Break out the fake snow, sugar cookies and mulled cider because we've got a major milestone to celebrate.
The Hallmark Channel is no longer a teenager, turning 20 years old on Aug. 5. The family-friendly network launched in 2001, becoming the go-to destination for feel-good entertainment, delightfully cheesy Christmas movies and a surprising source of some serious girl power on TV.
Since its popular "Countdown to Christmas" kicked off in 2009, Hallmark has put together a stacked roster of actresses to front their movies, including beloved '90s stars like Full House's Candace Cameron Bure (a.k.a. the queen of Christmas), Party of Five's Lacey Chabert and The Wonder Year's Danica McKellar.
Casting a star familiar to its audience helps create a feeling of nostalgia that adds to the warm and buzzy environment the channel creates, with former network executive Michelle Vicary previously telling E! News, "We're all about creating traditions and celebrating family and celebrating who people want to spend time with, whether it's a romantic relationship or a friendship or a parent or a sibling."
She continued, "Why couldn't we recreate that as a television experience? We know our audience would like to see these people because they are iconic television stars who they can relate to, who they aspire to be like or that they feel like are family or friends and would like to see more of them. When we strategically cast them that way, our audience said, 'Yes, that's exactly what we want.'"
And it's not just the Christmas movies that attracts talent like Rachael Leigh Cook, Holly Robinson Peete and Nikki DeLoach to work with the network, as both actresses star in year-round seasonal offerings, including movies that air as part of the "Fall Harvest" and "Summer Nights" programming events.
To celebrate their milestone anniversary, we've rounded up Hallmark Channel's lineup of fierce female leads who have starred in multiple Christmas films for the network over the years...