We can all agree that 2020 is definitely getting coal in its stocking.
Fortunately, Lifetime is playing Santa and gifting us with a star-studded, wholesome, inclusive, and highly-anticipated slew of Christmas films. Let’s face it, we can take all the cheesy, teeth-achingly sweet, warm, and fuzzy goodness we can get.
Lifetime’s Christmas lineup is the gift that keeps on giving with sequels, Lifetime Christmas queens, legends and icons, and some of our favorite faces.
We’re talking Kelly Rowland, Kyla Pratt, and Fran Drescher. We have Mario Lopez, Vanessa Lachey, Aaron Ashmore, and Gilles Marini. Oh, and there’s Marie Osmond, a Tiffany Haddish directed film, Jason Priestley, and Melissa Joan Hart.
Seriously, the casting alone is all holiday cheers and no jeers.
And the best part is we can kickstart all the fun early, since according to EW, the first film of the lineup, Christmas on Ice, will air on October. 23.
Yeah, move over Halloween, ’tis the season to curl up on the couch in fuzzy socks with hot cocoa and escape to small towns with loving families, holiday music, and ridiculously attractive romantic leads.
Lifetime pledged to make their Christmas films more inclusive this year, and as we previously reported with their exciting casting news of a real-life queer couple in their first LGBT Holiday flick, they haven’t disappointed.
Lifetime has taken measures in having visibility from race, sexuality, and disability.
Grab a calendar and check out the lineup below.
Christmas on Ice – Friday, Oct. 23 at 9/8c
Starring Abigail Klein, Ryan Cooper, Caroline Portu, Will Lyman, and Meara Mahoney Gross, Christmas on Ice is about Courtney Bennett (Klein), is a former U.S. figure skating hopeful, who runs the city’s public skating rink.
When the Mayor (Lyman) announces its closing, Courtney is determined to save it. She enlists the help of Noah (Cooper), a former professional hockey player and single dad, who owns the new indoor skating center, to help her. While working together they find more than the holiday spirit. Will they be able to save the skating rink?
Christmas Unwrapped – Saturday, Oct. 24 at 8/7c
Starring Amber Stevens West, Marco Grazzini, and Cheryl Ladd, and executive produced by Tiffany Haddish, Christmas Unwrapped is about Charity (Stevens West).
She’s an ambitious reporter, who discovers the real purpose of the season while investigating Erik (Grazzini), a townsman who claims all the presents he shares with the small town are really from Santa.
Forever Christmas – Sunday, Oct. 25 at 8/7c
Starring Chelsea Hobbs, Christopher Russell, Matthew Anderson, and Jill Morrison, Forever Christmas is about Sophie, a workaholic, who is assigned to a holiday-season show about Will ( Russell), an attractive man who celebrates Christmas 24/7. While falling in love with her show’s star, she also finds a renewed love for the holiday season.
A Crafty Christmas Romance – Friday, Oct. 30 at 8/7c
Starring Nicola Posener and Bradford B. Johnson, the film is about Mandy (Posener), the owner of a craft and hobby store, who discovers a 70-year-old letter to Santa and a coin in an old copy of A Christmas Carol among donations for a book drive.
With the help of Jonah (Johnson), Mandy sets out to find the owner of all involved before Christmas. But she’ll find more than she expected on the scavenger hunt.
Candy Cane Christmas – Saturday, Oct. 31 at 8/7c
Starring Beverley Mitchell, Mark Ghanimé, Trudy Weiss, and Benedicte Belizaire, Candy Cane Christmas is about Phoebe (Mitchell) and her favorite holiday tradition in her neighborhood. When she realizes that her neighborhood will not be keeping the tradition of decorating the area, she seeks out a new tradition to lift her spirits.
In the interim, she comes to realizes it’s not about the traditions, but the people we spend time with along the way.
The Christmas Aunt – Sunday, Nov. 1 at 8/7c
Starring Keshia Knight Pulliam and Jarod Joseph, The Christmas Aunt is about Rebecca (Pulliam), who returns home to Tennessee two weeks before Christmas to take care of her niece and nephew while their parents are away.
