Great American Family’s Christmas Movie Lineup Features 20 New, Original Movie Premieres

Even though Christmas is approximately two and a half months away, the Great American Family (GAF) channel is already spreading holiday cheer with its annual Christmas movie event. 

It’s designed for those who want to bypass pumpkin season and look ahead to Christmas and all the joy it brings–from Jesus to presents, hot cocoa, and, of course, holiday movies.

Even if you miss a movie’s premiere, chances are you’ll be able to catch all of the 20 new, original Christmas movies produced by GAF and scheduled to be shown on the 24-hour network between now and Christmas. 

Candace Cameron Bure, the chief creative officer of Great American Media, announced the start of the GAF’s annual Christmas movie event titled Great American Christmas in a social media post on Oct. 12. 

“YOU are invited to the MOST heartwarming holiday experience on television!” the post read. 

This year, Bure will also star alongside Gabriel Hogan in the movie My Christmas Hero which will premiere on the network on Nov. 24. 

Bure, 47, announced her first film with the GAF network in September 2022, just five months after announcing her departure from the Hallmark Channel. After 10 years and 30 Christmas movies, Bure left Hallmark due to failed contract negotiations. 

As CBN’s Faithwire reported, Bure celebrated her move from Hallmark to the GAF network. She told The Wall Street Journal in November of last year, “I knew that the people behind Great American Family were Christians that love the Lord and wanted to promote faith programming and good family entertainment.” 

20 New Original Movies to Mark the Yuletide 

The 20 new Christmas movies mark a new record by GAF as it aims to rival Hallmark. Last year, GAF’s Christmas movie event featured 18 premiere movies. In 2021, the network produced 13 original holiday movies. 

The Great American Christmas movie event is the strongest family-friendly, faith-based seasonal offering on linear television, GAF said. 

The event will feature new movie premieres every weekend between now and December 23. Encores of the new films, along with classic Great American Christmas originals will brighten the season 24 hours a day through the end of the year.

The celebration does not end on Dec. 31, as GAF is the exclusive cable television home of the beloved 135th Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day. 

Great American Christmas Movie Lineup for 2023:

