The latest Christmas blockbuster deserves a wider release

I watched a lot Hallmark movies That I officially have favorite actors on the channel. No one is more surprised by this than me, because I’ve always scoffed at Hallmark movies, thinking that if you’ve seen one happy love story, you’ve seen them all. But now that I’ve got dozens upon dozens of Hallmark movies under my belt, I’m starting to know what to expect from some of the actors, ones who bring a heavy dose of charm and comedy to what could be, well, a happy love story.

the Hallmark channelLatest Christmas Movies (Because they’re starting to celebrate Christmas in October(In case you haven’t heard), it’s called Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper! It premieres on Saturday, October 25th. It stars two actors who regularly appear in films throughout the year on the channel (and whose work I’ve enjoyed): Kimberly Sostad and Robert Buckley.

Buckley may be a familiar face even if you’ve never seen a Hallmark movie before, as he has previously starred in network shows like iZombie, Lipstick Jungle, and One Tree Hill, while the majority of Sustad’s acting work has been for Hallmark projects. Separately, they’ve starred in some of the funniest movies I’ve seen on Hallmark, but their chemistry, both romantic and comedic, in Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper! It’s a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to rewatch it.

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Buckley, who also co-produced the film, plays Ted Cooper, a local weatherman who is so unlucky during the Christmas season that his colleagues in the newsroom begin betting on what kind of misfortune will befall him next. In years past, Ted accidentally set his house on fire and got stuck in the chimney. This year, the stakes are on whether he will impale himself on the reindeer’s antlers or choke on a piece of fruitcake. Ted’s bad luck continues when he hits his head on a box of Christmas lights while visiting his sister, but when he goes to the emergency room, he meets his old high school sweetheart, Hope (Sustad), who is the doctor there, and there is an instant flirtatious connection.

On paper, it all sounds pretty ordinary, but watching Buckley exude his gentle charm made me wonder why he’s not a bigger star. Soustad plays things a little tighter, but when the time is right, she leans into the silly and sarcastic, showing off her comedic range. (She starred in my favorite Hallmark holiday movie last year, The Santa Class — which is streaming now Hallmark Plus — As a woman who runs a school for Santa’s Mall. It’s as delightfully silly as it sounds.)

And in keeping with last year’s stellar holiday releases, Ted Cooper writer Russell Heinlein has penned what is arguably the most talked-about Christmas movie of 2024, a Netflix hit. Frosty hot. Although this movie isn’t in the same pantheon as Elf or Miracle on 34th Street, it has its charm. However, despite all the hype, I would argue that Ted Cooper is the better movie (it just has fewer abs to show).

Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper! Its presence on Hallmark means that there is nothing really exciting about it, and it will be labeled as generic and predictable. You could certainly get away with a lot if this was on Netflix, or even on Lifetime. But there are some running jokes and solid jokes in this movie that are family-friendly, legitimately funny, and make you forget that it’s as pure and PG as it is (complete with a convenient happy ending). As someone who has been very judgmental of Hallmark movies in the past, when I see a really great movie, I always wish it had a wider release so people could see that they’re not exactly the same.

Stream Hallmark Channel movies on Friendly TVthrough free Hoopla Hallmark Plus BingePass Or on a live TV service like YouTube TV.