Hallmark/Heavy
“Christmas on Call”
The Hallmark Channel’s newest movie, “Christmas on Call,” premieres on Friday, November 22, at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central. The movie stars Sara Canning and Ser’Darius Blain with a cameo appearance by Donna Kelce. Although the movie leans heavily into Philadelphia locales, it wasn’t filmed there. Read on to learn all about where the movie was filmed and the cast involved.‘Christmas on Call’ Was Filmed in Winnipeg, ManitobaAlthough “Christmas on Call” takes place in Philadelphia, that’s not where the movie was actually filmed. Instead, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada stands in for Philadelphia, Tourism Winnipeg reported. Donna Kelce, Travis Kelce’s mother, makes an appearance in the movie. One of her scenes is filmed at Shawarma Khan’s location in the Exchange District, Tourism Winnipeg shared. The location doubles as a Philly cheesesteak spot in the movie.Other locations, according to Tourism Winnipeg, include:
Manitoba Museum as a police station
Pan Am Boxing Club as Roxy Gloves
52 Albert Street in the Exchange as Hannah’s apartment
Artspace as a light tunnel scene
Mennonite University as a hospital courtyard and an elementary school
Bijou Park near Old Market Square as a Christmas market
A picture on the Hallmark website shows a scene set in front of the Hammond building on Albert Street in Winnipeg. According to the Manitoba Historical Society, this is a municipally designed historic site.Tourism Winnipeg reported that the local film production scene has experienced a record-breaking year in 2024, and notes that 2025 won’t be any different.Jennifer Kramer, Hallmark Media’s Vice President of Programming, told TV Insider: “Hallmark has long showcased a variety of ways people celebrate Christmas. But when it comes to first responders, their duties and work schedules often don’t allow for them to celebrate in traditional ways. We wanted to detail how the responders find ways to embrace the holidays, new traditions, and time with loved ones, even as they perform their heroic work.”Meet the CastHallmark’s synopsis reads:In the lead-up to Christmas, emergency room doctor Hannah Michaels juggles her demanding job and a budding romance with EMT Wes Sullivan in Philadelphia. They spend time together as Wes helps her become more acquainted with the sights, sounds and tastes of Philadelphia, it’s clear that they’re starting to fall for each other. As the local First Responders balance duty with holiday celebrations, they come together to face challenges, support each other and find moments of joy.News of Kelce’s appearances in two Hallmark holiday movies sparked a mix of praise and criticism on social media, as fans reacted passionately to the announcement.Sara Canning plays Hannah. According to her bio, she gained prominence as Jenna Sommers on The CW’s “The Vampire Diaries” and appeared in the 2009 film “Black Field.” In 2017, she appeared in the film “War for the Planet of the Apes” and is also known for her role as Jacquelyn Scieszka in Netflix’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events.”Canning moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to film “The Vampire Diaries.” In an interview with Parade, she remarked on the cultural differences between the Southern U.S. and Canada’s west coast, but described Atlanta as becoming her “second home.” After living there for two years, she returned to Vancouver, Canada, after completing the series.Ser’Darius Blain plays Wes. According to his bio, he recently starred in Fox’s “The Big Leap.” On the big screen, he played a leading role in Lionsgate’s “American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story,” which premiered in theaters last Christmas. Blain is also a prominent figure in Sony Pictures’ “Jumanji” franchise.Blain also appears in the Hallmark+ series “Holidazed,” and was in Hallmark’s “Caribbean Summer.”Also starring, according to IMDb, are:
Erik Athavale (Sanjay)
Reena Jolly (Danielle)
Tamara Almeida (Julia)
Meagan Brisebois (Kate)
Alec Carlos (Scott)
Lauren Cochrane (Betsy)
Paul Essiembre (Fire Chief Anderson)
John B. Lowe (Dr. Stanfield)
Anjali Sandhu (Sanjay’s sister)
Isla Verot (Emmy)
Chase Winnicky (Officer Smith)
Stephanie Dube Dwilson is a sports and entertainment contributor for Heavy covering Texas Longhorns football and Hallmark. She covered the presidential election results live in 2016 & 2020 for Heavy. She’s an attorney with a master’s in science and technology journalism, and runs a website on UFO news and FOIA reports called The Verified Report. More about Stephanie Dube Dwilson
Source link