However, she doesn’t anticipate reconnecting with her childhood friend, Drew (Joseph). While reviving the kids’ love for Christmas via her favorite activity with Drew, 12 days of Christmas, she starts seeing Drew in a whole new light.
The Christmas Yule Blog- Friday, Nov. 6 at 8/7c
Starring Sara Canning and Zak Santiago, Caroline (Canning) is a well-known social medial travel writer. She is given the assignment to cover a century-old Christmas parade in a small town in New Mexico.
Despite her annoyance, she takes on the assignment and meets a high school music teacher, Oscar (Santiago), who shows her different traditions and meanings of Chrismas than she’s ever known. While falling in love with Christmas again, she also finds true love.
A Welcome Home Christmas – Saturday, Nov. 7 at 8/7c
Starring Jana Kramer, Brandon Quinn, Tim Reid, Charlene Tilton, and Craig Morgan this film is about Chloe (Kramer), a woman who has always been supportive of military causes.
One of which is an Army toy drive, only this year, she’s paired with Michael (Quinn), a recently returned vet. Together, the pair recruit other veterans and active military personnel to help in the cause.
As the community gears up for the Officer’s Christmas Ball, Michael and Chloe realize the greatest gift this season has been each other’s company.
A Very Charming Christmas Town- Sunday, Nov. 8 at 8/7c.
Starring Natalie Hall, Jon Prescott, Kelley Jakle, Jo Marie Payton, and Tracey E. Bregman, this is about Lifestyle Blogger and classic City girl, Aubrey(Hall), who goes to the town of Solvang, a town voted Most Christmassy in the nation, for a vlog piece.
Sawyer (Prescott) a community coordinator and chocolate show owner serves as a tour guide, but while they start as complete opposites, they also prove that in the small Danish village, opposites just might attract.
Christmas on the Vine – Friday, Nov. 13 at 8/7c
Starring Julianna Guill, Jon Cor, and Meredith Baxter, Brooke Guill) is a marketing executive who goes back to her hometown to help out at her family’s struggling winery.
She partners with Tyler (Cor), the owner of the winery, who reveals that the town’s local wineries are being crushed by a huge conglomerate buying them out. Brooke and Tyler work together to defeat the conglomerate and bring the Christmas spirit back to their small town.
Christmas on Wheels – Saturday, Nov. 14 at 8/7c
Starring Tiya Sircar and Michael Xavier, it’s about Ashley (Sircar), who returns to her small hometown to care for her uncle. She’s disappointed to learn that he sold her mom’s vintage red convertible, but with the help of Duncan (Xavier), her uncle’s attorney, she is reunited with and restores the car.
And with it, she restores her mother’s tradition of filling it up with gifts for the community, and her faith in Christmas and love, although she’s torn between the big city and a new life in her small hometown.
The Christmas Edition- Sunday, Nov. 15 at 8/7c
Starring Carly Hughes, Rob Mayes, Marie Osmond, and Aloma Wright, Jackie (Hughes) is a journalist whose life is at a crossroads. She finds a surprising opportunity to run a small-town newspaper in Alaska.
She quickly makes the small-town paper profitable, falls in love with her new job, new home, and the handsome son of the paper’s previous owner, but her former boss threatens to take over, and it’ll take a Christmas miracle to save it.
A Taste of Christmas – Friday, Nov. 20 at 8/7c
Starring Anni Krueger, Gilles Marini, Nia Vardalos, Andrew Brodeur, and Emma Myers, the film is about Natalie (Krueger), who discovers that her cousin (Vardalos) has to cancel the Christmas Eve opening of her new Italian restaurant.
Natalie is determined to keep the opening on, even though the pessimistic chef (Marini) thinks it’s impossible to make it happen in three days. Fortunately, Natalie wears Chef Stefano down, and the two realize they can pull off the impossible when they’re working together.
Feliz NaviDAD – Saturday, Nov. 21 at 8/7c
Starring Mario Lopez, AnnaLynne McCord, Paulina Chavez, and MaryCarmen Lopez, David Morales (Lopez) is an Arizonan high school principal, single dad, and widow, who has lost the holiday spirit.
