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Cozy Mystery (and Other Favorite) Books, Movies, and TV

Upcoming Television Mystery Movies for December 2016

It’s the time of the month again to find out about next month’s upcoming mystery movies!

As usual, I’m posting the Turner Classic Movies channel mysteries that I think are definitely worth looking at (in addition to some others from my favorite actors and actresses…) In particular, there is a Thin Man marathon on Friday the 23rd, into the early morning of Saturday the 24th. Some of you have mentioned that you watch the Thin Man movies on New Year’s Eve – so set up your DVRs!

Since this will be December and TCM will be showing a lot of Christmas movies, I’ve also decided to include a bunch of those on this list >>> at least the ones I intend to watch again!

***** ***** ***** *****

December 2016 Turner Classic Movies Channel Mystery Movies (Central time zone):

***** ***** ***** *****

Thursday – December 1, 2016

7:00 PM
THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER (1941) (Christmas)
An acerbic critic wreaks havoc when a hip injury forces him to move in with a midwestern family.
Dir: William Keighley Cast:  Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan, Monty Woolley.
BW-113 mins, CC

9:00 PM
IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE (1947)  (Christmas)
Two homeless men move into a mansion while its owners are wintering in the South.
Dir: Roy Del Ruth Cast:  Don DeFore, Ann Harding, Charlie Ruggles.
BW-115 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Friday – December 2, 2016

5:15 AM
THE CASE OF THE HOWLING DOG (1934)
Perry Mason gets caught between feuding neighbors who claim to be married to the same woman.
Dir: Alan Crosland Cast:  Warren William, Mary Astor, Allen Jenkins.
BW-74 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Saturday – December 3, 2016

3:15 AM
TRADE WINDS (1938)
A private eye falls for the murderess he’s pursuing.
Dir: Tay Garnett Cast:  Fredric March, Joan Bennett, Ralph Bellamy.
BW-94 mins, CC

6:30 AM
PHANTOM LADY (1944)
A mystery woman is a murder suspect’s only alibi for the night of his wife’s death.
Dir: Robert Siodmak Cast:  Franchot Tone, Ella Raines, Alan Curtis.
BW-87 mins

10:15 PM
LURED (1947)
A woman helps the police catch the serial killer who murdered her best friend.
Dir: Douglas Sirk Cast:  George Sanders, Lucille Ball, Charles Coburn.
BW-103 mins

***** ***** ***** *****

Sunday – December 4, 2016

8:30 AM
A CAROL FOR ANOTHER CHRISTMAS (1964) (Christmas)
Three ghosts teach an industrialist the importance of international peacekeeping.
Dir: Joseph L. Mankiewicz Cast:  Sterling Hayden, Eva Marie Saint, Ben Gazzara.
BW-86 mins, CC

10:00 AM
LITTLE WOMEN (1933) (Christmas)
The four March sisters fight to keep their family together and find love while their father is off fighting the Civil War.
Dir: George Cukor Cast:  Katharine Hepburn, Joan Bennett, Paul Lukas.
BW-116 mins, CC

1:15 PM
CAPE FEAR (1962)
An ex-convict plots to destroy the district attorney who sent him to prison.
Dir: J. Lee Thompson Cast:  Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, Polly Bergen.
BW-106 mins, CC
*****Yow-zee!*****

***** ***** ***** *****

Friday – December 9, 2016

3:45 AM
21 DAYS (1940)
After accidentally killing his mistress’ husband, a man must decide whether to let another man hang for his crime.
Dir: Basil Dean Cast:  Vivien Leigh, Leslie Banks, Laurence Olivier.
BW-75 mins

7:45 AM
THE WIDOW FROM CHICAGO (1930)
A woman infiltrates a criminal mob to avenge her brother’s death.
Dir: Edward Cline Cast:  Alice White, Neil Hamilton, Edward G. Robinson.
BW-62 mins

11:30 PM
THIRTEEN WOMEN (1932)
A mysterious Eurasian tries to murder the 12 boarding school roommates who treated her like an outsider.
Dir: George Archainbaud Cast:  Irene Dunne, Ricardo Cortez, Jill Esmond.
C-60 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Saturday – December 10, 2016

1:45 AM
PENTHOUSE (1933)
The mob frames a lawyer for murder, so he enlists a call girl’s help in finding the real killer.
Dir: W. S. Van Dyke Cast:  Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Charles Butterworth.
BW-89 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Sunday – December 11, 2016

5:00 AM
ALIAS BOSTON BLACKIE (1942)
A reformed thief tracks down an escaped convict so he can prove the man is innocent.
Dir: Lew Landers Cast:  Chester Morris, Adele Mara, Richard Lane.
BW-67 mins, CC

7:45 AM
SCROOGE (1935) (Christmas)
The legendary miser searches his past, present and future to discover the true meaning of Christmas.
Dir: Henry Edwards Cast:  Seymour Hicks, Donald Calthrop, Maurice Evans.
BW-78 mins

11:15 AM
HOLIDAY AFFAIR (1949) (Christmas)
A young widow is torn between a boring businessman and a romantic ne’er-do-well.
Dir: Don Hartman Cast:  Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh, Wendell Corey.
BW-87 mins, CC

1:00 PM
CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945) (Christmas)
A homemaking specialist who can’t boil water is forced to provide a family holiday for a war hero.
Dir: Peter Godfrey Cast:  Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet.
BW-101 mins, CC
*****My favorite Christmas movie! I’m glad TCM is playing it three times this month.*****

***** ***** ***** *****

Monday – December 12, 2016

7:00 PM
MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944) (Christmas)
Young love and childish fears highlight a year in the life of a turn-of-the-century family.
Dir: Vincente Minnelli Cast:  Judy Garland, Margaret O’Brien, Mary Astor.
C-113 mins, CC

9:00 PM
IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME (1949) (Christmas)
In this musical remake of The Shop Around the Corner, feuding co-workers in a small music shop do not realize they are secret romantic pen pals.
Dir: Robert Z. Leonard Cast:  Judy Garland, Van Johnson, S. Z. “Cuddles” Sakall.
C-103 mins, CC
*****Actually, the guide says this is a Christmas movie, but I am not sure. I know The Shop Around the Corner is set during the holidays, but I just can’t remember about this one.****

***** ***** ***** *****

Tuesday – December 13, 2016

12:15 AM
BACHELOR MOTHER (1939) (Christmas)
A fun-loving shop girl is mistaken for the mother of a foundling.
Dir: Garson Kanin Cast:  Ginger Rogers, David Niven, Charles Coburn.
BW-82 mins, CC

1:45 AM
BUNDLE OF JOY (1956) (Christmas)
A shop girl is mistaken for the mother of a foundling.
Dir: Norman Taurog Cast:  Eddie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds, Adolphe Menjou.
C-98 mins, CC

12:15 PM
ACT OF VIOLENCE (1948)
An embittered veteran tracks down a POW camp informer.
Dir: Fred Zinnemann Cast:  Van Heflin, Robert Ryan, Janet Leigh.
BW-82 mins, CC

1:45 PM
THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS (1946)
Years after a murder drove them apart, an heiress tries to win back her lost love.
Dir: Lewis Milestone Cast:  Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, Lizabeth Scott.
BW-115 mins, CC
*****This is another terrific Barbara Stanwyck movie.*****

3:45 PM
THE PROWLER (1951)
A policeman’s obsession with a married woman leads to murder.
Dir: Joseph Losey Cast:  Van Heflin, Evelyn Keyes, John Maxwell.
BW-93 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Wednesday – December 14, 2016

6:00 AM
ALCATRAZ ISLAND (1937)
A prison inmate is framed for killing a con who once tried to kidnap his daughter.
Dir: William McGann Cast:  Ann Sheridan, John Litel, Mary Maguire.
BW-63 mins, CC

9:30 AM
ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN (1938)
An insurance man tangles with a fraud ring.
Dir: William Clemens Cast:  Ronald Reagan, Gloria Blondell, Dick Purcell.
BW-62 mins, CC

