The holiday season is officially getting underway, and Hallmark Channel is once again bringing plenty of Christmas cheer to television screens with the return of its beloved Countdown to Christmas programming event.
Now in its 17th year, Countdown to Christmas begins October 16 with 34 brand-new original movies, giving fans weeks of holiday romance, family traditions, small-town charm, unexpected surprises and, of course, plenty of Christmas magic.
This year’s lineup features an impressive collection of familiar Hallmark favorites and new faces, including Lori Loughlin, Lacey Chabert, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Christy Carlson Romano, Andie MacDowell, Jonathan Bennett and many more.
In addition to the new holiday movies, fans of mystery will have another reason to tune in as the popular series Mistletoe Murders returns for its third season.
Over the years, Countdown to Christmas has grown into one of the network’s signature holiday traditions, evolving from its early days of daily Christmas movie marathons into a major seasonal programming event.
“We have our wonderful fans to thank for this longevity,” said Michelle Vicary, head of programming at Hallmark Media, reflecting on the event’s 17-year history.
Whether you’re looking forward to the latest holiday romance, a festive mystery or simply an excuse to settle in with a cup of hot chocolate and a Christmas movie, there will be plenty to choose from this season.
All movies premiere at 8 p.m. ET unless otherwise noted.
We’ve also added every premiere to the Spanning the Need Events Calendar, making it easy to keep track of the movies you want to watch and save the dates for your favorites.
Here’s the complete Countdown to Christmas lineup:
- Fri16October 2026
- Fri16
‘Tis the Season for SetupsOctober 16 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Amanda Schull, Victor Webster, Barbara NivenHyper organized single mom and party planner Lexi (Schull), her free-spirited mother June (Niven) and teen daughter Piper (Verity - Sat17
Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love StoryOctober 17 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Lyndsy Fonseca, Robert Buckley, Marsha MasonWhen ambitious freelance reporter Avery Clark (Fonseca) returns to Chicago to spend Christmas with her mom and new stepdad, - Sun18
Mr. & Mrs. ChristmasOctober 18 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Brendan Penny, Pascale HuttonTaylor Lewis (Penny) is a single dad and holiday display expert who relocates to the charming town of Pineway with his - Fri23Winter WonderlanesOctober 23 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Ashley Newbrough, Franco Lo PrestiAudrey Bell (Newbrough) is a globe-trotting pop-up restaurateur who returns home to the news that her late grandfather’s beloved bowling
- Sat24Forgotten HolidayOctober 24 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Janel Parrish, Daniel LissingKathryn Liu (Parrish) has been happily dating Rob Ashford (Lissing) for nearly a year. When he surprises her with a pre-Christmas
- Sun25
What if ChristmasOctober 25 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Lori Loughlin, Tom CavanaghErin (Loughlin) has always supported her heart surgeon husband Adam’s (Cavanagh) career. When he moves to a new hospital, her help - Fri30Who’s Coming for Christmas?October 30 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Rhiannon Fish, Jake Foy, Mila MorganHaving recently relocated, Julie (Fish) is setting up her new home using pieces she inherited from her late grandmother,
- Sat31Adopting St. NickOctober 31 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Amy Groening, Michael RadyMaren (Groening) is a busy single mother to her adopted daughter Leah, running her late father’s hardware store. When Leah joins
- November 2026
- Sun1A Danish ChristmasNovember 1 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Emilie Ullerup, Corey SevierMarie (Ullerup) is a hotel tech executive living in Chicago who returns home to Copenhagen for the holidays and puts herself
- Thu5Mistletoe Murders Season 3November 5 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Sarah Drew, Peter Mooney; guest stars Catherine Bell, Holly Robinson PeeteEmily Lane (Drew) once again teams up with Detective Sam Wilner (Mooney) to solve
- Fri6Merry MemoriesNovember 6 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Lindura, Brendan MorganMichaela (Lindura) is a rigid accountant who steps in to help her brother care for his young son Danny while Danny’s military
- Sat7Holiday UnpluggedNovember 7 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Nikki DeLoach, Juan Pablo Di PaceSally (DeLoach) has spent the last 10 years honoring the memory of her late husband Jake while raising their
