Hallmark Channel is set to begin its annual deluge of holiday cheer, and leading the charge is “Santa Tell Me,” premiering Saturday, November 9. The film stars Erin Krakow as Olivia, an interior designer whose Christmas wish might be a tad too specific.
After unearthing a childhood letter to Santa, Olivia is reminded of a promise of true love – a man named Nick – by Christmas Eve. Naturally, the universe responds with not one, not two, but three Nicks, played by Benjamin Ayres, Christopher Russell, and Kurt Szarka. As if that weren’t enough potential Yuletide romance for one woman to handle, Daniel Lissing also appears as Chris, Olivia’s co-worker, throwing another potential wrench (or perhaps mistletoe?) into the works.
The premise is like a live-action version of one of those “Choose Your Own Adventure” books, except instead of choosing between exploring a cave or climbing a mountain, Olivia’s choices are all variations on the same vaguely handsome, vaguely charming dude named Nick.
Will the real Nick please stand up? Or will Chris, the non-Nick outlier, prove that sometimes the best gifts aren’t the ones you specifically ask Santa for?
This “multiple love interests” angle feels like Hallmark’s attempt to inject a little bit of playful self-awareness into its formula, acknowledging the often interchangeable nature of its leading men.
“Santa Tell Me” airs Saturday, November 9 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on Hallmark Channel.
