Hallmark Mysteries & More

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Countdown to Christmas 2026 is officially here, and Eric and Andrea kick off eight weeks and 34 movies with 'Tis the Season for Setups, starring Victor Webster, Amanda Schull and Barbara Niven. Andrea gives it three and a half stars, Eric calls it a strong, solid opener, and both agree this is the best Victor has been in years. The one sticking point? Whether the back half moves fast enough.
What You'll Hear:
• Why Andrea thinks Hallmark is missing a huge opportunity by not slipping a real mystery into Countdown to Christmas
• The Hallmark+ math that has Andrea paying more for the Timberwolves than for every Hallmark movie of the year
• Victor Webster as a free-spirited snowboarder, and what director Jeff Beesley told Eric about his performance
• Amanda Schull's slow, believable thaw, plus Andrea's case that Hallmark is underusing her (see: One Tree Hill)
• An escape room, karaoke, a real snowdrift and Barbara Niven playing a pre-Dolores Dolores
• Eric's gripe about acts seven and eight, and his strong feelings about the name Ridge
• The early kiss that broke a Hallmark rule, and the snowshoe scene that made Andrea miss Minnesota winters
• Recommendations: Coyote Creek Christmas, Holiday Hearts and Sense, Sensibility & Snowmen
• Trivia on Amanda Schull's San Francisco Ballet past and Victor's sneaky Love Blossoms callback
Chapters:
0:00 - Countdown to Christmas 2026 Kicks Off
0:55 - Why Hallmark Needs a Christmas Mystery
2:10 - Hallmark+ vs. Paying $20 for the Timberwolves
5:06 - 'Tis the Season for Setups: Andrea's 3.5 Stars
8:54 - Eric's Take and the Jeff Beesley Text
10:33 - Escape Rooms, Karaoke and a Snowdrift
12:11 - What Didn't Work: Backup Plans and a Slow Act 7
16:04 - Standout Scenes: Snowshoes and an Early Kiss
18:29 - The Romance: Two Opposites-Attract Couples
20:16 - If You Liked This, Watch These
22:15 - Trivia: Ballet, One Tree Hill and Love Blossoms
24:08 - Next Week: What If Christmas & Forgotten Holiday
25:50 - Andrea's Ayurveda Hallmark Movie Quiz
Did 'Tis the Season for Setups ease you into Christmas the way Andrea says it should, or did acts seven and eight lose you too? And is Ridge really the worst Hallmark name ever?
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#TisTheSeasonForSetups #CountdownToChristmas #HallmarkChristmas #VictorWebster #AmandaSchull #BarbaraNiven #HallmarkChannel #HallmarkMovies #HallmarkMysteries #HallmarkFans #CozyTV #ChristmasMovies #RomanceMovies #HallmarkPlus #HallmarkReview
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This podcast was created by fans for fans and is NOT affiliated with or sponsored by Hallmark or the Hallmark Channel.

