Alright, so despite our love for Kristin Chenoweth and Josh Hopkins, Lifetime’s 12 Men of Christmas (repeats Tuesday, 9 p.m. ET) couldn’t compare to last year’s Heather Locklear-Robert Buckley offering, Flirting With Forty. But with the Christmas TV movie season in full swing, it’s time to ask you for your all-time favorites. I was reminded of a few of mine this morning when a colleague forwarded me the link to TV Tango’s comprehensive holiday-themed programming guide. Tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET, Hallmark Channel is showing 1999′s A Season for Miracles (pictured), starring Carla Gugino as an aunt who goes on the run with her niece and nephew, to keep them together when her sister lands in jail, and, oops, her car breaks down in a town with a hot cop (Ghost Whisperer‘s David Conrad) who falls for her. Then there’s 2007′s Holiday in Handcuffs, repeating on ABC Family on Dec. 10. That’s the one in which Melissa Joan Hart kidnaps Mario Lopez and makes him pretend to be her boyfriend in front of her family. And, of course, there’s the Tom Cavanagh-starring Snow (2004) and Snow 2: Brain Freeze (2008), which you can catch back-to-back on ABC Family on Dec. 13. That saga begins when Cavanagh, Santa’s son, has to rescue one of his reindeer from a zoo to save his first Christmas as the man in charge.
Your turn.
Read more: Dan Snierson’s 2nd Annual Yulies: An absurd celebration of the holiday TV-movie genre
Photo credit: Everett Collection
as cheesy as it is…mine will always be the “A Very Brady Christmas”. I loved watching that one when I was a kid.
to this day, I can’t hear O Come All Ye Faithful and not think of the Bradys singing it in hope that Mike comes walking out of the collapsed building.
That’s exactly what I was thinking! One of my faves!
Don’t forget about the supremely entertaining “A Diva’s Christmas Carol” with Vanessa Williams as Ebony Scrooge! Originally airing on VH1 in 2000, it’s like watching a holiday practice-run for her role as Wilhelmina Slater. Great stuff!
Love this! I thought I was the only person who remembered this one!!!
The Night They Saved Christmas (1984) with Jaclyn Smith
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087797/
I’m not the only one! I love the sweaters and the sleigh… it’s so good.
i have it saved on TiVo so I can watch it every year. lol
We used to watch this every year as well as “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” with Mickey Rooney. I wish someone would replay that one. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087489/
Oh my gosh! I loved this one so much!! Haven’t seen it on in years!
The Gathering, filmed in 1977, starring Ed Asner and Maureen Stapleton.
Mary..I loved that one too..makes me cry everytime I see it.
Great movie and beautifully filmed in Hudson, Ohio.
A Muppets Family Christmas, It was so heartwarming and not to mention hilarious! The DVD copie does it no justice… they took out some of the funniest scenes! I still watch our original taped off the tv VHS version!
This is my favorite one too! I look forward to watching every year. I unfortunately no longer have my VHS copy taped from the TV, but I have the DVD. It’s funny and heartwarming! I love that it has Muppets, Sesame Street and the Fraggles
Yep, I have this on VHS too! Love it!
My family watches this one every year. We were so sad when our taped from TV copy died and the DVD left some stuff out.
Where can I get a DVD copy???
BORROWED HEARTS!!..Best christmas tv movie. With Eric McCormack and Roma Downey
Yesssssssss
Yes!!!! Love this one. I don’t think it’s on this year.
Couldn’t agree more. I have that one on tape so I can watch it every year!!!
My family thinks this movie is HILARIOUS. Eric McCormack is such an unbelievable dork. He snorts every time he laughs and the scene when the girl gets stuck in the tree? Priceless. Yet we watch every single time it’s on.
I LOVE that movie! I wish it would be played this year.
My sister and I both have this movie on VHS and we just watched it yesterday.It’s standard holiday fare at both our houses. Sometimes we don’t even wait for the holidays. Love this movie.
ABSOLUTELY!!! The best ever! I watch it year-round!
YES to Borrowed Hearts. It is THE BEST made for TV Christmas movie.
Love love love it! Borrowed Hearts=awesome!
Does anyone else remember how terrible Eric McCormack’s hair looks in this movie? It is so terrible/cheesy/hilarious!!
My favorite made-for-tv-Christmas movie is “The Night They Saved Christmas” with Jaclyn Smith. It’s not too cheesy and definitely tugs at the heart strings when Jaclyn Smith realizes the fishing pole she got when she was a little girl wasn’t from her parents but was really from Santa. Chokes me up every time…
My all time favorite would have to be The Night They Saved Christmas starring Jaclyn Smith and a young Scott Grimes. Being a child of the 80′s I love this Christmas movie and I cannot tell you how bad i wanted a robot from Santa just like those kids in the film.
“The Homecoming” (1971). It ended up becoming the pilot for “The Waltons,” although many of the roles (including the great Patricia Neal as the mother) were recast. One of the best Christmas movies ever, made-for-TV or otherwise.
Clarence! It was really cheesy, but I loved it. Robert Carradine as Clarence…lol
A Mom for Christmas, starring Olivia-Newton John, and A Diva’s Christmas Carol starring Vanessa Williams.
The 1990 CBS TV-movie “Always Remember I Love You,” starring Patty Duke and Stephen Dorff. A great tear-jerker. That same year’s “The Last Best Year” (with Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters) is great too!
This is by far my favorite too!!! I have watched it every year for almost 20 years now…. I always lose it at the end when Patty Duke realizes that Stephen Dorff is her long lost son…. and when he goes back to Joan Van Ark! Loves it!!!
There are two I will always watch: Comfort and Joy (w/ Nancy McKeon) and Holiday Affair (bc David James Elliot is gorgeous). I love this time of year, and I love all of the made-for-tv movies.
Thanks for the info! I just set my DVR for Comfort and Joy. I love Nancy McKeon.
“A Christmas Romance” 1994 with Gregory Harrison and Olivia Newton-John. I can’t help it. I love it and watch it every year.
Christmas Everyday.(Like Groundhog Day only it’s Christmas).