I know there's a cult following for these budget holiday shows. This time of year, my dearest friends and relatives constantly find ourselves always talking about our favorites. Anyone online can't help but notice the made-for-TV Christmas hype too. In this social media age hashtags are a flutter everywhere with made-for-TV holiday titles.
population-we™ readers, join me as I rank my Top 10 favorite made-for-TV Christmas movies according to cable networks, on-demand media and genres below:
Network: ABC Family
Genre: Action/Adventure
Plot Summary: "Christmas Bounty" (2013) puts a twist into the typical love triangle scene. A former bounty hunter turned school teacher determined to keep her past a secret finds herself rushed back into the family business. At the same time she struggles with feelings for her new Manhattan man and former New Jersey bounty hunter boyfriend. A lot of action scenes in this movie.
Network: Hallmark Movie Channel
Genre: Historical
Plot Summary: "Silent Night" (2012) is the true 1818 story behind the popular Christmas carol, Silent Night. In a small Austrian town, a young new assistant priest tries to bring the church closer to the common people but instead clashes with his superior. In the end, the young priest embraces the true significance of the Holy Night.
Network: ABC Family
Genre: Comedy
Plot Summary: "Kristin's Christmas Past" (2013) is set around a time traveling 30-year-old who winds up in Christmas past offering advice to her younger self.
Network: Hallmark
Genre: Romance
Genre: Romance
Plot Summary: "A Holiday Engagement" (2011) dumped by her fiancé she may or may not find true love when she hires an actor to pose as her fiancé for the holidays.
Network: Lifetime
Genre: Family
Plot Summary: "Moonlight & Mistletoe" (2008) finds a Boston toy executive returning home to help out her dad after a fall. She finds the all-year Christmas village, Santaville, outdated and near bankruptcy. Watch as the main character is whisked away in a love triangle between a shy woodworker and financial advisor.
Network: Lifetime
Genre: Action Adventure
Plot Summary: "Special Delivery" (2008) follows a bonded courier in the Pacific Rim who is tasked with delivering a 15-year-old teenager to her mom by Christmas. Based mostly in Hawaii, this babysitting detail turns into a Magnum PI episode with plot twists throughout.
Network: ABC Family
Genre: Comedy
Genre: Comedy
Plot Summary: "Christmas in Handcuffs" (2007) is the tale of a desperate woman who literally kidnaps & handcuffs a stranger and parades him as her boyfriend at her parent's house for Christmas.
Network: Lifetime
Genre: Family
Plot Summary: "Christmas in Paradise" (2007) follows two families looking to escape bad holiday memories by vacationing over Christmas at a Caribbean resort. In the process, both families come together and learn some Puerto Rican culture as well as the magical Christmas story of the three kings.
On Demand: Netflix
Genre: Historical
Plot Summary: "Silent Night" (2002) is a fact-based World War II story set on 1944 Christmas Eve, which finds a German mom and son seeking refuge in a cabin on the war front. When she is invaded by three American and German soldiers; she successfully convinces the soldiers to put aside their differences for one evening and share a Christmas dinner.
Network: ABC Family
Genre: Romance
Plot Summary: "A Holiday for Love" (1996) unrolls as a business executive is sent to a small town to assess which of the workers in a local factory should get laid off but instead falls in love with a single mom.
I guarantee, nothing makes the holiday stress melt away faster than watching made-for-TV holiday movies. So, merry made-for-TV Christmas movie watching!
(Editor's note: Do you have a favorite Christmas TV movie that didn't make this year's list? If so, leave a comment below or on Facebook.)
-population-we™ blog post by Becky Bohan Brown
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I have so enjoyed many Christmas movies over the years including some on your list. I hope to see my favorite new one from last year, Pete's Christmas. We have watched a lot of movies this year but not all of the 12 new Hallmark movies of Christmas yet(there's still time hopefully). We set out to watch a Royal Christmas on a fine afternoon. There was a mishap and it was delayed. The next time we mixed up the time and it was too late for us to stay up that night. Finally, we saw it and it was worth the wait. We also liked the Christmas Shepherd. A few tear jerker momements there. Christmas Under Wraps was cute and sweet. The Nine Lives of Christmas was a nice romance type. Just last night, I saw saw Christmas at Cartwright's. Not at all what I expected and I really enjoyed it. Here's to hoping that I see Mr. Miracle!
ReplyDeletebkbsmiles: Glad to hear you're feeling the made-for-TV Christmas spirit as well. Thanks for sharing the titles above--I'll make sure to look out for them in our local listings. Many thanks for your comment.
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