Editing Hallmark Channel (section)

====Countdown to Christmas====
From the last weekend in October until [[New Year's Day|January 1]], Hallmark Channel runs an event known as the ''Countdown to Christmas'', where the network's schedule is devoted to a mix of holiday movies, specials and holiday-themed original programming.<ref name="e!o"/> The block is branded as ''Countdown to New Years'' from December 26 until January 1 and culminates with the channel's broadcast of the [[Tournament of Roses Parade]]. Actresses frequently featured in the channel's Christmas films have been promoted as the "Queens of Christmas", including [[Rachel Boston]], [[Candace Cameron Bure]], [[Lacey Chabert]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Turnquist |first1=Kristi |date=October 20, 2017 |title=Here are all 22 Hallmark Channel 2017 'Countdown to Christmas' programs |work=The Oregonian |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/tv/2017/10/hallmark_channel_begins_2017_c.html |url-status=live |access-date=January 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180120124708/http://www.oregonlive.com/tv/2017/10/hallmark_channel_begins_2017_c.html |archive-date=January 20, 2018}}</ref> [[Erin Krakow]], [[Kellie Martin]], [[Danica McKellar]], [[Autumn Reeser]] and [[Alicia Witt]].<ref name=":4" /> Hallmark's "Christmas TV ratings system" has designations like "F for Family" and "J for Joy".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lowry |first1=Brian |date=November 26, 2012 |title=Networks XL Xmas season |language=en |work=Chicago Tribune |publisher=Tribune Publishing |agency=Variety |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2012/11/26/networks-xl-xmas-season/ |url-status=live |access-date=January 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125074630/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-11-26/news/chi-tms-variety-xmas-season_1_christmas-episodes-christmas-tv-wonderful-life-and-miracle |archive-date=January 25, 2018}}</ref>

The event was introduced in 2009, featuring four original movie premieres.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="bc0" /> Countdown to Christmas has featured cross-promotion of Hallmark Cards, including having featured the characters of [[Hoops & Yoyo]] in promotions, and airing ''[[Jingle All the Way (2011 film)|Jingle All the Way]]''—a half-hour animated Christmas special featuring the character of Jingle the Husky Pup—in 2011, which marked the first Hallmark Channel original production to be a collaboration with a Hallmark Cards property.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Turnquist |first1=Kristi |date=November 23, 2011 |title='Jingle All the Way' Hallmark special comes from Portland's Bent Image Lab |work=The Oregonian |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/movies/2011/11/jingle_all_the_way_hallmark_sp.html |url-status=live |access-date=January 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124195606/http://www.oregonlive.com/movies/2011/11/jingle_all_the_way_hallmark_sp.html |archive-date=January 24, 2018}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> By 2013, the event featured 12 new movies.<ref name="e!o" />

Since 2012, the network has held a [[Christmas in July]] event with airings of past Hallmark Channel Christmas movies, which is used to promote Hallmark Cards' collectibles for the upcoming season. In 2013, the event included holiday tips from the cast of ''Home & Family''. In 2014, the event added a theatrical movie premiere.<ref name="azc">{{cite news |last1=Bauder |first1=David |date=July 2, 2014 |title=Christmas in July: Hallmark channel will run holiday programming |language=en |work=azcentral |agency=AP |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/2014/07/02/christmas-in-july-hallmark-channel-will-run-holiday-programming/12111279/ |access-date=January 20, 2018}}</ref> By 2015, the event included one new original movie.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Eng|first1=Dinah|title=Meet the Woman Behind Hallmark's Christmas Movie Juggernaut|url=http://fortune.com/2015/11/27/woman-hallmark-holiday-movies/|access-date=January 20, 2018|work=Fortune|date=November 27, 2015|language=en|archive-date=January 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180104101517/http://fortune.com/2015/11/27/woman-hallmark-holiday-movies/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2014, Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Cards collaborated for the first time on a movie, ''[[Northpole (film)|Northpole]]'', which was shown during Countdown to Christmas.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Block|first1=Alex Ben|title=Hallmark Upfront: 15 Original Movies, New Series and the Return of the Kitten Bowl|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hallmark-upfront-15-original-movies-688427|access-date=January 30, 2018|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=March 13, 2014|language=en|archive-date=January 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180131140823/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hallmark-upfront-15-original-movies-688427|url-status=live}}</ref> The 2014 movie ''Christmas Under Wraps'', starring Candace Cameron Bure, became the highest-rated premiere in Hallmark Channel history, with 5.8 million viewers;<ref>{{cite web |date=December 2, 2014 |title='Christmas Under Wraps' Ratings Break Hallmark Channel Records |url=https://deadline.com/2014/12/christmas-under-wraps-ratings-hallmark-record-1201306476/ |access-date=December 3, 2017 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |publisher=[[Penske Business Media]]}}</ref> the success prompted Hallmark Channel to further increase its production of original movies.<ref name=":0" /> During the 2017 holiday season, Hallmark Channel premiered 33 original Christmas holiday films, up from a total of 28 holiday movies in 2016. As of 2017, Hallmark had a total of 136 Christmas holiday-themed movies in their original library of films.<ref>{{cite news |last=Jurgensen |first=John |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-the-hallmark-channel-conjures-up-christmas-1510158248 |title=How the Hallmark Channel Became a Christmas-Movie Machine |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=November 8, 2017 |access-date=November 10, 2017 |archive-date=November 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110023654/https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-the-hallmark-channel-conjures-up-christmas-1510158248 |url-status=live }}</ref> That year, it introduced the ''Christmas in Evergreen'' franchise, which was based on a Hallmark greeting card line.<ref name=":0" />

For 2018, a [[satellite radio]] companion to the event was carried on [[Sirius XM]]—"Hallmark Channel Radio"—which carried [[Christmas music]] hosted by Hallmark Channel talent (such as [[Holly Robinson Peete]] and Lacey Chabert), and behind-the-scenes features relating to Countdown to Christmas programming.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.multichannel.com/news/hallmark-channel-to-celebrate-holidays-with-branded-siriusxm-channel |title=Hallmark Channel to Celebrate Holidays with Branded SiriusXM Channel |work=Multichannel |date=October 23, 2018 |first=R. Thomas |last=Umstead |access-date=November 14, 2018 |archive-date=November 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115153519/https://www.multichannel.com/news/hallmark-channel-to-celebrate-holidays-with-branded-siriusxm-channel |url-status=live }}</ref> In honor of the franchise's 10th anniversary, Countdown to Christmas movies aired on Friday nights throughout 2019,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ew.com/tv/2019/02/08/hallmark-christmas-movies-2019/|title=Hallmark orders first three Christmas movies of 2019|website=EW.com|language=en|access-date=2019-03-06|archive-date=February 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212234619/https://ew.com/tv/2019/02/08/hallmark-christmas-movies-2019/|url-status=live}}</ref> and a "Hallmark Channel Christmas Con" was held in [[Edison, New Jersey|Edison]], [[New Jersey]] in November 2019, featuring appearances by Hallmark Channel talent.''<ref>{{cite news |last1=Russell |first1=Suzanne |last2=Makin |first2=Cheryl |date=November 9, 2019 |title=Hallmark Christmas Con: Holiday comes early to Central Jersey with inaugural event |language=en |work=Bridgewater Courier News |url=https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/2019/11/09/hallmark-christmas-con-holiday-comes-early-nj-inaugural-event/2535758001/ |access-date=January 27, 2020}}</ref>''