The Hallmark Channel continues to pad its festive programming slate with the addition of new romantic drama Tidings for the Season. The movie stars Tamera Mowry-Housley as a single mom looking to help her son achieve his dream of becoming a news anchor, even if she isn’t much of a news watcher herself. Enter a handsome local news anchor (B.J. Britt) who reluctantly takes the young boy under his wing, and in doing so, grows closer to the kid’s mom as he hopes to change her mind on the news… and love?
The Gist: Adam Kade (B.J. Britt) is the face of Minneapolis’s local news station, KCYD, rarely taking time off for holidays (even Christmas!) or family, so he can work his way up the ladder and make a name for himself as a serious broadcaster. But when precocious, peppy 10-year-old Robbie Sullivan (Elijah-Justus Lewis) visits KCYD on a school field trip early in December and sneaks onto the live broadcast to put his favorite newscaster in the hot seat about his seeming aversion to happy stories, Adam’s life, career, and priorities begin a complete metamorphosis.
Even as a mere fifth grader, Robbie is sure that he’s destined to become a news anchor. His mother, Lucy (Tamera Mowry-Housley), isn’t a fan of the news due to all of the depressing stories on air and turns the channel off every time Adam Kade’s face appears on the screen while she’s at work. But Lucy loves Robbie and refuses to let her disdain for the local news get in the way of her son achieving his dreams. Lucy works hard at a hair salon in Minneapolis and as a single parent, putting her own needs and chances aside so she can take care of the people around her. Although her friend and coworker, Skylar (Mariesa Crouse), encourages Lucy to get back out there, she insists that she just doesn’t have the time or energy.
However, that starts to change when Adam finds a binder that Robbie left behind during his field trip, which KCYD producer Todd (Matthew James Dowden) has Adam return to Robbie in person, along with the offer of a week-long internship at the station under Adam. Lucy doesn’t know what to think when Adam shows up on her doorstep, but when he hears that she’s no fan of his, he’s determined to turn up the charm and prove her wrong. At the same time, Lucy tries to change Adam’s perspective on journalism and news by reminding him that happy, human stories can make a serious impact and connect with others, especially during the holiday season.
As Adam spends more time with Robbie and Lucy, he begins to see the good that feel-good stories can do, and renews his long-buried childhood love for Christmas in the process. But with Adam’s former college professor and current mentor, Jill (Teryl Rothery), helping him to apply for a vacant, big-time newscasting job in Chicago that seems eager to have him on board, Adam starts to rethink what truly matters to him, and which stories — and people — are truly worth getting serious about this holiday season.
Photo: Hallmark Channel
What Movies Will It Remind You Of? You might be reminded of other romance movies involving newscasters and the holiday season, like Reporting for Christmas, Broadcasting Christmas, The Christmas Parade, and Every Christmas Has a Story.
Performance Worth Watching: B.J. Britt is pretty charming and charismatic as news anchor extraordinarie, Adam Kade.
Memorable Dialogue: This exchange, where Todd tries to convince Adam to take on Robbie as his intern, is one of the movie’s more entertaining bits of dialogue:
“And don’t forget, you owe me. I scored you tickets to the Eras Tour.”
“Well, firstly, that was a major news event, okay, so it was in my professional interest to go. And secondly, I took your twins! I could barely hear Taylor over their screaming.”
A Holiday Tradition: Lucy and Robbie have a tradition of volunteering with Angel Gifts Charity to help those in need and make a difference in their local community.
Does The Title Make Any Sense? Considering the meaning of the word “tidings,” the film’s news-centric festive story finds a fitting title in Tidings for the Season.
Photo: Hallmark Channel
Our Take: One thing I’ll say about Tidings for the Season is that the actors really do try. Everyone in this movie gives a kind, committed, slightly cheesy performance that you hope to see in a Hallmark holiday title, but even their efforts are unfortunately not enough to negate the slightly underwhelming script. The movie isn’t bad, but it’s not that great either. It’s just your standard Hallmark movie beats, kind of going through the motions without much genuine humor or charm.
The characters are all fairly two-dimensional, especially Lucy (which is a shame because I’m sure a lot of people would tune in just to see Tamera Mowry-Housley in action), who is more of an endlessly self-sacrificing plot device to help the people around her achieve their dreams. The characters are just so surface-level that it’s hard to connect with them or care about their story, which, in turn, makes the movie slightly forgettable and boring at times. I wanted to like this one more, but Tidings for the Season just doesn’t do enough to set itself apart as an entertaining story worth joining your seasonal streaming queue.
Our Call: It’s ironic that a movie about the power of connection and human stories manages to feel so unengaging as a finished product, but alas, here we are. The actors try their darndest, but their work can’t elevate Tidings for the Season to must-see holiday movie status. SKIP IT!
How To Watch Tidings for the Season
The only way to watch Hallmark Channel live without cable is by using a live TV streaming service. We recommend DIRECTV, which comes with a five-day free trial before payment begins.
DIRECTV offers a number of flexible subscription options, including Genre Packs, so you can best choose which streaming plans fit your needs and budget. Plans start at $49.99/month.
Photos: Everett Collection, Photo Illustration: Dillen Phelps
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! (At least, that’s what Andy Williams promised.) The holidays are a time to celebrate with family, friends, food, and, let’s not forget, fun things to watch. Whether you’re huddled up with the whole family in your living room or cozying up under the covers with your tablet, let Decider be your guide to all things festive this holiday season.
Maddy Casale is a Chicago-based writer and comedian who covers everything from animated series to Hallmark movies. Follow her on Duolingo @MCasale.
