Have you ever watched a holiday rom-com on Hallmark Channel or Lifetime, or any of the many other networks and streamers that currently air them, and thought, “I could write that?'' It's more difficult than the previous one, but just as fun.
A regular writer for Hallmark Channel, Great American Family, and Lifetime's Christmas shows shares the details, misconceptions, and exceptions to writing Christmas TV movies.
Christmas is 365 days a year
For some, the holiday season passes by in the blink of an eye, but for those whose jobs depend on the holiday season, Christmas is always on their minds.
Writers are always looking for the next job, so there is no real break or downtime between jobs.
The pressure is on to come up with an idea, sell it, and write the script so that the movie is ready to be produced and aired.
“When I'm not writing a Christmas movie, I feel like I'm pitching a Christmas movie,” said Anna White, executive producer and writer of Holiday Junkie, which Jennifer directed and starred in. It feels like Christmas all year round.” Love Hewitt premieres Saturday on Lifetime.
However, adopting a Christmas mindset can be difficult when your outside life doesn't match the world you create.
Rick Garman, who wrote the 2023 Hallmark Channel hit “Christmas on Cherry Lane” and its three sequels for Hallmark+ this year, often writes Christmas movies in June.
The Savannah, Georgia, resident says the heat and humidity can be painful.
When those moments arise, Garman has trained himself to think about the big picture. “People can come back and pick themselves up with the idea that they’re going to be happy after watching this movie.”
cookie cutter story
Writing a Christmas TV movie script can be like listening to the same holiday songs over and over again.
“When you look at the hundreds of Christmas movies from the past few years, it's hard to come up with different ideas and new twists on old ideas and classics,” said executive producer Carla Russell. “Christmas Under the Northern Lights” debuted on Great American Family in November.
Selling an idea or script can create a sense of déjà vu, said Nina Weinman, whose 2024 production was Hallmark's “Debbie Macomber's Joyful Mrs. Miracle.”
Anna White talks about how she started writing Christmas movies.
“I pitched the Christmas idea and they said, 'It's so nice to have something that's already in development,' and you said, 'Okay, someone else should do the first one. That's what happens.''
White said this is where writers need to push themselves to find different ways to tell a story. she asks herself. “What's the new hook for this?” What is it that we haven't seen before? What is the world that we have never seen? What are the topics that we haven't considered before? Obviously there are a million Christmas movies on every channel now, so that's the challenge. ”
Garman admits that he tries to come up with fresh ideas to keep himself interested. “There’s only so many cookies you can bake,” he said.
no recipe needed
Many have wondered if there is a formula for writing a Christmas movie with certain criteria that must be met, like “Mistletoe Kiss, Check.” Weinman says that's definitely not the case.
“That's not true. I don't know where the rumor that there is a list started. There isn't.”
Tips for writing Christmas movies for television
While there's no real checklist to follow, the authors say there are some standard practices to keep in mind.
- If you want to write a Christmas movie, be prepared to experience Christmas all year long.
- Originality and fresh ideas are welcomed, but don't forget about your audience.
- There are no real villains in Christmas TV movies.
- Every story has a happy ending.
tell different stories
Weinman praises Hallmark Channel's expansion into Christmas content in recent years.
“When I first started writing these movies, I didn't have a lot of creative freedom. Now I realize that if I want people to come back, I need to go bigger and bolder. And they are. The audience is big. “I get a lot of feedback that they love the swing.” She's especially proud of the film she wrote, “Catch Me If You Klaus,” which was released on Hallmark last year. was a more whimsical work. “We wrote that movie 10 years ago. It was too broad for a time. They finally said yes.”
In recent years, Hallmark Channel and Lifetime have also added Christmas movies with LGBTQ storylines and Hanukkah-themed movies.
This year, Julie Sherman Wolf, who is Jewish, wrote both “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story” and “Hanukkah on the Rocks” for the Hallmark Channel. Her first Hanukkah-themed film was 2022's “Hanukkah in the Rye.”
“I have to publish everything that someone in my family has ever said or done that is funny or moving or culturally significant to Hanukkah. So I throw it all together. But somehow I found more material for “Hanukkah on the Rocks.”
“One of the great things about these Christmas movies is that they're pretty secular. They're like, 'What's Christmas pop culture?'” said White, who grew up Jewish. I love that.”
Keeping the Christmas atmosphere intact
There's no checklist to follow, so it helps to remember that the person watching is a fan of the genre. In other words, if you want a Christmas movie to sell to networks, it needs to be a Christmas movie.
“No more sex, no more drugs, no more rock 'n' roll. That's never going to happen. We're always on brand,” Weinman said.
“It's comfort food. Couples will end up together. Nobody dies,” Garman added.
Garman teaches a class on writing Christmas movies and teaches students to remember that Christmas drives the story. “How does the spirit of Christmas help people achieve their goals, or how does the spirit of Christmas bring these two people together, or how do we get back to something for Christmas?” Do you find it?”
And in the world of Christmas-themed TV movies, the bad guys aren't “outright villains or caricatures,” Russell said. Rather, Garman describes them as “misguided” people who “usually learn their lesson by the end.” People watch because they know by the end of those two hours everything will be fine. ”
Christmas countdown starts early
Some people decorate the Christmas tree right after handing out Halloween candy. The network knows this and is ready to meet the demand.
Hallmark Channel began its annual countdown to Christmas with original movies and repeat shows starting October 18th. Lifetime waited until the Pumpkin Spice Latte cooled to begin its schedule on November 16th.
Bill Abbott is president and CEO of Great American Media, and before that he was the head of Hallmark's parent company. In between both jobs, he has seen demand for Christmas movies start earlier and earlier.
“Initially, we thought Christmas movies would probably be very popular from the week before Thanksgiving until Christmas,” Abbott said. “After all, it's popular from October until the end of the year.”
It's no surprise that Great American Family started the holiday season earlier than any other network. The first Christmas movie to air on Great American Family this year was Oct. 10, and Abbott said it “exceeded my expectations.”
So, do you think you can write a Christmas movie? Then give it a try.
“I wrote it on spec. I mean, I didn't have a place to go. I sent it out to a bunch of people and got my manager to do it. He put me in touch with some of the people who make these Christmas movies. The ball kept rolling…I think they're always in demand and sell very well internationally.”