12:00 PM
MYSTERY HOUSE (1938)
A detective tries to solve a murder in a house full of suspects.
Dir: Noel Smith Cast:  Dick Purcell, Ann Sheridan, Anne Nagel.
BW-57 mins

1:00 PM
OVER THE WALL (1938)
A prison chaplain tries to help a man framed for murder prove his innocence.
Dir: Frank MacDonald Cast:  Dick Foran, June Travis, John Litel.
BW-67 mins

2:15 PM
BLACKWELL’S ISLAND (1939)
A reporter gets himself sent to prison to expose a mobster.
Dir: William McGann Cast:  John Garfield, Rosemary Lane, Dick Purcell.
BW-71 mins, CC

7:00 PM
SUDDEN FEAR (1952)
An ambitious actor insinuates himself into the life of a wealthy middle-aged woman, then plots with his mistress to murder her.
Dir: David Miller Cast:  Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Grahame.
BW-110 mins

9:00 PM
DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954)
A straying husband frames his wife for the murder of the man he’d hired to kill her.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings.
C-105 mins, CC

11:00 PM
THE TWO MRS. CARROLLS (1947)
A woman slowly discovers that her artist husband is a deranged killer.
Dir: Peter Godfrey Cast:  Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, Alexis Smith.
BW-99 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Thursday – December 15, 2016

3:00 AM
THE STRANGER (1946)
A small-town schoolteacher suspects her new husband may be an escaped Nazi war criminal.
Dir: Orson Welles Cast:  Edward G. Robinson, Loretta Young, Orson Welles.
BW-95 mins, CC

9:15 AM
THE RIGHT TO LIVE (1935)
A crippled war hero’s death turns out to be murder.
Dir: William Keighley Cast:  Josephine Hutchinson, George Brent, Colin Clive.
BW-69 mins

7:00 PM
THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940) (Christmas)
Feuding co-workers don’t realize they’re secret romantic pen pals.
Dir: Ernst Lubitsch Cast:  Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Frank Morgan.
BW-99 mins, CC
*****Terrific Christmas movie.*****

9:00 PM
CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945) (Christmas)
A homemaking specialist who can’t boil water is forced to provide a family holiday for a war hero.
Dir: Peter Godfrey Cast:  Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet.
BW-101 mins, CC
*****My favorite Christmas movie! I’m glad TCM is playing it three times this month.*****

***** ***** ***** *****

Saturday – December 17, 2016

5:45 AM
LOVE LETTERS (1945)
A soldier falls for the woman who may have killed his best friend.
Dir: William Dieterle Cast:  Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Ann Richards.
BW-101 mins, CC

3:00 PM
BORN YESTERDAY (1950)
A newspaper reporter takes on the task of educating a crooked businessman’s girlfriend.
Dir: George Cukor Cast:  Judy Holliday, Broderick Crawford, William Holden.
BW-102 mins, CC
*****If you haven’t already seen this movie, make an effort to try to watch it!Not a mystery.*****

5:00 PM
SEND ME NO FLOWERS (1964)
When he mistakenly thinks he’s dying, a hypochondriac tries to choose his wife’s next husband.
Dir: Norman Jewison Cast:  Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Randall.
C-100 mins, CC, Letterbox Format
*****Ditto what I wrote about the movie above this one! Not a mystery.*****

***** ***** ***** *****

Sunday – December 18, 2016

3:15 AM
ALICE, SWEET ALICE (1977)
When people in an Italian-American neighborhood are murdered, suspicion falls on a lonely 12-year-old.
Dir: Alfred Sole Cast:  Linda Miller, Mildred Clinton, Paula Sheppard.
C-105 mins, CC

5:00 AM
BACKFIRE (1950)
A veteran tries to clear an old friend of a murder charge.
Dir: Vincent Sherman Cast:  Viveca Lindfors, Dane Clark, Virginia Mayo.
BW-91 mins, CC

8:00 AM
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1938) (Christmas)
In this adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic tale, an elderly miser learns the error of his ways on Christmas Eve.
Dir: Edwin L. Marin Cast:  Reginald Owen, Gene Lockhart, Kathleen Lockhart.
BW-69 mins, CC

11:00 AM
IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME (1949) (Christmas)
In this musical remake of The Shop Around the Corner, feuding co-workers in a small music shop do not realize they are secret romantic pen pals.
Dir: Robert Z. Leonard Cast:  Judy Garland, Van Johnson, S. Z. “Cuddles” Sakall.
C-103 mins, CC
*****I’m really not sure if this is a Christmas movie or not. The TCM guide says it is…*****

7:00 PM
SCROOGE (1970) (Christmas)
A miser faces the ghosts of his past on Christmas Eve.
Dir: Ronald Neame Cast:  Albert Finney, Alec Guinness, Edith Evans.
C-114 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Monday – December 19, 2016

5:00 AM
ANGEL FACE (1953)
An unscrupulous woman murders her loved ones for profit.
Dir: Otto Preminger Cast:  Robert Mitchum, Jean Simmons, Mona Freeman.
BW-91 mins, CC

6:45 AM
BEWARE, MY LOVELY (1952)
A widow discovers her handyman is an escaped mental patient.
Dir: Harry Horner Cast:  Ida Lupino, Robert Ryan, Taylor Holmes.
BW-77 mins, CC

8:15 AM
CONFLICT (1945)
A man murders his wife so he can be free to marry her sister.
Dir: Curtis Bernhardt Cast:  Humphrey Bogart, Alexis Smith, Sydney Greenstreet.
BW-85 mins, CC

9:45 AM
DARK PASSAGE (1947)
A man falsely accused of his wife’s murder escapes to search for the real killer.
Dir: Delmer Daves Cast:  Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Bruce Bennett.
BW-106 mins, CC

11:45 AM
THE LETTER (1940)
A woman claims to have killed in self-defense, until a blackmailer turns up with incriminating evidence.
Dir: William Wyler Cast:  Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, James Stephenson.
BW-95 mins, CC

1:30 PM
THE UNFAITHFUL (1947)
While her husband is away, a woman gets mixed up in murder.
Dir: Vincent Sherman Cast:  Ann Sheridan, Lew Ayres, Zachary Scott.
BW-109 mins

3:30 PM
PHANTOM LADY (1944)
A mystery woman is a murder suspect’s only alibi for the night of his wife’s death.
Dir: Robert Siodmak Cast:  Franchot Tone, Ella Raines, Alan Curtis.
BW-87 mins

5:00 PM
CAPE FEAR (1962)
An ex-convict plots to destroy the district attorney who sent him to prison.
Dir: J. Lee Thompson Cast:  Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, Polly Bergen.
BW-106 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Tuesday – December 20, 2016

8:30 AM
THE SECRET OF MADAME BLANCHE (1933)
A murder brings together a woman and the son she was forced to give up years earlier.
Dir: Charles Brabin Cast:  Irene Dunne, Lionel Atwill, Phillips Holmes.
BW-84 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Wednesday – December 21, 2016

5:00 AM
OUT OF THE PAST (1947)
A private eye becomes the dupe of a homicidal moll.
Dir: Jacques Tourneur Cast:  Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas.
BW-97 mins, CC

6:45 AM
BORN TO KILL (1947)
A murderer marries a young innocent then goes after her more experienced sister.
Dir: Robert Wise Cast:  Claire Trevor, Lawrence Tierney, Walter Slezak.
BW-92 mins, CC

8:30 AM
DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954)
A straying husband frames his wife for the murder of the man he’d hired to kill her.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings.
C-105 mins, CC

11:00 AM
THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE (1946)
Illicit lovers plot to kill the woman’s older husband.
Dir: Tay Garnett Cast:  Lana Turner, John Garfield, Cecil Kellaway.
BW-113 mins, CC

1:00 PM
DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)
An insurance salesman gets seduced into plotting a client’s death.
Dir: Billy Wilder Cast:  Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson.
BW-108 mins, CC

