Hallmark Announces Limited Holiday Series The Twelve Dates Of Christmas

The announcement of a new holiday series has us already looking forward to Christmas and the six-episode limited series is based on the novel, The Twelve Dates of Christmas (working title) by Jenni Bayliss.

Famously starring Mae Whitman (Good Girls), Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica, The Fall of the House of Usher) and Jane Seymour (Live and Let Die, Wedding Crashers), the series is set to make its world premiere during the Countdown to Christmas on Hallmark Channel, and will also stream the following day on Hallmark+.

Hallmark announces limited series The Twelve Dates of Christmas

Based on the novel of the same name by Jennie Bayliss, The Twelve Dates of Christmas is set to premiere during Countdown to Christmas 2025 and will stream on Hallmark+ the following day. Production has already begun in and around Dublin, Ireland.

Meanwhile, the movie series also stars Julian Morris (The Morning Show, Pretty Little Liars), Toby Sandeman (Running Point, The Game), and Nathaniel Parker.

What are the movies about?

Deadline quotes the limited series as following Saville Row textile pattern designer Kate (Whitman), who lives in the quaint village of Blexford in England. She lives next door to her father, Mac (Parker), who is long-divorced from Kate’s mother, Delilah (McDonnell), a globe-trotting American, always out for an adventure.

Meanwhile, when not working, Kate cares for Mac, who is recovering from a motorbike accident and is inclined to spend his days sitting in his recliner.

Unbeknownst to Kate, her best friend, Laura (Lucy Eaton, Murder Maps, Staged) signs her up for The 12 Dates of Christmas. This holiday-themed matchmaking program runs in the days leading up to the holiday, featuring carefully curated, yuletide dating experiences, in order to get Kate out of her rut.

Meanwhile, lovingly coerced by Laura and her longtime best friend Callum (Morris), a reluctant Kate ultimately gets into the spirit of the program. Moreover, she is caught off-guard when she meets someone (Sandeman) who reinvigorates her zest for life.

However, when Delilah unexpectedly shows up on her doorstep, Kate and Mac’s life and holiday season get upended. Amidst all this, Mac may be embarking on his own romance with a local woman, Evelyn (Seymour), a widow who slowly helps him step outside the confines of her house and open his heart.

As Kate makes her way through the 12 dates, she takes a circuitous route to romance while also making some important discoveries about herself.

‘Brilliant adaptation of Jenni Bayliss’ beloved book’

Speaking of the movie, Samantha DiPippo, Senior Vice President, Programming at Hallmark Media said:

Erin and Davah’s brilliant adaptation of Jenni Bayliss’ beloved book not only transports viewers to the romantic English countryside but immerses them in the unique magic of the holiday season in London.

The amazing cast we’ve assembled to bring to life these richly textured, relatable characters who experience a life-changing Christmas is the shining star on top of this tree.

Meanwhile, Carrie Stein, President of Global Scripted Television, Dynamic Television, added:

The Twelve Dates of Christmas is an aspirational, feel-good romantic comedy, blending the nostalgia of holiday traditions with a fresh take on the perils of modern dating.

We fell in love with the idea of our relatable heroine venturing into uncharted, emotional territory with the help of a Christmas cupid hand-picking potential matches and planning 12 magical and entertaining dates with a surprising outcome.

When will The Twelve Dates of Christmas movies premiere?

The Twelve Dates of Christmas (working title) will premiere as part of the Countdown to Christmas 2025 on Hallmark Channel.