Forever Hallmark Christmas Podcast

Rich & Rene
  • 5.0 (10)
  • TV Reviews

Just two guys talking about Hallmark Christmas movies. That’s it—nothing else. No other channels, no series, no reality TV, and no detours into Loveuary, Spring Into Love, Summer Nights, or Fall Harvest. If it’s not a Hallmark Christmas movie, we’re not covering it. Each week on The Forever Hallmark Christmas Podcast, we review a favorite from past years and keep up with the current films from Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas every October through December. Christmas... all year long!  *** The Forever Hallmark Christmas Podcast is not affiliated with Hallmark Media.

  1. A Holiday Spectacular with Julie Sherman Wolfe

    1d ago

    A Holiday Spectacular with Julie Sherman Wolfe

    Rich and Rene join forces with Amy and Garry from Pour the Wine, It's Romcom Time (so grab a glass of vino) to celebrate Hallmark's landmark 2022 film, A Holiday Spectacular. Then we hit the Hallmark lottery. Writer Julie Sherman Wolfe joins us for an incredible behind-the-scenes look at one of Hallmark's most ambitious projects ever: a period piece set in 1958 and centered around the legendary Radio City Rockettes. Think you know this movie? Think again. In this episode: • How a conversation between Rich and director John Putch led to Julie joining the podcast. • Julie's journey from stand-up comedy to sitcom writing, Disney Channel projects, and a five-year road to her first Hallmark movie, Hello, It's Me. • How a family connection to the Rockettes sparked the original meeting that eventually became A Holiday Spectacular. • The writing process behind one of Hallmark's most ambitious productions—and how it differed from her other films. • What it was like attending the film's premiere inside Radio City Music Hall—including the celebrity who left her star-struck and the musical performance she'll never forget. • The late-night conversation at the premier with two Hallmark actresses that ultimately inspired a couple of 2025 Hallmark films (think… Spain). • The movie's original title (and no, it wasn't A Holiday Spectacular). • Why 1958 was the perfect setting for the story and how the Rockettes' sisterhood reminded Julie of her own friendships with two fellow Hallmark writers. • How Hallmark keeps pairing her scripts with incredible Broadway talent, including Ginna Claire Mason and Derek Klena leading the way in this film. • The Hallmark destinations she still hopes to write about someday. And of course, Julie joins us for rapid-fire questions: Eggnog: yay or nay?  Classic or modern Christmas music?  Real or artificial tree?  Ugly Christmas sweaters? (Spoiler: Julie has quite the collection.) Bottom line: fire up Hallmark+, watch (or rewatch) the extended cut with 18 additional minutes of Hallmark magic, then settle in for 75 minutes of stories, insights, and behind-the-scenes details that will make you appreciate this movie more than ever. For the love of Hallmark! Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com Follow Amy and Garry: www.instagram.com/pourthewineitsromcomtime Follow Julie: www.instagram.com/julie_sherman_wolfe *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.

    1h 15m
  2. A Bride for Christmas

    Jun 18

    A Bride for Christmas

    Kimberley Sustad’s first Hallmark movie. Andrew Walker’s Hallmark debut. Arielle Kebbel’s first turn with the network too. With an average age of just 28, our three leads bring plenty of youthful energy - but don’t expect perfection. This movie is packed with wonderfully flawed characters! In A Bride for Christmas (2012) - Writer Barbara Kymlicka delivers a clever, sharp script that borrows a few elements from the 2003 movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and somehow turns them into pure Hallmark magic. Bonkers, ridiculous, outrageous... and completely impossible to stop watching. And the "dog shelter kiss" in this movie is considered one of the best in Hallmark history… will it pass the Mistletoe Meter grading criteria?  In this episode, we cover: • Behind-the-scenes movie fun facts  • The best moment  • What we’d rewrite in 2026  • Those supporting characters who deserved more screen time  • “Are We Sure?” — much needed Hallmark logic checks  • We know Aiden and Jessie get married – but would their relationship have lasted if the movie ended with them only engaged?  • The multiple kisses (four in all!)… and the letter grades they earned – one was steamy!!!  • The MVP of the movie  • Our personal — and completely meaningless — final rating For the love of Hallmark! Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.