3:00 PM
THE BIG SLEEP (1946)
Private eye Philip Marlowe investigates a society girl’s involvement in the murder of a pornographer.
Dir: Howard Hawks Cast:  Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Ridgely.
BW-114 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Thursday – December 22, 2016

7:30 AM
BARRICADE (1950)
Two fugitives try to prove the head of a mining camp is a murderer.
Dir: Peter Godfrey Cast:  Dane Clark, Raymond Massey, Ruth Roman.
C-75 mins

9:00 AM
LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE (1951)
An actress champions the cause of a man whom she believes has been falsely accused of murdering his wife.
Dir: King Vidor Cast:  Ruth Roman, Richard Todd, Mercedes McCambridge.
BW-90 mins

10:45 AM
MARA MARU (1952)
A salvage diver is accused of murder while hunting a mysterious treasure.
Dir: Gordon Douglas Cast:  Errol Flynn, Ruth Roman, Raymond Burr.
BW-98 mins

3:45 PM
THE WINDOW (1949)
A boy who always lies witnesses a murder but can’t get anyone but the killer to believe him.
Dir: Ted Tetzlaff Cast:  Barbara Hale, Arthur Kennedy, Paul Stewart.
BW-73 mins, CC

5:00 PM
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951)
A man’s joking suggestion that he and a chance acquaintance trade murders turns deadly.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Robert Walker.
BW-101 mins, CC

7:00 PM
HOLIDAY AFFAIR (1949) (Christmas)
A young widow is torn between a boring businessman and a romantic ne’er-do-well.
Dir: Don Hartman Cast:  Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh, Wendell Corey.
BW-87 mins, CC

8:45 PM
REMEMBER THE NIGHT (1940) (Christmas)
An assistant D.A. takes a shoplifter home with him for Christmas.
Dir: Mitchell Leisen Cast:  Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, Beulah Bondi.
BW-94 mins, CC
*****This is another Christmas movie that I love watching.*****

10:30 PM
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1951) (Christmas)
Ghosts visit a miser during the holidays to teach him the errors of his ways.
Dir: Brian Desmond-Hurst Cast:  Alastair Sim, Kathleen Harrison, Mervyn Johns.
BW-86 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Friday – December 23, 2016

5:00 AM
EVELYN PRENTICE (1934)
A criminal lawyer’s wife faces blackmail when she has an affair.
Dir: William K. Howard Cast:  William Powell, Myrna Loy, Una Merkel.
BW-79 mins, CC

7:00 PM
THE THIN MAN (1934)
A husband-and-wife detective team takes on the search for a missing inventor and almost get killed for their efforts.
Dir: W. S. Van Dyke Cast:  William Powell, Myrna Loy, Maureen O’Sullivan.
BW-91 mins, CC

8:45 PM
AFTER THE THIN MAN (1936)
Married sleuths Nick and Nora Charles try to clear Nora’s cousin of a murder charge.
Dir: W. S. Van Dyke Cast:  William Powell, Myrna Loy, James Stewart.
BW-112 mins, CC

10:45 PM
ANOTHER THIN MAN (1939)
Not even the joys of parenthood can stop married sleuths Nick and Nora Charles from investigating a murder on a Long Island estate.
Dir: W. S. Van Dyke II Cast:  William Powell, Myrna Loy, Virginia Grey.
BW-103 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Saturday – December 24, 2016

12:45 AM
SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN (1941)
High society sleuths Nick and Nora Charles run into a variety of shady characters while investigating a race-track murder.
Dir: Major W. S. Van Dyke II Cast:  William Powell, Myrna Loy, Barry Nelson.
BW-97 mins, CC

2:30 AM
THE THIN MAN GOES HOME (1945)
On a trip to visit his parents, detective Nick Charles gets mixed up in a murder investigation.
Dir: Richard Thorpe Cast:  William Powell, Myrna Loy, Lucile Watson.
BW-101 mins, CC

4:15 AM
SONG OF THE THIN MAN (1947)
Society sleuths Nick and Nora Charles investigate a murder in a jazz club.
Dir: Edward Buzzell Cast:  William Powell, Myrna Loy, Keenan Wynn.
BW-87 mins, CC

9:15 AM
SCROOGE (1970) (Christmas)
A miser faces the ghosts of his past on Christmas Eve.
Dir: Ronald Neame Cast:  Albert Finney, Alec Guinness, Edith Evans.
C-114 mins, CC

11:15 AM
IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE (1947) (Christmas)
Two homeless men move into a mansion while its owners are wintering in the South.
Dir: Roy Del Ruth Cast:  Don DeFore, Ann Harding, Charlie Ruggles.
BW-115 mins, CC

1:15 PM
HOLIDAY AFFAIR (1949) (Christmas)
A young widow is torn between a boring businessman and a romantic ne’er-do-well.
Dir: Don Hartman Cast:  Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh, Wendell Corey.
BW-87 mins, CC

3:00 PM
THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940) (Christmas)
Feuding co-workers don’t realize they’re secret romantic pen pals.
Dir: Ernst Lubitsch Cast:  Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Frank Morgan.
BW-99 mins, CC

5:00 PM
MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944) (Christmas)
Young love and childish fears highlight a year in the life of a turn-of-the-century family.
Dir: Vincente Minnelli Cast:  Judy Garland, Margaret O’Brien, Mary Astor.
C-113 mins, CC

7:00 PM
CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945) (Christmas)
A homemaking specialist who can’t boil water is forced to provide a family holiday for a war hero.
Dir: Peter Godfrey Cast:  Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet.
BW-101 mins, CC
*****My favorite Christmas movie! I’m glad TCM is playing it three times this month.*****

11:00 PM
IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME (1949) (Christmas?)
In this musical remake of The Shop Around the Corner, feuding co-workers in a small music shop do not realize they are secret romantic pen pals.
Dir: Robert Z. Leonard Cast:  Judy Garland, Van Johnson, S. Z. “Cuddles” Sakall.
C-103 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Sunday – December 25, 2016

1:00 AM
THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER (1941) (Christmas)
An acerbic critic wreaks havoc when a hip injury forces him to move in with a midwestern family.
Dir: William Keighley Cast:  Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan, Monty Woolley.
BW-113 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Tuesday – December 27, 2016

5:00 AM
ACROSS THE PACIFIC (1942)
An American agent tries to keep Axis spies from blowing up the Panama Canal.
Dir: John Huston Cast:  Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet.
C-96 mins, CC

10:00 AM
THE WOMAN IN WHITE (1948)
Classic mystery about the adventures of a young tutor sent to a ghostly country estate.
Dir: Peter Godfrey Cast:  Alexis Smith, Eleanor Parker, Sydney Greenstreet.
BW-109 mins, CC

5:15 PM
THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)
Hard-boiled detective Sam Spade gets caught up in the murderous search for a priceless statue.
Dir: John Huston Cast:  Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George.
BW-100 mins, CC

7:00 PM
ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (1944)
A young man about to be married discovers the two aunts who raised him have been poisoning lonely old men.
Dir: Frank Capra Cast:  Cary Grant, Priscilla Lane, Raymond Massey.
BW-118 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Wednesday – December 28, 2016

6:45 AM
ON DANGEROUS GROUND (1952)
A tough cop sent to help in a mountain manhunt falls for the quarry’s blind sister.
Dir: Nicholas Ray Cast:  Ida Lupino, Robert Ryan, Ward Bond.
BW-82 mins, CC

10:00 AM
THE WRONG MAN (1956)
A musician is mistaken for a vicious thief, with devastating results.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Henry Fonda, Vera Miles, Anthony Quayle.
BW-105 mins, CC

4:30 PM
NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
An advertising man is mistaken for a spy, triggering a deadly cross-country chase.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason.
C-136 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Thursday – December 29, 2016

3:00 AM
AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (1945)
Guests at a remote island mansion realize a crazed killer is stalking them.
Dir: René Clair Cast:  Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston, Louis Hayward.
BW-97 mins, CC

9:30 AM
THE BIG STEAL (1949)
Seduction and murder follow the theft of an Army payroll.
Dir: Don Siegel Cast:  Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, William Bendix.
BW-71 mins, CC

11:00 AM
BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK (1955)
A one-armed veteran uncovers small-town secrets when he tries to visit an Asian-American war hero’s family.
Dir: John Sturges Cast:  Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Anne Francis.
C-81 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

2:45 PM
BULLITT (1968)
When mobsters kill the witness he was assigned to protect, a dedicated policeman investigates the case on his own.
Dir: Peter Yates Cast:  Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset.
C-114 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Friday – December 30, 2016

7:00 PM
MIDNIGHT LACE (1960)
A young woman can’t get anyone to believe she’s being stalked.
Dir: David Miller Cast:  Doris Day, Rex Harrison, John Gavin.
C-108 mins, Letterbox Format

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

If you’re really looking forward to these or other mystery-themed tv specials coming up in December, be sure to leave a comment below!

