“Hallmark movie” has become shorthand for the kind of cheesy, kind of sweet romance that the greeting card company-turned-television channel does so well.
But did you know that Hallmark also has its own original series? And that several Hallmark movie stars star in some of them?
Now that you know, check out the best five shows currently streaming on Hallmark and Hallmark+ right now.
Need more recommendations? Then check out Great Shows on Netflix, Hulu, Max, Amazon Prime and More, Best Shows on Netflix Right Now, Best Shows on HBO and Max Right Now and Best Movies on Hallmark.
Based on the novel of the same name by K.J. Dell’Antonia, The Chicken Sisters is a fun and feisty dramedy series about two rival fried chicken restaurants in a small town in Kansas. Schuyler Fisk plays Amanda Moore-Hillier and Genevieve Angelson as Mae Moore, two sisters on opposite sides of a generations-long rivalry. (Amanda married the man who owns the rival chicken restaurant and Mae left town years ago to become a TV producer.) When a Food Network competition show comes to town, the sisters are forced to interact in ways they haven’t in years. Can they heal their fractured relationship?
Full of family drama but heavy on jokes, The Chicken Sisters is as salty and delicious as the fried chicken for which it’s named. Lea Thompson (Back to the Future) and Wendie Malick (Just Shoot Me!) are delightfully prickly as the matriarchs of their respective restaurants, and character actress Margo Martindale delivers endearing narration that lends character to the series.
The premise for this Bachelor-style show is a brilliant use of Hallmark’s brand: a network known for casting dreamy leading men in their Christmas rom-coms hosts a game show where they identify the next star. Jonathan Bennett (Mean Girls) hosts the competition, which judges the contestants based on both their acting ability and their holiday spirit.
Finding Mr. Christmas is a charming self-aware mash-up of all the things that make Hallmark great — the earnest enthusiasm, the admittedly cheesy storylines and the bevy of ridiculously handsome guys. Bennett is a charismatic and capable host, and you’ll be eager to see the winner in his next Christmas flick.
If you’re a sci-fi fan, The Way Home is about as close as you’ll get to that genre on Hallmark. It’s a time-travel series that follows three women of different generations as they try to find their way back to one another and learn lessons from their family’s past. With the help of a magical pond, they’re able to travel through time and learn to understand one another better.
Chyler Leigh (Grey’s Anatomy) and Andie MacDowell (Groundhog Day) lead this surreal series as a mother and daughter who’ve grown apart in the 20 years since Leigh’s character Kat left town. Now Kat has a teenage daughter of her own, Ali (Sadie Laflamme-Snow), and the mother-daughter conflicts that separate the three women are surprisingly nuanced. Fans love the relationships between the three strong-willed leads, as well as the mysteries that will keep you tuning in to this series.
Another magical series, The Good Witch is a spinoff of a series of movies of the same name. The whole Good Witch franchise centers on Cassie Nightingale (Catherine Bell, Army Wives), a woman with magical abilities who uses her powers to improve the lives of those around her.
While the movies focused on her relationship with Police Chief Jake Russell (Chris Potter), the series finds Cassie widowed and raising a teenage daughter (Bailee Madison). Don’t expect Harry Potter levels of witchery from this series — Cassie mostly solves problems with kindness and a dash of magical intuition. But most fans see that as a positive, as it creates a hopeful tone in this warm, sweet show.
Lacey Chabert is best known for her hilarious performance as Gretchen Wieners in Mean Girls, but Hallmark fans know she’s been holding down the network for years in movie series like The Crossword Mysteries. In Celebrations, another reality show from Hallmark, she helps ordinary people honor the heroes of their communities.
In one sense, it’s a show about planning great parties. (And that’s great on its own!) But on a deeper level, it’s a show about loving and appreciating the people who make a difference in their communities.
Chabert is a charming, heartwarming host who will make you want to join in on every celebration.
