Have you ever on Hallmark Channel or Lifetime — or any of the other many networks and streamers that now air them — and thought, “I could write that”? It's harder than you may think — but just as fun.
Regular writers of Christmas fare for Hallmark Channel, Great American Family and Lifetime share the ins and outs, misconceptions and exceptions to writing a Christmas TV movie.
Christmas is 365 days a year
Some say the holiday season goes by quickly, but for those whose jobs depend on it, is always on the brain. Writers are always looking for their next gig so there's no real rest or downtime between assignments. The pressure is on to come up with ideas, get them sold and get writing so the films can get made and ready to air.
“I feel like when I’m not writing Christmas movies I’m pitching Christmas movies, so I feel like it’s Christmas all year round," said Anna White, who executive produced and wrote directed by and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, premiering Saturday on Lifetime.
It can be challenging, however, to get into the mindset of Christmas when life outside doesn't match the world you're creating. Rick Garman, who wrote the 2023 Hallmark Channel hit film along with its three sequels this year for Hallmark+, often writes Christmas movies in June.
A resident of Savannah, Georgia, he says the high heat and humidity can be a slog. When those moments bubble up, Garman has trained himself to think big picture. “I sort of flip back to this idea that people are going to watch this movie and it's going to make them happy ... and then I sort of get over myself.”
Cookie cutter stories
Sometimes writing a script for a Christmas TV movie can be like listening to the same on repeat.
“If you look at the hundreds and hundreds of Christmas movies over the last several years, it is tricky to come up with a different idea or a new twist on an old idea or a classic," said Cara Russell, an executive producer of "Christmas Under the Northern Lights,” which debuted on Great American Family in November.
Selling an idea or a script can cause deja vu says Nina Weinman, whose 2024 offering was for Hallmark.
“I pitched a Christmas idea and they were like, ‘It’s so good that we have something identical to that already in development.’" You're like, ‘OK, somebody else got their first.’ That happens."
This is where writers have to push themselves to find different ways to tell stories, said White. She asks herself, “What is a new hook into this? What is something we’ve never seen? What is a world we've never seen? What is a topic we’ve never explored? That’s kind of hard because obviously now every channel everywhere does a million Christmas movies, but that’s the challenge.”
Garman admits trying to think of fresh ideas to keep himself interested as well. “There’s only so many times that they can bake cookies,” he said.
No recipe required
Many wonder if there’s a formula to writing a Christmas movie with certain criteria that must be met like “mistletoe kiss, check.” Weinman says absolutely not.
“That is not true. I don’t know where the rumor started that there’s a list out there. There’s not.”
Telling different stories
Weinman credits Hallmark Channel for branching out in recent years with their Christmas content.
“There wasn’t a lot of creative freedom when I first started writing these movies. Now they've found you have to go bigger or go bolder if you want the people to keep coming back. And they are. I see a lot of feedback that the audience loves the big swings." She's especially proud of a movie she wrote that debuted last year on Hallmark called “Catch Me If You Claus” that was more of a caper. “I wrote that movie 10 years ago. It was too broad for a while. They finally said yes."
In recent years, Hallmark Channel and Lifetime added Christmas movies with LGBTQ storylines and Hanukkah-themed films too. This year, Julie Sherman Wolfe, who is Jewish, wrote both and “Hanukkah on the Rocks” for Hallmark Channel. Her first Hanukkah-themed movie was “Hanukkah on Rye” from 2022.
“I got to release everything anyone in my family has ever said or done that’s funny or touching or just culturally significant to Hanukkah. I just threw it all into that, but then somehow found some more stuff for "Hanukkah on the Rocks.'"
White grew up Jewish and said "one of the great things about these Christmas movies is they’re pretty like, you know, non-religious. They’re pretty much just like, what’s the pop culture of Christmas? I love that.”
Keep the Christmas vibes
With no checklist to follow, it's helpful to remember those who tune in are fans of the genre. In other words, if you want to sell a Christmas movie to a network, keep it Christmas-y.
"There’s not going to be sex, drugs and rock and roll. That’s never going to happen. It’s always staying on brand," said Weinman.
“It’s comfort food. The couple is going to end up together. Nobody’s going to die,” added Garman.
Garman has taught classes on writing Christmas movies and tells students to remember that Christmas drives the story. "How does the Christmas spirit help people achieve their goal or how does it bring these two people together or how do they find their way back to something because of Christmas?”
And, in the world of TV movies about Christmas, bad guys aren’t “an outright villain or a caricature,” said Russell. Instead, Garman describes them as “misguided” people who “usually learn their lesson by the end. Knowing that everything’s going to be OK at the end of this two hours is why people watch.”
The Christmas countdown starts early
Some people put their Christmas tree up as soon as they’re done handing out Halloween candy. Networks are aware of this and ready to meet the demand. Hallmark Channel kicked off its annual Countdown to Christmas with original films and repeats beginning Oct. 18. Lifetime waited until pumpkin spice lattes had cooled and started their schedule on Nov. 16.
Bill Abbott is the president and CEO of Great American Media and prior to that was the head of Hallmark’s parent company. Between both jobs, he’s watched the demand for Christmas movies begin earlier and earlier.
“Initially I would have thought that Christmas movies would be very popular between maybe the week before Thanksgiving through Christmas,” said Abbott. “As it’s turned out, it’s popular from October through the end of the year.”
It should be no surprise that Great American Family started their holiday season off earlier than any other network. The first Christmas movie to air this year on Great American Family was on Oct. 10, which Abbott says is ”beyond my wildest expectations.”
So you think you can write a Christmas movie? Then do it.
White majored in screenwriting at Loyola Marymount University. After graduation she spent years doing grunt work jobs because she wanted to write. She got the idea to write a Christmas movie and “watched a ton of them” for research.
"I wrote one on spec, which means, without it having anywhere to go. I sent it out to a bunch of people and got my manager that way. He hooked me up with some of the production companies that make these Christmas movies. The ball kept rolling ... There’s always demand for them and they sell, I think, really well internationally.”
Alicia Rancilio, The Associated Press
