How a Skeptical Critic Came to Love Bad Christmas Movies

by · NY Times

For more audio journalism and storytelling, download New York Times Audio, a new iOS app available for news subscribers.

  • Share full article
  • 1

Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Amanda Hess

Produced by Rob SzypkoAlex Stern and Michael Simon Johnson

Edited by Rachel Quester and Lexie Diao

Original music by Elisheba Ittoop and Diane Wong

Engineered by Alyssa Moxley

Listen and follow ‘The Daily’
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube | iHeartRadio


The story of how a big-city culture critic, Amanda Hess, found love where she least expected it — in the monotony of Hallmark’s Christmas movies.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.


On today’s episode

Amanda Hess, a critic at large for the Culture section of The New York Times

A scene from “Hot Frosty” on Netflix. The road map for the modern TV Christmas movie was charted by the Hallmark Channel in the early 2000s.
Credit...Photo Illustration by The New York Times; Inset: Petr Maur/Netflix; Background: Getty Images.

Background reading

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.


The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Michael Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg, and Chris Haxel.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson, Nina Lassam and Nick Pitman.