Forever Hallmark Christmas Podcast

Rich & Rene

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.

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S1 · E35
Yesterday · 27 min
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 Peterman, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Ellen Travolta lead a supporting cast that absolutely shines. And the Christmas vibes? Off the charts! Rich and Rene have never BOTH given a movie a perfect score. Could Haul Out the Holly finally break the streak? 🎄 In this episode of Forever Hallmark Christmas, we talk about: 🎄 Behind-the-scenes movie fun facts 🎄 Our favorite moments 🎄 Anything we’d rewrite? 🎄 The best supporting characters 🎄 “Are We Sure?” — our ultimate Hallmark logic check 🎄 Is it a no brainer that Emma and Jared are in it for the long haul? 🎄 The Mistletoe Meter — we give that final kiss a letter grade! And Rich and Rene with a huge disagreement about said grade! 🎄 Who — or what — truly won the movie 🎄 And, of course, our personal and completely unbiased final rating! For the Love of Hallmark. ❤️🎄 Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.
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Tuesday · 21 min
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 movie nobody should overlook! 🏔️ 4. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: The Christmas setting we can’t wait to see! 💘 5. THE SPARK FACTOR: The lead pairing we’re most excited about! 🏆 6. FUTURE HALL OF FAMER: Which movie could become an ALL-TIME Christmas classic? 🔥 7. CHEMISTRY LAB: Which couple will have the BEST Christmas chemistry? 📱 8. THE INTERNET BROKE: Which storyline will have Hallmark fans lighting up Reddit, Instagram & Facebook?! 🍷 9. THE CULINARY CROWN: Best food or beverage? 💋 10. THE MISTLETOE METER: Who’s delivering the hottest Christmas KISS?! 🎭 11. THE YEAR’S MVP: Which actor or actress will deliver THE standout performance of the season? 👑🎄 12. THE BIG KAHUNA: THE CONSENSUS #1 MOVIE OF 2026! Countdown to Christmas 2026 starts October 16th… 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.
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S1 · E34
October 8 · 24 min
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 challenges of trying to have a second child. But it also delivers plenty of comedy—from a clueless fiancé who seems destined to get dumped, to an eccentric aunt who throws unforgettable holiday parties, and one of the most wonderfully obnoxious supporting characters we’ve seen in a Hallmark movie! For the first 76 minutes, everything rolls along nicely. Then comes the final eight minutes… Rene and Rich have some BIG issues with how this one wraps up—and let’s just say our What Would We Rewrite? segment takes a little longer than usual! In this episode of Forever Hallmark Christmas, we talk about: 🎄 Behind-the-scenes movie fun facts 🎄 Our favorite moments 🎄 Anything we’d change? 🎄 The best supporting characters 🎄 “Are We Sure?” — our ultimate Hallmark logic check 🎄 Will Angie and Ben last as a couple? 🎄 The Mistletoe Meter — we give that final kiss a letter grade 🎄 Who — or what — truly won the movie 🎄 And, of course, our personal and completely unbiased final rating! For the Love of Hallmark. ❤️🎄 Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.
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S1 · E33
October 1 · 28 min
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 strong enough to make it to the holidays. But the tight-knit community rallies around Vanessa and her family, literally moving up the holidays so she can experience Halloween and Christmas while she's still well enough to celebrate. And yes, as the title suggests, Christmas comes to town in November. And the ratings speak for themselves: November Christmas is the second-highest-rated Hallmark Christmas movie of all time, behind only 2023’s A Biltmore Christmas. It may not be the Christmas rom-com formula Hallmark is known for today, but for any Hallmark fan, November Christmas is a must-watch holiday classic. In this episode of Forever Hallmark Christmas, we talk about: 🎄 Behind-the-scenes movie fun facts 🎄 Our favorite moments 🎄 Anything we’d rewrite? 🎄 The best supporting characters 🎄 “Are We Sure?” — our ultimate Hallmark logic check 🎄 Who — or what — truly won the movie 🎄 And, of course, our personal final rating! For the Love of Hallmark. ❤️🎄 Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.