He’ll do anything to avoid Christmas and the reminders of his late wife, but his daughter, Noel (Chavez), and his sister (MaryCarmen Lopez) insist on bringing the Christmas spirit back into their family and a little love with Sophie (McCord), too.
Homemade Christmas- Sunday, Nov. 22 at 8/7c
Starring Michelle Argyris and Travis Nelson, Megan (Argyris), an ambitious young woman uses the weeks leading up to Christmas to become the ultimate holiday freelance assistant for hire, helping with any Christmas-related tasks for extra income.
But when the opportunity arrives to save a Christmas party and dazzle her crush, she must choose between the man of her aspirations and Mr. Right.
Dear Christmas – Friday, Nov. 27 at 8/7c
Dear Christmas stars Melissa Joan Hart, Jason Priestley, Robin Givens, Ed Begley Jr., Faith Prince, Nicky Whelan, and has cameos by Jamie and Doug Hehner (of Married at First Sight), Hilarie Burton, and Antwon Tanner.
Natalie (Hart) hosts a popular holiday romance podcast. To everyone else, she’s an expert on romance, but in reality, she’s never truly experienced real love of her own.
While preparing for a promotional tour for her new book, Natalie spends time with her family at Christmas and sparks fly between her and a local fireman, Jack (Jason Priestley).
Merry Liddle Christmas Wedding – Saturday, Nov. 28 at 8/7c
This first-ever Christmas sequel stars Kelly Rowland, Thomas Cadrot, Debbi Morgan, Bresha Webb, Latonya Williams, Jaime M. Callica, Nathan Witte, and Chris Shields.
Jacquie Liddle (Rowland) and Tyler try to plan their perfect destination Christmas wedding. However, Jacquie’s plans go awry when her larger than life family intervenes in her planning and her wedding planner quits. It’ll be nothing if not memorable.
People Presents: Once Upon a Main Street – Sunday, Nov. 29 at 8/7c.
Starring Vanessa Lachey, Ryan McPartlin, Patrick Duffy, and Polly Draper, Amelia (Lachey) buys a storefront in hopes of running a year-round Christmas shop. Unfortunately, Vic (McPartlin) bid on the property too.
Amelia and Vic go to the seller (Duffy) to persuade him into selling one of them the space over the other. They find themselves working together and taking on Elder’s holiday tasks and finding love and compromise in the process.
The Christmas Listing – Sunday, Nov. 30 at 8/7c
Starring Lexi Giovagnoli, Travis Burns, Greg Evigan, Rachel O’Connell, and Susan Chambers, Julia (Giovagnoli) is a realty owner who has lost the holiday spirit.
She has five days at the Christmas Inn with her competitor, Chad Everest (Burns), in order to win over the owner. While competing to win the listing, Julia and Chad discover that they have more in common than they thought.
Spotlight on Christmas – Friday, Dec. 4 at 8/7c
Starring Tori Anderson, Victor Zinck Jr., Janet Kidder, Lia Franklin, and Andrew McIlroy, after actress Oliva O’Hara (Anderson), is dumped, she returns to her hometown to hide. She’s not prepared for facing her family, meeting an attractive new man (Zinck), and dodging a nosy reporter. Will she cut loose and run again or face the jingle bells?
Let’s Meet Again on Christmas Eve – Saturday, Dec. 5 at 8/7c
Starring Kyla Pratt and Brooks Darnell, this Christmas romance is about college sweethearts, Corinne (Pratt) and Rob (Darnell), who are torn apart when they have opportunities on different parts of the globe, but they decide to reunite two years later on Christmas Eve to see if they’re truly meant to be.
Unfortunately, one of them shows up, and the other doesn’t, which leads to the dissolution of their romance. But when they bump into each other many years later, can they salvage what they had?
Christmas Ever After – Sunday, Dec. 6 at 8/7c
Starring Ali Stroker and Daniel di Tomasso, we have another sweet Christmas romance you’ll want to see.
Izzi Simmons (Stroker) is a romance novelist who spends Christmas at her favorite bed and breakfast every year. This Christmas, she’s hit with a severe case of writer’s block, and she’s under a serious deadline.
