One Of Hallmark’s Best Christmas Movies Is A Time Travel Story With Two Star Trek Legends

There’s definitely no shortage of Hallmark Christmas movies out there. In fact, in 2026 the network is set to release 34 brand-new holly jolly films, adding to its total of well over 300. Coming up with unique plotlines for all those movies isn’t easy to do, so it should come as no surprise that the writers would dip in to the science fiction world of time travel at some point. And if you’re going to lean in to sci-fi, you might as well bring a couple “Star Trek” alums along with you.

That’s exactly what writers did when they wrote 2023’s “A Biltmore Christmas,” one of our favorites in the Hallmark Christmas category. In the film, Lucy, a screenwriter, is tasked with remaking a ’40s Christmas classic and visits the historic Biltmore Estate for inspiration. She takes a tour, led by Winston, an expert in all things Biltmore and played by Jonathan Frakes. “Star Trek” fans will no doubt instantly recognize him as Commander William Riker from “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” especially since he was one of only two cast members to appear in every “Next Generation” episode.

Thanks to a magical hourglass, Lucy is transported back to 1947 and the set of the original film she’s attempting to remake. That’s where she runs into the head of the movie studio, played by another “Star Trek” fan favorite, Robert Picardo, who played the holographic doctor on “Star Trek: Voyager.”

If the thought of combining Christmas and “Star Trek” seems a bit foreign to you, you’re not alone. In an interview with CinemaBlend, Jonathan Frakes said there was a reason those two worlds never collided. “Gene Roddenberry was a card-carrying atheist,” Frakes said, “so Christmas was not big on his list of subject matters.” 

But while on the surface it might not seem like there’s much of a connection between the “Star Trek” and Hallmark Christmas movie franchises, Frakes would push back on that. “I think there’s a loyalty to ‘Star Trek,’ a family loyalty, that would appeal to the Hallmark family brand,” Frakes said. “Our ships were all families and these Hallmark stories are always based on family relationships. I think the connection, the dots, are not too distant.”

Despite “A Biltmore Christmas” leaning in to science fiction, it features plenty of Christmas magic that you can be sure to find in every Hallmark movie. It’s a combination that worked so well, Hallmark is releasing a sequel this year, entitled “A Grand Biltmore Christmas,” as part of the 2026 Hallmark Channel Countdown to Christmas. It’s set to premiere on December 5. While Frakes will return for this outing, he’ll do so without his “Star Trek” partner Robert Picardo. Also set to return will be both the time traveling and the Christmas magic that made the first film so enjoyable.