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September 22 · 50 min
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 today they’re going head-to-head to see who can build the ultimate movie roster. And over at Pour The Wine, It’s Rom-com Time, husband-and-wife hosts Garry and Amy are putting their marriage to the test as they battle it out to see who can make the better picks! There are 34 movies in this year’s Countdown to Christmas lineup, and these four Hallmark superfans are drafting 28 of them — 7 movies each. But HOW do you decide which movies make your roster? Do you go after the movies getting all the buzz? Disney. Biltmore. Bears. Did we mention Disney? 🎄 Maybe you draft based on your favorite Hallmark stars? Paul Campbell. Kimberley Sustad. Tyler Hynes. Nikki DeLoach. Kris Polaha. Lacey Chabert. Andrew Walker. Or maybe you’re a writer geek and want to bet on the names behind the scripts? Russell Hainline. Julie Sherman Wolfe. Zac Hug. And then there are the storylines… Road trips. Time loops. Twins. RV parks. Competing choirs. Bowling alleys. Amnesia. Football. Hanukkah. Weddings. Yep… Hallmark has pretty much covered everything this year. 😂 So who built the strongest roster? Who reached for a sleeper? Who grabbed the obvious first-round pick? And who may have completely lost the plot? There’s only one way to find out… LET THE DRAFT BEGIN! 🎅🏈🎬 For the Love of Hallmark. ❤️🎄 Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.
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S1 · E32
September 17 · 24 min
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 detailed book of rules for creating the ultimate holiday season. At first, everything goes exactly according to plan… until it doesn’t. And when things go off the rails, they go downhill fast! While Emily and Sugarplum are at the heart of the story, Emily’s family—Ben (Brandon Zub), Nina (Kyra Leroux), and Ben (Avan Stewart)—provide plenty of laughs and push back against Emily’s picture-perfect Christmas expectations. And keep an eye out for some terrific cameos from Hallmark favorites Victor Webster, Fiona Gubelmann, and Carlo Marks. It’s Christmas, it’s magical, and it’s definitely Hallmark with a wink! In this episode of Forever Hallmark Christmas, we talk about: 🎄 Behind-the-scenes movie fun facts 🎄 Our favorite moments 🎄 Anything we’d rewrite? 🎄 The best supporting characters 🎄 “Are We Sure?” — our ultimate Hallmark logic check 🎄 Did Sugarplum make Emily and Ben’s marriage stronger? 🎄 The Mistletoe Meter — we give that final kiss a letter grade… and ask the question… is there a difference between a married couple kiss and a couple kissing for the first time? 🎄 Who — or what — truly won the movie 🎄 And, of course, our personal and completely unbiased final rating! For the Love of Hallmark. ❤️🎄 Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.
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S1 · E31
September 10 · 32 min
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, and a big-time action movie star doing the same. Throw in Christmas vibes, two brothers working through some old differences, and the mystery of a mixtape made back in high school—and you have one of the very best Hallmark Christmas movies of 2021. But what really sets this movie apart are the performances from Brooke D’Orsay and Kristoffer Polaha—with Kris delivering what may be the best monologue in Hallmark Christmas movie history. And if there’s a Mount Rushmore of Hallmark writers, Julie Sherman Wolfe is certainly on it… and the sharp snarky dialogue between Jake and Cassie is some of her very best. There’s a reason this is rated (per IMDb) as the 17th best Hallmark Christmas movie of all time. And oh yeah… if you’ve ever wondered what Rich and Rene would have put on a mixtape in 1994, when Kris Polaha was 17 years old… we’ll give you our top five songs! In this episode of Forever Hallmark Christmas, we talk about: 🎄 Behind-the-scenes movie fun facts 🎄 Our favorite moments 🎄 Anything we’d rewrite? 🎄 The best supporting characters 🎄 “Are We Sure?” — our ultimate Hallmark logic check 🎄 Will Cassie and Jake’s relationship last? 🎄 The Mistletoe Meter — we give that final kiss a letter grade 🎄 Who — or what — truly won the movie 🎄 And, of course, our personal and completely unbiased final rating! For the Love of Hallmark. ❤️🎄 Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.
