Is it the guaranteed happy ending?
Is it the familiar faces each year?
Is it the picturesque settings?
Is it the communal acknowledgement of syrupy schmaltz?
Is it the shared stress free escapism?
For the current season, 12 million unique viewers tuned in during the first 10 days alone, (October 16 to October 25), which is already more than 30% of the entire previous season’s total audience.
So, what is the hullabaloo? What are we talking about here?
If you turn on the Hallmark Channel between mid-October and Diciembre veinticinco, you will be certain to find a romantic holiday movie — where it always snows on Christmas, small town businesses always prosper, and a man, likely named Kris Kringle, always helps the characters comprehend their passion for each other.
These movies are beloved by the multitudes, thanks to their comforting and insanely predictable formula: the main characters have their first encounter, are pushed together by fate and circumstance, have a misunderstanding, resolve that misunderstanding with the help of the townspeople, and finally get together, all while discovering the true meaning of Christmas, and stopping all external dangers, (which likely came from the big city folk).
Hallmark movies have inspired a whole genre, with Netflix, ABC, HBO, and many other companies creating their own romances with a similar structure. They also have inspired a cornucopia of novels, parodies, and critiques.
So, how did a card company turn into a movie producing juggernaut?
Founded by the Hall brothers in 1910, Hallmark was one of the first companies to sell greeting cards in envelopes, and was the inventor of printed wrapping paper. The popularity of these innovations ensured their success, even during times of crisis like the Great Depression. While other companies were forced to let go of staff, Hallmark was able to not only retain their staff members, but also hire new employees.
With this success, which was bolstered further by WWII, the Hallmark company began to sponsor radio and TV specials. These were typically adaptations of popular plays and short stories. Eventually, they began producing their own advertisements and films. In the late 1990s, they purchased a TV station of their own, which primarily aired re-runs of family-friendly movies and shows. These were slowly phased out as Hallmark began producing and airing more original content. However, it took a few years before they introduced the first of their Christmas movies.
The first hit Hallmark Christmas movie was 2006’s The Christmas Card, which contained many of the plot points that would come to be their formula. They began to produce more movies with similar storylines, which grew in popularity. Add to that their consistent casts, (often composed of stars from the 90s and early 2000s), and it is easy to see how they have created a recipe for success.
In 2009, they introduced their (now) annual “Countdown to Christmas,” where they devote the channel to holiday-related programming. (In 2009, they released fewer than 10 original movies as part of the Countdown. This year, they have 34 movies set to premiere).
Hallmark is an integral part of many people’s holiday traditions. While other companies also produce their own Christmas movies with similar storylines, Hallmark originals have refined their formula and are able to produce dozens of movies every year. And, with the introduction of their own streaming service, this popularity seems likely to continue.
So, since anticipating a happy ending triggers a steady flow of dopamine, and themes of warmth, community, and romance release oxytocin – grab your hot chocolate, one of your hideously designed chunky sweaters, ignite your best evergreen-scented candle, and smile, because ahhh yes, it’s that time of year!
Did You Know? Season Total (Full 70-Day Run): In recent seasons, the full holiday lineup has reached 38 million unique viewers, (based on Nielsen data from previous years, excluding streaming on Hallmark+).