On Friday, November 11, 2022 Discovery+ brings on the streaming Christmas cheer with four new scripted Food Network and HGTV holiday movies. Featuring sparkling seasonal decor, yuletide culinary delights and budding romances, the films, with their food and home improvement storylines, that will certainly to appeal to passionate Food Network and HGTV fans who love holiday content. Several of the networks’ biggest fan-favorite personalities – Ben and Erin Napier, Bobby Flay, Hilary Farr and Duff Goldman as well as a slate of popular actors, bring holiday movie magic to life.

A CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE

Melissa Norwood (Katie Stevens) has been building her career as a property stager in Atlanta, with hopes of opening her own business someday soon. Melissa specializes in making spaces appealing to buyers by removing anything too personal, but when she teams with realtor David Phelps (Victor Rasuk) to stage her own childhood home, getting too personal is something she may not be able to avoid. When Melissa returns to her hometown of Rutledge, Georgia, for her mom’s wedding, she is blindsided by the news that her mother is selling the house in which she grew up…and her realtor is none other than David Phelps, the guy she had a crush on all through school. But that was then, and now she is focused on staging her cozy but outdated family home to help David sell it to the right buyer. The two agree to work together, though Melissa’s clean, modern style clashes with the small-town charm David thinks will sell in Rutledge. One thing they do agree on is the addition of custom pieces, uniquely crafted by David’s artisan friends, Henry and Sarah Wright (Ben and Erin Napier), to add warmth and character to the space. As Melissa and David transform the home, the undeniable sparks between them rekindle feelings Melissa thought were long past. But since her career dreams are in Atlanta and David is settled in Rutledge, their budding romance may be over before it even starts.

The film stars Katie Stevens as Melissa Norwood, Victor Rasuk as David Phelps, Monica Garcia Bradley as Melissa’s best friend, Gloria; Bobbi Eakes as Melissa’s mom, Janice; James Healy Jr. as Janice’s new husband, Teddy Lee; Zachariah Rogers as Gloria’s husband, Ray; Byron Mitchell Wigfall as James, the owner of a local boutique eatery; Josh Henry as James’s husband, Taylor; Katy Wilson as the town gossip, Ashley; with HGTV stars Ben Napier and Erin Napier as Henry and Sarah Wright.

DESIGNING CHRISTMAS

Stella Murphy (Jessica Szohr) and Pablo Belmonte (Marco Grazzini) have been co-hosts of the renovation show “House Sweet Home” for six years, entertaining viewers with their sharp banter and often opposing styles, while thrilling homeowners with stunning transformations.  But their latest makeover hits a lot closer to home…and this time it’s personal. After many successful seasons, “House Sweet Home” could be on the brink of cancellation as ratings have fallen.  Everything is riding on the all-important Christmas episode…when the prospective homeowner suddenly backs out.  With no time to find another option—and over Stella’s strong protestations—Pablo and their show’s producer, Zoe, decide on a new plan of action: they will renovate the house on which Stella just closed escrow: a Victorian home in Lexington, Virginia, that was built by her great-great grandparents in 1910.  Adding to the draw, Stella’s fiancé, Jack (Mykee Selkin) suggests they combine the reveal with their own onsite wedding…live on Christmas Eve. With only a few weeks to transform the early-20th-century house, that has essentially gone to ruin, not to mention plan a wedding, Stella knows she needs reinforcements.  She enlists her friend and mentor, Frederica “Freddy” Greene (Hilary Farr), who is not only an expert on historic homes but also shares Stella’s design aesthetic, which clashes with Pablo’s.  Stella wants to restore the once-beautiful house, where she has so many happy childhood memories.  Pablo, whose standard approach is summed up in his nickname, “The Sledgehammer,” wants to take down walls and paint or replace…well…everything. However, as the two work closely together and uncover hidden truths, about the house and each other, the foundation of their relationship begins to shift.  And what began as another renovation project just might become a labor of love.

The film stars Jessica Szohr as Stella Murphy, Marco Grazzini as Pablo Belmonte, Mykee Selkin as Jack Hale, Leighton Williams as Gabe, Fiona Highet as Sue Murphy, Nicole Power as Zoe, with popular HGTV star Hilary Farr as Freddy.