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S1 · E30
September 3 · 24 min
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 a movie review podcast. But this week, we’re putting that aside to celebrate Dolly and her incredible life. We dive into her one and only Hallmark movie—one of the most-watched Christmas movies of 2019—and explore how Danica McKellar’s connection to Dolly helped make the film happen. We also have plenty of behind-the-scenes stories, plus a deep dive into Dollywood and Dolly’s remarkable Imagination Library, including some things you won’t find in the movie. “When I’m inspired, I get excited because I can’t wait to see what I’ll come up with next.” — Dolly Parton RIP Dolly. 1946–2026 ❤️ Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.
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August 31 · 19 min
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 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.
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S1 · E29
August 27 · 28 min
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 Keith Martin Gordey—one of Hallmark’s best Santas ever! If you like a movie with a lot going on—plots and subplots galore—this might be the Hallmark movie for you. Rich and Rene debate whether all those storylines add to the excitement of this final trip to Evergreen... or if the movie suffers because there’s simply too much happening. But one thing is for sure: if there’s an iconic Hallmark Christmas town, it’s Evergreen! In this episode of Forever Hallmark Christmas, we talk about: 🎄 Behind-the-scenes movie fun facts 🎄 Our favorite moments 🎄 Anything we’d rewrite? 🎄 The best supporting characters 🎄 “Are We Sure?” — our ultimate Hallmark logic check 🎄 Will Hannah and Elliott make it as a couple? 🎄 The Mistletoe Meter — we give those Christmas kisses a letter grade 🎄 Who — or what — truly won the movie 🎄 And, of course, our personal and completely unbiased final rating! For the Love of Hallmark. ❤️🎄 Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.
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S1 · E29
August 20 · 24 min
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 — and give them a script from a first-time Hallmark writer who would go on to write favorites like The Santa Summit, The Santa Class, and Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper? You get 2022’s In Merry Measure! Darcy (Patti Murin) was a famous pop star back in high school, but she returns home to Dayton for the holidays to spend time with her sister Gretchen (Jennifer Robertson) and her family. When Darcy’s niece Megan is cut from the high school choir by Adam (Brendan Penny), Darcy decides to start her own choir and compete against the team coached by Adam — who just happens to be a former high school classmate. But while the choir competition drives the story, it’s the script that really makes this movie stand out. The banter between Darcy and Adam is funny, sharp and genuinely entertaining. The secondary characters get surprisingly strong dialogue and development. And there are more memorable scenes than we can count. Writer Russell Hainline proves you absolutely can have both the rom AND the com in a classic Hallmark Christmas movie — and he does it in a way that is heartfelt, clever and incredibly entertaining. In this episode of Forever Hallmark Christmas, we talk about: 🎄 Behind-the-scenes movie fun facts 🎄 Our favorite moments 🎄 Anything we’d rewrite? 🎄 The best supporting characters 🎄 “Are We Sure?” — our ultimate Hallmark logic check 🎄 With a potential move back to Dayton, will Adam and Darcy actually make it as a couple? 🎄 The Mistletoe Meter — we give those Christmas kisses a letter grade 🎄 Who — or what — truly won the movie 🎄 And, of course, our personal and completely unbiased final rating! For the Love of Hallmark. ❤️🎄 Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.
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August 17 · 22 min
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 Three will we get — and when will they air? Plus, we’re spotlighting 12 of the 2026 Christmas movies we’re most excited about! We’ll talk about the “Big Three” — Disney, Biltmore and the Chicago Bears — plus nine more movies featuring some of your Hallmark favorites, including Tyler Hynes, Andrew Walker, Erin Cahill, Autumn Reeser, Wes Brown, Jonathan Bennett, Ashley Williams, Kristoffer Polaha, Luke McFarlane and so many more! The countdown is almost here — 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.
