Hallmark Channel’s predictable cheesy romance movies fill people’s TV screens every holiday season. But why do people continue to watch them if they know what to expect? How does Hallmark bring the holiday spirit to people’s lives each year?
Every season it seems like Hallmark is just able to produce a bunch of new movies out of nowhere. In 2022 they released 42 new Christmas movies, and in 2023 they are releasing 31 new ones.
When someone says Hallmark, the first thing that comes to mind is the repetitive story plots of their movies that always seem to have a happy ending after the characters go through some tragic problem.
For instance, in the movie, The Nine Lives of Christmas (2014), a veterinarian and firefighter are brought together by a stray cat’s adoption, similar to Checkin’ It Twice (2023), where a hockey player and real estate agent are brought together by an unexpected living situation. Both movies have a similar formula of setting the love interests up to get to know each other and develop feelings throughout the holiday season storyline. The characters end up ‘saving Christmas’ and end happily ever after in their small festive town square sharing a kiss.
Although it seems like the movies are always in a winter wonderland, Hallmark movies are not recorded during a snowy day like most perceive, but the exact opposite.
The filming for all 31 new movies is accomplished during the summer months to get ready for the Holiday season, which for Hallmark, starts in late October when their first “Countdown to Christmas” movie premieres and runs through January. In addition, the channel gives a 15 day filming window for the movies to be completed. This of course leaves very little wiggle room for errors or setbacks.
With these movies being filmed throughout the summer, the producers are faced with the big task of trying to make a hot day look like a winter wonderland. In some of the films, like Haul Out the Holly (2022), they place white tarps over the grass and then in later production change the exposure to make it seem like a light dusting of snow.
Well known actor, Lacey Chabert, who has been increasing her presence in Hallmark movies, said that she has to always remind herself to look like she is cold although it could be a burning 91 degrees outside plus all of the wool clothes they need to wear to bring the Christmas spirit.
Hallmark Channel knows how to create nostalgia through their holiday movies, making their viewers more keen to watch their new lineup each year.
Although it might not be an actual winter’s day, Hallmark Channel knows how to create nostalgia through their holiday movies, making their viewers more keen to watch their new lineup each year.
Hallmark holiday movies always provide delightful entertainment at a family-friendly level, checking all the boxes for most families. People love the joyous, festive, and wistful aura brought by Christmas movies, and Hallmark delivers all this and more.
Not only do people watch these movies for the warm feeling that they bring, but the movies also provide what some people see as the core tradition of Christmas, which involves gift-giving and kindness, that they look forward to all year long.
Although some people might say that they are way too repetitive, Hallmark Channel is always a place where people come back to knowing they will experience the comfort the holidays bring with family and friends.
As the end of the year stressors take a toll on most families, people can indulge in a heart-filled movie for 90 minutes, feeling like they are escaping the harsh reality of the world, knowing that there is always a happy ending during The Countdown to Christmas on Hallmark Channel.