We would love to hear from you. Send us your thoughts or suggestions.
The Spirit of Halloween takes A Christmas Carol, trades December for October, and hands Meghan Ory three ghosts and a firm grudge against Halloween. Eric and Andrea both landed on 4.5 stars for this Hallmark movie, and Eric went a step further, calling it one of the top three Hallmark movies of the year. The only real split is over which moment made it: Andrea says the ghosts, Eric says the ending.
What You'll Hear:
• Why a story everyone already knows still plays fresh as a Halloween movie, and how it skips the usual mid-movie lull
• Meghan Ory carrying the whole film, and why Eric says this is the first time he has seen her go from good to great
• Three ghosts with three completely different energies, including the "small old man from Up" line that made Andrea laugh out loud
• Andrea's late realization about who played the Ghost of Halloween Future (Lachlan Quarmby)
• A cheating scene Hallmark almost never puts on screen, and why Andrea thinks it worked
• The gripes: a storyline that hit a little close to home for a solo parent, an end-credits song even Siri could not identify, and one snarky party line
• Why Eric thinks the dance party finale is one of the best endings Hallmark has done in a while
• What to watch next: A Nashville Christmas Carol, Mickey's Christmas Carol and The Ghost of Christmas Always
• Trivia on Meghan Ory and Lachlan Quarmby, writer Nicole Baxter's track record, and how viewers voted on A Night to Remember
Chapters:
0:00 - Trick or Treat? Halloween Back When Parents Checked Nothing
1:02 - Welcome, and the Halloween Movie Hallmark Missed Last Week
2:23 - The Spirit of Halloween: Plot, Cast and Andrea's Rating
3:43 - Meghan Ory Carries It (Plus a Murder in a Small Town Detour)
5:17 - The Small Old Man From Up and the Ghosts Arrive
6:11 - Eric's Verdict: A Top 3 Hallmark Movie of the Year
7:24 - Three Ghosts, Three Energies, and the Lachlan Quarmby Reveal
9:55 - The Cheating Scene Hallmark Never Shows
10:45 - The Gripes: Solo Parenting, a Mystery Song and One Snarky Line
13:36 - Standout Moments: The Ghosts vs. the Dance Party Finale
15:41 - The Romance: Meghan Ory and Kevin McGarry
17:23 - What to Watch Next: Three Christmas Carol Picks
18:46 - Trivia: Meghan Ory's Black Belt and Lachlan Quarmby's D&D
19:36 - Writer Nicole Baxter's Hit List
20:38 - Viewer Poll Results: A Night to Remember
21:02 - Next Week: 'Tis the Season for Setups and Holiday Touchdown
Eric and Andrea agreed on the rating but not the highlight. Was it the three ghosts or the dance party finale that sold you on The Spirit of Halloween?
New episodes every week. Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss a Hallmark deep dive.
This channel is created by fans, for fans, and is not affiliated with or sponsored by Hallmark or the Hallmark Channel.
#TheSpiritOfHalloween #HallmarkMovie #HalloweenMovie #MeghanOry #KevinMcGarry #LachlanQuarmby #HallmarkChannel #HallmarkMovies #HallmarkHalloween #AChristmasCarol #HallmarkFans #HallmarkMysteries #CozyTV #RomanceMovies #MovieReview
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This podcast was created by fans for fans and is NOT affiliated with or sponsored by Hallmark or the Hallmark Channel.