In case you’re interested in seeing the rest of this month’s television mystery movies, here’s the November 2016 television mystery movies schedule:

Upcoming Television Mystery Movies for November 2016

Also, if you’re looking for the new Hallmark Christmas movies that will be showing during December 2016, be sure to click this link which will take you to my Hallmark 2016 Christmas movies schedule.

And of course, here is the page on my site with plenty of entries about movies and television shows you may enjoy:

Cozy Mystery List TV and  Movie Section

ID Channel’s Nightmare Next Door with Diane Vallere

tv1111111111sphjsjhI think I may have mentioned (once or twice…) that I like true crime shows. (I don’t watch all of them – that would be a 24/7 hobby!) As I watch the shows I find myself in a state of disbelief that these are true crimes – not fiction TV. I can’t help but imagine how these awful, cruel things can be carried out by people. The results are so profound and permanent for the victims, and their family and friends >>> whose lives will never be the same. I often find myself wondering how stupid and self-aggrandizing these terrible animals are. When I hear a person say these killers are “sick” I usually find myself actually talking back to the TV. Sick is NO excuse for their actions! (OK, now I’ll get off my soapbox and get to why I am telling you about a show I just watched…) The particular show I’m telling you about is very sad and totally senseless. (Let’s face it, all of the cases they highlight are senseless!)

One of the shows I watch on the ID (Investigation Discovery) channel is Nightmare Next Door. Well, while I was watching last night’s episode (“A Strange Trust” – season 6, episode 10), I couldn’t believe it when one of my favorite authors appeared as one of the commentators of the crime. That’s right! One of our Cozy Mystery authors was on the show giving background information!

So, for those of you who have access to the ID channel, be sure to set your DVRs up in order to see none other than Diane Vallere, author of the Style & Error, Material Witness, Costume Shop, & Mad for Mod (one of my very favorite) mystery series. The next showing of this particular show is Sunday, November 13 at 1 PM (central).

Upcoming Television Mystery Movies for November 2016

It’s time of the month again to find out about next month’s upcoming mystery movies!

As usual, I’m posting the Turner Classic Movies channel mysteries that I think are definitely worth looking at (in addition to some others from my favorite actors and actresses…) Tuesday the 29th will be particularly noteworthy, as it will feature a marathon of Alfred Hitchcock mystery movies – a must-see for any true fan of classic cinema, mystery movies >>> or both!

The end of the month will also feature the beginnings of this year’s Christmas movies – you should be able to pick them out starting on the 30th!

I’m not posting any Hallmark mystery movies because they will be showing holiday movies during the month, at least as far into the future as they let us see.

***** ***** ***** *****

November 2016 Turner Classic Movies Channel Mystery Movies (Central time zone):

***** ***** ***** *****

Tuesday – November 1, 2016

7:15 AM
TWENTY PLUS TWO (1961)
When a Hollywood secretary is found murdered, a detective is hired to investigate the murder.
Dir: Joseph M. Newman Cast:  David Janssen, Jeanne Crain, Dina Merrill.
BW-103 mins, CC

12:00 PM
STORM WARNING (1951)
A model on vacation discovers that her sister’s husband is a murderous Ku Klux Klansman.
Dir: Stuart Heisler Cast:  Ginger Rogers, Ronald Reagan, Doris Day.
BW-93 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Wednesday – November 2, 2016

4:30 PM
THE YOUNG SAVAGES (1961)
An assistant DA suspects one of the delinquents he’s prosecuting for murder is his son.
Dir: John Frankenheimer Cast:  Burt Lancaster, Dina Merrill, Shelley Winters.
BW-103 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

***** ***** ***** *****

Thursday – November 3, 2016

8:30 AM
CONSPIRATOR (1949)
A newlywed suspects her husband of being a Communist spy.
Dir: Victor Saville Cast:  Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Flemyng.
BW-87 mins, CC

12:00 PM
JAMAICA INN (1939)
A young woman on the British coast stumbles onto a ring of bloodthirsty scavengers.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Charles Laughton, Horace Hodges, Hay Petrie.
BW-100 mins, CC

1:45 PM
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1934)
A British family gets mixed up with spies and an assassination plot while vacationing in Switzerland.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Leslie Banks, Edna Best, Nova Pilbeam.
BW-75 mins, CC

3:15 PM
EXECUTIVE ACTION (1973)
Rogue intelligence agents, politicians, greedy capitalists, and assassins plot and carry out an assassination.
Dir: David Miller Cast:  Burt Lancaster, Will Geer, Gilbert Green.
C-91 mins, CC

5:00 PM
NIGHT MOVES (1975)
An L.A. private detective puts aside his own marital woes while tracing a topless nymphet to the Florida Keys.
Dir: Arthur Penn Cast:  Gene Hackman, Jennifer Warren, Susan Clark.
C-100 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Saturday – November 5, 2016

7:45 AM
THE CROOKED WAY (1949)
A war hero’s amnesia keeps him from dealing with his criminal past.
Dir: Robert Florey Cast:  John Payne, Sonny Tufts, Ellen Drew.
BW-86 mins, CC

9:15 PM
BADLANDS (1973)
A young tough guy and his teen-aged girlfriend take off on a killing spree.
Dir: Terrence Malick Cast:  Martin Sheen, Sissy Spacek, Warren Oates.
C-94 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Sunday – November 6, 2016

2:45 AM
HE KNOWS YOU’RE ALONE (1980)
A killer stalks a brides-to-be.
Dir: Armand Mastroianni Cast:  Don Scardino, Elizabeth Kemp, Caitlin O’Heaney.
C-94 mins

3:15 PM
D.O.A. (1950)
The victim of a slow-acting poison tracks down his own killer.
Dir: Rudolph Maté Cast:  Edmond O’Brien, Pamela Britton, Luther Adler.
BW-84 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Tuesday – November 8, 2016

2:00 PM
CLOUDS OVER EUROPE (1939)
When enemy agents steal plans for an experimental plane, the test pilot fights to clear his name.
Dir: Tim Whelan Cast:  Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, Valerie Hobson.
BW-79 mins

8:15 PM
SABOTEUR (1942)
A young man accused of sabotage goes on the lam to prove his innocence.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Priscilla Lane, Robert Cummings, Otto Kruger.
BW-109 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Thursday – November 10, 2016

7:00 PM
OUR MOTHER’S HOUSE (1967)
Afraid of being separated, a family of children keep their mother’s death a secret.
Dir: Jack Clayton Cast:  Dirk Bogarde, Margaret Brooks, Pamela Franklin.
BW-106 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

9:00 PM
THE INNOCENTS (1961)
A governess convinces herself the children in her charge are haunted.
Dir: Jack Clayton Cast:  Deborah Kerr, Peter Wyngarde, Megs Jenkins.
BW-99 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

***** ***** ***** *****

Friday – November 11, 2016

7:45 AM
THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (1932)
A big game hunter decides to stalk human prey.
Dir: Ernest B. Schoedsack Cast:  Joel McCrea, Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong.
BW-63 mins, CC

