How the Network Puts the Cheese in Its Brand Expertise in Hallmark Christmas Movies

The network wouldn’t have it any other way. Hallmark Christmas movies have a reputation for being cheesy. Michelle Vicary, Crown Media’s senior vice president of programming, remarked, “I had to reassess the definition of that word.” “I don’t think it’s a negative; I think it’s the joy and positivism.”

How the Network Puts the Cheese in Its Brand Expertise in Hallmark Christmas Movies

We’re not afraid of it, in fact, we welcome it… because people want more of it. Every rom-com trope imaginable is filtered through over-the-top yuletide cheer in these films, which all follow the same formula: a G-rated world where the stars are familiar faces from soaps and ’90s sitcoms, everyone is nice (villains are just misunderstood), and everyone is nice (villains are just misunderstood). Christmas is all about love. Before two lovelorn souls eventually connect for one chaste kiss at the conclusion of the movie, there will be plenty of eggnog recipes, snowy carriage rides, carolling, tree-trimming, fake snowball battles, cookie-baking, ugly sweaters, secret Santas, gingerbread houses, parades, and reindeer-spotting. “We assure our viewers that if they say, ‘I have two hours and…

I’m going to choose Hallmark,’ they’ll feel a little bit better about themselves, their community, life, or the season [while watching],” Vicary added. “That’s fine with us.” That’s how people are meant to feel if we perform our job properly.” While Hallmark is proud of its rom-com storytelling’s unabashed emotion, it has upgraded the production elements that had previously bolstered its corny reputation. Certainly, today’s films are more polished and don’t rely on recycling sets (RIP, gazebo!). Despite rumours to the contrary, Hallmark would not dare to cut corners on snow, despite the fact that many movies are still shot during the Canadian summer. “I’m not sure why having too much snow is a bad thing.

“I believe I’ve been misquoted,” Vicary remarked in response to an earlier Country Living story that said too snowy stories were avoided to save money on faking it. “Avalanches aren’t something we’re seeking for, but they’re not a problem for us.” While “Force Majeure” is unlikely to become a Hallmark movie anytime soon, synthetic snow technology has advanced. Also, because Christmas movies are now made all year, some of them are shot when there is real snow outside. These enhancements are the result of almost a decade of Hallmark holiday programming. In 2016, there were 21 original Christmas movies, while in 2017, there were 33. This year, Hallmark released 38 holiday films, bringing the total number of original holiday films to 174 since the practise began in 2010.