Lacey Chabert and Andrew Walker star in the new Christmas movie from Hallmark, She’s Making a List. Have you ever wondered how Santa gets his Naughty or Nice list? Well, he outsources the job of ascertaining which kids are in each category. And the Naughty or Nice Group is the place where the inspectors work. They are tasked with the job of traveling the world checking on kids to place them on the Naughty or Nice list.
Isabel (Chabert) is a no-nonsense, tough inspector who does not believe in coloring outside of the lines, so to speak. She prides herself on the ability to instantly decide if a kid is naughty or nice. One little slip and they are definitely on the naughty list.
But Isabel does not take into consideration outstanding circumstances, and neither does anyone else at the Naughty or Nice Group. As a matte of fact, Rudolph (Steve Bacic), the man who started the company, is even tougher than she is. If a kid is naughty, there is no wiggle room. He or she is put on the Naughty list. The end of discussion.
Isabel is assignedthe task of evaluating an 11-year-old girl, Charlie (Cadence Compton), who is a little mischievous with a knack of doing the wrong thing, but has a kind heart. Isabel does not give any kid any leeway, and Charlie is no exception, even given the fact that she lost her mother and is being raised by her widowed father.That is until she meets her father Jason (Walker). Isabel and Jason have an instant connection but besides the fact that he is the father of the child she is investigating, there are other “rules” she must follow.
The rule book is clear. She cannot make contact with a subject or a family member. And by no means is she to enter the house of a child in question.You guessed it, Isabel breaks plenty of rules, for the first time in her long and illustrious career as an investigator. And the worst is falling for the father of a kid in question.
Then Isabel starts wondering who decides what is naughty and what is nice? Who made the rules in the first place? Shouldn’t adults guide children instead of categorizing them?
Isabel ends up changing a lot of “rules” and even the Naughty and Nice lists, making Christmas happier for kids around the world.
Both Chabert and Walker are fan favorites and part of Hallmark’s stable of popular actors.
This cute little holiday film is now available to stream on Hallmark+.
<strong>About the Author</strong>
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites and is the entertainment correspondent for <em>Good Day Orange County</em>. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.
This is a new year and people are making their resolutions. Many resolutions are to read more or to join a book club. There’s something comforting about actually holding a book and flipping the pages as opposed to looking at a screen and reading a digital book. Book clubs are also great places to exchange ideas and meet new people.
Hallmark Channel’s popular stars Erin Krakow and Robert Buckley combine in a story about finding what it is that brings you joy and happiness. Blind Date Book Club is a fun story that is perfect for a wintry day.
Set in picturesque Nantucket, Meg (Krakow) has taken over her mother’s book store, Mimi’s Book Corner, after her mom passed away. She left her own real estate career to care for her mother’s dream.
When her aunt wants to sell her own share of the store in which she is a silent partner, Meg is at a crossroads. Should she sell the whole store and go back to her old life or is she happier in Nantucket running the book store?
Meg has created something fun and unique in the store. The “Blind Date with a Book Club” connects prospective couples while at the same time introducing them and the club to new books. Another interesting thing she comes up with is covering books and writing only a small blurb about the story so readers must discover the whole story for themselves and return to the club to discuss it. It’s a double-blind, so to speak – a blind book and a blind date.
When bestselling author Graham Sterling (Buckley) hears about the store and the club, he decides to investigate. He has written a successful series of Young Adult novels but is anxious to spread his wings and write a historical romance. Unfortunately his publisher disagrees with that decisions and tries to point him back on the YA path where he has a loyal following.
Not deterred by his publisher, Graham self-publishes his new novel under a pseudonym and decides to have Meg and her book club review the book. This is risky and as soon as Meg discovers who the author is she wonders if they should go ahead with the reviews.
While this is taking place, Meg and Graham form a close relationship. And yes, they do fall in love. But could Graham’s plot to have his new novel out in the public be the end of his new career. And also, if people find out Meg is promoting her boyfriend’s book could it be the end of the popular club?
