From A Royal Christmas to A Gingerbread Romance, the Hallmark Channel’s holiday films have enchanted viewers since 2000. The TV channel kicked off its Countdown to Christmas watchlist in late-October and is releasing 31 new holiday films this season.
While the genre has been mocked for its cheesy tropes and storylines, that hasn’t stopped millions of viewers from tuning in. According to Forbes, A Merry Scottish Christmas, which aired November 18, beat out every cable news program on TV that week by bringing in 3.33 million viewers; the news outlet also noted that the movie’s viewership ranked just below Monday Night Football-related coverage on ESPN.
Around the holiday table, Hallmark movies can be as divisive as the latest political news, however, through a filmmaker’s lens, Communication and Language Studies Senior Lecturer Tom Zammarelli, ALM, explains how the channel keeps audiences coming back while others choose to steer clear of the genre:
A means of comfort
When Hollywood or a television entity discovers the winning formula for a successful film, they stick with it, says Zammarelli. In the case of Hallmark, this formula usually involves a big-city woman who travels to a small town, bumps into somebody, and inevitably falls in love.
“These movies are predictable, and you're never going to see any plot twists. Additionally, you're going to see certain backgrounds and color combinations because there's connection and comfort associated with the movie,” says Zammarelli, who teaches “Film Genre Studies.”
The Hallmark Channel’s target audience is women between ages 18 to 34, though Zammarelli says the average age of viewers lands in the late-40s to early 50s. He adds that people watch these movies because they love love — no matter how unrealistic the depiction. The films also allow for escapism as people take an hour and a half away from the busy and stressful holiday season.
“People watch Hallmark movies because they're optimistic. There's so much negativity and divisiveness today, but you turn on one of those movies and there's a certain hope there,” Zammarelli says, adding that these holiday movies may prompt comfort and nostalgia for people who’ve lost loved ones or are remembering small town Christmases from years past.
Too unrealistic for some
Many people dislike Hallmark movies for their cheesiness, cliches, and unrealistic plots, and Zammarelli could name an abundance of memes and TikTok videos that poke fun at this genre.
“These movies are not high art; they're not cinematic masterpieces. They are what they are, and that draws ridicule from some people, but to the audience, they're special, and that's what's important,” Zammarelli says.
He notes that romance novels of the 1980s, ’90s, and early 2000s have received similar ridicule for their content since people viewed these books as tawdry; however, Zammarelli notes that romance novels have still gotten more respect than Hallmark movies.
A longstanding powerhouse
Money is no doubt the driving force for the creation of Hallmark movies, according to Zammarelli. Although the number of cable subscribers has gone from 90 million at its peak to approximately 50 million due to the emergence of streaming, the Hallmark Channel’s viewership has risen in the last few years.
Zammarelli explains that the days of legacy TV are gone since younger generations are no longer watching linear TV. As linear entities pushed toward streaming, Hallmark didn’t back off creating content for its cable channel.
“As long as the viewers keep tuning in and the advertisers keep advertising, you’re going to keep seeing these movies be made,” Zammarelli says, adding that Hallmark film budgets fall under $2 million, which is a bargain by today’s standards. “Across the television landscape you’re seeing less viewers, but they're hard-core viewers and advertisers want access to that demographic.”
