Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas lineup 2017.
11-01-17, 11:16 AM
#2
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas lineup 2017.
Yikes, almost every night is a re-airing of a previously aired Christmas themed special or movie, and zero(!) original films, what happened to the days when Freeform (back when when they were ABC Family) would trumpet that one or two original films would debut during the 25 days of Christmas?
This is what you get when a network gives up and just lets Hallmark run with airing a string of original Holiday/Christmas themed films...another reminder that Lifetime, Freeform, and UP (I need to check if they still do originals at this time of the year) gave up too soon by letting Hallmark attract all the eyeballs that want to watch feel good originals at this time of the year.
It was great in years past when I only had a tivo that recorded two shows in my living room and I already had a holiday original from Hallmark and Lifetime scheduled to record that were airing at the same time on a Saturday evening and had to look for re-airings of an UP network original so I could squeeze in viewing all three originals the weekend they aired.
I remember Lifetime films that starred Ashanti, Haylie Duff (I miss seeing her in originals), I believe Taylor Cole ended up in a Lifetime Holiday original or two, and others that could also sometimes be seen in an UP holiday film and I think there was even a time when I would see someone like Haylie Duff starring in a Lifetime holiday original and a Hallmark original during the same years run down to Christmas...it was awesome.
Sorry for the rant, but as much as I love Hallmark's holiday films I would be overjoyed to see other channels get back into the mix.
This is what you get when a network gives up and just lets Hallmark run with airing a string of original Holiday/Christmas themed films...another reminder that Lifetime, Freeform, and UP (I need to check if they still do originals at this time of the year) gave up too soon by letting Hallmark attract all the eyeballs that want to watch feel good originals at this time of the year.
It was great in years past when I only had a tivo that recorded two shows in my living room and I already had a holiday original from Hallmark and Lifetime scheduled to record that were airing at the same time on a Saturday evening and had to look for re-airings of an UP network original so I could squeeze in viewing all three originals the weekend they aired.
I remember Lifetime films that starred Ashanti, Haylie Duff (I miss seeing her in originals), I believe Taylor Cole ended up in a Lifetime Holiday original or two, and others that could also sometimes be seen in an UP holiday film and I think there was even a time when I would see someone like Haylie Duff starring in a Lifetime holiday original and a Hallmark original during the same years run down to Christmas...it was awesome.
Sorry for the rant, but as much as I love Hallmark's holiday films I would be overjoyed to see other channels get back into the mix.
11-01-17, 12:06 PM
#3
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas lineup 2017.
I guess they gave up on making Original movies since Hallmark is so well known for it now. Holiday in Handcuffs is probably one of my favorite movies they ever put out. It may be branded a family movie, but its actually got some raunchy humor to it.
11-01-17, 02:24 PM
#4
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas lineup 2017.
Most networks and channels shy away from Christmas programming these days. Freeform has had trouble finding an identity after dropping ABC Family's brand. Five or six years ago, ABC Family was playing almost all the Rankin-Bass holiday specials around Christmas.
11-01-17, 06:59 PM
#5
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Re: Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas lineup 2017.
Yikes, almost every night is a re-airing of a previously aired Christmas themed special or movie, and zero(!) original films, what happened to the days when Freeform (back when when they were ABC Family) would trumpet that one or two original films would debut during the 25 days of Christmas?
This is what you get when a network gives up and just lets Hallmark run with airing a string of original Holiday/Christmas themed films...another reminder that Lifetime, Freeform, and UP (I need to check if they still do originals at this time of the year) gave up too soon by letting Hallmark attract all the eyeballs that want to watch feel good originals at this time of the year.
This is what you get when a network gives up and just lets Hallmark run with airing a string of original Holiday/Christmas themed films...another reminder that Lifetime, Freeform, and UP (I need to check if they still do originals at this time of the year) gave up too soon by letting Hallmark attract all the eyeballs that want to watch feel good originals at this time of the year.
http://www.businessinsider.com/hallm...n-bure-2017-10
The original cable Christmas movie wasn't Hallmark's baby. Rather in the mid-1990s, ABC Family kicked off the craze with its "25 Days of Christmas" franchise. That led to classics such as 2007's "Holiday in Handcuffs" featuring Melissa Joan Hart taking Mario Lopez hostage while he steals her heart— of course at Christmas time.