- Sun8A Season of PromisesNovember 8 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Brooke D’Orsay, Ali Liebert, James DentonHeidi (D’Orsay) and Sophie (Liebert) are sisters who couldn’t be more different. When their father Ed (Denton) has a
- Fri13My Christmas CowboyNovember 13 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Amy Acker, Luke Macfarlane, Sara CanningMeg (Acker) is a news producer in her small Texas town. Billy Kane (Macfarlane), her former college crush turned
- Sat14The Nights Before ChristmasNovember 14 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Tyler Hynes, Laci J MaileyOne Christmas Eve, Marty (Hynes), whose life is in a rut, wishes he had more time. Thanks to holiday magic,
- Sun15Mistletoes and MimosasNovember 15 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Tamera Mowry-Housley, Kristoffer Polaha, Jennifer RobertsonClaire Bennett (Mowry-Housley) is a successful business consultant who inherits her Uncle Lou’s Christmas-themed bar, The Tipsy Reindeer, along
- Fri20Our Holiday PlaybookNovember 20 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Taylor Cole, Charles Michael DavisWhen Lexi Bell (Cole) returns home for the holidays, she faces the Bell Bowl, a fiercely competitive annual Christmas flag
- Sat21Christmas in Blue Dog ValleyNovember 21 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Erin Cahill, Andrew WalkerOn-set veterinarian Goldie MacKenzie (Cahill) leaves Hollywood behind to buy a family-run veterinary clinic in Blue Dog Valley, just in time
- Sun22Double Booked for the HolidaysNovember 22 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Rachael Leigh Cook, Owain Yeoman, Stephen HaganIdentical twins Abigail and Charlie (both Cook) travel to Wales to run a bookshop for a week during
- Thu26Christmas DeliveredNovember 26 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Autumn Reeser, Wes BrownKimberly Carr (Reeser) travels to Canada to spend Christmas with her grandmother at her cozy farmhouse. Her restorative holiday plans are
- Fri27The Christmas Eve FeastNovember 27 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Daniella Monet, Kevin McGarrySilvana “Silvy” Gianetti (Monet) is disillusioned with her job as executive chef at a swanky NYC restaurant. When her Nonna suffers
- Fri27Return to SantaNovember 27 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Paul Campbell, Rachel BostonHopeful 8-year-old Jake writes a letter to Santa with his most fantastical wishes, but it gets lost in the North Pole
- Sat28The Most Wonderful SecretNovember 28 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Tammin Sursok, Peter PorteEvery Christmas, a small town honors a beloved late teacher’s memory by choosing one worthy recipient for the whimsical “Secret Norma”
- Sat28Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come TrueNovember 28 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Lacey Chabert, Travis Van Winkle, Richard Kind, Christy Carlson RomanoLindsey (Chabert) and her extended family head to Walt Disney World Resort for a magical
- Sun29Eight Nights for LoveNovember 29 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Hunter King, Dan JeannotteHannah (King) works for a large NYC auction house and looks forward to time off during Hanukkah with her best friend
- Sun29Miles to ChristmasNovember 29 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Ashley Williams, Steve Lund, Alison SweeneyWhen an early snowstorm sweeps through the Midwest, straight-laced Cassidy Fields (Williams) is forced to hitch a ride in
- December 2026
- Fri4The Snowflake EffectDecember 4 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Heather Hemmens, Mark GhaniméWhen driven corporate attorney Tanya (Hemmens) rushes into a gift shop for a last-minute White Elephant gift, she crosses paths with
- Sat5A Grand Biltmore ChristmasDecember 5 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Holland Roden, Niall Matter, Andie MacDowellAs Biltmore House opens for the first time on Christmas Eve 1895, 13-year-old Elizabeth meets Michael, a teen caught
- Sun6An Angel in My StockingDecember 6 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Fiona Gubelmann, Marco Grazzini, Nancy RobertsonAmanda (Gubelmann) and Jack (Grazzini) had a whirlwind romance that ended after one calamitous Christmas together. Three years post-divorce,
- Fri11Christmas in CanterburyDecember 11 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Jessy Schram, Will KempRose (Schram) arrives in Canterbury, England to spend the holidays with her childhood friend Asha, taking over as girls’ choir master
- Sat12Snow Globe TownDecember 12 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Kimberley Sustad, Scott Michael FosterInspired by Brad Paisley’s song, this holiday romance follows Emily Church (Sustad), who joins her sister on a Christmas getaway
- Sun13Noelle NomadsDecember 13 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Benjamin Ayres, Torrey DeVittoBefore their luxurious Hawaiian holiday, sports medicine physician Joseph (Ayres) and his daughter Annie must first deliver a package from his
