A Holiday Spectacular with Julie Sherman Wolfe

A Holiday Spectacular with Julie Sherman Wolfe

Rich and Rene join forces with Amy and Garry from Pour the Wine, It's Romcom Time (so grab a glass of vino) to celebrate Hallmark's landmark 2022 film, A Holiday Spectacular. Then we hit the Hallmark lottery. Writer Julie Sherman Wolfe joins us for an incredible behind-the-scenes look at one of Hallmark's most ambitious projects ever: a period piece set in 1958 and centered around the legendary Radio City Rockettes. Think you know this movie? Think again. In this episode: • How a conversation between Rich and director John Putch led to Julie joining the podcast. • Julie's journey from stand-up comedy to sitcom writing, Disney Channel projects, and a five-year road to her first Hallmark movie, Hello, It's Me. • How a family connection to the Rockettes sparked the original meeting that eventually became A Holiday Spectacular. • The writing process behind one of Hallmark's most ambitious productions—and how it differed from her other films. • What it was like attending the film's premiere inside Radio City Music Hall—including the celebrity who left her star-struck and the musical performance she'll never forget. • The late-night conversation at the premier with two Hallmark actresses that ultimately inspired a couple of 2025 Hallmark films (think… Spain). • The movie's original title (and no, it wasn't A Holiday Spectacular). • Why 1958 was the perfect setting for the story and how the Rockettes' sisterhood reminded Julie of her own friendships with two fellow Hallmark writers. • How Hallmark keeps pairing her scripts with incredible Broadway talent, including Ginna Claire Mason and Derek Klena leading the way in this film. • The Hallmark destinations she still hopes to write about someday. And of course, Julie joins us for rapid-fire questions: Eggnog: yay or nay?  Classic or modern Christmas music?  Real or artificial tree?  Ugly Christmas sweaters? (Spoiler: Julie has quite the collection.) Bottom line: fire up Hallmark+, watch (or rewatch) the extended cut with 18 additional minutes of Hallmark magic, then settle in for 75 minutes of stories, insights, and behind-the-scenes details that will make you appreciate this movie more than ever. For the love of Hallmark! Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas [http://www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas] Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com Follow Amy and Garry: www.instagram.com/pourthewineitsromcomtime [http://www.instagram.com/pourthewineitsromcomtime] Follow Julie: www.instagram.com/julie_sherman_wolfe [http://www.instagram.com/julie_sherman_wolfe] *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.

A Bride for Christmas

Kimberley Sustad’s first Hallmark movie. Andrew Walker’s Hallmark debut. Arielle Kebbel’s first turn with the network too. With an average age of just 28, our three leads bring plenty of youthful energy - but don’t expect perfection. This movie is packed with wonderfully flawed characters! In A Bride for Christmas (2012) - Writer Barbara Kymlicka delivers a clever, sharp script that borrows a few elements from the 2003 movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and somehow turns them into pure Hallmark magic. Bonkers, ridiculous, outrageous... and completely impossible to stop watching. And the "dog shelter kiss" in this movie is considered one of the best in Hallmark history… will it pass the Mistletoe Meter grading criteria?  In this episode, we cover: • Behind-the-scenes movie fun facts  • The best moment  • What we’d rewrite in 2026  • Those supporting characters who deserved more screen time  • “Are We Sure?” — much needed Hallmark logic checks  • We know Aiden and Jessie get married – but would their relationship have lasted if the movie ended with them only engaged?  • The multiple kisses (four in all!)… and the letter grades they earned – one was steamy!!!  • The MVP of the movie  • Our personal — and completely meaningless — final rating For the love of Hallmark! Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas [http://www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas] Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.

The Nine Lives of Christmas

Kimberley Sustad's first Hallmark starring role. Brandon Routh fresh off a career that includes playing Superman. Firefighters. Cats. A terrific Nancey Silvers script. And one of the most delightfully unlikeable characters Hallmark has ever given us. That's the recipe for the 2014 fan favorite The Nine Lives of Christmas. And Hallmark fans clearly agree—when Entertainment Weekly ranked the best all-time Hallmark Christmas movies back in 2025, Nine Lives landed at #2, second only to A Biltmore Christmas. In this episode, we cover: • Behind-the-scenes movie fun facts  • Our favorite moments  • Scenes we’d rewrite  • The best supporting characters  • “Are We Sure?” — our ultimate Hallmark logic check  • Whether Marilee and Zach would actually last as a couple  • The multiple kisses… and the letter grades they earned  • Who (or what) truly won the movie  • Our personal — and unbiased — final rating For the love of Hallmark! Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas [http://www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas] Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.

A Timeless Christmas

Erin Cahill (Megan) may be one of Hallmark’s most charming leading ladies. And Rich and Rene are confident enough to admit it: Ryan Paevey (Charles) is one remarkably handsome dude. Things get delightfully complicated when Charles travels from 1903 to 2020 and must convince Megan—a historian who has spent years studying his life—that he’s actually the man she’s written about. This beloved 2020 Hallmark favorite was written and directed by Hallmark legend Ron Oliver (Christmas at the Plaza, The Christmas Train), and he provides us with incredible behind-the-scenes stories about how the movie came to life. SPOILER: It almost didn’t. Featuring a magical Christmas clock, a time-travel twist, a stellar supporting cast, and some of the most heartfelt conversations ever seen in a Hallmark Christmas movie, this one gives us plenty to discuss. In this episode:  • Behind-the-scenes stories from Ron Oliver  • Our favorite moments—and Ron’s favorites, too  • Scenes we'd rewrite  • The MVP supporting characters  • “Are We Sure?” — our Hallmark logic check  • Will Charles and Megan actually make it?  • The final kiss  • Who (or what) really won the movie  • Our completely objective and totally unbiased final rating For the love of Hallmark! Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas [http://www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas] Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.

An Unexpected Christmas

Bethany Joy Lenz (Emily) may be the best actress Hallmark has ever seen. Tyler Hynes (Jamie) is arguably the most popular leading man in Hallmark history. And Paul Campbell — already beloved as a Hallmark leading man — has also become one of the network’s most talented writers. Put them all together and you get the 2021 Hallmark Christmas favorite: An Unexpected Christmas. When Variety released its 2025 list, “The 25 Best Hallmark Christmas Movies, Ranked,” the Hallmark world exploded with debate… and their #1 pick was none other than An Unexpected Christmas!  In this episode, we cover: • Behind-the-scenes movie fun facts  • Our favorite moments  • Scenes we’d rewrite  • The best supporting characters  • “Are We Sure?” — our ultimate Hallmark logic check  • Whether Emily and Jamie would actually last as a couple  • The multiple kisses… and the letter grades they earned  • Who (or what) truly won the movie  • Our personal — and unbiased — final rating For the love of Hallmark! Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas [http://www.instagram.com/foreverhallmarkchristmas] Email: ForeverHallmarkChristmas@gmail.com *** Not affiliated with Hallmark Media.