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Before you buy
Official guide lists 36 entries. Most are at 8/7c; exceptions and double-premiere days are called out.
Hallmark Channel’s 2026 Countdown to Christmas programming starts Friday, October 16, at 8/7c. The official preview lists 36 new movies, series installments and specials through Sunday, December 20. Most premieres air at 8/7c, but Thanksgiving weekend includes several 6/5c showings, and one December 5 special begins at 10/9c.
This guide puts every announced date and time in one place, flags the double-premiere days, and explains the easiest way to plan your watchlist. Hallmark can revise its schedule, so confirm your local provider listing before airtime.
Disclosure: This article is not sponsored by or affiliated with Hallmark Channel. Links in this guide go directly to official Hallmark pages; GlitchNDealz may earn from qualifying links elsewhere on the site.
Hallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 at a glance
- Start date: Friday, October 16, 2026
- Final listed premiere: Sunday, December 20, 2026
- Usual time: 8/7c
- Special schedule days: November 27, 28 and 29 include both 6/5c and 8/7c premieres; December 5 adds a 10/9c special after the 8/7c movie.
- Official source: Hallmark Channel’s 2026 Countdown to Christmas preview
Hallmark writes its national airtimes in Eastern/Central format. “8/7c” means 8 p.m. Eastern and 7 p.m. Central. Mountain and Pacific viewers should use their TV provider’s local guide because channel feeds and start times can differ.
October 2026 premieres
- Friday, October 16 at 8/7c: ’Tis the Season for Setups
- Saturday, October 17 at 8/7c: Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story
- Sunday, October 18 at 8/7c: Mr. & Mrs. Christmas
- Friday, October 23 at 8/7c: Winter Wonderlanes
- Saturday, October 24 at 8/7c: Forgotten Holiday
- Sunday, October 25 at 8/7c: What If Christmas
- Friday, October 30 at 8/7c: Who’s Coming for Christmas?
- Saturday, October 31 at 8/7c: Adopting St. Nick
November 2026 premieres
- Sunday, November 1 at 8/7c: A Danish Christmas
- Thursday, November 5 at 8/7c: Mistletoe Murders, Season 3 premiere
- Friday, November 6 at 8/7c: Merry Memories
- Saturday, November 7 at 8/7c: Holiday Unplugged
- Sunday, November 8 at 8/7c: A Season of Promises
- Friday, November 13 at 8/7c: My Christmas Cowboy
- Saturday, November 14 at 8/7c: The Nights Before Christmas
- Sunday, November 15 at 8/7c: Mistletoe and Mimosas
- Friday, November 20 at 8/7c: Our Holiday Playbook
- Saturday, November 21 at 8/7c: Christmas in Blue Dog Valley
- Sunday, November 22 at 8/7c: Double Booked for the Holidays
- Thursday, November 26 at 8/7c: Christmas Delivered
- Friday, November 27 at 6/5c: The Christmas Eve Feast
- Friday, November 27 at 8/7c: Return to Santa
- Saturday, November 28 at 6/5c: The Most Wonderful Secret
- Saturday, November 28 at 8/7c: Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True
- Sunday, November 29 at 6/5c: Eight Nights for Love
- Sunday, November 29 at 8/7c: Miles to Christmas
December 2026 premieres and specials
- Friday, December 4 at 8/7c: The Snowflake Effect
- Saturday, December 5 at 8/7c: A Grand Biltmore Christmas
- Saturday, December 5 at 10/9c: The Hallmark Christmas Experience: A Hometown Holiday
- Sunday, December 6 at 8/7c: An Angel in My Stocking
- Friday, December 11 at 8/7c: Christmas in Canterbury
- Saturday, December 12 at 8/7c: Snow Globe Town
- Sunday, December 13 at 8/7c: Noelle Nomads
- Friday, December 18 at 8/7c: Hearts All Aglow
- Saturday, December 19 at 8/7c: Barking All the Way
- Sunday, December 20 at 8/7c: Save the Date for Christmas
The dates most likely to cause scheduling mistakes
Thanksgiving weekend has two premieres per night
November 27, 28 and 29 each have a 6/5c title followed by an 8/7c title. If you normally set a single 8 p.m. reminder, you could miss the earlier movie. Make two calendar entries on each of those three days and allow a little extra time if you plan to record both.
December 5 includes a late special
A Grand Biltmore Christmas begins at 8/7c on December 5. Hallmark then lists The Hallmark Christmas Experience: A Hometown Holiday at 10/9c. The second program is a special, not another standard 8/7c movie premiere.
Two Thursday debuts break the weekend pattern
The official guide includes Mistletoe Murders on Thursday, November 5, and Christmas Delivered on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26. Add those separately if you usually check only Friday through Sunday.
How to build a watchlist without paying for the wrong service
- Choose titles first. Mark the movies and specials you actually want to see instead of assuming you need the entire season.
- Check your current TV package. Search your cable, satellite or live-TV streaming guide for Hallmark Channel before adding another subscription.
- Confirm local airtimes. Use the provider guide on the day of the premiere, particularly if you are outside the Eastern or Central time zones.
- Set reminders for exceptions. Thanksgiving weekend’s 6/5c titles and the December 5 10/9c special deserve separate alerts.
- Use Hallmark’s official tools. The Hallmark Movie Checklist app can help viewers track titles, but app features and viewing access can change.
Before paying for a new streaming package, compare the subscription cost with the number of programs you expect to watch. For example, if a one-month option costs $12 and you plan to watch six premieres, that works out to an illustrative $2 per planned program. If you only want one title and your existing provider already carries Hallmark Channel, a second service may add no value. This is planning math, not a quoted Hallmark price.
Practical planning tips
- Record with a buffer: Live schedules can shift. Adding a few minutes before and after a recording can protect against minor changes.
- Check household conflicts: Thanksgiving weekend and December 5 have back-to-back programming, so verify available DVR tuners or simultaneous streams.
- Recheck closer to airdate: Cast announcements, titles and times can change after an early seasonal preview.
- Keep the broader holiday budget visible: Add entertainment costs to a seasonal plan such as the GlitchNDealz sales calendar rather than treating each subscription as a separate impulse expense.
- Pair free activities with movie nights: Browse family freebies for low-cost ideas, then schedule home movie nights around the premieres you care about most.
Frequently asked questions
When does Hallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 start?
The first listed premiere is ’Tis the Season for Setups on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 8/7c.
Are all 36 entries movies?
No. Hallmark’s official preview contains a mix of movies, a season premiere and a holiday special. This guide calls them “entries” or “premieres” rather than claiming every listing is a movie.
What time do new Hallmark Christmas movies air?
Most 2026 premieres are listed at 8/7c. Important exceptions include 6/5c titles on November 27, 28 and 29, plus a 10/9c special on December 5.
Can the schedule change?
Yes. Seasonal television schedules can be revised. Use Hallmark’s official preview and your local provider guide to confirm the final title, date and local airtime.
Source check: The official Hallmark Channel 2026 preview and programming guide were reviewed on October 12, 2026. This page will be updated only when Hallmark publishes a substantive schedule change.
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