Hallmark’s Countdown To Christmas Lineup Just Dropped, & It’s The Very Merry Distraction We All Need Right Now

In case you missed the one zillion social media posts about it, we’ve officially hit the 100-days-until-Christmas mark. And you know what that means — it’s just about time to break out your favorite Santa mug, fill it with hot cocoa (extra marshmallows for me, please), and curl up on the couch with your coziest blanket to binge-watch Christmas movies. Happily, Hallmark is here for us in our time of need: The network just announced its biggest Countdown to Christmas lineup ever.

It does not feel like an exaggeration to say we’re all desperately in need of something festive to tune into so we can dissociate from *gestures broadly.* We’ll have plenty of stuff to cue up for that very purpose, as Hallmark Channel is celebrating 16 years of Countdown to Christmas with nearly 80 hours of all-new programming stretched across 10 glorious weeks. That includes the “Ho-Ho-Holiday Series” on Friday and Monday nights, and original movie premieres every Saturday and Sunday night — with all original movie premieres and series available to stream the next day on Hallmark+.

The very merry fun kicks off on Friday, Oct. 17, meaning we only have a few more weeks to wait until we can give our brains a much-needed break by binge-watching 24/7 Christmas content.

What movies are we watching?

You can check out the full schedule over at Hallmark.com, but here are a few I’m particularly pumped about watching.

Saturday, Oct. 18: A Royal Montana Christmas

Princess Victoria of Zelarnia (Fiona Gubelmann) heads to a Montana ranch ahead of the holidays to escape her royal duties and relive childhood holiday memories. There she meets Huntley (Warren Christie), a rancher also grappling with family legacy. As Christmas nears, Princess Victoria must decide if her heart belongs to the crown... or to Montana. Romance and Western vistas? Say less.

Saturday, Oct. 25: Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper!

After a string of unlucky holidays, weatherman Ted Cooper (OTH fave Robert Buckley) is determined to turn things around. Unfortunately, a holiday visit back to his hometown of Lackawanna, New York, starts with a trip to Urgent Care after falling off a ladder. Things start looking up when he reconnects with old friends, including his high school crush turned local doctor, Hope Miller (Kimberley Sustad). Will this year be Ted’s Christmas comeback? It’s looking, ahem, hope-ful.

Saturday, Nov. 1: Christmas On Duty

Former rivals Blair (Janel Parrish, of PLL fame) and Josh (Parker Young) haven’t spoken since their constant competition with each other at Quantico culminated in Blair getting Josh’s dream job. But three years later, they’re forced back together when they get assigned joint Christmas Duty at their military base. While they plan to just ice each other out, a snowstorm threatens to freeze out everyone’s holiday fun. So, the pair must team up for a special mission that could lead to more.

Sunday, Nov. 9: A Keller Christmas Vacation

Sign me up for any movies that combine two of my favorite things: Christmas and travel! Here, Keller siblings Cal (Brandon Routh), Dylan (Jonathan Bennett), and Emory (Eden Sher) reluctantly reunite over the holidays for a family river cruise down the Danube River to tour European Christmas markets. They’ve grown apart over the years, but could the breathtaking sights, new friendships, and even unexpected romances the cruise brings bring them back together? Turns out, this may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the Kellers.

Sunday, Nov. 16: Tidings for the Season

Adam (B.J. Britt) is a news anchor with big aspirations. But when he meets Robbie, a young fan who challenges him to cover more than just what’s going wrong in the world, Adam starts to reevaulate the way he looks at life and the people around him — including Robbie’s mom Lucy (Tamera Mowry-Housley).

Saturday, Nov. 29: A Grand Ole Opry Christmas

The Grand Ole Opry will forever feel nostalgic to me, and nostalgia and the holidays go hand in hand. In this movie, Gentry Wade (Nikki DeLoach) gets invited to honor her late father at the Opry’s centennial, but gets swept back to 1995 by a touch of Christmas magic. With the help of her lifelong friend Mac (Kristoffer Polaha), who also finds himself in ‘95, Gentry gets some precious time with her father along with the courage to pick her songwriting career back up.

The premise here is A+, and the extra credit? Tons of cameos: Brad Paisley, Megan Moroney, Mickey Guyton, Pam Tillis, Rhett Atkins, and more.

Sunday, Dec. 14: Oy! to the World

A holiday mishaps leads a synaoguge and Episcopal church to share a space, meaning choir directors Nikki (Brooke D’Orsay) and Jake (Jake Epstein) must work together for the good of all — especially since Hanukkah and Christmas Eve fall on the same day this year, so they’ll be holding a joint service. The only hitch? These two high school rivals are more accustomed to competing than cooperating. When they figure out how to collaborate, though, they start to see how much teamwork brings people together.

Sunday, Dec. 21: The Christmas Baby

What do you do when a baby boy shows up on your doorsteps days before Christmas? That’s what Erin (Ali Liebert) and Kelly (Katherine Barrell) have to find out when it happens to them. And it’s made all the more complicated by the fact that they’re navigating their new relationship and a booming business at the busiest time of the year. However, the baby’s presence might just prove to be the biggest present of all.

What shows are we watching?

In addition to movies, Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas includes plenty of original series premieres:

• Friday, Oct. 17: Mistletoe Murders Season 1, starring Sarah Drew (Grey’s Anatomy) and Peter Mooney (Rookie Blue)
• Monday, Oct. 27: Finding Mr. Christmas Season 2, hosted by Jonathan Bennett (Mean Girls) with lead judge Melissa Peterman (Reba)
• Monday, Oct. 27: Baked With Love: Holiday, hosted by Tamera Mowry-Housley (Scouting for Christmas) with guest judges Chef Anna Haugh and NY Times cooking producer Vaughn Vreeland
• Friday, Nov. 7: Mistletoe Murders Season 2
• Friday, Dec. 5: Twelve Dates ‘Til Christmas, starring Mae Whitman (Good Girls), Julian Morris (The Morning Show), Toby Sandeman (Running Point), Nathaniel Parker (Midsomer Murders), Jane Seymour (Harry Wild), Lucy Eaton (Murder Maps), and Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica)

So, basically, you’ll get to choose your own holiday binge-watching adventure when Countdown to Christmas kicks off on Oct. 17. Bring on the very merry brain melting, please and thank you!