18 films on Hallmark’s Christmas movie schedule that have famous pop culture faces

Like that meme of Leonardo DiCaprio pointing astatine the TV, we ticker the Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas movie bid each twelvemonth and astatine immoderate constituent find ourselves shouting astatine the surface saying, “Hey, I cognize that actor!” Then we scramble to propulsion up IMDB connected our phone, perchance missing a delicious cookie-driven crippled constituent oregon an awkward brushwood with an ex’s saccharine aureate retriever.

We’re redeeming you immoderate brainpower with our usher to immoderate of this year’s Hallmark Christmas movies featuring stars you cognize from somewhere!

Scouring the Hallmark Channel’s Christmas movie lineup for 2021, we’ve boiled down the plots of 18 of the 31 caller archetypal movies and punctual you however you cognize that feline who is moving a down-on-its-luck blistery cocoa basal astatine the town’s Christmas festival (probably a CW show) but past gets assistance from a kindly drifter who is really an angel (and was precise perchance a prima of a large web play successful the aboriginal ’90s).

This year’s harvest includes aggregate actors from titles arsenic varied arsenic “Back to the Future,” “Mean Girls” and “One Tree Hill.”

The premieres started good earlier Halloween, truthful if you missed them, beryllium alert that there’s an app with a checklist and docket accusation wherever you tin acceptable reminders to drawback up. (Ask america however we know.) You tin find accusation astir each of the movies astatine hallmarkchannel.com.

After seeing the opening of her town’s clip capsule and gathering a charming chef, Lou, played by vocalist Jordin Sparks, questions whether oregon not she should determination distant from her hometown. (Luba Popovic, Crown Media)

“A Christmas Treasure”

Plot: A writer opens a 100-year-old clip capsule and things vigor up with a section chef. Somehow, this derails her plans to marque a sanction for herself successful New York aft the holidays.

Hey, I admit them: Our writer soon to beryllium successful emotion is vocalist Jordin Sparks, who became celebrated aft play six of “American Idol,” you know, backmost erstwhile Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson were inactive around.

“A Kiss Before Christmas”

Plot: Hallmark believes successful the ethos that you tin ne'er person excessively galore “It’s A Wonderful Life”-style alternate beingness Christmas movies. In this one, a existent property exec turns his privation for a antithetic life, 1 without his 2 teenagers and his wife, into reality.

Hey, I admit them: It’s a “Desperate Housewives” reunion up successful present with James Denton and Teri Hatcher. Throw successful Marilu Henner, of “Taxi” and “Evening Shade” fame, and you person immoderate TV hallway of famers successful this one.

“An Unexpected Christmas”

Plot: Exes person to unreal to beryllium backmost unneurotic for the holidays — astir apt due to the fact that idiosyncratic didn’t archer a frail grandparent astir the breakup that happened 4 years ago.

Hey, I admit them: The ex-girlfriend is played by Bethany Joy Lenz, who was 1 of the pb actors successful the CW teen play “One Tree Hill.”

“Christmas astatine Castle Hart”

Plot: In caller years, Hallmark has upped accumulation values and fixed immoderate films exotic planetary locales — existent ones, not the vaguely European kingdoms with appallingly fake names that nutrient each of those eligible Christmas princes. This 1 takes spot successful Ireland, wherever the pistillate pb is searching for her family’s roots and past she’s mistaken for a enactment planner.

Hey, I admit them: Hallmark pulled retired the large guns beyond the determination for this one, which stars Stuart Townsend arsenic the Irish earl. He played Lestat successful the movie mentation of “Queen of the Damned” and Dorian Gray successful “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.”

And earlier Lacey Chabert became 1 of the queens of Hallmark’s vacation offerings, she was known for her relation successful TV’s “Party of Five,” for providing the dependable of Eliza Thornberry successful the animated amusement “The Wild Thornberrys” and for playing Gretchen Weiners, who kept trying to marque “fetch” happen, successful snarky teen satire “Mean Girls.”

Michelle Williams, Ashleigh Murray and Luke James prima successful “Christmas successful Harmony.” Harmony is tricked into auditioning for the yearly Holiday Hallelujah Chorus — directed by an ex-boyfriend. But by Christmas Eve, they could beryllium harmonizing successful the cardinal of love. (Seth Johnson, Crown Media)

“Christmas successful Harmony”

Plot: Exes reunite successful a vacation chorus. They could person called it “A Christmas Love Song” but we’re beauteous definite there’s already a Hallmark movie with that title.

Hey, I admit them: Ashley Murray, from The CW’s “Riverdale” and “Katy Keene” is the starring lady, named…Harmony. Her ex is played by Luke James, who is connected Showtime’s “The Chi.” However, lone 1 of the formed members was successful Destiny’s Child. While Hallmark doesn’t person a Beyoncé-sized fund conscionable yet, they did get Michelle Williams, whose quality is earnestly named Melo D Star.

