Broadcasting Christmas

I had been avoiding this movie the last two Christmases because Christmas movies with Dean Cain tend not to be Excellent. This one has Melissa Joan Hart and that made the difference. She was great in God's not Dead 2. The movie was very effective in catching some great television moments as our characters act out their host roles of a morning national talk show. Real nice Christmas scenes.

"Broadcasting Christmas" tells the story of small town reporter Emily (Melissa Joan Hart), who's been stuck in the same small Connecticut town for years, covering simple local stories, while her ex- boyfriend Charlie (Dean Cain) has moved on to bigger and better things in Manhattan. When the co-host of a big morning show suddenly quits, Emily tries to apply for the job, but her longtime friend, producer Patrice (Cynthia Gibb) says they're only considering "names." This sends Emily into a jealous tirade, live on air, in which she begs for a shot. The clip goes viral and now the network has no choice but to offer her a chance to compete for the position along with some other, more-qualified contenders, including... you guessed it... her ex-boyfriend Charlie. As the Christmas Day telethon approaches, where the winner is going to be announced, the competition grows more and more fierce... all while our lead couple start to rekindle their feelings for one another. Who will get the job? Who will get the guy?

What makes this movie stand out is that it's not a traditional small town Christmas story. It's set in the big city and it takes place in the cutthroat world of broadcasting journalism. The movie moves at a faster-than-expected pace, features a healthy dose of witty, snappy dialogue, and has two terrific performances by the leads. Melissa comes across as a scrappy fighter and you love her for it, while Dean is the more sympathetic one who discovers a unpleasant secret about his own success. They have a fun chemistry that straddles the line between straight romance and workplace rivalry... again, making it feel different.

"Broadcasting Christmas" is one of the better Hallmark movies in recent memory and definitely worth a close look this holiday season.

The plot was actually quite different from most Hallmark movies. I also thought the casting was good. It was nice seeing Melissa Joan Hart in a movie again, and Dean Cain is always one of my favorites actors.

Overall, a decent Christmas movie. I recommend it for anyone who is a fan of romantic comedy movies!

There has never been any bias for or against Hallmark Christmas films. Actually think there are a mix of good, bad (and worse in some cases) and somewhere between mediocre and decent, so it's a variable output really. One just needs to know what to expect and not to expect too much. Have always appreciated romantic dramas with touches of comedy, so yeah 'Broadcasting Christmas' was hardly one of those doomed from the start sort of films.

'Broadcasting Christmas' lived up to and exceeded mixed expectations, as it could have gone either way of being charming and cute or being sickly sweet and cheesy. And it manages on the most part to be the former while still having some degree of substance. 2016 was inconsistent in quality for Hallmark and 'Broadcasting Christmas' is one of the better efforts in my personal opinion. Anybody that loves Christmas and wants a pleasant inoffensive distraction on a dull afternoon may find it likeable enough and while not great it's nice enough.

Did find that the story can be slow and too thin, as well as contrived, in spots, and the supporting characters are sketchy in development. This tends to be a common Hallmark problem so that was not unexpected.

Likewise with the music tending to be too intrusive. Have found more than once with Hallmark that their soundtracks are on the too intrusive and too constant side. Still find that the case here, though there have been worse cases before and since.

However, a lot is good. Melissa Joan Hart and Dean Cain are always watchable and they certainly are here, both in fact being very appealing. Hart particularly in a role that plays to her strengths as an actress very well indeed, with a quirky warmth. Cain does the boy next door type of character with easy going charm. The chemistry between them is sweet and natural, not looking creepy. The supporting cast also fare more than decently, especially Jackee Harry who breathes life into her material.

Visually, 'Broadcasting Christmas' is good looking. It's beautifully photographed and the scenery is quite captivating. The dialogue flows better and more naturally than the dialogue in most Hallmark films and doesn't fall as much into cheese and soap. The story is very light-hearted and really warms the heart, despite its predictability, and the characters never bored or irritated despite being Hallmark cliches pretty much.

Concluding, pleasant enough film. 7/10.

I'm not sure what it is about him, but I didn't find Dean Cain's character to be likeable at all. I'm sure he's a very nice guy, but I think that in this movie he's almost too nice. The fake kind of nice. I agree with the previous reviewer...Melissa (and the Christmas season) is the bright spot in this film. Maybe if she had a costar like Brennan Elliot it would've been a better movie.