11:45 AM
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (1940)
An American reporter covering the war in Europe gets mixed up in the assassination of a Dutch diplomat.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall.
BW-121 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Saturday – November 12, 2016

5:00 AM
A CRY IN THE NIGHT (1956)
A police captain’s emotions get in the way when his daughter is kidnapped.
Dir: Frank Tuttle Cast:  Edmond O’Brien, Brian Donlevy, Natalie Wood.
BW-75 mins

12:15 PM
HE RAN ALL THE WAY (1951)
A crook on the run hides out in an innocent girl’s apartment.
Dir: John Berry Cast:  John Garfield, Shelley Winters, Wallace Ford.
BW-78 mins

1:45 PM
MURDER AT THE GALLOP (1963)
Elderly sleuth Miss Marple suspects foul play when an old friend is supposedly scared to death by a cat.
Dir: George Pollock Cast:  Margaret Rutherford, Robert Morley, Flora Robson.
BW-81 mins, CC, Letterbox Format
*****If you haven’t seen this movie yet, be prepared to be surprised by the Miss Marple portrayal!*****

7:00 PM
BLITHE SPIRIT (1945)
A man and his second wife are haunted by the ghost of his first wife.
Dir: David Lean Cast:  Rex Harrison, Constance Cummings, Kay Hammond.
C-97 mins

***** ***** ***** *****

Sunday – November 13, 2016

2:30 AM
MELINDA (1972)
A black disc jockey sets out to avenge his girlfriend’s murder.
Dir: Hugh A. Robertson Cast:  Calvin Lockhart, Rosalind Cash, Vonetta McGee.
C-109 mins

8:00 PM
THE NARROW MARGIN (1952)
A tough cop meets his match when he has to guard a gangster’s moll on a tense train ride.
Dir: Richard Fleischer Cast:  Charles McGraw, Marie Windsor, Jacqueline White.
BW-72 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Wednesday – November 16, 2016

12:00 PM
WHISTLING IN DIXIE (1942)
A radio detective’s southern honeymoon is cut short by the discovery of a murder.
Dir: S. Sylvan Simon Cast:  Red Skelton, Ann Rutherford, George Bancroft.
BW-74 mins, CC

1:30 PM
WHISTLING IN BROOKLYN (1943)
A radio sleuth infiltrates the Brooklyn Dodgers to solve a murder.
Dir: S. Sylvan Simon Cast:  Red Skelton, Ann Rutherford, Jean Rogers.
BW-87 mins, CC

3:00 PM
TWO O’CLOCK COURAGE (1945)
An amnesiac discovers he’s wanted for murder.
Dir: Anthony Mann Cast:  Tom Conway, Ann Rutherford, Richard Lane.
BW-66 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Thursday – November 17, 2016

7:00 AM
A FINE PAIR (1969)
A detective gets involved with a beautiful jewel thief.
Dir: Francesco Maselli Cast:  Rock Hudson, Claudia Cardinale, Tomas Milian.
C-90 mins, CC

8:45 AM
ICE STATION ZEBRA (1968)
A sub commander on a perilous mission must ferret out a Soviet agent on his ship.
Dir: John Sturges Cast:  Rock Hudson, Ernest Borgnine, Patrick McGoohan.
C-152 mins, CC

5:15 PM
SEND ME NO FLOWERS (1964)
When he mistakenly thinks he’s dying, a hypochondriac tries to choose his wife’s next husband.
Dir: Norman Jewison Cast:  Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Randall.
C-100 mins, CC, Letterbox Format
*****Not a mystery. A delightful Rock Hudson/Doris Day movie…*****

7:00 PM
THE LADY EVE (1941)
A lady cardsharp tries to con an eccentric scientist only to fall for him.
Dir: Preston Sturges Cast:  Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn.
BW-94 mins, CC
*****Not a mystery. This movie has me laughing every time I see it.*****

***** ***** ***** *****

Friday – November 18, 2016

6:00 AM
GAMBLING LADY (1934)
Two gamblers fall in love but one is already married to a possible murderer.
Dir: Archie Mayo Cast:  Barbara Stanwyck, Joel McCrea, Pat O’Brien.
BW-66 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Saturday – November 19, 2016

4:45 PM
TIME AFTER TIME (1979)
When Jack the Ripper steals his time machine, author H.G. Wells travels to modern-day San Francisco to track him down.
Dir: Nicholas Meyer Cast:  Malcolm McDowell, David Warner, Mary Steenburgen.
C-112 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

9:00 PM
FUNERAL IN BERLIN (1966)
The British send their top secret agent to help a Soviet intelligence officer defect.
Dir: Guy Hamilton Cast:  Michael Caine, Eva Renzi, Paul Hubschmid.
C-102 mins

11:00 PM
BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN (1967)
A retired spy gets mixed up with plans to overthrow Communism using a new supercomputer.
Dir: Ken Russell Cast:  Michael Caine, Karl Malden, Ed Begley.
C-108 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

***** ***** ***** *****

Monday – November 21, 2016

11:00 AM
SHIP AHOY (1942)
A dancer sailing to Puerto Rico hides government messages in her tap routines.
Dir: Edward Buzzell Cast:  Eleanor Powell, Red Skelton, Bert Lahr.
BW-95 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Tuesday – November 22, 2016

5:00 AM
GRAND CENTRAL MURDER (1942)
A detective investigates an actress’s murder in a train car.
Dir: S. Sylvan Simon Cast:  Van Heflin, Patricia Dane, Cecilia Parker.
BW-74 mins, CC

8:00 AM
KILLER MCCOY (1947)
A lightweight boxer gets mixed up in murder.
Dir: Roy Rowland Cast:  Mickey Rooney, Brian Donlevy, Ann Blyth.
BW-104 mins, CC

11:30 AM
DIAL 1119 (1950)
A killer holds the customers at a bar hostage.
Dir: Gerald Mayer Cast:  Marshall Thompson, Virginia Field, Andrea King.
BW-75 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Sunday – November 27, 2016

1:00 PM
THE BIG SLEEP (1946)
Private eye Philip Marlowe investigates a society girl’s involvement in the murder of a pornographer.
Dir: Howard Hawks Cast:  Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Ridgely.
BW-114 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Monday – November 28, 2016

8:15 AM
ROUGHSHOD (1949)
A rancher tries to save his fellow stagecoach passengers from a murderous enemy.
Dir: Mark Robson Cast:  Robert Sterling, Gloria Grahame, Claude Jarman Jr..
BW-88 mins, CC

1:45 PM
CHANDLER (1971)
A former private eye lands in hot water when he agrees to protect a government witness.
Dir: Paul Magwood Cast:  Warren Oates, Leslie Caron, Alex Dreier.
C-86 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

3:30 PM
CROSSFIRE (1947)
A crusading district attorney investigates the murder of a Jewish man.
Dir: Edward Dmytryk Cast:  Robert Young, Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan.
BW-86 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Tuesday – November 29, 2016

*****Alfred Hitchcock marathon day!*****

5:00 AM
YOUNG AND INNOCENT (1937)
A young girl helps an innocent man escape the law when he’s framed for murder.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Nova Pilbeam, Derrick De Marney, Percy Marmont.
BW-83 mins

6:15 AM
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1934)
A British family gets mixed up with spies and an assassination plot while vacationing in Switzerland.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Leslie Banks, Edna Best, Nova Pilbeam.
BW-75 mins, CC

7:45 AM
SUSPICION (1941)
A wealthy wallflower suspects her penniless playboy husband of murder.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine, Sir Cedric Hardwicke.
BW-99 mins, CC

9:30 AM
STAGE FRIGHT (1950)
An acting student goes undercover to prove a singing star killed her husband.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Jane Wyman, Marlene Dietrich, Michael Wilding.
BW-110 mins, CC

11:30 AM
I CONFESS (1953)
A priest suspected of murder can only clear himself by violating the sanctity of the confessional.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Montgomery Clift, Anne Baxter, Karl Malden.
BW-95 mins, CC