But fortunately for her, inspiration is all around, including in the B&B’s new owner (di Tomasso), who has a striking resemblance to the hero in Izzi’s novels. Will the heat from the pages come to life?
The Santa Squad – Monday, Dec. 7 at 8/7c
Starring Rebecca Dalton and Aaron Ashmore, this film is about Allie (Dalton), an unemployed art teacher who has to accept a job with the Santa Squad to help a rich widower (Ashmore) and his daughters rediscover the Christmas magic and maybe a dash of love too.
Inn Love by Christmas – Friday, Dec. 11 at 8/7c
Starring Jonna Walsh, Jesse Hutch, Art Hindle, and Jayne Eastwood, this film is about Mandy (Walsh) a successful woman climbing the corporate ladder in Miami’s hotel industry.
Mandy’s Gram (Eastwood) convinces her to visit her small hometown for the holidays. It also means Mandy can acquire the local inn, but she runs into her high school rival, Lucas (Hutch), who has eyes on the inn as well.
The Christmas Setup- Saturday, Dec. 12 at 8/7c
Starring Ben Lewis, Blake Lee, Fran Drescher, Ellen Wong, and Chad Connell, it’s Lifetime’s first LGBT-led Christmas film. New York lawyer Hugo (Lewis) and his best friend (Wong) head to Milwaukee to spend the holidays with his family.
But his mother (Drescher) is determined to set him up with Hugo’s high school crush, Patrick (Lee). But can they navigate their new romance and a job offer that requires relocation across the pond?
A Sugar & Spice Holiday – Sunday, Dec. 13 at 8/7c
Starring Jacky Lai, Tony Giroux, and Tzi Ma, this film follows Suzie (Lai), a young architect who returns to her small Maine hometown for the holidays where her Chinese-American parents, Pete (Tzi Ma) and Mimi (Lillian Lim), run the local Lobster Bar.
While there, Suzie is guilted into entering the local gingerbread house competition in honor of her late grandmother, and she teams up with her high school bestie, Billy (Giroux), to create the perfect recipe for gingerbread and maybe love too.
Lonestar Christmas- Monday, Dec. 14 at 8/7c
Lonestar Christmas stars Stephanie Bennett, Marco Grazzini, Brent Strait, Colleen Wheeler, Lina Renna, Emma Oliver, and BJ Harrison.
Single mom Erin (Bennett) takes her daughters to spend Christmas with her estranged father on a Texas ranch, but she falls in love with a restauranteur (Grazzini) while learning to forgive her father and make amends for the past.
Christmas on the Menu – Friday, Dec. 18 at 8/7c
It stars Kim Shaw, Clayton James, Cynthia Gibb, Jesse Kove, Michael Steger, and Shanica Knowles, and it’s about Josie (Shaw) a city chef who heads home to spend the holidays at the bed and breakfast where she grew up.
Her mother (Gibb) has opened a new restaurant, and Josie’s harshest food critic (James), comes to town to review it. Will Tanner write a rave review, better yet, we will be raving over this enemies-to-lovers romance?
A Christmas Exchange (Title May Change) – Saturday, Dec. 19 at 8/7c
Starring Laura Vandervoort and Rainbow Sun Francks, this Holiday Switch inspired film is about Molly Cooper (Vandervoort), who swaps her quaint farmhouse for Londoner Patrick Kingston’s (Rainbow Sun Francks) opulent apartment.
Despite searching for love and a new life in London, Molly finds herself most looking forward to communication with Patrick. And he feels the same as they get to know each other intimately by living in each other’s spaces.
A Christmas Break – Sunday, Dec. 20 at 8/7c
Starring Cindy Sampson and Steve Byers, it’s about a teacher Addison (Sampson) who wants the school’s final Christmas before shutting down to be special.
She meets Danny (Byers)an actor who has returned home to reconnect with his roots, and they team up to save the school and Christmas.
Whew, that was a lot! Are you looking forward to getting into the holiday spirit? Do any of these films pique your interest? Are there any particular films you want covered?
Make sure you check back here at TV Fanatic for some review coverage.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.