Holiday programming has become its own genre in the United States of America. While Hallmark Channel and Lifetime have witnessed great success with their shows, the new emerging holiday channel, Great American Family, joined the club in 2021.
Originally titled Great American Company, the channel was acquired by GAC Media, a group formed by former Hallmark CEO Bill Abbott and Hicks Equity Partners. In the same year, the network was relaunched as the GAC family.
After several name changes, from Great American Country to GAC Family and later to Great American Family, the network has been sticking to its current name since August 2022. The channel became similar in content to what Abbott had generated for Hallmark, including several original made-for-TV movies, holiday programming, big franchises, and more. The biggest highlight, however, is that the channel focuses heavily on faith-driven shows.
Here is everything to know about the Great American Family channel.
The Beginning of the Great American Family
Formerly known as the GAC family, the cable-television channel is renowned for producing holiday programming and made-for-TV movies. Aimed to create family-friendly content, the channel has been creating a great buzz since its introduction.
After rebranding itself, the channel began producing original Christmas programs such as My Angel’s Christmas, starring Maggie Lawson and Christopher Russell. It also produced the second season of When Hope Calls which was previously broadcasted on Hallmark Channel. At the same time, GAC Media acquired Ride TV and renamed it GAC Living to serve as the companion to GAC Family and produce unscripted lifestyle programming.
The company made another announcement in July 2022 that GAC Family and GAC Living would be renamed. It came from the CEO himself,
“As the company expands across different media verticals, renaming our linear networks Great American Family and Great American Living better reflects our vision for each brand and firmly aligns the company under our Great American Media umbrella.”
Many Stars Left Hallmark for Great American Family
It seems like the Great American Family is leaving no stone unturned to compete with its competitors, especially Hallmark Channel. Not only is the network working hard to attract loyal Hallmark viewers but it has poached many former and current actors into its channel.
Don’t believe us?
In April 2022, Candace Cameron Bure departed Hallmark in favor of Great American Media. An announcement was made that Bure would be taking a prominent executive role at the company to oversee and curate programming for the networks as a whole.
Likewise, long-time Hallmark actress, Danica McKellar, signed an exclusive four-picture deal with GAC Media. One of her projects, The Winter Palace, premiered on the Great American Family.
Another Hallmark movie star who had appeared on different projects twelve times, Trevor Donovan, signed a deal to star and executive produce with GAC media. He appeared in Jingle Bell Christmas after sealing the deal.
Lori Loughlin joined Great American Family in September 2022. He is also set to star in their upcoming movie Fall Into Winter. Considered one of the most anticipated projects for the actor, Loughlin will appear on screen for the first time since 2018.
Many other stars have favored the new channel over the older one. The list includes the following.
- Nick Bateman
- Rukiya Bernard
- Cindy Busby
- Sara Canning
- Dillon Casey
- Torrance Coombs
- Brendan Fehr
- Jennie Garth
- Jen Lilley
- Sarah Lind
- Daniel Lissing
- Cameron Mathison
- Debbie Matenopoulos
- Matthew MacCaull
- Sam Page
- Merrtii Patterson
- Becca Tobin
- Jill Wagner
- Dewshane Williams
In their defense, Lisa Hamilton, Hallmark Media’s EVP programming, spoke about the cast crossover to media. According to her:
“We have kept a lot of our talent under options, say for Christmas movies. We are looking for new talent all the time. I think there is a lot of talent out there that we have worked with in the past that GAC is now working with, but I think we also are constantly trying to evolve the talent pool that we are working with. We have, I think, retained almost everybody that we are really excited to have. So that’s where we are.”
Where Can I Watch Great American Family Shows?
The new channel is available on many television providers, including AT&T U-verse, Altice USA, Comcast, Dish, Spectrum, and DirecTV. At the same time, you can also enjoy watching the network on streaming services such as Frndly, Philo, Hulu, Fubo TV, and Sling TV.
Great American Family has an App too.
Good news! Now you can download the Great American Family app and enjoy watching all the shows and movies on your phone. As per the press release, the new GAC Community app was made available to Apple and Android users on the 26th of September, 2022.
What Should I Watch on the Great American Family?
When choosing the best shows and movies on the channel, the choices are endless. As per the description of the network, “GAC Family celebrates American culture, lifestyle, and heritage with holiday-themed, family-friendly original movies and series.” Thus, no matter your go-to genre, there are many things to enjoy.
We have listed the best 15 short-form content shows you can binge on any weekend for wholesome entertainment.
The Modern Mom with Debbie Matenopoulous
The show shares delicious and easy recipes, fashion and beauty advice, life hacks, tips, and tricks.
Giving & Caring with Larissa Wohl
This series shows weekly animal adoptions, shelter spotlights, and extraordinary people – a must-watch for someone who likes something different from drama.
Affordably Fabulous with Lauren Makk
The show is all about providing tips to achieve a fabulous life on a budget. It will cater to you if you like lifestyle shows.
Beauty and Blessings with Kym Douglas
The show features Kym Douglas and her inside secrets of beauty and skin care. She also covers various subjects like fashion advice, faith, devotion, and many more.
Eden Living with Shirley Bovshow
The show has Shirley offering good-quality content on gardening and landscape design. If you are a gardening enthusiast, we promise you will learn a lot from this show.
Everyday Celebrations with Maria Provenzano
This show is entirely based on cooking and baking mouth-watering recipes.
A Beautiful Life with Lawrence Zarian
The show offers uplifting and inspiration for women of all shapes and sizes and also discusses fashion tips and some fashion content.
All Things Cool with Lizzy Mathis
The show includes all mothers’ ideas on how to put themselves first and reignite their passions in life.
The Sweet Life with Emily Hutchinson
It will be a show for everything baking with some super fun, eye-catching creations.
Southern Savvy with Jamie Tarence
The show gives content on everything Southern Living from cooking and baking to fashion and beauty. Any connoisseur of lifestyle is going to have a good time watching the show.
The Mindful Life with Mahaila McKellar
The show has Mahaila McKellar offering tips on meditation and mindfulness.
The Happy Life with Cameron Mathison
The show shares about living a passionate and healthy lifestyle.
Bits of Joy with Danica McKellar
The show has Danica providing positive and helpful tips for a faithful and healthy life. She even includes math topics.
Farm and Family with Jill Wagner
The show covers life on a farm in Tennessee with topics on working out, family life, and soulful Sundays.
Everyday Adventures with Trevor Donovan
The show has acting, dogs, and many other adventures, making it a light watch.
