CBS Enters Christmas Rom-Com Game With 2 Original Holiday Movies

Move over Hallmark, Lifetime and Netflix: CBS is throwing its hat into the Christmas rom-com wreath– er, ring. The broadcast network revealed its Fall 2021 schedule Wednesday, which offers details about its midseason programming, including two original holiday movies, “A Christmas Proposal” and “Christmas Takes Flight.”

And one of those two titles stars CBS alums.

“A Christmas Proposal” tells the story of a down-on-her-luck chef (played by “All Rise” actress Jessica Camacho) who dreams of starting her own line of food trucks and agrees to pose as the girlfriend of a hotshot Seattle attorney (“CSI: Miami” and “Criminal Minds” star Adam Rodriguez) visiting his family for Christmas, according to CBS’ description. Working together, they try to prove he’s the ideal candidate to take over the family firm, but their business arrangement is complicated by the magic of the season as real sparks begin to fly.

The there’s “Christmas Takes Flight,” which does not yet have a cast attached to it, but comes with this synopsis: When a handsome but frugal CEO takes over a family-owned regional airline and plans to cut their annual Christmas charity event, the original owner’s daughter, who is a pilot for the airline, rallies the community to save the event, and finds unexpected love in the process.

Both CBS’ “A Christmas Proposal” and “Christmas Takes Flight” are produced by Motion Picture Corporation of America, the production company behind Netflix’s “The Princess Switch” and “A Christmas Prince” franchises, and dozens of Hallmark Channel original holiday movies. And if you’re going to get into the Christmas rom-com game, producing with MPCA is a good start.

As we mentioned, these original Christmas movies were announced in CBS’ Fall 2021 schedule, which readers can find here. You’ll notice that the broadcast network is shaking up its programming blocks in a few places, creating a full night of “FBI” shows and moving “NCIS” to Mondays.