    35 min
  3. The Nine Lives of Christmas

    Jun 11

    The Nine Lives of Christmas

    Kimberley Sustad's first Hallmark starring role. Brandon Routh fresh off a career that includes playing Superman. Firefighters. Cats. A terrific Nancey Silvers script. And one of the most delightfully unlikeable characters Hallmark has ever given us. That's the recipe for the 2014 fan favorite The Nine Lives of Christmas. And Hallmark fans clearly agree—when Entertainment Weekly ranked the best all-time Hallmark Christmas movies back in 2025, Nine Lives landed at #2, second only to A Biltmore Christmas. In this episode, we cover: • Behind-the-scenes movie fun facts  • Our favorite moments  • Scenes we’d rewrite  • The best supporting characters  • “Are We Sure?” — our ultimate Hallmark logic check  • Whether Marilee and Zach would actually last as a couple  • The multiple kisses… and the letter grades they earned  • Who (or what) truly won the movie  • Our personal — and unbiased — final rating For the love of Hallmark! Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.

    34 min
  4. A Timeless Christmas

    Jun 4

    A Timeless Christmas

    Erin Cahill (Megan) may be one of Hallmark’s most charming leading ladies. And Rich and Rene are confident enough to admit it: Ryan Paevey (Charles) is one remarkably handsome dude. Things get delightfully complicated when Charles travels from 1903 to 2020 and must convince Megan—a historian who has spent years studying his life—that he’s actually the man she’s written about. This beloved 2020 Hallmark favorite was written and directed by Hallmark legend Ron Oliver (Christmas at the Plaza, The Christmas Train), and he provides us with incredible behind-the-scenes stories about how the movie came to life. SPOILER: It almost didn’t. Featuring a magical Christmas clock, a time-travel twist, a stellar supporting cast, and some of the most heartfelt conversations ever seen in a Hallmark Christmas movie, this one gives us plenty to discuss. In this episode:  • Behind-the-scenes stories from Ron Oliver  • Our favorite moments—and Ron’s favorites, too  • Scenes we'd rewrite  • The MVP supporting characters  • “Are We Sure?” — our Hallmark logic check  • Will Charles and Megan actually make it?  • The final kiss  • Who (or what) really won the movie  • Our completely objective and totally unbiased final rating For the love of Hallmark! Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.

    32 min
  5. An Unexpected Christmas

    May 28

    An Unexpected Christmas

    Bethany Joy Lenz (Emily) may be the best actress Hallmark has ever seen. Tyler Hynes (Jamie) is arguably the most popular leading man in Hallmark history. And Paul Campbell — already beloved as a Hallmark leading man — has also become one of the network’s most talented writers. Put them all together and you get the 2021 Hallmark Christmas favorite: An Unexpected Christmas. When Variety released its 2025 list, “The 25 Best Hallmark Christmas Movies, Ranked,” the Hallmark world exploded with debate… and their #1 pick was none other than An Unexpected Christmas!  In this episode, we cover: • Behind-the-scenes movie fun facts  • Our favorite moments  • Scenes we’d rewrite  • The best supporting characters  • “Are We Sure?” — our ultimate Hallmark logic check  • Whether Emily and Jamie would actually last as a couple  • The multiple kisses… and the letter grades they earned  • Who (or what) truly won the movie  • Our personal — and unbiased — final rating For the love of Hallmark! Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.