• Destined 2: Christmas Once More, starring Shae Robins and Casey Elliott, premieres Saturday, October 14 (8 p.m. ET). (Watch for reruns) In this sequel, Theo (Elliott) continues to miss connecting with his girlfriend, Kim (Robbins) as he attempts to propose at Christmas.
• ‘Twas the Text Before Christmas, starring Merritt Patterson and Trevor Donovan, premieres Saturday, October 21 (8 p.m. ET). An unexpected text message sent to the wrong number (Patterson) sets into motion a Christmas tradition with a new family (Donovan) over three separate years.
• Bringing Christmas Home, starring Jill Wagner and Paul Greene, premieres Saturday, October 28 (8 p.m. ET). A professor of military history (Wagner) teams with an antique store owner (Greene) to track down the original owner of a historic WWII uniform and the love letters left in its pockets. 
• Journey to Christmas (working title), starring Ash Tsai and Joey Heyworth, premieres Sunday, October 29 (8 p.m. ET). While on a charity press tour, a model (Tsai) ends up stranded by the weather at the family home of the driver (Heyworth) she hired to assist her for the week. 
• A Dash of Christmas, starring Broadway’s Laura Osnes and Christopher Russell, premieres Saturday, November 4 (8 p.m. ET). A marketing exec (Osnes) must learn a recipe to get her dream job and ends up entering a holiday bake-off with a dream baker (Russell).
• Our Christmas Wedding, starring Holly Deveaux and Drew Seeley, premieres Sunday, November 5 (8 p.m. ET). In the sequel, roles reverse as Nicole’s boss plans newly engaged Nicole (Deveaux) and Michael’s (Seeley) wedding in two weeks at Christmas.
• Christmas Keepsake (working title), starring Jillian Murray and Daniel Lissing, premieres November 11 (8 p.m. ET). A father (Lissing) bonds with his daughter and stumbles upon an unexpected romance while tracking down the original owner of a Christmas time capsule.
• A Christmas Blessing, starring Lori Loughlin, James Tupper, and Jesse Hutch, premieres November 12 (8 p.m. ET). A TV chef is divinely inspired to take over her late aunt’s charity with help from a new friend and business associate next door. 
• Santa, Maybe, starring Aubrey Reynolds, premieres November 18 (8 p.m. ET). Can theater director Lila rise to the challenge of putting on the perfect Christmas ballet, while also discovering her office Secret Santa in the process?
• A Paris Christmas Waltz, starring Jen Lilley and Matthew Morrison, premieres November 19 (8 p.m. ET). A novice dancer pairs with a professional to enter a renowned dance competition…in Paris! The next story in The Christmas Waltz universe, the highest-rated Christmas rom-com of 2020, from Michael Damian and Janeen Damian.
• A Royal Date for Christmas (wt), starring Danica McKellar and Damon Runyan, premieres November 25 (8 p.m. ET). When a European Duke arrives in the US, he realizes that his bags have been lost in transit. He has no choice but to be styled, and ultimately inspired, by Bella the owner of a local boutique. 
• A Christmas for the Ages, starring Natasha Bure, Anna Ferguson, Kate Craven, and Cheryl Ladd, premieres November 26 (8 p.m. ET). Prompted by their youngest granddaughter (Bure), four generations celebrate family and what Christmas was like in the 40s, 60s, 90s, and present day. 
• The Jinglebell Jubilee (wt), starring Erin Agostino and Marshall Williams, premieres December 3 (8 p.m. ET). A city manager recruits the help of a childhood friend in setting right his town’s Christmas Charity event, while she sets to work setting him up with her close friend.
• Meet Me Under the Mistletoe, starring Sarah Fisher and Simon Arblaster, premieres Saturday, December 9 (8 p.m. ET). Two rival realtors are forced to work together to sell one special house before Christmas. 
• Peppermints & Postcards, starring Ella Cannon and Christopher Russell, premieres December 10 (8 p.m. ET). When a Christmas letter concerning her love life goes viral, one mom discovers that romance might be right at her door.
• Designing Christmas with You (wt), starring Susie Abromeit and Liam McIntyre, premieres Dec. 16 (8 p.m. ET). With her career on the line, a decorator must work with an unexpected partner to showcase a house for an upcoming Christmas gala.
• 12 Games of Christmas, starring Johnny Ramey and Felisha Cooper, premieres December 17 (8 p.m. ET). In 12 Games of Christmas, a group of old friends and neighbors are transported into a Christmas-themed board game during a Christmas party.
• A Royal Christmas Holiday, starring Brittany Underwood and Jonathan Stoddard, premieres December 23 (8 p.m. ET). In search of her big break, a reporter arranges a Christmas interview with a European Prince visiting the States. Will the reporter’s big story become her love story? 

Watch the trailer for this week’s premiere ‘Twas the Text Before Christmas’ below:

Great American Living Channel Adds Faith to Name, Lineup 

Earlier this month, Great American Media announced its Great American Living channel will be rebranded to Great American Faith & Living. Following the successful merger with the Sony-owned streaming service, Pure Flix, the company is expanding its faith footprint in the linear space.  

Great American Faith & Living joins Great American Family—the fastest-growing television network for 11 consecutive months – as a channel committed to providing beloved family-friendly, faith-based content to viewing audiences across the landscape, Great American Media said. 

“Since the merger with Pure Flix, faith movies have been among the top-rated content on Great American Family, and we feel strongly that the faith category is big enough to have a channel fully dedicated to the genre,” said Bill Abbott, president, and CEO of Great American Media. “We are committed to listening to our viewers and are dedicated to creating quality faith and family content that inspires and uplifts.”  

The movies new to the Great American Family include Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters; An Unlikely Angel; Learning To Love; and The Abigail Mysteries.”

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