The Hallmark Christmas comedy Three Wise Men and a Baby is the most-watched cable movie of the year, according to Nielsen ratings.
The movie, which starred Andrew Walker, Tyler Hynes, and Paul Campbell, premiered on November 19 during Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas lineup.
According to the ratings, it was ad-supported cable’s most-watched movie of the year to date among homes, viewers, women 18+, persons 18+, women 25-54, and women 18-34. It averaged 2.9 million homes, 411,000 women 25-54, and 3.6 million total viewers, according to Nielsen.
Three Wise Men and a Baby
In the movie, a self-absorbed firefighter Luke (Walker) discovers a baby left in his station with a note asking him to look after the child. He brings the baby home to his mother (played by Margaret Colin) who agrees to look after him. But when she gets called out of town unexpectedly, Luke must look after the infant with help from his brothers, played by Hynes and Campbell.
The premise was a departure from the typical single-woman-finds-love-at-the-holidays formula Hallmark Media has become so famous for. But it worked, according to fans.
“This is the BEST!” wrote one fan on Facebook. “Team those three up, again!”
“Hallmark, you got a winner with this movie!! If you haven’t seen it, watch it!! wrote another.
The trio movie
Hallmark found similar success when it paired up three of its other big names, Alison Sweeney, Lacey Chabert, and Autumn Reeser, in The Wedding Veil trilogy. In those romantic comedies, three best friends experienced the mystery of a lace veil rumored to bring true love to its owner.
The movie was inspired in part by fans. Chabert said that fans often asked her if they would see some sort of cross-over movie, with more than one Hallmark leading lady.
Those films did so well that Hallmark tried its hand with three leading men. The gamble paid off.
“Belly laughs,” wrote one fan. “Absolutely adorable movie!”
Walker, Hynes, and Campbell managed to raise a lot of hype for the movie from their on-set antics. In a TikTok video that went viral, the three stars emerged from their trailers wearing elf costumes. Assuming macho poses, they then strutted off together as the George Baker Selection’s hit “Little Green Bag” played in the background.
Three Wise Men and a Baby will air throughout the Christmas season. The next showtime is Saturday, November 26 at 4/3c.