- Fri18Hearts All AglowDecember 18 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Mishael Morgan, B.J. Britt, Holly Robinson PeeteMusic historian Mari (Morgan) gets an invite to a Christmas gala at a music museum, hoping to secure
- Sat19Barking All the WayDecember 19 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Ian Harding, Tori AndersonWorkaholic realtor Billie (Anderson) heads home for Christmas but is derailed when a chaotic canine named Yappy nearly causes her car
- Sun20Save the Date for ChristmasDecember 20 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Jonathan Bennett, Italia RicciSusie (Ricci) has checked out on dating while Alec (Bennett) is a hopeless romantic — longtime friends who’ve both struck out
- Previous Events
- Next Events‘Tis the Season for SetupsOctober 16 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Amanda Schull, Victor Webster, Barbara NivenHyper organized single mom and party planner Lexi (Schull), her free-spirited mother June (Niven) and teen daughter Piper (Verity
- Sat17Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love StoryOctober 17 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Lyndsy Fonseca, Robert Buckley, Marsha MasonWhen ambitious freelance reporter Avery Clark (Fonseca) returns to Chicago to spend Christmas with her mom and new stepdad,
- Sun18Mr. & Mrs. ChristmasOctober 18 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Brendan Penny, Pascale HuttonTaylor Lewis (Penny) is a single dad and holiday display expert who relocates to the charming town of Pineway with his
- Fri23Winter WonderlanesOctober 23 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Ashley Newbrough, Franco Lo PrestiAudrey Bell (Newbrough) is a globe-trotting pop-up restaurateur who returns home to the news that her late grandfather’s beloved bowling
- Sat24Forgotten HolidayOctober 24 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Janel Parrish, Daniel LissingKathryn Liu (Parrish) has been happily dating Rob Ashford (Lissing) for nearly a year. When he surprises her with a pre-Christmas
- Sun25What if ChristmasOctober 25 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Lori Loughlin, Tom CavanaghErin (Loughlin) has always supported her heart surgeon husband Adam’s (Cavanagh) career. When he moves to a new hospital, her help
- Fri30Who’s Coming for Christmas?October 30 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Rhiannon Fish, Jake Foy, Mila MorganHaving recently relocated, Julie (Fish) is setting up her new home using pieces she inherited from her late grandmother,
- Sat31Adopting St. NickOctober 31 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Amy Groening, Michael RadyMaren (Groening) is a busy single mother to her adopted daughter Leah, running her late father’s hardware store. When Leah joins
- November 2026
- Sun1A Danish ChristmasNovember 1 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Emilie Ullerup, Corey SevierMarie (Ullerup) is a hotel tech executive living in Chicago who returns home to Copenhagen for the holidays and puts herself
- Thu5Mistletoe Murders Season 3November 5 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Sarah Drew, Peter Mooney; guest stars Catherine Bell, Holly Robinson PeeteEmily Lane (Drew) once again teams up with Detective Sam Wilner (Mooney) to solve
- Fri6Merry MemoriesNovember 6 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Lindura, Brendan MorganMichaela (Lindura) is a rigid accountant who steps in to help her brother care for his young son Danny while Danny’s military
- Sat7Holiday UnpluggedNovember 7 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Nikki DeLoach, Juan Pablo Di PaceSally (DeLoach) has spent the last 10 years honoring the memory of her late husband Jake while raising their
- Sun8A Season of PromisesNovember 8 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Brooke D’Orsay, Ali Liebert, James DentonHeidi (D’Orsay) and Sophie (Liebert) are sisters who couldn’t be more different. When their father Ed (Denton) has a
- Fri13My Christmas CowboyNovember 13 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Amy Acker, Luke Macfarlane, Sara CanningMeg (Acker) is a news producer in her small Texas town. Billy Kane (Macfarlane), her former college crush turned
- Sat14The Nights Before ChristmasNovember 14 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Tyler Hynes, Laci J MaileyOne Christmas Eve, Marty (Hynes), whose life is in a rut, wishes he had more time. Thanks to holiday magic,
- Sun15Mistletoes and MimosasNovember 15 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Tamera Mowry-Housley, Kristoffer Polaha, Jennifer RobertsonClaire Bennett (Mowry-Housley) is a successful business consultant who inherits her Uncle Lou’s Christmas-themed bar, The Tipsy Reindeer, along