1:15 PM
THE WRONG MAN (1956)
A musician is mistaken for a vicious thief, with devastating results.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Henry Fonda, Vera Miles, Anthony Quayle.
BW-105 mins, CC

3:15 PM
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951)
A man’s joking suggestion that he and a chance acquaintance trade murders turns deadly.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Robert Walker.
BW-101 mins, CC

5:00 PM
DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954)
A straying husband frames his wife for the murder of the man he’d hired to kill her.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings.
C-105 mins, CC

10:30 PM
THE BIG CLOCK (1948)
A corrupt publisher tries to frame a career-driven editor for murder.
Dir: John Farrow Cast:  Ray Milland, Charles Laughton, Maureen O’Sullivan.
BW-95 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Wednesday – November 30, 2016

5:00 AM
HOLIDAY AFFAIR (1949)
A young widow is torn between a boring businessman and a romantic ne’er-do-well.
Dir: Don Hartman Cast:  Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh, Wendell Corey.
BW-87 mins, CC

6:30 AM
IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE (1947)
Two homeless men move into a mansion while its owners are wintering in the South.
Dir: Roy Del Ruth Cast:  Don DeFore, Ann Harding, Charlie Ruggles.
BW-115 mins, CC

12:45 PM
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1938)
In this adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic tale, an elderly miser learns the error of his ways on Christmas Eve.
Dir: Edwin L. Marin Cast:  Reginald Owen, Gene Lockhart, Kathleen Lockhart.
BW-69 mins, CC,

2:00 PM
CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945)
A homemaking specialist who can’t boil water is forced to provide a family holiday for a war hero.
Dir: Peter Godfrey Cast:  Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet.
BW-101 mins, CC

5:00 PM
THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940)
Feuding co-workers don’t realize they’re secret romantic pen pals.
Dir: Ernst Lubitsch Cast:  Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Frank Morgan.
BW-99 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Normally this is where I would discuss the Hallmark mystery movies that are coming out in the upcoming month… but I’ve already discussed most of them in this recent post!

If you’re really looking forward to these or other mystery-themed tv specials coming up in November, be sure to leave a comment below!

In case you’re interested in seeing the rest of this month’s television mystery movies, here’s the October 2016 television mystery movies schedule:

Upcoming Television Mystery Movies for October 2016

And of course, here is the page on my site with plenty of entries about movies and television shows you may enjoy:

Cozy Mystery List TV and  Movie Section

Hallmark 2016 Christmas & Fall Harvest Movies Schedule

Wow-zee, Ka-tau-zee! I’ve already printed out this schedule and have set up my DVR for as far into the future as my TV system will allow me to do. There’s something “comforting” about having my holiday movies schedule right by my LazyBoy – so I can set up my DVR as soon as it updates the weekly schedules. These Hallmark movies have become a part of my holidays for the past several years. We don’t have snow (or even much cold weather!) here in San Antonio, so I rely on these types of movies to get me in the winter wonderland sort of mood.

None of the movies are mysteries, but that doesn’t seem to have been a factor for us during the years I’ve been posting these holiday entries. Without further ado, here are both the Hallmark channel and the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel holiday schedules, starting with the Fall Harvest and then of course, the Christmas movies.

Hallmark channel’s NEW Fall Harvest movies for Autumn 2016:

LOVE ON A LIMBautumn-harvest
PREMIERED Saturday, October 1st at 9/8c (RE-AIRING Saturday, Oct. 22 at 5/4c)
Aimie Roarke (Ashley Williams) is always up for a cause and when the town’s beloved Oak tree is set to be cut down, she takes it upon herself try and save it. When the Mayor hires a handsome new landscaper (Trevor Donovan) to cut it down, she decides the only way to save the tree is to chain herself to it. As Kyle attempts to wait her out and the two start to spend more time together, they may find the Old Tree brings them both more than they could have imagined in life and love.

AUTUMN IN THE VINEYARD
PREMIERED Saturday, October 8th at 9/8c (RE-AIRING Saturday, Oct. 22 at 3/2c)
When Frankie Baldwin and Nate Deluca both have a claim to ownership of Sorrento Farm, they are forced to divide the vineyard right down the middle and work the fields alongside each other to bring in the harvest leading up to the Best Wine competition at the annual Autumn Harvest Festival — only this rivalry won’t be settled in the fields, because in spite of their contentious bickering, the simplest way to settle this particular legal dispute is with a romance.

PUMPKIN PIE WARS
PREMIERED Saturday, October 15th at 9/8c (RE-AIRING Saturday, Oct. 22 at 7/6c & Sunday, Oct. 23 at 1/12c)
Competing bakery owners, Faye McKenzie and Lydia Harper have been feuding for years with the Drum County Harvest Festival’s annual pumpkin pie bake-off at the center of it all. The winner not only gets bragging rights and a trophy, but a substantial boost to her business, as well. This year, however, the women are passing the torch to their respective children, Casey and Sam, and when romantic sparks fly between them, this bake-off promises to be one to remember.

GOOD WITCH: SECRETS OF GREY HOUSE
PREMIERES Saturday, October 22nd at 9/8c
Cassie welcomes a popular fantasy author and her editor to Grey House. Before long, Cassie inspires her to hold the launch party for her latest book right there in Middleton, which shares mysterious and surprising similarities with her stories. Meanwhile, a medical emergency keeps Sam busy at the hospital and away from Cassie until a surprise patient brings them closer than ever.

Hallmark channel’s NEW Countdown to Christmas movies for 2016

A WISH FOR CHRISTMASChristmas
PREMIERES Saturday, October 29th at 8/7c
Starring: Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls), Paul Greene (A Christmas Detour)
Sara Shaw (Chabert) is the type of woman who prefers to sit on the sidelines at work, but when her big idea for a Christmas initiative is stolen, she makes a wish to Santa that she’ll finally have the courage to stand up for herself. When Santa grants her wish and she gets a chance to prove herself to her boss (Greene) but Santa’s wish only gives her 48 hours. As the clock ticks down, Sara will discover how to channel the Christmas magic and speak her mind all on her own.

THE MISTLETOE PROMISE
PREMIERES Saturday, November 5th at 8/7c
Starring: Jaime King (Hart of Dixie), Luke Macfarlane (Brothers and Sisters)
A chance meeting between two strangers who share a disdain for Christmas results in The Mistletoe Promise, a pact to help them navigate their holiday complications – together. But as they spend more time with each other and experience the magic of Christmas the phony couple discovers there may be more to their contract than business. Based on the bestselling novel by Richard Paul Evans.

EVERY CHRISTMAS HAS A STORY
PREMIERES Saturday, November 12th at 8/7c
Starring: Lori Loughlin (Fuller House), Colin Ferguson (Eureka), Willie Aames (Charles in Charge)
A TV personality (Loughlin) has an on-air snafu and admits she hates Christmas. Following the debacle, she is invited to the Most Christmas-y town in America to try and repair her image. Forced to work with her ex-boyfriend Jack (Ferguson), the show’s producer, the magic of Christmas and this special town will change the way she views Christmas and her life.

CHRISTMAS COOKIES
PREMIERES Sunday, November 13th at 8/7c
Starring: Jill Wagner (Wipeout), Wes Brown (True Blood)
Aunt Sally’s Christmas Cookie Company is sold to a large conglomerate and executive Hannah (Wagner) must seal the deal and shut down the factory, which is the small town of Cookie Jar’s lifeblood. What was supposed to be a simple assignment for Hannah becomes complicated when she meets Jake (Brown), the factory owner who’s determined to keep the factory in town. Despite not being a fan of the holiday, the Christmas spirit in this small town is infectious and she gets swept up in the joy of the season while also falling in love.