The story comes to a climax when both Meg and Graham must decide in which direction they want their lives and careers to go. Should she sell the store or has her heart settled there with her books and clients? And Graham has an awakening about which direction his writing should go.
Although this movie was released last spring, it is a nice way to start the new year. And it might even inspire viewers to search out a book club where they can meet new people and enjoy new books.
Blind Date Book Club streams on Hallmark+.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County and YouTube. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.
Three of Hallmark Channel’s most popular actresses joined together to create a franchise that has been beloved by viewers young and old. The Wedding Veil movies currently consists of six films. There have been rumors that a third trilogy might be down the road as viewers have taken the three main characters to their hearts.
Lacey Chabert, Alison Sweeney, and Autumn Reeser play best friends since college – Avery, Tracy, and Emma. Avery lives in Boston, Tracy in New York, and Emma in Chicago. They meet for their annual antique shopping trips in various locations, the first being San Francisco, which kicks off the franchise with The Wedding Veil (2022).
While shopping the trio comes upon an old wedding veil with a legend. Whoever has the veil will find true love. Even if that is not true, the three decide to go in together to purchase the beautiful lace veil. Well, lo and behold, Avery, who is taking the veil back to Boston, immediately has an encounter with Peter (Kevin McGarry). They hit it off and guess what? He also lives in Boston. What a coincidence. But due to a misunderstanding, what Avery believes is the start of a beautiful relationship hits the rails. Eventually they clear up the misunderstanding and yes, they do find true love with Avery wearing the lace veil at her wedding.
Emma is next to take possession of the veil when she transports it to Italy where she is teaching an art class for the summer. TheWedding Veil Unveiled (2022) delves into the history of the veil as Emma learns more about it when she discovers the lace shop that produced it generations earlier. By sheer happenstance, Emma has already met Paolo (Paolo Bernardini), the son of the shop’s owner. Their family has been making lace for generations, and the veil was one of their creations. There is lot of history to this one item, and the legend of true love continues with Emma and Paolo who fall in love and get married. Yes, she wears the veil at her wedding, and Paolo moves to Chicago to open a lace shop.
The veil is then handed off to Tracy who takes it with her to New York to have it fixed after the women discover a snag in the garment. At the tailor she meets Nick (Victor Webster). Their first impressions of each other are not good ones. That changes when his restaurant is selected to cater a party for the auction house where she works. Tracy never believed in the legend of the veil but she changes her mind when she falls in love with Nick. Wedding number three for the trio, The Wedding Veil Legacy (2022), rounds out the initial trilogy.
That trilogy was so beloved that a second trilogy was produced. The Wedding Veil Expectations(2023) has the veil back in Boston where Avery is putting it on a lace display at the gallery where she works. Of course, the central attraction is the veil and the painting depicting it, which was discovered in the basement of the gallery a few films ago. Avery has a lot on her plate, including renovating their house, dealing with a new opinionated director at the gallery, and being pregnant. So, you might wonder, where does the legend of the veil fit in? After all, all three women found their true loves. Stay tuned! Avery’s mother-in-law is holding the veil when she runs into an old flame. Clark (Barry Levy) and Grace (Karen Kruper) have a past and they reconnect, however Grace is reluctant to get too involved due to Peter’s discomfort with his mom dating another man even though his father has been dead for many years. Peter soon comes around, thanks to Avery. It’s time for wedding number four, and the legend of the veil continues.
Emma, who had loaned the veil to Avery for her lace exhibit, now has it back in the Chicago lace shop. While she teaches art classes, Paolo and his cousin Matteo (Carlo Marks) handle the shop, but when he is called back to Italy due to a family illness, she steps up and with the help of her teaching assistant Lily (Kacey Rohl), helps Matteo organize the lace shop and displays. You guessed it, Lily becomes the next object of the legend in The Wedding Veil Inspiration (2023) as she and Matteo succumb to the legend.