“Christmas successful Tahoe”

Plot: A woman’s household owns a edifice and they’re successful a hindrance for the yearly Christmas amusement — due to the fact that nary vacation accumulation tin spell disconnected without a hitch successful Hallmark onshore — and she has to inquire her ex, who is present successful a celebrated band, to assistance out. Oh, and she utilized to beryllium the band’s manager until she was fired years ago. What are the odds?

Hey, I admit them: They aren’t getting apical billing, but comedian George Lopez and Pat Monahan, vocalist for the set Train, look successful this one. Monahan’s engagement makes maine deliberation that each of the big modern Christmas songs for this year’s batch of movies volition beryllium coming from the popular set successful the signifier of originals and covers of yuletide chestnuts. And it’s wholly not extracurricular the realm of possibilities that the band’s heavenly deed “Calling All Angels” makes an appearance. Angels are wholly a Christmas thing.

Terry O’Quinn, Katee Sackhoff, Patrick Sabongui, Emma Oliver prima successful “ Christmas Sail.” (Kailey Schwerman, Crown Media)

“Christmas Sail”

Plot: A pistillate reconnects with her BFF aft she returns location to attraction for her estranged father. Oh, and she has a girl and wants to marque it the Best Christmas Ever. And there’s a sailboat.

Hey, I admit them: The pistillate with daddy issues is played by Katee Sackhoff, champion known for her relation arsenic Lieutenant Kara “Starbuck” Thrace connected the 21st-century mentation of TV’s “Battlestar Galactica.” You’ll besides spot histrion Terry O’Quinn, who should beryllium recognized for his relation arsenic the rich, borderline-obsessive begetter of a golden medal-seeking fig skater successful ’90s big-screen rom-com “The Cutting Edge,” but is apt amended known for his relation arsenic John Locke connected ABC phantasy play “Lost.”

“Eight Gifts of Hanukkah”

Plot: “A pistillate journeys to find her concealed admirer during Hanukkah,” is the lone description connected the Hallmark website astatine the clip of publication. We’re going to presume he’s not a serial slayer since this isn’t Lifetime. (Kidding. Lifetime goes much traditional, little psycho killers for the holidays. They adjacent person aggregate members of “The Brady Bunch” successful a movie this year.)

Hey, I admit them: The pistillate is Inbar Lavi, who starred successful TV shows specified arsenic “Lucifer” and “Prison Break.” The antheral star, who indispensable beryllium the concealed admirer, is Jake Epstein, from “Degrassi: The Next Generation.”

“Nantucket Noel”

Plot: A New England Christmas movie is simply a yearly indispensable and truthful is the trope of the evil developer trying to ruin thing that’s sentimental and Christmasy but sadly run-down. This time, our heroine has a artifact store connected a wharf that’s marked for demolition. But wait, she falls successful emotion with the developer’s son.

Hey, I admit them: The aforementioned developer’s lad is Trevor Donovan, who starred arsenic Teddy Montgomery connected the CW reboot of “90210” and is simply a Hallmark Channel Christmas romance regular.

Christopher Lloyd, Lyndsy Fonseca prima successful “Next Stop, Christmas.” Angie wonders what her beingness would beryllium similar if she had joined a erstwhile fellow who became palmy and famous. She takes the bid location to walk Christmas with her household and inexplicably finds herself 10 years successful the past. With the guidance of the train’s enigmatic bid conductor, Angie has the accidental to revisit that Christmas and larn what – and who – is genuinely important to her. (Robert Clark, Crown Media)

“Next Stop, Christmas”

Plot: We person different introduction successful the trope of someway ending up successful the past and getting a do-over — this time, with a celebrated sportscaster boyfriend. Our heroine boards immoderate benignant of peculiar time-traveling bid to her hometown to marque this happen. (Maybe it’s benignant of similar the bid to get to Hogwarts?)

Hey, I admit them: Our starring mates isn’t made up of seasoned surface stars, but we bash get aggregate members of the “Back to the Future” formed supporting them. Lea Thompson, who played Marty’s ma Lorraine McFly, is successful this one. So is Christopher Lloyd, aka Doc Brown, who plays the enigmatic bid conductor. Wait, clip travel, casting radical from “Back to the Future,” and didn’t “Back to the Future Part III” see a train? I get it now. Very clever, Hallmark.

“Sister Swap: Christmas successful the City” and “Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday”

Plot: Two sisters are ace close, but 1 lives successful the metropolis and the different lives successful their hometown, truthful we get a brace of caller movies. And determination mightiness beryllium a shade of a favourite uncle played by a erstwhile “Saturday Night Live” prima — oregon astatine slightest flashbacks,.

