#parent | #kids | #parent | #kids | A holiday guide that goes way beyond Hallmark : NPR

It’s hot cocoa time again, it’s snowman time, it’s gift-giving time, and of course, it’s time for “we gotta save the local gingerbread factory with the help of a hot and newly reformed corporate raider who was permanently changed when he got a dab of whipped cream on his nose.”

In other words, it’s time once again for holiday-themed TV movies. Does this largely mean Christmas romcoms? It does. Is Hallmark still the hallmark (I’m so sorry) of these efforts? It is. But there are also big pushes from Lifetime and Netflix, plus lots and lots more from lower-profile places, some of which (like UPtv and ION, say) are old pros and some of which (Discovery+, for instance) are newer to the game. There are family movies and kids’ movies, and there are even musicals. So how on earth do you navigate? We’re here to help.

Get the lay of the land

Let’s start here: Your heavy hitters in terms of volume are still Hallmark and Lifetime. What’s more, Hallmark has two cable channels with two different Christmas mission statements. Regular Hallmark, with its “Countdown to Christmas” event, is where you find your romantic comedies and your lighter fare. Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, which calls its slate “Miracles of Christmas,” is where you find the more dramatic, “inspirational” stories where people may be dealing with more straightforward grief or loss.