It's been a long December knowing that we have a new Star Trek series waiting for us at the start of the 2026 TV schedule. I've tried to fill my time by watching episodes with my Paramount+ subscription, but even the best episode of Deep Space Nine doesn't compare to watching the best Christmas movies when it's this time of year.
I'm desperate for a Star Trek holiday special, and no, I don't count Star Trek: Generations as a Christmas movie just because of that one scene with Picard in his fantasy alternate life. Fortunately, there's a longtime partner of the franchise that is really good at churning out holiday movies and would be a perfect partner for such a thing. Hear me out, I think Hallmark should make a holiday movie for Star Trek fans.
Hallmark And Star Trek Have Had A Partnership For Decades
Since 1991, Hallmark and Star Trek have had a healthy partnership through an ongoing Christmas ornament series. While in 2025, we no longer have the commercials where Romulans accost employees or have a chance encounter with Leonard Nimoy, new ornaments are cranked out each holiday season. Every year, fans have the ability to purchase ornaments of certain ships, characters, or iconic events in the sci-fi franchise.
This (and the scores of fans who bought the pricey Enterprise LEGO set) shows that there are fans out there who want to celebrate Trek during the holiday season. And yet, we haven't gotten anything from the shows or movies. Maybe it's time for Hallmark to step in and offer an assist, and maybe cater to an audience it wouldn't normally serve?
Hey, it worked for the NFL movies! Whether it's a movie involving a Starfleet crew, actors from the franchise playing themselves, or even a story about two Trekkies falling in love at a convention, I'm down for it. Hell, I'd love to be in the writers' room, because I have ideas!
Star Trek Actors Have Appeared In Hallmark Movies Before
If there were a Star Trek Hallmark movie that went into development, it wouldn't be that hard to pull in actors for the production. Trek vets Jonathan Frakes and Robert Picardo have appeared in holiday movies before for the brand, as has Strange New Worlds actor Dan Jeanotte. I think there are a ton of other veteran actors who would be excellent choices for a Hallmark movie as well, assuming they're available.
I like to imagine someone like Brent Spiner, for example, being the perfect funny man for a project like that. Of course, he never got to showcase his talents as Data quite so much, except for the previously mentioned Star Trek: Generations. He's just one of many actors I'd like to see, though, as there are many more who I haven't seen in a while that I'd love to watch acting in these types of movies.
Star Trek Has Never Attempted Holiday Specials
Star Trek has never attempted a holiday special, especially one centered around Christmas, and it's not really a surprise why if you're a fan. Creator of the franchise, Gene Roddenberry, had complicated views on whether there was a God and rejected all forms of modern religion. As such, it tracks that in his idealized version of the future, members of Starfleet would not be celebrating Christmas, which is a pagan turned Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Christ.
Post-Roddenberry, Star Trek has delved into religion in various ways. We've seen species with unique rituals and customs, and even characters like Captain Pike make direct references to Christianity when he said the "Our Father" prayer. All this is to say, I don't think a Christmas Trek adventure or movie is off the table for Hallmark to approach, and would definitely be doable with the right approach and people overseeing it.
If It's Bad, It Can Become A Cult Classic Like Star Wars' Holiday Special
I think one of the main criticisms a fan may have about the idea is that it could be terrible, but does that mean it doesn't have a right to exist? For every classic Christmas movie, there are about six or seven bad ones, and far more miss the mark than they hit. What I'm saying is, there's a good chance a Trek Christmas movie made by Hallmark could flop, but those stakes exist for many Christmas movies every year.
I'm Excited About The Latest Star Trek Movie News, But Have One Big Request As A Longtime Fan
Every year, I watch the Star Wars Holiday Special, which is apparently so bad, Disney will only house the Boba Fett cartoon from it on its platform. Make no mistake, it's definitely rough around the edges, and there are parts where it's evident it was made by people who have no idea what Star Wars was about, but I love it all the same. At worst, a Trek holiday movie made by Hallmark could be a cult classic, and something for me to watch during the holidays.
At its best, Star Trek and Hallmark could collaborate to make something truly special, and pull in an audience that usually has nothing from their favorite franchise to watch during the holidays. There are so many former writers of Trek shows out there right now in Hollywood, who could be scooped up for this project. I promise, I'd be seated for this movie, which is why I'm pushing so hard for it to happen.
Of course, with the recent Paramount Skydance merger, who knows if the company would be willing to come to the table to try such a project. The studio has already signaled its main priority is to get Star Trek back in theaters, and I'm not sure a Hallmark movie would advance that interest in any meaningful way. That said, I would speculate that it would at least get the franchise in the conversation amongst a mainstream audience once again, which would be of value for a franchise that is approaching a decade without a movie in theaters.
With no Star Trek Christmas movies to watch, I guess I can hop on and watch some normal, non-festive episodes over on Paramount+. That said, I do hope that someone working at either Paramount Skydance or Hallmark would consider this, because there are a lot of Christmas-loving Trekkies who would enjoy something to celebrate during the holidays.
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