Rounding out the second trilogy is The Wedding Veil Journey (2023) when Tracy and Nick finally to take their honeymoon. They select Greece where they find a little inn on a secluded island. Tracy now has possession of the veil because the women have decided she will return it to the lace shop on their way back from Greece. Learning about the legend, one of the guests continually “takes” the veil to her son Nicholas’ room hoping he will finally find love. And yes, he does find love with the owner of the inn. True love match number six.
Throughout each of these films, the career women and their husbands have additional stories threading through the films with the legend of the veil being a side story. The three women are fun to watch and they are always on hand to help each other when something goes wrong. Flying from Boston to New York or Chicago to Boston, or any combination of their locales is not a problem for them. Their friendship is what counts, and may viewers, including this one, wishes she had true friends like these.
While a third trilogy is just a rumor, Hallmark Channel has seen how much their viewers have enjoyed the unfolding stories. Instead of making the third trilogy in 2024, they have chosen to make a trilogy about three men. The Groomsmen trilogy will be out this fall. Keep your eyes open for: The Groomsmen First Look, The Groomsmen Second Chance, and The Groomsmen Last Dance this fall (2024).
In the meantime, all six Wedding Veil films are available on DVD and streaming on Hallmark Movies Now and then on Hallmark+ where The Groomsmen movies will soon premiere. Hallmark Movies Now will become Hallmark+ with special content and and additional benefits for subscribers.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.
Photo credit: 2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Allister Foster
Alison Sweeney returns as Hannah Swensen in a new Hannah Swensen Mystery on Hallmark Mystery (formerly Hallmark Movies and Mysteries).Sweeney has said, “The fans have been so vocal in their love of these characters and it’s exciting to be bringing them back to life and to return to the Hannah’s bakery where it all began.”
In the latest movie, written and produced by Sweeney, Hannah’s fiancé Mike (Cameron Mathison) has left so she is a single woman. But will that status last for long? There are several men who could step into her life on a personal level. Fans will have to wait to see what happens.
In the meantime, in this latest movie, One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, Hannah is teaching a baking class at the local college and enjoying it and the interaction with the students, who, incidentally, thoroughly love the delicious treats they are learning to create. Between her bakery and teaching, she is a busy woman. But so is her mother Delores (Barbara Niven) who has just started her own private investigation business.
When an explosion in her classroom occurs, Hannah is not sure it was an accident. And when a professor is found dead, well, that’s enough for this amateur sleuth to put two and two together. Something is definitely amiss at that college. Between her friend Norman (Gabriel Hogan), her sisters and mother, not to mention Mike’s replacement Lonie Murphy (Daylin Willis), they investigate the murder by eliminating the suspects one by one. But can the amateurs get to the bottom of the mystery before the professionals?
As viewers of this series know, Hannah is intuitive and very astute. And now, enter the prosecuting attorney Chad Norton (Victor Webster), and the investigation grows.
Besides the drama in this series, viewers are treated to some of the most attractive and mouth watering desserts from Hannah. She is definitely a great baker as well as a great detective.
With her mother providing some comic relief to this situation, and the potential budding personal relationship between Hannah and Chad, things are starting to heat up, and that’s not referring to the ovens. Fans are also waiting to see if perhaps Norman might be more than just a good friend down the road.
Previously titled the “Murder, She Baked” series, Sweeney’s Hannah mysteries are now “A Hannah Swensen Mystery” movies on Hallmark Mystery channel. Hannah is a delightful character and her mother adds some fun and additional entertainment to the stories.
One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery is now showing on Hallmark Mystery. This is the first film written by Sweeney. As of now there is no announcement on the next movie in this enjoyable and delicious series.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.
Lacey Chabert and Andrew Walker star in the new Christmas movie from Hallmark, She’s Making a List. Have you ever wondered how Santa gets his Naughty or Nice list? Well, he outsources the job of ascertaining which kids are in each category. And the Naughty or Nice Group is the place where the inspectors work. They are tasked with the job of traveling the world checking on kids to place them on the Naughty or Nice list.