MY CHRISTMAS DREAM
PREMIERES Saturday, November 19th at 8/7c
Starring: Danica McKellar (Wonder Years), David Haydn-Jones (A Cookie Cutter Christmas), Deidre Hall (Days of Our Lives)
Christina Masters (McKellar), the manager of McDougal’s flagship department store, is determined to land the manager position for their new Paris location. She sets out to impress Victoria (Hall), the store’s owner, by creating the best holiday display in McDougal’s history. Fresh out of inspiration despite assuring Victoria otherwise, Christina turns to a recently-fired store employee (Haydn-Jones) who also happens to be a talented artist and single dad to his young son. As they work side-by-side, the business relationship becomes personal and she finds herself falling in love. Will the allure of her dream be too strong or will she choose to follow her heart?

A DECEMBER BRIDE
PREMIERES Sunday, November 20th at 8/7c
Starring: Jessica Lowndes (90210), Daniel Lissing (When Calls the Heart)
Aspiring interior designer Layla O’Reilly (Lowndes) is dreading the Christmastime wedding of her cousin who’s marrying Layla’s ex-fiancé. Although Seth Murphy (Lissing) is the one responsible for introducing the bride and groom, she begrudgingly accepts his offer to be her date as she’s out of options. Seth gets carried away at the reception and announces they’re engaged, forcing a mortified Layla to keep up the pretense. But as the faux couple spends more time together they find themselves feeling something very real. Based on the book by bestselling author Denise Hunter.

BROADCASTING CHRISTMAS
PREMIERES Wednesday, November 23rd at 8/7c
Starring: Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina the Teenage Witch), Dean Cain (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman), Cynthia Gibb (Fame), Jackee Harry (227), Richard Kline (Three’s Company)
Emily (Hart) is an ambitious television anchor, aimed at climbing the ranks. When the opportunity to co-host a talk show with the fabulous talk show diva Veronika (Harry) presents itself two weeks before Christmas, she thinks this is her big break. To her surprise, she discovers she has stiff competition with Charlie (Cain), the local TV anchor who is her near equal on another station. With such interest and support for both reporters, a contest is created: for the two weeks leading up to Christmas, who can cover the best and most meaningful Christmas stories on the local news? As they shoot their heartfelt Christmas stories, they realize the top prize is not as important as they once thought. They experience the true meaning of Christmas with the subjects in their news segments – and with each other.

CHRISTMAS IN HOMESTEAD
PREMIERES Thursday, November 24th at 8/7c
Starring: Taylor Cole (The Originals)
One of the most famous actresses in world heads to the Christmas-obsessed town of Homestead, Iowa, to shoot a holiday-themed (movie). She is thrown for a loop when a romance brews between her and local inn keeper and single dad, Matt. As she gets a taste of small-town life and people who give of themselves without asking anything in return, she discovers the true meaning of Christmas.

CHRISTMAS LIST
PREMIERES Friday, November 25th at 8/7c
Starring: Alicia Witt (Nashville), Gabriel Hogan (Heartland)
Isobel Gray plans a storybook Christmas with her boyfriend, including a snow-covered cottage in the Northwest, and a carefully composed bucket list of classic holiday traditions. But when the boyfriend goes AWOL, the list proves challenging and a tempting new romance turns her life upside down. Will Isobel have a White Christmas ending under the mistletoe?

A HEAVENLY CHRISTMAS – Hallmark Hall of Fame movie
PREMIERES Saturday, November 26 at 8/7c
Starring: Kristin Davis, Eric McCormack, and Shirley MacLaine
Upon her untimely death, Eve Morgan (Davis), a workaholic finds herself tethered to her guardian angel (MacLaine) learning to become a Christmas angel in Heaven. Despite being the worst recruit in the history of Christmas, Eve is assigned the difficult task of helping a struggling singer Max (McCormack) use his musical gifts to heal old family wounds. As Max begins to overcome his issues, Eve begins to embrace the meaning of Christmas, heal wounds of her own, and perhaps find love along the way.

JOURNEY BACK TO CHRISTMAS
PREMIERES Sunday, November 27th at 8/7c
Starring: Candace Cameron Bure, Oliver Hudson and Tom Skerritt
Hannah (Cameron Bure), a WWII-era nurse, is transported in time to 2016 and meets Jake (Hudson), a man who helps her discover the bonds of family and that the true meaning of Christmas is timeless.

NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING
Hallmark Channel has entered into a multi-year partnership with the National Parks Foundation to enrich, support, and grow awareness of the country’s extensive system of national parks. As part of the initiative Hallmark Channel will become the exclusive television home of the “National Christmas Tree Lighting,” one of the nation’s oldest and most revered holiday traditions. Special performances by Chance The Rapper, Kelly Clarkson, and Yolanda Adams. The special will PREMIERE Thursday, December 1.

A DREAM OF CHRISTMAS
PREMIERES Saturday, December 3rd at 8/7c
Starring: Nikki DeLoach (CSI), Andrew Walker (When Calls The Heart)
Penny (DeLoach), an ambitious but discontented young married woman, gets more than she bargained for when she is granted a wish to be single again. She awakens one morning to discover she has everything she thinks she wanted: Her dream home, a great car, and a dream job where she’s the boss. But the tradeoff is not all wine and roses. Her husband Stuart (Walker) is gone — their marriage doesn’t exist because in this world they never even met. Penny eventually adjusts to life in this new ‘wish world’. In spite of her professional successes and romantic advances from a handsome, bachelor client of hers (Christopher Russell), Penny soon discovers the most important thing is missing in her life — her husband Stuart. She resolves to find and meet Stuart — for a second time — and get to know him all over again in the hope they’ll fall in love and rekindle the romance that was lacking in the ‘real world.’

LOOKS LIKE CHRISTMAS
PREMIERES Sunday, December 4th 8/7c
Starring: Dylan Neal (Gourmet Detective)
Carol is an over-involved mother but nothing compares to the holiday season when she goes over-the-top spearheading her kid’s school’s Christmas Spectacular each year, which earned her the nickname Christmas Carol by the parents and faculty. All that changes the day Terry moves to town with his teenage daughter. Also single, he is very fond of the holiday himself, having volunteered to mount the Christmas play each year at his daughter’s former school. Carol tries to politely tell the single dad his help won’t be needed but he has no intention of stepping aside. The tug-of-war turns into something of a rumble and it becomes clear neither of these parents is willing to work with the other. With the competition lines clearly drawn in the sand, the dueling duo sets out to outdo each other to create the most memorable Christmas spectacular ever. The pressure is ON to make this the best Christmas ever as it’s anybody’s guess if “Christmas Carol” will live up to her moniker or if newly titled “Terry Christmas” will become the new holiday hero. The two will ultimately learn the error of their ways and put aside their differences while learning they have a lot more in common as an unexpected romance begins to bloom.

A NUTCRACKER CHRISTMAS
PREMIERES Saturday December 10th 8/7c
Starring: Amy Acker (Person of Interest), Sascha Radetsky (Flesh and Bone), and Sophia Lucia (Dance Moms)
Rising star, Lilly James lives and breathes ballet. Her sister, Beth, is not only her biggest fan but often forgoes her own needs to make sure Lilly has every opportunity possible. Lilly’s devotion pays off when she is accepted into the New York City Ballet. Her biggest dream comes true when she lands the lead role of Clara in The Nutcracker and will make her debut on Christmas Eve. As she prepares for her big night, she receives the tragic news that her sister has died. She is removed from the show by none other than Mark, her boyfriend and dance partner. Betrayed and heartbroken, she vows never to dance again. Years later, Lilly’s niece receives the same Christmas wish, the role of Clara in the prestigious Philadelphia Nutcracker Ballet, only to find that the Ballet Director is Mark, who betrayed Lilly years ago. Will Lilly see the truth about her past, and allow herself a second chance to dance and another chance to find love?

MEANT TO BE
PREMIERES Sunday, December 11th at 8/7c
Starring: Brennan Elliott (Strong Medicine)
Maddie, a high-powered marketing executive, is on her way to a client’s wedding but her plans are derailed by car trouble. When a fork in the road leads her to Christmas Valley, a town in love with Christmas, an unexpected encounter and a group of strangers that start to feel like family will have her questioning what she’s really been missing in life.

