I am a bit of a Hallmark Channel junkie, especially when the networks “Christmas in July” rolls around. Please, hold any and all judgment.

Given that, I’m also a huge critic of the parade of the featured holiday movies, a majority which are not filmed during any winter season, necessitating fake, sudsy, snow and various other holiday props. Yes, I know that movie making cannot always take place in authentic settings but, when the emphasis is on a great deal of intense fabrication, it removes much of the flicks charm.

For example, a family heads to some tree lot, saws in hand, to cut down their perfect tree, carts the greenery home and, voila…it’s attached to a foldable metal stand and screams “artificial” as it gets carried through the door. Another is a couple, standing on line at a food truck with the woman wearing just a cocktail dress, surrounded by people with heavy jackets, hats and gloves. Of course, she starts to shiver and her date valiantly wraps his jacket around her before staged frostbite kicks in.

Then, there are the storylines which almost always involve a dog, cats, a job loss, a breakup, divorce, the passing of someone dear, a motorcycle, old truck, last will and testament, unscrupulous real estate developer, cars breaking down, selective-staged-amnesia and some disagreement mixed into the script, now and then.

Did I mention wardrobe mismanagement? Why, oh why, are some actresses stumbling along, even in a make-believe winter, wearing high heels while running down some street or up a driveway? Who does that? Also, the gifts. No one, but no one, in any of these movies unceremoniously rips open the gift wrap and flings it aside to see what goody lies inside the box. Each gift has the box lid separately wrapped to easily be lifted off. Who does that, too?

Don’t get me wrong, some of the movies are very enjoyable with a festive, lighthearted touch. Not all of them come across as if Christmas was hastily yanked out of a storage box and flung in front of the film crew. The music is always terrific, it’s a gentle reminder that the big red & green celebration is just six months away, and the dogs are all adorable. I did mention dogs, didn’t I?

My critique aside, there are times that we all need a little Christmas. Even in July.

From Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop…What are you watching? Share your favorite summer programming so far.