We would love to hear from you. Send us your thoughts or suggestions.
Hallmark's 2026 Countdown to Christmas has 34 new movies, and Jenny Forwark, Hallmark's former Chief Fan Officer, is back for her annual visit to help Eric and Andrea pick the five they are most looking forward to. Three lists, fifteen slots, and only two movies managed to land on more than one of them. Along the way, everyone also names the movies they are dreading, the pairings they can't wait to see, and one sleeper hit apiece.
What You'll Hear:
• Why Eric's age-gap rule knocked Eight Nights for Love out of his top five, and why Andrea isn't buying it
• Jenny's case for Christmas Delivered with Autumn Reeser and Wes Brown, despite its Thanksgiving Day slot
• Rachael Leigh Cook playing twins in Double Booked for the Holidays, the one movie two of the three couldn't resist
• Eric's behind-the-scenes word from the sets of Noelle Nomads and Save the Date for Christmas
• Amy Acker and Luke Macfarlane in My Christmas Cowboy: Eric calls it fire, Andrea is nervous about another Western
• Three different number ones: The Nights Before Christmas, The Christmas Eve Feast, and A Season of Promises
• The least anticipated list, from Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story to Winter Wonderlanes and The Snowflake Effect
• Sleeper picks What If Christmas, An Angel in My Stocking, and Barking All the Way (and its scene-stealing dog, Twizzler)
• The end-of-season banger streak, the loss of Finding Mr. Christmas, and high hopes for Mistletoe Murders season 3
Chapters:
0:00 - Jenny Forwark Returns for the Annual Preview
2:22 - First Impressions of the 34-Movie Lineup
6:57 - Eric's Age-Gap Rule (and Andrea's Eye Roll)
9:10 - #5: Christmas Delivered
11:13 - #5: A Danish Christmas and a Hygge Lesson
14:27 - #5: Noelle Nomads
16:45 - #4: Double Booked for the Holidays
18:43 - #4: Return to Santa
20:13 - #4: A Danish Christmas, Round Two
21:34 - #3: Holiday Unplugged
26:04 - #3: Who's Coming for Christmas?
28:02 - #3: Our Holiday Playbook
31:07 - #2: Double Booked Gets a Second Vote
32:28 - #2: My Christmas Cowboy
35:09 - Detour: Amy Acker in Crashing Through the Snow
37:46 - #2: Save the Date for Christmas
40:03 - #1: The Nights Before Christmas
42:02 - #1: The Christmas Eve Feast
44:43 - #1: A Season of Promises
46:08 - Jenny's Jake Foy vs. Jake Epstein Mix-Up
47:00 - All Three Top 5 Lists Recapped
48:40 - Least Anticipated: Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story
50:14 - Least Anticipated: Our Holiday Playbook
51:30 - Least Anticipated: Who's Coming for Christmas?
52:17 - Least Anticipated: Winter Wonderlanes
54:44 - Least Anticipated: The Snowflake Effect
56:29 - The Pairings Everyone Is Most Excited For
1:01:18 - Sleeper Pick: What If Christmas
1:03:50 - Sleeper Pick: An Angel in My Stocking
1:05:25 - Sleeper Pick: Barking All the Way
1:07:19 - The Final-Movie Streak and No More Unscripted Specials
1:10:57 - Mistletoe Murders Season 3
1:12:36 - Early Verdict on 'Tis the Season for Setups
Which of these three lists is closest to yours? And is Our Holiday Playbook a top three pick, like Eric says, or a bottom two dud, like Jenny says?
New episodes every week. Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss a Hallmark deep dive.
#HallmarkChristmas #CountdownToChristmas #HallmarkChristmas2026 #HallmarkChannel #HallmarkMovies #HallmarkFans #ChristmasMovies #JennyForwark #RachaelLeighCook #AmyAcker #LukeMacfarlane #TylerHynes #NikkiDeLoach #JonathanBennett #RomanceMovies #CozyTV
Follow us on social media:
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Or visit our website. 

This podcast was created by fans for fans and is NOT affiliated with or sponsored by Hallmark or the Hallmark Channel.

We would love to hear from you. Send us your thoughts or suggestions.
Eric and Andrea review A Knight to Remember, Hallmark's October rom-com where museum conservator Emily (Julie Gonzalo) kisses the statue of a 1400s English knight and accidentally brings Sir Griffin (James Trevena) to life in Chicago. Andrea gives it 2 stars and found it slow going. Eric lands at 2.5, calling it corny, light Hallmark fun with two leads who were better than the script. Neither of them is calling it memorable, but they don't agree on how forgettable it is.
What You'll Hear:
• Why both hosts think James Trevena has the comedic timing to keep landing Hallmark leads, even if a 1400s knight wasn't the role to show it off
• The Chris McNally cameo at the archery contest, opposite his real-life wife Julie Gonzalo, that Andrea completely missed
• The tone problem: an ex-boyfriend FBI subplot that stalled whatever whimsy the movie managed to build
• Andrea's case for more magic and more fish-out-of-water chaos than one quick joke about indoor plumbing
• Whether Emily and Griffin worked as a couple, or felt more like a woman taking on a 600-year-old project
• Similar watches: 2023's Made for Each Other, 1987's Mannequin and Making Mr. Right, and Life-Size with Tyra Banks and Lindsay Lohan
• Trivia on two Southern Hemisphere-born leads starring in a movie set in Chicago
• Instagram poll results for Garage Sale and Pumpkin Regatta
• News on Private Eyes West Coast coming to Hallmark+ and a first look at next week's The Spirit of Halloween with Meghan Ory
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro: A Knight to Remember
0:23 - Private Eyes West Coast Lands on Hallmark+
1:32 - Coming Up: Christmas Movie Preview with Jenny
2:56 - The Recap: A Kiss Brings a Statue to Life
3:08 - Andrea's 2 Stars and James Trevena as Griffin
5:06 - Eric's 2.5 Stars: Leads Better Than the Script
7:04 - The Chris McNally Cameo Andrea Missed
8:10 - What Didn't Work: Too Serious, Not Enough Magic
10:52 - Standout Characters
13:29 - The Romance: Did Emily and Griffin Work?
15:21 - If You Liked This: Made for Each Other
16:02 - 1987 Throwbacks and Life-Size
17:55 - Trivia: Two Southern Hemisphere Leads
19:24 - Instagram Polls: Garage Sale and Pumpkin Regatta
20:47 - Next Week: The Spirit of Halloween
Andrea wanted Griffin to be far more lost in the modern world. Which piece of 21st century life should a knight from the 1400s have struggled with on screen, and did this one land closer to 2 stars or 2.5 for you?
New episodes every week. Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss a Hallmark deep dive.
#AKnightToRemember #HallmarkChannel #HallmarkMovies #HallmarkMysteries #HallmarkFans #CozyTV #JulieGonzalo #JamesTrevena #ChrisMcNally #RomanceMovies #HallmarkReview #MovieReview #TheSpiritOfHalloween #MeghanOry
Follow us on social media:
Instagram and TikTok: @hallmarkmysteriesandmore
Youtube