    40 min
  6. Crashing Through the Snow

    May 21

    Crashing Through the Snow

    Hallmark Christmas in July gets a little hotter with Crashing Through the Snow! Starring Amy Acker as Maggie - a divorced mom invited to spend Christmas in Aspen with her ex and his soon-to-be fiancée Kate - the movie takes off when Kate’s charming brother Sam (Warren Christie) unexpectedly arrives home from Japan. The chemistry between Maggie and Sam? Off the charts… and not exactly your typical Hallmark romance. Rich and Rene rave about the sharp script from Tamar Laddy, heartfelt conversations, gorgeous Christmas décor, and Maggie’s endless ability to trip over absolutely everything. Rene wonders why everyone in this town is so unbelievably nice - and why nobody seems more excited that Sam is finally home. Rich, meanwhile, has questions about Maggie’s miraculous ice-skating improvement… and whether Gremlins really belongs on a “best Christmas movie” list. The guys also break down the unforgettable hot springs scene, debate the movie MVP, and react to a final kiss that may rank among Hallmark’s all-time best. Bottom line: this might be one of the steamiest, funniest, and most emotionally honest Christmas movies Hallmark has ever made. For the love of Hallmark! Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.

    33 min
  7. Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa

    May 14

    Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa

    It’s Christmas in Evergreen… round two! In Letters to Santa, Jill Wagner and Mark Deklin lead the second installment in Hallmark’s beloved Evergreen franchise. Since the original Christmas in Evergreen earned a pretty strong grade in one of our very first podcast reviews, the big question is: does the sequel deliver the same holiday magic? Rich is thrilled to see Allie — and her iconic red truck — return, loves the movie’s three “almost kisses,” and still considers Evergreen one of Hallmark’s all-time coziest Christmas towns. Rene falls hard for the flashback scenes, the story behind the Christmas letter, and of course… a top-tier cookie decorating montage. But not everything sleighs. Rich wonders if the movie juggles one too many storylines and can’t stop doing the math on Kevin supposedly writing the letter 25 years earlier at age seven. Rene thinks the couple’s first big conflict feels forced and wishes Lisa and Oliver’s relationship had been defined more clearly. The guys also debate the best supporting character, question Evergreen’s apparent shortage of contractors, and wonder why the inn lobby looks ready to host a symphony orchestra. Rene raises an eyebrow at Lisa’s mechanic skills, while Rich nitpicks the final kiss enough to keep it from earning an A-grade. Add in an emotional reveal, a strong ice skating scene, an MVP disagreement, and one of the biggest score splits of the year… and you’ve got another festive Evergreen debate you won’t want to miss. We keep it fun, keep it real, and always… keep it Hallmark Christmas. Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.

    34 min
  8. It's Christmas, Eve

    May 7

    It's Christmas, Eve

    The same duo that brought us A Kiss Before Christmas — the rare Hallmark movie to earn a PERFECT score from both Rene and Rich - returns as writers Mark Amato (story) and Tracy Andreen (script) deliver It's Christmas, Eve starring LeAnn Rimes and Tyler Hynes - both working with Hallmark for the first time. And the chemistry? Off the charts! Rich crowns LeAnn driving down Main Street during the opening credits - while her own song plays in the background - the ultimate “Boss Move,” while also deeply relating to John’s ongoing battle with bar chords during Liam’s guitar lessons. Rene comes away genuinely impressed by LeAnn’s acting chops and gives major props to one of the most creative Hallmark meet-cutes we’ve seen. The guys also make the case that Tracy Andreen belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Hallmark writers… before boldly attempting to rewrite one of her scenes anyway. (Yes, it involves the big duet: “You and Me and Christmas.”) Elsewhere, Rene wonders if the concert vocals sounded just a little too perfect, while Rich asks the real question: should Eve have taken the San Diego job… with Liam in tow? There’s no debate that Eve and Liam are built to last, but while Rene calls the final kiss absolutely perfect, Rich somehow still finds a flaw in the smooch. Plus: Who actually won the movie? LeAnn? Tyler? Someone else? We keep it fun, keep it real, and always… keep it Hallmark Christmas. Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.

    33 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Just two guys talking about Hallmark Christmas movies. That’s it—nothing else. No other channels, no series, no reality TV, and no detours into Loveuary, Spring Into Love, Summer Nights, or Fall Harvest. If it’s not a Hallmark Christmas movie, we’re not covering it. Each week on The Forever Hallmark Christmas Podcast, we review a favorite from past years and keep up with the current films from Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas every October through December. Christmas... all year long!  *** The Forever Hallmark Christmas Podcast is not affiliated with Hallmark Media.

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