, I think this uh Wing Daughters Christmas is gonna change, even though I think it's a really fun title. But yeah, I'm I I have this one starred as well. I'm really looking forward to this one, and I'll have some tissue boxes nearby as well.
SPEAKER_01We're silly.
SPEAKER_00All right, you get your favorite Hallmark actor in a movie, uh Father Christmas, uh Pascal Hutton. Man, your boy, Brendan Penny. Yeah. We saw Pascal Hutton last, and we wish you a Merried Christmas in 2022. Uh Brendan Penny, of course, the more the merrier in 2025. We don't know a heck of a lot about this one. Peter Benson, a big time uh director, uh, is in charge of this one, and it was shot in British Columbia. And that's really all we know, but uh, we got we got your boy B. Penny in in the in the in the movie. So B.
SPEAKER_01Penny, that's funny. And for my cousin's, you know, your wife's sake, I hope he's wearing glasses. She seems to like that. So she I love it.
SPEAKER_00Hopefully, she we sketch that for her. Brendan Penny in in Mary Measure. She did love Brendan Penny and glasses. I think I don't think she was the only one. I think there was uh a lot of women out there. In fact, Renee, here's a funny one. Uh Hallmark movie drafts did the uh the top 10 Hallmark hunks wearing glasses in movies. And of course, Brendan Penny and Mary Measure made that top 10 list. So of course, yes, yes. Um, but uh yeah, so I don't know much about this movie, but uh I uh Pascal Hutton I I really like her as an actress. She's done some uh mystery stuff this year. Uh and Brendan Penny, uh, you know, he's obviously a Hallmark Hunk of legend, so it should be good. Yeah, look forward to it. All right, Renee, let's wrap it up. Number 11, and uh I've circled a few Hallmark movies on this list. This one has two circles for me. Two. Uh this is called the working title of this one is called Merry Rosy Christmas. I know that title is gonna change. Um, not sure what it'll it'll be, but this one stars Lori Laughlin and Tom Kavanaugh. We last saw Lori in Homegrown Christmas in 2018 and Tom Kavanaugh's last Hallmark movie trading Christmas in 2010. So it's been 16 years. Wow. Although he although he has done some other Hallmark stuff since then, that was his last Christmas uh credit when it came to Hallmark. Renee, both of these actors are 62 years old.
SPEAKER_01I'm surprised by that because if you told me they were 52, I'd you know, I'd say, okay, that's amazing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so this film was uh filmed in northern Ontario. Um, we don't have a synopsis or a storyline or anything, but obviously you we know we you and I we we we reviewed A Kiss Before Christmas, and if you haven't listened to that, uh it is still the highest-rated combined movie that I think you and I have scored. That featured Carrie Hatcher, why blue was 53 and James Denton was 57. And that was a big talking point time that we had actors that were combined 55 years old. Uh Hallmark had never really done anything like that. Well, now we have two actors that are 62 years old. You know what, Renee, you and I have talked that Hallmark needs to get younger with some of their core actors, but I am good with having one or two movies a year where maybe we do have some of these actors who are a little bit, you know, they're empty nesters, they've lived their lives, they're close to retirement. And I have such high expectations. We have two great actors on this one, and I think it's really unique to see you know, two actors who are both 62 years old taking the lead in a Hallmark movie. And this is the one of the 11 we've just talked about that I am most excited about.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I'm a huge fan of Tom Kavanaugh. I remember his series Ed, and he also was in the in the series Flash, The Flash, but I find Tom Kavanaugh so funny. He's such a good actor, a comedic actor, and Lori Laughlin. Well, she's been around for a long time and she's got the chops for sure. I look forward to this one as well.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. This should be great. Again, again, Tom Kavanaugh, last last Hallmark Christmas movie 16 years ago. So to have him back, yeah, I I think this is gonna be fantastic.
SPEAKER_01So welcome back. We embrace all people to come back. Like, are you hearing me? You know, Jill Wagner, come back, you know.
SPEAKER_00Now we're we're probably still about, I'm guessing about two weeks until Hallmark comes out with the entire schedule for Countdown to Christmas 2026. There's a lot of other rumors out there right now. Not enough for me to say like this actress is attached to this movie, but uh rumor is Nikki Delosh is getting ready to start filming a uh a Christmas movie in September. Uh we've heard rumors that Rachel Boston and Paul Campbell are possibly in a movie together. Campbell or Sustad might have already filmed a Christmas movie uh earlier in the summer. So, you know, we've now covered 23 of the at least 30 movies, and it might be more like 32, 33. So there's still a lot more actors. If we haven't called out your favorite actor yet, out of these 23 we've talked about, they still might be coming. Um, but there's a lot more rumors out there as to what's coming. Uh you can follow uh Sleepy Kitty Paw on Blue Sky. She is pretty much the go-to for anyone who wants to find out about these movies. You hear the guys on Deck The Hallmark talk about how good her information is. Uh Girls Gone Hallmark, Megan and Wendy talk about you know how accurate she is with her information. I don't know how she does it, but you can check her out, and and she's you know the one kind of kind of that gives me some of this information as to what's still coming down the pipeline with Hallmark and possible movies coming in 2026. But uh yeah, I'm super excited, Renee. We now know for sure 23, and we know there's gonna be a whole bunch more still uh on top of it.
SPEAKER_01You know, I'm glad I get about almost two weeks off during the holidays. Uh it'd be great time to for me to catch up to all these movies because it is a lot of movies to watch, but uh, I'm into it.
SPEAKER_00All right, Renee, so that is it. Um, so that is part two. I don't I doubt we'll do a part three because well, who knows? Uh but I think by the time we would do a part three, the uh countdown to Christmas schedule is coming out, and no idea. When that when that schedule comes out, no doubt you and I will be talking about it. So yes, we will. Until then, you guys know where to find us. Forever Hallmark Christmas is the Instagram. Uh, you can shoot us an e uh an email, Forever Hallmark Christmas at gmail.com. Uh until next time, let's keep it for the love of Hallmark. For the love of Hallmark.