It has come to my attention that not everyone is as obsessed with Hallmark as I am. I don’t understand this. Even more, I discovered that not everyone understands that there are different Hallmark channels, that they carry different types of shows and that life really is better with a little Hallmark. Here it is. The official, unofficial guide to Hallmark. A Hallmark 101 if you will. The Hallmark Channel for dummies.
Hallmark 101
Hallmark Channel
Hallmark channel is the place you want to go for your favorite love stories. These movies will warm your heart and make you feel warm and fuzzy. They start their Countdown to Christmas on October 26th so now is a great time to get acquainted with the channel and catch up on some of your favorites. They have more than 20 new movies on this year’s lineup so it’s bound to get you ready for Christmas! You may be a “wait until after Thanksgiving” kind of person when it comes to Christmas, so instead of starting the countdown you can just watch some Harvest feel good movies. There are love stories for everyone, in every season! Also, check out the show Chesapeake Shores! It’s one of my favorites and a great, realistic family story! I also love When Calls the Heart!
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
I’ve recently gotten into Hallmark Movies & Mysteries because my most favorite show of all time is on here. Signed, Sealed & Delivered is the best thing on TV and not nearly enough people know about it. It is a smart, well-written show with a beautiful element of faith sure to get you hooked. Read my full review and start watching. Basically, the movies and mysteries channel is full of shows that are more mystery oriented. While they may have an element of the love story you know and love from the Hallmark Channel, that isn’t really the main focus. They’ve recently created quite a few new mystery shows.
Hallmark Drama
Hallmark Drama will be the place to find family-friendly movies with a more dramatic story line. The storytelling is more dramatic in nature. If you love a little bit a drama, this is the channel for you. You’ll also find favorites like Touched by an Angel, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman and Little House on the Prairie.
Ways to Watch
Hallmark Movies Now
A couple years ago my husband and I subscribed to FeelN, which became Hallmark Movies Now. It was $30 and you received a free Roku player. We’ve had it for 2 years now and I think the subscription is best for someone looking for a collection of Hallmark Movies that aren’t necessarily new. It is an archive of some Hallmark favorites, some newer stuff and then some shows like Chesapeake Shores or Signed, Sealed & Delivered to allow you to catch up a bit. If you are looking for a service to watch newer Hallmark movies, this isn’t it. The good thing is that they add content regularly so if you aren’t concerned about the content being what is currently on TV then this may be a great choice for you!
Amazon
Buy them. Watch them. At $10 a piece you may think this is too expensive of an option. You can buy some of the 4-packs of Christmas movies to save a bit and also shop thrift stores or bargain movie bins.
Sling TV
Sling TV is a good option for watching for all Hallmark channels. We subscribe to the Orange plan and then add the Lifestyle + DVR option. It is $35 a month and we generally just subscribe in the fall and through the holidays. You can cancel as needed to save some money, but honestly you may get hooked and just want to keep it. It is basically streaming live TV and not on-demand so that is where the DVR function comes in. You can record the shows you want (up to 50 hours) and then go back and watch as you want. We’ve found it to be reliable and have all we need! It comes with a bunch of other channels as well, but we really only watch Hallmark.
Netflix
Netflix will, on occasion, have some Hallmark shows but it is hit and miss. I don’t currently subscribe to Hulu but there may be some options there as well.
Cable
If you already get cable, check with your service and see about adding Hallmark!
So, there you have it. All you need to know to get started with Hallmark! What I love most is that I can have a Hallmark movie or channel on in the background and don’t have to worry about my kids seeing it (although some of the mysteries may be better for slightly older kids!) What are your favorite Hallmark movies?