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S1 · E27
August 13 · 29 min
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. Deception runs rampant, the fake-boyfriend trope takes center stage, and somehow… it all works. And there’s a great story behind the script: Tracy Andreen—one of Hallmark’s best writers—wrote her first Hallmark screenplay after binge-watching Christmas in July movies the previous summer to learn the rhythms and structure of a Hallmark holiday film. Snow Bride is ridiculous, charming, and a whole lot of fun—and exactly the kind of movie Hallmark fans love to revisit. In this episode, we cover: • Behind-the-scenes movie fun facts • Our favorite moments • Anything we’d rewrite? • The best supporting characters • “Are We Sure?” — our ultimate Hallmark logic check • After so much deception… will Greta and Ben survive as a couple? • The multiple kisses… and the letter grades they earned – one was pushing towards an A+ • Who (or what) truly won the movie • Our personal — and unbiased — final rating For the love of Hallmark! Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.
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S1 · E26
August 6 · 35 min
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. But one question has fueled debate for years: Is it a Thanksgiving movie... or a Christmas movie? To settle the score, we polled fellow Hallmark podcasters, content creators, and even director Ron Oliver himself. The results? Much closer than we expected. This fan-favorite review is guaranteed to spark some holiday debate! As always, we cover: • Behind-the-scenes movie fun facts – courtesy of Director, Ron Oliver • What we liked and our favorite scenes. • Things we’d rewrite. • The best supporting characters. • “Are We Sure?” — our ultimate Hallmark logic check. • Will Emily and Henry’s relationship last? • The Mistletoe Meter – Let’s talk about that final kiss and give it a letter grade. • Who (or what) truly won the movie. • We rate the film and talk about what movie is coming up next! For the love of Hallmark! Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.
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S1 · E25
July 30 · 28 min
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 reconnect. A charity gala is organized to save a struggling town. And, of course, a BBD (Big Bad Developer) wants to replace a beautiful historic home with a modern condo tower. Add in a cookie-baking montage, a tree-lighting ceremony, festive decorations everywhere, and you've got the kind of cozy, cookie-cutter Christmas romance Hallmark built its reputation on. But does that formula still work in 2026? We break the movie down and offer our verdict! As always, we cover: • Behind-the-scenes movie fun facts. • What we liked and our favorite scenes. • Scenes we’d rewrite. • The best supporting characters. • “Are We Sure?” — our ultimate Hallmark logic check. • Will Grace and Ryan last as a couple? • The Mistletoe Meter – Let’s talk about that final kiss and give it a letter grade. • Who (or what) truly won the movie. • We rate the film and talk about what movie is coming up next! For the love of Hallmark! Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.
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S1 · E24
July 23 · 24 min
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 dance and almost-kiss (Walkman included!), it delivers plenty of heartfelt moments. In this episode, we share behind-the-scenes stories, including why the town left its Christmas decorations up for an extra month, how the brutal cold forced the cast and crew indoors between takes, why the lodge featured real Christmas trees instead of artificial ones, and how Vanessa Lengies filmed the movie while pregnant. As always, we cover: • Behind-the-scenes movie fun facts… with information straight from Director Christopher Giroux. • Some great moments in the film… we let you know what our favorite was! • Scenes we’d rewrite. • The best supporting characters. • “Are We Sure?” — our ultimate Hallmark logic check. • Will Cassidy and Trey last as a couple? • The Mistletoe Meter – Let’s talk about that final kiss and give it a letter grade. • Who (or what) truly won the movie. • We rate the film and talk about what movie is coming up next! For the love of Hallmark! Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.
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S1 · E23
July 16 · 27 min
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 – Week 2 as Kat Barrell (The Christmas Baby) and Stephen Huszar (Melt My Heart This Christmas) star in O Little Christmas Market. The script feels like a classic Hallmark movie from a decade ago—formulaic? Sure. Creative? Absolutely. This movie has a little bit of everything: miniature Christmas displays, shipping containers, a lonely Christmas tree in a train station, a charming holiday market... and, naturally, developers threatening to tear it all down. And, of course, we ask the important questions. Rich can't figure out why Grayson doesn't hop the next train home—or where he found that tuxedo in town. Meanwhile, Rene investigates the cost of moving shipping containers and isn't afraid to question Zoey's wardrobe choices. As always, we cover: • Behind-the-scenes movie fun facts. • Our favorite moments. • Scenes we’d rewrite. • The best supporting characters. • “Are We Sure?” — our ultimate Hallmark logic check. • Will Grayson and Olivia last as a couple? • The Mistletoe Meter – How good of a final kiss did Olivia and Grayson give us? We’ll give it a letter grade. • Who (or what) truly won the movie. • We rate the film and talk about what movie is coming up next! For the love of Hallmark! Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.