MY CHRISTMAS LOVE
PREMIERES Saturday, December 17th at 8/7c
Starring: Meredith Hagner (Veep), Bobby Campo (Scream: The TV Series), Gregory Harrison (Rizzoli & Isles)
My Christmas Love is about a hopeless romantic who can’t ever seem to give a guy a real chance, that is until she starts receiving each of the ‘12 Days of Christmas’ as gifts anonymously at her door (yes, from the song… a partridge, leaping lords, milking maids… 5 golden rings!!). It’s a fun mystery that she tries to solve with her core group (including her sister who’s about to have a Christmas wedding) to see if there’s a suitor on the other end to finally live up to her expectations.

SLEIGH BELLS RING
PREMIERES Sunday, December 18th at 8/7c
Laurel is in charge of her hometown’s Christmas parade, and with budget cuts, she’s having trouble making it a special event this year and, after a recent divorce, getting into the holiday spirit. When she and her daughter Scarlett cross paths with a lone farmer who has a sleigh that he claims came from Santa crash-landing on his property years ago, they are both skeptical. But the sleigh would make a great addition to the parade if it could be restored. When the farmer gives Laurel the sleigh for the parade, her ‘luck’ slowly changes. It’s almost as if the sleigh is leading her to all the right pieces she needs to make the parade a success, including meeting a handsome man from town who has the loving touch to restore the relic. Laurel is converted into a true believer and rekindles that holiday spirit with her daughter, especially when she realizes the real Santa is riding his lost sleigh in the Christmas parade.

WHEN CALLS THE HEART CHRISTMAS
PREMIERES Sunday, December 25th at 8/7c
Starring: Erin Krakow (Army Wives), Daniel Lissing (Last Resort), Jack Wagner (Melrose Place) and Lori Loughlin (Fuller House)
An intriguing peddler comes to Hope Valley selling the townspeople his wears and teaching them valuable lessons about joy and giving. And when the townspeople realize that the recently displaced settlers in the area will not have a proper Christmas, they come together to create a special holiday celebration – including a Nativity presentation from the schoolchildren — that will infuse everyone with the true spirit of Christmas.

A ROSE FOR CHRISTMAS
PREMIERES Sunday, January 1st at 8/7c
Starring: Rachel Boston (In Plain Sight)
Andy (Boston) is a passionate and talented artist whose Pasadena family has been building Rose Parade floats for generations. But when her Dad gets sick and can’t lead this year’s efforts as usual, Andy has no choice but to take the helm and supervise the construction and decoration of their client’s float over Christmas with only a few weeks to go. And to make matters worse, she’s saddled with the extra challenge of dealing with Cliff, a demanding businessman whose company commissioned the float. Forced to work together, these two can’t help but clash – she’s a creative type who knows this flower-strewn process inside out, while he’s all business with no time for art. But working side-by-side over Christmas, they each learn the other is not who they seem. And together, with a ragtag team of volunteers, they might just have what it takes to create a magnificent Rose Parade float… IF they can pull it together by New Year’s.

Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel’s NEW Christmas movies for us to enjoy during the 2016 season!

LOVE ALWAYS, SANTA
PREMIERES Sunday, November 6th
After losing her husband Bradley three years ago on Christmas day, Celia Banks never thought she’d fall in love again. Now, her entire world revolves around taking care of her daughter Lilly. Lilly writes a letter to Santa with one wish — for her mommy to be happy and find love again.

FINDING FATHER CHRISTMAS
PREMIERES Sunday, November 13th at 9/8c
Stars: Wendie Malick (“Hot in Cleveland”), Erin Krakow (“When Calls the Heart”), Niall Matter (“Eureka”)
Christmas for Miranda is a painful reminder of the family she never had. Her mother died when she was young, never revealing the identity of her father. But, three days before Christmas, she unexpectedly receives a clue as to the whereabouts that takes her to a beautiful New England town where she meets Ian, a young man who helps with her search. As the clues lead to her father’s identity and Miranda discovers the possibility of love in Ian, and she learns that her father lived in the small town and now she knows his family (her brother and her biological father’s wife). She faces a terrible decision… Should she share the truth and risk losing the family she has just found, or leave and keep the secret forever? This Christmas promises to be life-changing for Miranda with a new chance at life and love.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS
PREMIERES Sunday, November 20th
Stars: Tricia Helfer (“Battlestar Galactica), Marc Blucas (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) and Lisa Durupt (“Murder She Baked”)
As her new romance blossoms, a single mother is dismayed when her boyfriend, a military sergeant, is deployed right before Christmas. Determined to not let it ruin the holidays for her and her children they decide to give back to the struggling military families on his base and, as their efforts go viral, they are rewarded in ways they never imagined.

I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
PREMIERES Sunday, November 27th
Starring: James Brolin (Life In Pieces), Mena Suvari (American Beauty), Giselle Eisenberg (Life in Pieces)
Jackie Foster (Suvari), a dynamic Assistant District Attorney and single mom, is looking forward to wrapping up her latest case and spending Christmas with Gracie (Eisenberg), her adorable and precocious, eight-year old daughter. But when Jackie’s estranged dad, Jack (Brolin), a gruff retired police officer, unexpectedly shows up at her door, they will be forced to confront old wounds. Tensions rise when Jack brings Nose, a mischievous former police dog, into Jackie’s orderly home. Though Jack had planned on quickly passing through, Gracie convinces him to stay until Christmas. Despite the baggage he brings, Jack and Jackie begin to work through their issues and she finds the possibility of an unlikely romance with a detective friend of Jack’s. As they experience the magic of Christmas together, they attempt to let go of their past and celebrate this loving holiday the way Jackie always dreamed.

HEARTS OF CHRISTMAS
PREMIERES Sunday, December 4th
Starring: Emillie Ullerup (Sanctuary)
When Alice, a beloved neonatal intensive care unit supervisor, is forced to take early retirement, her young colleague Jenny decides to turn the upcoming staff Christmas party into a surprise celebration for her. The plan is complicated by Matt, the hospital’s new CFO, who’s been tasked to cut costs. Initially at loggerheads, Jenny and Matt get to know and understand each other —a sweet Christmas gift neither saw coming.

THE SOUND OF CHRISTMAS
PREMIERES Sunday, December 11th
Lizzie is a young piano teacher working at a music school while trying to save enough money for a Steinway piano. The school is gearing up for their major Christmas fundraiser and she has committed much of her time to plan the event. One afternoon, she meets Brad who takes an interest in her playing and asks if she will teach his uninterested teenage daughter. She begins to break through to the young girl, and sparks begin to fly with Brad, but she is shocked to find out that his interest is not solely in her playing, but in the property that houses the music school. She sets out to save the school and the event, but can she work things out with Brad?

A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER
PREMIERES Sunday, December 18th
A harsh TV personality, Jennifer, needs a break from her own life, so she hops into a car and drives to a small town mountain retreat. On her way there a blizzard veers off the road and she crashes. When she comes to she has complete amnesia and a friendly passerby takes her in. As time passes she still doesn’t remember who she is and the friendly passerby, a widower himself with 3 kids, assimilates her into his family. But as she slowly starts remembering who she is, she prefers the new life she’s built in the small town.

As I mentioned, I’ve already got my schedule printed up and by my TV chair. I don’t want to seem like a Bossy-Flossie, but for those of you who enjoy these types of movies as much as I do >>> go set up your DVRs!

(These Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Hallmark channels’ descriptions were copied from both of those sites.)

P.S. As I mentioned, none of these are Christmas mystery movies, but if you’d like to find a good mystery movie, take a look at the TV and Movies page on my Cozy Mystery site. Also, I have compiled two lists of favorite Christmas movies that you might be interested in: Christmas: Favorite Classic Holiday Movies : Old, Black & White AND Christmas: Favorite Holiday Movies – More Recent, In Color.

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