Though the Hallmark channel launched in 2001, the Hallmark Hall of Fame a had made TV movies for decades for networks like CBS. But around 2011, as ABC Family (now called Freeform) leaned into targeting teens, Crown Media went after Christmas in a bigger way.
"We did look at what '25 Days of Christmas' had become in people's minds and said, 'Wait a minute. We have a brand and a hundred-year legacy,'" Michelle Vicary, EVP of programming & network program publicity, Crown Media Family Networks, said. "We should lean into that as much as we can and do more of it."
Though the Hallmark channel launched in 2001, the Hallmark Hall of Fame a had made TV movies for decades for networks like CBS. But around 2011, as ABC Family (now called Freeform) leaned into targeting teens, Crown Media went after Christmas in a bigger way.
"We did look at what '25 Days of Christmas' had become in people's minds and said, 'Wait a minute. We have a brand and a hundred-year legacy,'" Michelle Vicary, EVP of programming & network program publicity, Crown Media Family Networks, said. "We should lean into that as much as we can and do more of it."
11-01-17, 07:24 PM
#6
Moderator
Re: Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas lineup 2017.
I remember Lifetime films that starred Ashanti, Haylie Duff (I miss seeing her in originals), I believe Taylor Cole ended up in a Lifetime Holiday original or two, and others that could also sometimes be seen in an UP holiday film and I think there was even a time when I would see someone like Haylie Duff starring in a Lifetime holiday original and a Hallmark original during the same years run down to Christmas...it was awesome.
http://www.countryliving.com/enterta...-movie-lineup/
November 25th - Wrapped Up in Christmas starring Tatyana Ali and Brendan Fehr.
November 26th - A Very Merry Toy Store starring Mario Lopez and Melissa Joan Hart.
December 2nd - Four Christmases and a Wedding starring Arielle Kebbel.
December 3rd - My Christmas Prince starring Alexis Knapp.
December 9th - Christmas in Mississippi starring Jana Kramer.
December 16th - Snowed-Inn Christmas starring Bethany Joy Lenz and Kevin Jenner.
And if anyone's interested, here's a good round-up of all the previous Lifetime Christmas movies (44 total).
http://www.elle.com/culture/movies-t...movies-ranked/
11-02-17, 09:45 AM
#7
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Thread Starter
Re: Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas lineup 2017.
Does anyone know the reason why the network shows The Santa Clause and The Santa Clause 3 a hundred times but very seldom, if ever, show the TSC2? IMO, TSC2 is the best of the three films.
11-02-17, 10:21 AM
#9
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas lineup 2017.
Actually, Lifetime has a decent line-up of 6 original holiday films this year. Here's an article with more info:
http://www.countryliving.com/enterta...-movie-lineup/
November 25th - Wrapped Up in Christmas starring Tatyana Ali and Brendan Fehr.
November 26th - A Very Merry Toy Store starring Mario Lopez and Melissa Joan Hart.
December 2nd - Four Christmases and a Wedding starring Arielle Kebbel.
December 3rd - My Christmas Prince starring Alexis Knapp.
December 9th - Christmas in Mississippi starring Jana Kramer.
December 16th - Snowed-Inn Christmas starring Bethany Joy Lenz and Kevin Jenner.
And if anyone's interested, here's a good round-up of all the previous Lifetime Christmas movies (44 total).
http://www.elle.com/culture/movies-t...movies-ranked/
http://www.countryliving.com/enterta...-movie-lineup/
November 25th - Wrapped Up in Christmas starring Tatyana Ali and Brendan Fehr.
November 26th - A Very Merry Toy Store starring Mario Lopez and Melissa Joan Hart.
December 2nd - Four Christmases and a Wedding starring Arielle Kebbel.
December 3rd - My Christmas Prince starring Alexis Knapp.
December 9th - Christmas in Mississippi starring Jana Kramer.
December 16th - Snowed-Inn Christmas starring Bethany Joy Lenz and Kevin Jenner.
And if anyone's interested, here's a good round-up of all the previous Lifetime Christmas movies (44 total).
http://www.elle.com/culture/movies-t...movies-ranked/
The Freeform lineup this year still redefines weak sauce, so maybe next year they will do better.
With your Lifetime news I need to check out the UP network holiday schedule, as they have been good for at least 2-3 originals in years past.
11-02-17, 11:29 AM
#10
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas lineup 2017.
