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The Christmas movies began on Oct. 21. Ten days before Halloween, Hallmark Channel aired “Noel Next Door,” a movie with this description: “A single mother gets into a war of words with an irritable neighbor who’s ruining Christmas, only to find that this misunderstood Grinch is the man who’s stolen her heart.”
Of course, he was a misunderstood Grinch.
Until Dec. 26, we now have a choice of three different Christmas movies. Every. Single. Day. Not just on Hallmark, but also on the new-to-me channel Great American Family, or GAC to those in-the-know.
Five years ago, when we switched from cable to Roku and apps, I was happy to discover the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel. I have been addicted to mysteries since I discovered Nancy Drew at age about 10 (maybe younger?). I suddenly had new mysteries to add to my watching pleasure of “PBS Mystery!” every week.
I was peeved last year when my mystery binge-watching came to a screeching halt in October. My mystery channel went red and green, so to speak. With no warning. I had “Garage Sale Mysteries” and “Aurora Teagarden” withdrawal pains. I longed for Candace Cameron Bure to break out of her librarian duties to solve the latest murder victim whose body she, of course, discovered.
I watched maybe one or two of the Christmas movies just because I was bored. I welcomed the return to programming normalcy in January.
This year is different. Life is stressful. I need a mental break. I turned on Hallmark. And GAC.
And while I’m only good for small doses and tend to hit fast-forward when the Christmas spirit hits “cloying overload,” I am enjoying what I’ve seen. My favorite of the four or five I’ve watched is “Ghosts of Christmas Always,” a clever twist on “A Christmas Carol.”
But what I still can’t stomach, even this year, is the “successful businesswoman gets stranded in small town after a flat tire in a blizzard and discovers she wants to open a small craft boutique specializing in cupcakes and marry the widowed town physician with six sad kids.” Or something similar.
And how many misunderstood princes of small countries who need a nanny/assistant/secretary are there, anyway?
I will take the themes of love and kindness every day. Well, maybe not daily, but I will be switching to them when needed.
Honestly, my favorite new thing is reading the descriptions of the movies, though. Here are a few more I want to share. Then you are on your own to pick your favorites.
Here you go:
“A Cozy Christmas Inn:” Sparks fly between a real estate executive and her ex when she travels to Alaska on business.
“A Royal Christmas on Ice:” Looking to escape his royal life, a dashing prince comes to the United States to start a business.
“The Royal Nanny:” An undercover MI5 agent must resist the charms of Prince Colin while keeping the royal family safe.
“Dognapped: Hound for the Holidays:” When a social media influencer’s dog is kidnapped, her assistant and a local vet hunt for the puppy.
“Pictured for Christmas:” A storybook illustrator learns that she has inherited her grandmother’s Christmas tree farm.
“Must Love Christmas:” A snowbound novelist finds herself in an unexpected love triangle with her childhood crush and a reporter.
There you have it. Merry Christmas (or Happy Thanksgiving).
Contact this reporter at editor@westlifenews.com or 440-871-5797.
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