Hallmark Channel is finally producing holiday movies with black leads!

We’ve been calling out Hallmark Channel for their lack of on-screen diversity for a while, and we know we we’re not alone in that critique. It seems someone finally listened. This week the network announced the casts and storylines for the 36 (yep, 36) new holiday movies, and for the first time ever black actors are taking on lead roles in these family-friendly romances. 

And not just in one movie. With a few movies yet to announce casting, we know of at least four black-lead movies. Sure that means only about 11% of this year’s fresh crop of Hallmark holiday movies features black leads, but given the previous record of…0%, we’re ready to give the network some kudos.

Christmas Everlasting

Tatyana Ali stars in this adaptation of New York Times bestselling author Marie Bostwick’s novel, The Second Sister, opposite Dondre T. Whitfield. Dennis Haysbert and Patti LaBelle co-star in supporting roles. This is the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie for this holiday season, so expect lots of advertising! Premieres November 24.

Official Synopsis

In “Christmas Everlasting,” Christmas is fast approaching and years of long workdays employed at New York’s top corporate law firm are about to pay off now that Lucy Toomey (Ali) will be made partner after the New Year. However, when her older sister with special needs, Alice, passes away unexpectedly, Lucy returns to Nilson’s Bay, WI, to attend her sister’s funeral and settle her estate. Lucy is not happy about returning to her small, close-knit hometown, where she is reminded of choices she made in the past. Once back in Nilson’s Bay, Lucy meets Peter (Whitfield), her old high school sweetheart and Alice’s former attorney, who informs her of the terms of Alice’s eccentric will which states that for Lucy to inherit the family home, she must live there for 30 days, which means being home for Christmas for the first time in a decade. Lucy begins her “sentence” believing she will be counting the days until she can leave; but soon, opportunities for relationships with Alice’s friends arise and Lucy is overwhelmed by the town’s adoration of her older sister. Grief and isolation will be moved to a back burner as the second sister is propelled toward a future filled with love and hope.

A Majestic Christmas

Jerrika Hinton and Christian Vincent star in this tale of small towns, modernization, and romance. It’s another familiar storyline, but set in a theater instead of, say, another bakery. Premieres December 2.

Official Synopsis

Christmas in the charming town of Briar Falls will be bittersweet this year when architect Nell (Hinton) goes back to her hometown having been given the job of turning the historic Majestic Playhouse into a modern multiplex, much to the town’s objections. The Playhouse has been home to their annual Christmas tableaux, which will now have to end after a long and historic tradition to the town. This job is Nell’s first promotion, and one she wishes she hadn’t been chosen for, especially when she meets the new owner of the theater, Connor (Vincent), whose vision and ideas clash with Nell’s. Since Connor hasn’t had much experience celebrating Christmas, Nell hopes that if she can give him a crash course in Christmas during the town’s Twelve Day Festival, that he might just change his mind about modernizing the Majestic.

Memories of Christmas

Christina Milian plays the Scrooge opposite Mark Taylor who must help her find the real meaning of Christmas. Premieres December 8.

Official Synopsis

Noelle (Milian) was raised by the queen of Christmas. When she inherits her late mother’s house, she finds out that her mother had been hiring someone to decorate it — Dave (Taylor). The deal is off, but Dave convinces Noelle to let him carry on the tradition. As the display goes up, Noelle’s defenses start to come down. She embraces the town’s Christmas gala that was her mother’s legacy, finds unexpected love, and develops a joy for the holidays that she never thought possible.

A Gingerbread Romance

Hey guys, it’s a baking contest! Tia Mowry-Hardrict is our ambitious career woman (an architect!) and Duane Henry is the baker-with-a-heart-of-gold (and an adorable child) who shows her what home and Christmas are all about. Premieres December 15.

Official Synopsis

With Christmas just weeks away, the architecture firm Taylor works for enters her in a contest in which the teams will design and build life-sized gingerbread houses. After the contest, Taylor will likely be getting a promotion to a position in another city. The firm teams her up with Isabelle, a renowned French pastry chef with whom Taylor instantly locks horns. When Isabelle backs out, Taylor stumbles into a local bakery and meets Adam, a baker and single dad. In an act of desperation, Taylor convinces Adam to partner with her for the contest, arguing that winning would give the bakery and his designs much-needed exposure. For years Taylor has been resistant to call anywhere ‘home’ for fear it will only be temporary. But the time she spends with Adam and his daughter in their cozy home, decorating for the holidays and exploring the town at Christmas, fills her with a longing for a place to call home.

Get the full line-up of this year’s new holiday movies in our 2018 Holiday Movie Guide. And don’t forget to download your Holiday Movie Bingo cards!