Rueben's Ramblings

On November 26, the Hallmark Channel movie 12 Gifts of Christmas will debut at 8 PM

When Anna Russo, an unemployed fine arts painter, is unable to make ends meet, she is hired to become a personal Christmas shopper for Marc, an uptight corporate exec. As they begin working together, Marc learns that Christmas giving has less to do with the amount of money spent and more to do with the importance of the gift, while Anna discovers she might find success as an artist in a way she never expected. The best gift of all of course is the love they discover with one another.

The film stars Katrina Law (Arrow), Aaron O’Connell (The Haves and Have Nots) and Donna Mills (Knots Landing).

Here is a trailer for The 12 Gifts of Christmas.

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The Hallmark Channel movie Once Upon a Holiday will debut on November 25 at 8 PM.

When an actual, honest-to-goodness royal princess runs off from her official obligations and duties for a couple of days around Christmas to see how the other half lives, she winds up falling for a good Samaritan who is unaware of her real identity.

The film stars Brianna Evigan (Step Up franchise), Paul Campbell (Battlestar Galactica) and Greg Evigan (BJ and the Bear).

Here is a trailer for Once Upon a Holiday.

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On November 22 and November 23, the two-night mini-series Saints & Strangers will air at 9 PM both nights on National Geographic.

After 66 days at sea, the Mayflower arrived in New England’s Provincetown Harbor with 102 men, women and children aboard. The brutal journey across the ocean on a vessel never intended to carry passengers had left many sick, hungry and dying. And though the sight of land brought great relief to the travelers, little did they know their journey had only just begun.

The cast includes Vincent Kartheiser (Mad Men), Anna Camp (True Blood), Barry Sloane (Revenge), Brian F. O’Bryne (FlashForward and The Last Ship), Natascha McElhone (Californication), Ray Stevenson (Divergent) and Ron Livingston (Boardwalk Empire).

Here is a trailer for Saints & Strangers.

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The new UP Channel movie Angels in the Snow will debut on November 22 at 7 PM.

Charles (Chris Potter from Heartland and the Good Witch movies) and Judith Montgomery (Kristy Swanson from Buffy, the Vampire Slauer) have a strained marriage mostly due to Charles’ non-stop work schedule. Their children, Alexander, Jennifer and Emily sense the tension and fight among themselves, as well. They are headed to the lavish cabin that Charles built for his family in the hopes of having a special family holiday. But the bickering continues until Joe and Marilyn Tucker and their children Lucie and Robbie are forced to spend Christmas with them as they wait out a blizzard. The love, respect and happiness exhibited by the Tuckers has a profound effect on the Montgomerys’ lives.

Here is a trailer for Angels in the Snow.

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On November 22, the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries original movie Murder She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery will debut at 9 PM.

The Cookie Jar’s busiest time of the year also happens to be the most wonderful time for Christmas cookies, Hannah Swenson’s (Allison Sweeney) own special plum pudding. She’s busy as can be and loving it. She also gets a kick out of ‘Lunatic Larry Jaeger’s Crazy Elf Christmas Tree Lot’, a kitschy carnival taking place smack-dab in the middle of the village green. Larry thinks he’s crazy like a fox with his wild business schemes, but this time, the entrepreneur may have bitten off more than he can chew. Rumor has it that Larry’s in the red – an idea that takes a sinister turn when Hannah discovers he’s dead in his own office. It seems there are quite a few suspects – including his bitter ex-wife, his ex-partner’s daughter, a woman he was wooing, and the Crazy Elf Tree lot’s extremely exasperated investors. Now, with so many suspects to investigate and the twelve days of Christmas ticking away, Hannah’s running out of time to nab a murderous Scrooge who doesn’t want her to see the New Year. Based on the mystery series by bestselling author Joanne Fluke.

The film stars Cameron Mathison (All My Children) and Barbara Niven (Cedar Cove).

Here is a trailer for Murder She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery.

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The Hallmark Channel movie Merry Matrimony will debut on November 22 at 8 PM.

Brie (Jessica Lowndes from 90210), an advertising executive, lands her dream assignment organizing the perfect Christmas wedding for a fashion magazine. If she succeeds, she will make partner at her firm. The only catch is that she unknowingly has been paired up with a certain high powered fashion photographer who just happens to be her estranged ex-boyfriend.

Christopher Russell (Midnight Masquerade) also stars.

Here is a trailer for Merry Matriomony.

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On November 21, the Hallmark Channel movie Northpole: Open for Christmas will debut at 8 PM.

When Mackenzie Reed (Lori Loughlin from When Calls the Heart) inherits her beloved aunt’s once-majestic hotel, she decides the sensible thing to do is to sell it before Christmas. But fixing up the rundown place while managing the hotel staff (including the handyman and his kids) and dealing with demanding guests is harder than it seems. But she gets some unexpected help as Clementine (Bailey Madison from Good Witch and Once Upon a Time) and a group of Elves arrive on a special mission from Santa, lending their Guilds’ expertise to fixing up the Hotel, and helping Mackenzie re-discover hidden talents and the true meaning of Christmas cheer.

The film also stars Dermot Mulroney.

Here is a trailer and sneak peek for Northpole: Open for Christmas.

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The Hallmark Channel movie Christmas Incorporated will debut on November 15 at 8 PM.

Riley is on the job hunt weeks before Christmas when she miraculously lands an assistant position with a wealthy entrepreneur. He’s a headstrong socialite who is being forced to play Scrooge and close one of his factories just weeks before Christmas. Riley, always up for a challenge, convinces him to visit the town and hatches a plan to keep the factory afloat.

The film stars Shenae Grimes-Beech (90210) and Steve Lund (Bitten).

Here is a trailer for Christmas Incorporated.

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On November 8, the new Hallmark Channel movie Charming Christmas will debut at 8 PM.

Meredith Rossman (Julie Benz from Defiance) is the uptight heiress of Rossman’s Department store. She has made the business her entire life, not leaving any time for Christmas or romance, much to the chagrin of her parents. But when she is roped into donning the store’s antique Mrs. Claus outfit to play Mrs. Claus at Rossman’s famous Santaville, her life takes some unexpected turns. Through the help of the suit and the charming store Santa, Nick (David Sutcliffe from Cracked and Proof), Meredith rekindles her love of Christmas, the store, their employees and possibly even begins a new love with Nick. He is mysterious, great with children and always there when you need him. Just like the real Santa….wait…could he be? One thing is certain: from the moment Meredith put on the magical Mrs. Claus dress, her life would never be the same.

Here is a trailer for Charming Christmas.

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The new Hallmark Channel movie Ice Sculpture Christmas will debut on November 7 at 8 PM.

After starting her first job at a country club restaurant, Callie – an aspiring chef – reconnects with her childhood friend David, whose wealthy family is a member of the club. When David enters Callie into the club’s annual Christmas ice sculpting competition without her knowledge, she’s forced to go head-to-head with her boss, Chef Gloria. Even though ice sculpting is cold work, sparks are ignited between Callie and David as they prepare for the competition as a team. Callie’s passions for cooking and ice sculpting are met with romance and Christmas spirit as she works to create the perfect sculpture.

The cast include Rachel Boston (Witches of East End), Brenda Strong (Desperate Housewives) and David Alpay (The Vampire Diaries).

Here is a trailer for Ice Sculpture Christmas.

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