A GINGERBREAD CHRISTMAS

Hazel Stanley (Tiya Sircar), an aspiring architect, understands the importance of a good plan. But when her own life plans falls apart, Hazel will have to find a new recipe for success. On the last day of her internship at a top New York City architecture firm, Hazel learns she is being passed over for her dream job. Devastated and needing a change of scenery, she heads to the Chicago suburb of Oak Park to spend the holidays with her father, Ted (Sugith Varughese). But her happy homecoming is short-lived. Hazel soon discovers that her family’s once-thriving bakery, Hazelnut, has fallen on hard times since the passing of her mother, Judy, who had been a prize-winning baker. Now devoid of customers and in a state of total disrepair, the shop is in the process of being renovated by local contractor James Meadows (Marc Bendavid), who also helps her father out as an unofficial assistant baker. But despite James’s best efforts, Hazelnut is currently no match for the trendy, new bakery that just opened across the street, which—adding insult to injury—is owned by Hazel’s onetime best friend-turned-bitter rival, Shelby (Kyana Teresa). It is going to take a Christmas miracle to save the bakery…and Hazel might just have found one. Chicago’s own “Cookie King,” Mark Clemmons (Duff Goldman) is judging the annual Christmas Bakeoff and, this year, the grand prize for the best gingerbread creation is a whopping $100,000. Together, Hazel and James pool their talents to craft an amazing gingerbread design that will not only be a feast for the eyes but also a delight for the palate. However, the duo’s competition is fierce, including from Shelby, and unforeseen complications threaten to crumble not only their brilliant design but also their budding romance.

The film stars Tiya Sircar as Hazel Stanley, Marc Bendavid as James Meadows, Sugith Varughese as Ted Stanley, Kyana Teresa as Shelby, Karen Glave as Nina Marsden, Fereshteh Samimi as Yasmin, Maja Vujicic as Claire, Alison Brooks as Ruth Burton, with Food Network’s own Duff Goldman as Mark Clemmons.

ONE DELICIOUS CHRISTMAS

Since inheriting the Haven Restaurant and Inn, Abby Richmond (Vanessa Marano) has been determined to maintain the traditions her parents had lovingly cultivated in the quaint Vermont location. But when she is forced to implement new ideas in order to secure the future of Haven, how far can she bend without breaking not only tradition but also her heart? A master multitasker, Abby has been successfully managing Haven for years and is proud that the restaurant has become a culinary destination in New England, especially at the holidays. But the 24/7 commitment required to run both the restaurant and the inn has also run Abby’s personal life to the ground. And now her head chef is relocating to London right before Christmas. Her best hope might be a partnership with restaurant mogul Alexandra Grandfield (Kathy Maloney), who has expressed interest in branching out to the rural New England locale—enough so that she sent famed restaurant critic Tom Kingsley (Bobby Flay) to provide his thoughts on the menu. On the plus side: the food and service were impeccable; however, he also indicated that the menu might be a tad too traditional. With the partnership on the line, not to mention in desperate need of someone to run the kitchen, Abby welcomes Alexandra’s choice of up-and-coming chef Preston Weaver (Alex Mallari Jr.), at least to get her through Christmas. She immediately regrets that decision when Preston starts putting a more contemporary culinary spin on the tried-and-true menu. As they find common ground, things between them begin to heat up…but there are plans being cooked up outside the kitchen that will test that relationship.

The film stars Vanessa Marano as Abby, Alex Mallari Jr. as Preston, Elana Dunkleman as Jen, and Kathy Maloney as Alexandra Grandfield, with Food Network star Bobby Flay as food critic Tom Kingsley.

Executive producers for all four features are Larry Grimaldi, Hannah Pillemer and Fernando Szew for MarVista Entertainment and Sheri Singer. Executive producers from Neshama Entertainment (for three of the four features) are Suzanne Berger and Arnie Zipursky. Additional executive producers include Megan Ellstrom (A Christmas Open House, A Gingerbread Christmas) and Danielle von Zerneck for Wishing Floor Films (Designing Christmas).