Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas

My wife and I saw this program when it was first aired on Hallmark a few days ago (Nov 2014). We had watched all the previous episodes of Signed, Sealed and Delivered, and had enjoyed them for their story lines as well as for the individual characters who are nicely developed and who also form an effective ensemble.

This Christmas special is almost breathtaking. I'd love to know more about the writer(s) involved and how the director and actors viewed the project also. Particularly good is how this Christmas episode provides enough background and details about the characters so that a first-time watcher of the series is not lost or bewildered.

I plan to add to this review after I watch the program again (on DVR). The actors in this series and the guest stars all deserve recognition for their work.

Right now I can say this beautifully filmed and edited show offers a lovely composition of interesting characters, dynamic and subtle relationship issues, tension and pathos, familiar cinematic devices that older viewers will recognize and all can appreciate ... and ... some clear, eloquent expressions of doubts about Christmas and then a stirring vision of the most basic true meaning of the Christmas message.

Whether the viewer is secular, Christian, or of another worldview, the overall presentation is at once intriguing, uplifting and satisfying. This two-hour program showcases the best of what the Hallmark Channel aims to offer viewers.

This is a bit of an unusual story with quirky characters. Even some of the props are strange. The story has a number of Christmas related messages but doesn't get overly preachy and in fact some of them are subtle. There are elements of the story that are quite predictable, some that become predictable with clues, and even a few false clues.

The characters would be called losers by many people, but certainly not by anyone who loves Christmas movies. As we get to know them (if you haven't seen the series) they become quite lovable. They have backstories of their own, which are kind of sad. Because the characters are so quirky, I hesitate to evaluate the acting, but I found that it was fine for the story.

It is rare to see a special-episode that is so carefully well crafted. The script had a lot to accomplish and it did so with excellence. Having followed the series, my household watched in amazement as newcomers in our audience picked up on and enjoyed as if they'd been following the show all along. The series core strength is its abundance sentiment, with nuances of miracles / belief in God. For the Christmas 2-hour episode they "took it up a notch" in both areas, yet were never heavy handed or preachy. Amazing. This series, perhaps better than any other on television, weaves fun and funny suspense that manages to draw the viewer in tugging on heart-strings along the way.

First off, this series is so strong in connection and love. This one hits just a little more.straight to the heart! I love that it talks straight about Jesus! It's so sweet and caring. I actually cried watching this one. Perfect casting!

8.2 stars.

I cried too many times on this one and I'm running out of tears. I may have to put the next movie on hold in order to give my ducts a chance to replenish.

The most notable advice I have is to watch these from start to finish in chronological order. Don't begin watching any of the movies without seeing season 1 first, otherwise you will utterly ruin the experience of the series. This is most certainly NOT a watch-in-any-haphazard-sequence type of show. I watched the Paris episode/movie first, a couple of years ago, and what a monumental mistake. I had no idea what was going on, the characters were weird and unfamiliar-not a good experience. It spoiled the whole franchise for two years. But then I decided I would try to start from the beginning, and I was hooked by the third episode. I finished season one in two days, here I am on the first movie and what an awesome experience. Do yourself a favor (if you like Christian oriented romances) and watch this, because it may be one of the best ever made. Case in point they're still making 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered' 12 years later!