Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Christmas in Hawaii
Lea Michele stars in new ABC Christmas movie
For years, Hallmark and Lifetime have cornered the market on the Christmas romantic comedy genre, a genre which, in the last few years, has massively grown in popularity. It’s a guilty pleasure yes, but let’s be honest — when the holiday season rolls around, most of us indulge in these cheesy-but-wonderful festive films, whether it’s holiday classics like “Love Actually” (2003), Hallmark originals like “Mrs. Miracle” (2009) or the growing number of streamable offerings like Netflix’s “A Christmas Prince” (2017).
Now, ABC is joining the fray with “Same Time, Next Christmas,” which premieres Thursday, Dec. 5, and airs again on Monday, Dec. 23 on ABC and Freeform as part of their “25 Days of Christmas” programming run.
Returning to the network is ABC alum Lea Michele, who was the star of the hit musical comedy series “Glee.” She plays Olivia Henderson, who travels with her parents Faye (Nia Vardalos, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,”) and Woody (George Newbern, “Scandal”) every Christmas to vacation in Hawaii. On one such trip back in 2004, Olivia met Jeff (Charles Michael Davis, “The Originals”), and the two developed a relationship. But as time went by, the distance pulled them apart.
Now, 15 years later, Olivia is back in Hawaii for her family’s annual holiday, but this time she’s brought her boyfriend, Gregg (Bryan Greenberg, “One Tree Hill”), along for the festive fun. When Olivia unexpectedly runs into Jeff, all of her old feelings come rushing back — an unwelcome complication. As their undeniable chemistry flares up, Olivia is torn between her successful life with Gregg (he wants them to become the next major real estate power couple in Cincinnati), and her feelings for Jeff, who is just as charming as ever.
While Michele has done seasonal themed productions in the past — the Halloween series “Scream Queens” and the 2011 film “New Year’s Eve,” for example — “Same Time, Next Christmas” marks her first-ever Christmas movie. She’s in good hands working with a well-established team that has lots of experience with the genre, including executive producer Tom Mazza (“Karen Kingsbury’s Maggie’s Christmas Miracle,” 2017), director Stephen Herek (“Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love,” 2016) and writer Karen Bloch Morse (“Ice Castles,” 2010). In a statement about her big releases, Michele said, “This holiday season holds special importance to me as I get to celebrate both my role in this film and my first-ever holiday album. I’m honored to return to ABC with this movie event, and I am excited to share the holidays with everyone.”
While palm trees and sandy beaches may not make for the most traditional Christmas scenery, “Same Time, Next Christmas” does have the makings of a classic holiday romcom. If, like many people, you find your holiday season so jam-packed with family and friends (and parties, and shopping) that you don’t have time to watch “Same Time, Next Christmas” when it airs Monday, Dec. 23, on ABC and Freeform, don’t panic — the film will also be available to stream following the Dec. 5 premiere on the ABC website and app, as well as on Hulu. Don’t miss this soon-to-be favorite.