Or visit our website. 

This podcast was created by fans for fans and is NOT affiliated with or sponsored by Hallmark or the Hallmark Channel.

We would love to hear from you. Send us your thoughts or suggestions.
Eric and Andrea kick off mystery month with Good Witch: Curse from a Rose, the 2019 Halloween movie that turned out to be the final Good Witch film. Andrea gives it a full five stars, and Eric makes the case that the whole franchise is still the bar for Hallmark series. The only real dispute is whether Middleton's official population would survive a census.
What You'll Hear:
• Andrea's five-star verdict, and why a town of 3,017 people should not look that big from the air
• The pumpkin regatta neither host remembered, and why Cassie feels a lot like Andrea
• Why Eric thinks Good Witch set the standard, from Cassie and Sam's chemistry to Hallmark paying for two American leads
• The franchise timeline from 2008 to 2021, and how Curse from a Rose became the last movie
• What didn't land: no Grace, a softer Nick, and a cast too big for everyone to get a turn
• Eric's complaint about the mummy marathon and bowling events that never made it on screen
• Cassie and Sam's first married Halloween, plus Martha's surprisingly wise line about love
• Trivia: the Middleton monster cameo, a truck that changes color mid-scene, and what Catherine Bell planned to do before acting
• What to watch next: Kentucky Roses and Acorn's Queens of Mystery
Chapters:
0:00 - Mystery Month Starts in Middleton
1:07 - The Recap: Cassie's College Roommate Comes to Town
1:46 - Andrea's Five-Star Verdict (and a Census Problem)
4:31 - Andrea's Inner Cassie and the Pumpkin Regatta
5:44 - Eric's Take: Why Good Witch Is the Bar
9:18 - The Last Good Witch Movie and a 13-Year Run
11:25 - What Didn't Work: No Grace and a Different Nick
13:50 - Where Was the Mummy Marathon?
14:53 - Standout Character: Cassie vs. the Whole Ensemble
16:49 - The Romance: Cassie and Sam, Tom and Martha
19:32 - What to Watch Next
20:37 - Trivia: Bessie, a Color-Changing Truck and Catherine Bell
22:26 - IMDb Rating and Coming Up Next
Andrea wants Hallmark to bring Good Witch back every Halloween. If they did, who gets the next movie built around them: Cassie and Sam again, Martha, Abigail, or someone else from Middleton?
New episodes every week. Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss a Hallmark deep dive.
#GoodWitch #CurseFromARose #CatherineBell #JamesDenton #LolitaDavidovich #CassieNightingale #Middleton #HallmarkHalloween #HalloweenMovies #HallmarkChannel #HallmarkMovies #HallmarkMysteries #HallmarkFans #CozyTV
Follow us on social media:
Instagram and TikTok: @hallmarkmysteriesandmore
Youtube

Or visit our website. 

This podcast was created by fans for fans and is NOT affiliated with or sponsored by Hallmark or the Hallmark Channel.