- Fri20Our Holiday PlaybookNovember 20 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Taylor Cole, Charles Michael DavisWhen Lexi Bell (Cole) returns home for the holidays, she faces the Bell Bowl, a fiercely competitive annual Christmas flag
- Sat21Christmas in Blue Dog ValleyNovember 21 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Erin Cahill, Andrew WalkerOn-set veterinarian Goldie MacKenzie (Cahill) leaves Hollywood behind to buy a family-run veterinary clinic in Blue Dog Valley, just in time
- Sun22Double Booked for the HolidaysNovember 22 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Rachael Leigh Cook, Owain Yeoman, Stephen HaganIdentical twins Abigail and Charlie (both Cook) travel to Wales to run a bookshop for a week during
- Thu26Christmas DeliveredNovember 26 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Autumn Reeser, Wes BrownKimberly Carr (Reeser) travels to Canada to spend Christmas with her grandmother at her cozy farmhouse. Her restorative holiday plans are
- Fri27The Christmas Eve FeastNovember 27 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Daniella Monet, Kevin McGarrySilvana “Silvy” Gianetti (Monet) is disillusioned with her job as executive chef at a swanky NYC restaurant. When her Nonna suffers
- Fri27Return to SantaNovember 27 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Paul Campbell, Rachel BostonHopeful 8-year-old Jake writes a letter to Santa with his most fantastical wishes, but it gets lost in the North Pole
- Sat28The Most Wonderful SecretNovember 28 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Tammin Sursok, Peter PorteEvery Christmas, a small town honors a beloved late teacher’s memory by choosing one worthy recipient for the whimsical “Secret Norma”
- Sat28Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come TrueNovember 28 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Lacey Chabert, Travis Van Winkle, Richard Kind, Christy Carlson RomanoLindsey (Chabert) and her extended family head to Walt Disney World Resort for a magical
- Sun29Eight Nights for LoveNovember 29 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Hunter King, Dan JeannotteHannah (King) works for a large NYC auction house and looks forward to time off during Hanukkah with her best friend
- Sun29Miles to ChristmasNovember 29 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Ashley Williams, Steve Lund, Alison SweeneyWhen an early snowstorm sweeps through the Midwest, straight-laced Cassidy Fields (Williams) is forced to hitch a ride in
- December 2026
- Fri4The Snowflake EffectDecember 4 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Heather Hemmens, Mark GhaniméWhen driven corporate attorney Tanya (Hemmens) rushes into a gift shop for a last-minute White Elephant gift, she crosses paths with
- Sat5A Grand Biltmore ChristmasDecember 5 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Holland Roden, Niall Matter, Andie MacDowellAs Biltmore House opens for the first time on Christmas Eve 1895, 13-year-old Elizabeth meets Michael, a teen caught
- Sun6An Angel in My StockingDecember 6 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Fiona Gubelmann, Marco Grazzini, Nancy RobertsonAmanda (Gubelmann) and Jack (Grazzini) had a whirlwind romance that ended after one calamitous Christmas together. Three years post-divorce,
- Fri11Christmas in CanterburyDecember 11 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Jessy Schram, Will KempRose (Schram) arrives in Canterbury, England to spend the holidays with her childhood friend Asha, taking over as girls’ choir master
- Sat12Snow Globe TownDecember 12 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Kimberley Sustad, Scott Michael FosterInspired by Brad Paisley’s song, this holiday romance follows Emily Church (Sustad), who joins her sister on a Christmas getaway
- Sun13Noelle NomadsDecember 13 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Benjamin Ayres, Torrey DeVittoBefore their luxurious Hawaiian holiday, sports medicine physician Joseph (Ayres) and his daughter Annie must first deliver a package from his
- Fri18Hearts All AglowDecember 18 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Mishael Morgan, B.J. Britt, Holly Robinson PeeteMusic historian Mari (Morgan) gets an invite to a Christmas gala at a music museum, hoping to secure
- Sat19Barking All the WayDecember 19 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Ian Harding, Tori AndersonWorkaholic realtor Billie (Anderson) heads home for Christmas but is derailed when a chaotic canine named Yappy nearly causes her car
- Sun20Save the Date for ChristmasDecember 20 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ESTHallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 PremiereCast: Jonathan Bennett, Italia RicciSusie (Ricci) has checked out on dating while Alec (Bennett) is a hopeless romantic — longtime friends who’ve both struck out.