Hey, I admit them: Real-life sisters Kimberly Williams-Paisley (“Father of the Bride” and “Father of the Bride, Part II”) and Ashley Williams (“How I Met Your Mother,” “Something Borrowed”)  prima successful this series. Comedian Kevin Nealon besides appears arsenic their precocious Uncle Dave.

“The Christmas Contest”

Plot: Only successful the satellite of Hallmark bash truthful galore communities person Christmas contests that look to pit exes oregon long-feuding families against each other. In this film, it’s the former.

Hey, I admit them: Can you adjacent person a caller harvest of Hallmark Christmas movies without Candace Cameron Bure? She became celebrated arsenic D.J. Tanner connected the sitcom “Full House,” a relation she reprised for the Netflix reboot “Fuller House.” And joining her for this Christmas contention is “Fuller House” co-star John Brotherton.

“The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls”

Plot: This is simply a sequel to past year’s “The Christmas House,” Hallmark’s archetypal movie to diagnostic an LGBTQ mates prominently. Now the brothers from the archetypal movie are battling implicit who has amended decorations.

Hey, I admit them: This is among the astir star-studded casts successful Hallmark Christmas movie pantheon. You person Emmy nominees Sharon Lawrence, from “NYPD Blue,” and Treat Williams, who was nominated for the TV movie “The Late Shift,” but who besides starred successful the CW’s “Everwood,” and the 1970s movie philharmonic “Hair.” Then there’s Robert Buckley from the CW’s “iZombie” and “One Tree Hill,” and Jonathan Bennett, who is our 2nd “Mean Girls” prima of the season.

“The Nine Kittens of Christmas”

Plot: A mates has to find homes for a litter of kittens. Another vacation sequel, this 1 is the follow-up to 2014’s “The Nine Lives of Christmas.” The archetypal was inactive amended than the movie mentation of “Cats.”

Hey, I admit them: Zachary, the antheral lead, is played by Brandon Routh, who played Superman connected the large screen. His occurrence main brag is played by Gregory Harrison, possibly champion known arsenic Gonzo connected “Trapper John, M.D.”

Joe Pantoliano, Paul Campbell and Tamera Mowry-Housley prima successful “The Santa Stakeout.” When 2 constabulary detectives airs arsenic newlyweds to lick a drawstring of caller vacation enactment heists they’re swept up by Christmas portion observing the premier fishy and commencement to autumn successful love. (Allister Foster, Crown Media)

“The Santa Stakeout”

Plot: Odd mates constabulary detectives airs arsenic newlyweds to ace the lawsuit of heists happening during vacation parties. Their charade becomes existent and the community’s Christmas committee seat whitethorn beryllium the 1 fleecing everybody.

Hey, I admit them: One of our detectives is Tamera Mowry-Housley, who starred successful the ABC sitcom “Sister, Sister” with her duplicate Tia successful the ’90s. They besides shared the surface successful a world amusement called “Tia & Tamera” successful the ’10s. You’ll besides spot Joe Pantoliano connected surface successful this transgression caper. He’s amended known for playing Ralphie connected “The Sopranos,” a relation that snagged him an Emmy, Cypher successful “The Matrix” and 1 of the villainous Fratelli household members successful “The Goonies.”

“‘Tis the Season to beryllium Merry”

Plot: A writer named Merry heads to Vermont for a “fresh space to her publication connected relationships,” according to the Hallmark site.

Hey, I admit them: Our main quality is Rachael Leigh Cook, who played Laney Boggs successful the 1999 teen rom-com “She’s All That” and Josie successful the underrated live-action movie mentation of “Josie and the Pussycats.”

Benjamin Ayres, Danica McKellar and Jason Hervey prima successful “You, Me and the Christmas Trees.” In the movie, an arborist helps a 4th procreation Christmas histrion husbandman whose evergreens are dying conscionable earlier the holiday. (Ryan Plummer, Crown Media)

“You, Me & the Christmas Trees”

Plot: A Connecticut Christmas histrion husbandman can’t fig retired what’s happening to the trees connected his 100-year-old household farm. Enter a histrion adept and there’s much than the pines that are afloat of sap.

Hey, I admit them: This movie features a reunion of stars of “The Wonder Years,” the original, not the existent remake. Danica McKellar, a perennial Hallmark Christmas starring lady, is champion known for her relation of Winnie Cooper connected “The Wonder Years.” Joining her successful this wintertime wonderland is Jason Hervey, who played Wayne Arnold, the annoying older member of bid protagonist (and Winnie’s emotion interest) Kevin Arnold. Sadly, there’s nary Fred Savage to beryllium recovered — but his younger member Ben DID prima successful a Hallmark Hanukkah movie successful 2020.