Ho ho ho: Suburban stars shine in holiday TV movies
Hallmark dropped its first new Christmas movie of 2019 before Halloween, which - oddly enough - ushered in the kind of snow you normally only see on TV this time of year.
If either put you in the holiday mood, you're in luck: A wide variety of TV channels are rolling out new Christmas movies in the next few weeks filled with tree-trimming, cocoa-sipping couples caught under the mistletoe.
Some even star familiar faces - stars from the suburbs.
Here's a look at three with local ties:
'Twinkle All The Way'
Premieres: 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, on Lifetime
Suburban star: Ryan McPartlin, who grew up in Glen Ellyn and played football for Glenbard South High School.
Plot: McPartlin stars as the owner of a Christmas decoration company who teams up with a wedding planner (Sarah Drew) to create an elaborate Christmas-themed wedding at the Snowview Lodge. Complications - and romance - ensue.
'T'was the Chaos Before Christmas'
Premieres: 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, on BET and BET HER
Suburban star: Sherri Shepherd, who grew up in Hoffman Estates.
Plot: Shepherd plays Val, a middle-class mom who decides to use her lottery winnings to rent a fancy Washington, D.C., home for the holidays and enjoy a vacation with her family. They discover, however, that the home was also booked by rich New Yorkers. Chaos follows as the two very different families settle in and prepare for Christmas.
'Holiday Date'
Premieres: 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, on Hallmark
Suburban star: Bruce Boxleitner, an Elgin native who lived in both Crystal Lake and Mount Prospect and graduated from Prospect High School.
Plot: After a breakup, Brooke (Brittany Bristow) hires an actor to pose as her Christmas-loving boyfriend, only to discover that Joel (Matt Cohen) is Jewish and has never celebrated before. When that comes to light, Brooke's family (Boxleitner stars as her dad) embraces Joel's Hanukkah traditions.