Rueben's Ramblings

Christmas Magic

Christmas Magic is the new Hallmark Channel movie that will debut at 8 PM on December 18.

Carrie Bishop (Lindy Booth) lives for her successful career as an event planner in New York City, but her life changes in an instant after a nasty car accident in a snowstorm. Carrie suffers head trauma and regains consciousness in Central Park with an older man, Henry (Derek McGrath). Henry is Carrie’s spirit guide and is there to help her “pass over” to Heaven. But before Carrie can move on, she must fulfill one last task on Earth—a type of Angel Duty. Henry tells Carrie that she must help guide a widowed, young restaurant owner, Scott Walker, (Paul McGillion) who has recently considered suicide because his beloved restaurant/catering business is utterly failing. Carrie befriends Scott and his 8-year-old daughter and immediately displays a knack for promoting the restaurant. But time isn’t on Carrie’s side on this mission. She has until midnight Christmas Eve to turn the eatery around. As friendship grows, romance blooms, and Carrie finds it a struggle to keep business and pleasure separate. Will the heat in Scott’s kitchen be all about the food? Or is one Angel on a meteoric rise to earn her wings?

Here is a trailer for Christmas Magic.

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Christmas Comes Home to Canaan

The Hallmark Channel movie Christmas Comes Home to Canaan will debut at 8 PM on December 17.

Billy Ray Cyrus reprises his role as Daniel Burton in the 1960s-era saga of a family’s experiences in racially charged Canaan, TX. In the story, Daniel’s son Bobber (Liam James) needs extensive orthopedic surgery and months of intensive physical therapy to recover from being struck down by an automobile. Rodney Freeman (Matt Ward, narrates the story), the young black man who Daniel took into his home and raised as another son, has become a famous writer and offers to fly Daniel and Bobber to San Francisco and to pay for the surgery. Once in San Francisco, Daniel meets and falls for Briony Adair (Gina Holden), a physical rehabilitation specialist who will be working toward Bobber’s recovery. When therapy progresses slowly, Bobber invites Briony to come home to Canaan to spend Christmas with the Burtons and continue his treatment. Briony is a natural at caring for a thriving family, but Sarah (Emily Tennant), Daniel’s daughter distances herself not wanting to dishonor her late mother’s memory, and a disastrous Christmas vi.sit drives Daniel and Briony apart. In the soul searching that follows, Daniel finds the strength to open his heart again and invite love back into his life.

Here is a trailer for Christmas Comes Home to Canaan.

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Bag of Bones

The four-hour A&E mini-series Bag of Bones (based on the Stephen King novel) will debut at 9 PM on December 11 and 12.

Best-selling novelist Mike Noonan (Pierce Brosnan) is unable to stop grieving after the sudden death of his wife Jo (Annabeth Gish). Suffering from writer’s block, a dream inspires him to return to the couple’s lakeside retreat in western Maine. While there, Mike befriends an attractive young widow, Mattie (Melissa George) and her daughter Kyra (Caitlin Carmichael), and becomes involved in a custody battle with the child’s enormously wealthy grandfather, Max (William Schallert). Though his ability to write suddenly returns, Mike is plagued by ever-escalating nightmares and mysterious ghostly visitations from Sara Tidwell (Anika Noni Rose), a blues singer whose spirit lingers in the house. As he is haunted by the many secrets at the lake, Mike comes to realize that his late wife still has something to tell him. Jason Priestley also stars.

Here is the teaser trailer for Bag of Bones.

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The Christmas Pageant

On December 11, The Christmas Pageant will debut on the Hallmark Channel at 8 PM.

Vera Parks (Melissa Gilbert), an overly intense and demanding Broadway director gets fired from yet another job, leaving her no choice but to take a gig directing a small town Christmas pageant in upstate New York. Stunned at how basic the production is, Vera attempts to back out, but she is convinced by Garret (Ed Herrmann) the owner of the B&B and some of the other locals to give their town a chance. To her surprise, the warmth and charm of the small town grows on Vera and she even enjoys the experience of directing the pageant. When Vera discovers her former fiancé Jack (Robert Mailhouse) recommended her for the job, she is outraged. But over time Vera appreciates the gesture, as she grows close to both Jack and his young daughter. Will love stay in the wings this time around? Or is this Vera’s eleven o’clock number after all?

Here is the trailer for The Christmas Pageant.

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Annie Claus Is Coming to Town

On December 10 the Hallmark Channel movie Annie Claus is Coming to Town will debut at 8 PM.

Santa’s daughter Annie (Maria Thayer) takes her first trip away from the North Pole during the Christmas season hoping to find adventure and love in sunny California. While Santa and Mrs. Claus (Vicki Lawrence) watch their daughter through a magic snow globe, Annie arrives in L.A. and becomes friends with the owner of Candy Cane Inn, Lucy (Vivica A. Fox), and her daughter, Mia. She also quickly lands a job at Wonderland Toys. Wonderland Toys’ owner, Ted (Sam Page) is struggling to stay in business selling old-fashioned toys in a digital world. Annie soon realizes that she wants Ted’s business to thrive because she has feelings for this Christmas traditionalist. Annie also knows that when she finds her true love, she and her mate will move back to the North Pole to take over the family business. But Santa isn’t the only one watching Annie through the looking glass. So is a senior Santa Elf who himself wants to inherit the Ho Ho Ho of Holidays, so much so that he hires Dean, a Hollywood actor to feign affection for Annie. Although Annie temporarily falls for the imposter, she realizes there is something about Ted that is unforgettable.

Here is a trailer for Annie Claus Is Coming to Town.

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