For years now, Hallmark has been the preeminent spot for cheesy holiday movies. It’s the only channel on cable you can turn to in November and December with near certainty that you’ll find a festive film. The station makes hundreds of millions each year from its holiday offerings, and fans count on it for feel-good, predictable content to get them in the mood for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza.
But one online platform has been trying to get a slice of that holiday pie. No, not pecan or pumpkin – views. For years now, the streaming juggernaut has significantly increased its output of holiday originals, and that, combined with its selection of legitimate classics, has turned Netflix into the Hallmark of streaming during the holidays. The only difference is that Netflix is doing it (mostly) better.
A Money-Driven Mission
Netflix has dumped millions into making holiday films of the Elf and The Santa Clause variety – ones that are totally original and stand to turn into Christmas classics with enough time. The 2018 Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell flick The Christmas Chronicles and 2019’s animated Santa origin story Klaus both fall under that category. And they’ve been successful. The former garnered millions of views for the streamer, and the latter was Oscar-nominated and critically acclaimed, something Hallmark cannot say for itself.
Where the streaming service is overtly competing with the cable channel is in its formulaic holiday offerings, the ones Netflix quite clearly modeled off Hallmark. Think movies like A Christmas Prince and The Princess Switch – films that have nearly indistinguishable titles and plots that are essentially the same minus a few minor details. The paragon has worked for Hallmark, and Netflix is now making it work for itself, too. Some of its upcoming 2023 films include Best. Christmas. Ever! and Family Switch, both dropping in November.
Netflix original ‘The Princess Switch’
Netflix Has What Hallmark Can Never
Where Netflix finds an edge over Hallmark is in its slightly freer rein. Hallmark is bound by network restrictions that prohibit certain language and imagery, and it has its own standards it requires its films to follow, like no sex scenes or alcohol. Netflix, however, does not have to follow such strict guidelines, giving its writers the freedom to combine the tried and true formula with edgier dialogue and more diversity.
The one area Netflix is lagging behind is in its original Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa movies. If it were to add more of those to its repertoire, Netflix would be unstoppable during the holidays. Though Hallmark can never be replaced during the holidays in some viewers’ hearts, everybody else would be wise to make Netflix their holiday streaming home.