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S1 · E22
July 9 · 27 min
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 who moonlights as a home renovation host, her boyfriend who’s obsessed with every grooming trend imaginable, a man determined to preserve his grandfather’s cozy cabin, and a girlfriend eager to knock down walls, modernize it, and flip it for a profit. Add an uptight media executive and an ambitious gossip columnist, and you’ve got... quite the mix. As always, we keep it real. Beyond the romance and renovations, we tackle the big question: Does Christmas Under Construction actually feel like a Hallmark movie? Let the friendly debate begin. As always, we cover: • Behind-the-scenes movie fun facts. • Our favorite moments. • Scenes we’d rewrite. • The best supporting characters. • “Are We Sure?” — our ultimate Hallmark logic check. • Cooper and Chelsea… will their relationship last? • The Mistletoe Meter – Chelsea and Cooper give us two kisses towards the end of the film. We’ll give them both a letter grade. • Who (or what) truly won the movie. • We rate the film and talk about what movie is coming up next! For the love of Hallmark! Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.
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S1 · E21
July 2 · 33 min
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 magical snow globe suffers an unexpected mishap, and three intertwined romances keep the Christmas spirit alive as the town once again works its holiday magic. Hallmark writer Zac Hug was finding his stride with the network, delivering an ambitious script packed with memorable characters, multiple storylines, and plenty of star power—yet somehow making it all come together very nicely. In this episode, we cover: • Behind-the-scenes movie fun facts. • Our favorite moments. • Scenes we’d rewrite. • The best supporting characters. • “Are We Sure?” — our ultimate Hallmark logic check. And we’ve got a bunch. • Ben and Katie… will their relationship last? • The Mistletoe Meter – Katie and Ben with FIVE kisses… which might be a record! We’ll give them a letter grade. • Who (or what) truly won the movie. • We rate the film and talk about what movies are coming up next! For the love of Hallmark! Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.
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S1 · E20
June 25 · 1 hr 14 min
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 legendary Radio City Rockettes. Think you know this movie? Think again. In this episode: • How a conversation between Rich and director John Putch led to Julie joining the podcast. • Julie's journey from stand-up comedy to sitcom writing, Disney Channel projects, and a five-year road to her first Hallmark movie, Hello, It's Me. • How a family connection to the Rockettes sparked the original meeting that eventually became A Holiday Spectacular. • The writing process behind one of Hallmark's most ambitious productions—and how it differed from her other films. • What it was like attending the film's premiere inside Radio City Music Hall—including the celebrity who left her star-struck and the musical performance she'll never forget. • The late-night conversation at the premier with two Hallmark actresses that ultimately inspired a couple of 2025 Hallmark films (think… Spain). • The movie's original title (and no, it wasn't A Holiday Spectacular). • Why 1958 was the perfect setting for the story and how the Rockettes' sisterhood reminded Julie of her own friendships with two fellow Hallmark writers. • How Hallmark keeps pairing her scripts with incredible Broadway talent, including Ginna Claire Mason and Derek Klena leading the way in this film. • The Hallmark destinations she still hopes to write about someday. And of course, Julie joins us for rapid-fire questions: Eggnog: yay or nay? Classic or modern Christmas music? Real or artificial tree? Ugly Christmas sweaters? (Spoiler: Julie has quite the collection.) Bottom line: fire up Hallmark+, watch (or rewatch) the extended cut with 18 additional minutes of Hallmark magic, then settle in for 75 minutes of stories, insights, and behind-the-scenes details that will make you appreciate this movie more than ever. For the love of Hallmark! Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com Follow Amy and Garry: www.instagram.com/pourthewineitsromcomtime Follow Julie: www.instagram.com/julie_sherman_wolfe *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.
- Transcript

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