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Why do we watch Hallmark holiday movies, year in and year out? In 2024 alone, the channel pumped out 32 original films for the holiday season, with new premieres starting in October and continuing every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for the rest of the year. Many of them have interchangeable titles, like "Believe in Christmas," "The Christmas Quest," and "Confessions of a Christmas Letter." It's totally natural to turn on one of these movies and think, "Haven't I seen this before?"

After all, so many of these movies are the same, down to the identical green and red sweaters everyone seems to wear on every poster. They all have the same few types of characters with the same few types of jobs, getting into the same sort of holiday shenanigans while falling into the same types of romances.

But, like a treasured Christmas cookie recipe that we return to every year, having...

Writer Samantha Herman can’t get enough of the holiday season and being in love with love—so naturally, she writes Christmas movies for the Hallmark Channel.

Viewers can now view her eleventh project for the network titled Christmas Island, both set and shot in Canada. The TV movie follows Kate Gabriel (Rachel Skarsten), a commercial pilot looking forward to spending her holiday break flying the Sharpe family on a luxurious vacation to Switzerland. During the flight, a snowstorm forces her to land at a small airport in Maritimes, Canada.

Although hesitant to divert the plane, Oliver Macleod (Andrew Walker), the pragmatic Air Traffic Control Officer, guides them to the nearby (and very real) Christmas Island, their safest option. Fate does its thing bringing Kate and Oliver closer together as they help the Sharpe family make the best of things by partaking in some local holiday traditions. Spoiler Alert: It’s probably a love connection.

Fans of Albert Brooks will not want to miss an insightful documentary in which he’s interviewed by his best friend, Rob Reiner, about the seminal moment of his life.

For documentary fans, we also highly recommend The Lady Bird Diaries, which sheds light on the life in office of the former first lady of the United States, and JFK: What the Doctors Saw.

Big things are coming this week, including Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which literally finds fabled giants in the realm of Godzilla coming to the small screen with an exciting new branch of the film series.

And if space sci-fi is your thing, Beacon 23 begins on Epix. See what else we recommend below!

Saturday, November 11

8/7c Christmas Island (Hallmark)

Can you find the perfect Christmas if you don’t usually celebrate it at all? What if you’re stuck on, of all places, Christmas Island?

Andrew Walker...

How do you go about charting your path for an ideal career?

If you ask prolific writer Samantha Herman, also a practicing attorney, she’d probably say to let the waves take you where they will while always keeping sight of your dreams.

We chatted with her in anticipation of her latest, Christmas Island, and discovered her route from a fan of the Hallmark genre to writing some of their best movies proves that keeping your eyes on your target pays off.

Samantha is warm, amusing, and insightful as she describes her winding road to screenwriting success. Her love for her craft is evident with every word she writes and every word she speaks.

A true fan of romantic comedies and Christmas movies in particular, she’s exactly who those of us who share her interests want to represent us on the page.

Samantha has always had a one-track mind...

Exclusive: In an effort to expand the scope of representation and inclusion in the TV movie space, producers Jessica Yingling and Adam Ripp have launched Rom Com Pictures, which aims to develop and produce inclusive romance movies written by underrepresented writers whose stories appeal to audiences of all ages.

“At Rom Com Pictures, diversity isn’t just a buzzword, it’s what we stand for,” said Yingling. “We have a true desire and passion to leverage our relationships in Hollywood and our expertise in development and filmmaking in order to amplify these marginalized voices. Adam and I are dedicated to creating a space where artists feel free and supported to express their unique personal visions.”

“Diversity and inclusivity doesn’t start and finish with the casting process,” added Ripp. “The origin of the story is where it all begins, with each writer bringing their characters to life through creativity and personal experience.

Because I most often watch Carlo Marks as he portrays David Peck on Chesapeake shores, his image evokes beautiful landscapes and lapping water.

So, it shouldn't have been surprising that when we had an opportunity to chat on the phone about his upcoming Christmas move, Angel Falls: A Novel Holiday, that he was doing it at his cabin on the shore.

Sometimes, life and entertainment collide.

Carlo is starring as Ryan, a former friend and rival of Hannah (Jen Lilley), who returns to his hometown after the death of his parents. Reconnecting with Hannah comes with a lot of pain for Hannah who hasn't been able to forget that her dream job went to Ryan while she's still working for her parents at their publishing house.

Both Ryan and Hannah get prodded to make room for the other in their life by a new angel by the name of Anthony...