Hallmark October movies: 10 essential 2026 premieres to love
Hallmark October movies for 2026 bring 10 new premieres to Hallmark Channel, starting with two Halloween-season romances and shifting to holiday films when the network’s “Countdown to Christmas” kicks off Friday, Oct. 16. According to TVLine, every October premiere airs at 8 p.m. ET, and the slate includes an NFL-themed love story, a time-bending knight and an amnesia romance.
The Countdown to Christmas lineup includes 34 original movies, the most ever for the event, TV Insider reported.
Hallmark October movies 2026 schedule
All Hallmark October movies premiere on Hallmark Channel at 8 p.m. ET, per TVLine. Dates and times can change.
- Saturday, Oct. 3: “A Knight to Remember” — Julie Gonzalo plays a museum conservator whose kiss brings a restored statue of a medieval knight (James Trevena) to life. Chris McNally co-stars.
- Saturday, Oct. 10: “The Spirit of Halloween” — Meghan Ory stars as a bridal designer who dislikes Halloween until ghostly visitors show her what she’s missing, with Kevin McGarry and Lachlan Quarmby.
- Friday, Oct. 16: “‘Tis the Season for Setups” — Amanda Schull and Victor Webster star in the Countdown to Christmas opener, a matchmaking comedy set at a ski resort, with Barbara Niven and Verity Marks.
- Saturday, Oct. 17: “Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story” — Hallmark’s third NFL collaboration pairs reporter Avery Clark (Lyndsy Fonseca) with Chicago firefighter Matt (Robert Buckley) as she profiles a longtime Bears superfan. Marsha Mason, Khary Payton and Barbara Alyn Woods round out the cast.
- Sunday, Oct. 18: “Mr. & Mrs. Christmas” — Brendan Penny plays a single father who moves before the holidays and teams up with an accountant (Pascale Hutton) to run a community Christmas market.
- Friday, Oct. 23: “Winter Wonderlanes” — Ashley Newbrough heads home to save her grandfather’s bowling alley and reconnects with her ex (Franco Lo Presti).
- Saturday, Oct. 24: “Forgotten Holiday” — Janel Parrish and Daniel Lissing star in a romance about a fiance’s memory loss before Christmas.
- Sunday, Oct. 25: “What If Christmas” — Lori Loughlin and Tom Cavanagh star in a story about a woman who gets a glimpse of the life she’d have had as a fashion designer.
- Friday, Oct. 30: “Who’s Coming for Christmas?” — Rhiannon Fish hosts Christmas Eve dinner in her new home and grows close to her neighbor (Jake Foy) and his daughter. Mila Morgan also stars.
- Saturday, Oct. 31: “Adopting St. Nick” — Amy Groening and Michael Rady connect while she volunteers at a retirement community, with Taylor Blake in the cast.
Where to watch
All 10 films premiere on Hallmark Channel. Viewers can watch live on cable or satellite, through cable provider apps or on live TV streaming services that carry the channel. Check local listings for exact air times.
Viewers who miss a premiere can catch up on Hallmark+, the company’s subscription streaming service. Starting in 2025, new original movies from Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Mystery began streaming on Hallmark+ the day after they air, Cord Cutters News reported.
What’s next after the Hallmark October movies
Countdown to Christmas continues through December. The 2026 event starts one day earlier than last year’s, which began Oct. 17, 2025, according to Entertainment Now. Season 3 of “Mistletoe Murders” premieres Thursday, Nov. 5, with three new mysteries, according to TV Insider. Event movies include “Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True,” starring Lacey Chabert and Travis Van Winkle, on Saturday, Nov. 28, and “A Grand Biltmore Christmas” on Saturday, Dec. 5.
Need a refresher before the Hallmark October movies begin? Revisit our picks for the top Hallmark Christmas movies and our look at Hallmark’s “very different” holiday film from last season.
Reporting from TVLine and TV Insider contributed to this story.