Hallmark Vs. Lifetime: Melissa Joan Hart Explains It All

Plenty of pop culture rivalries have emerged over the years. Marvel vs. DC. Star Wars vs. Star Trek. And when it comes to the go-to destination for holiday movies, it's Lifetime vs. Hallmark.

Every year, both channels release a slew of holiday movies to get people in the festive spirit. And some familiar faces tend to pop up on each respective network. For instance, Melissa Joan Hart has been a consistent member of the Lifetime family for years, but she does have a track record with Hallmark, starring in 2016's "Broadcasting Christmas." But she's been with Lifetime ever since, and she explained how it's that way for a reason.

In a 2020 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Hart elaborated, "I think it's more that Hallmark is proprietary with their people. I'm now a Lifetime girl, and I need to stay in my place. There's this division that doesn't let people cross over, necessarily. I would love to do a crossover with Candace [Cameron Bure] or Lacey Chabert or some of these girls that I adore and love. Danica McKellar. But we're zoned — the Jets and the Giants never play against each other because they're in different conferences. It's kinda like that." Similar to how Superman and Spider-Man will probably never be in a movie together, Lifetime has Melissa Joan Hart while Hallmark has its stable of stars, but it sounds like a friendly rivalry between the two groups.

That's not to say Lifetime movies are the only thing Melissa Joan Hart has going on these days. She's incredibly busy, including having a recurring voiceover role on the animated series "The Casagrandes." She's also directed a ton of television episodes over the years, going back to her days on "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." More recently, she's directed for "iCarly" and "Young Sheldon." But it's clear Lifetime movies hold a special place for her, and she doesn't mind pondering who would win a match-up between Lifetime and Hallmark stars. 

Entertainment Weekly also asked her who would win a fight between stars from both channels, and naturally, Hart had to rep for her team. She explained, "I mean, we'd be stabbing them with candy canes and strangling them with some tinsel. I think the Lifetime team could definitely take [Hallmark] — except for Candace [Cameron Bure]. Like, she's jacked." But Hart has a plan: if they can take out Bure quickly, they could probably handle the others. 

Of course, a holiday movie star smackdown isn't in line with either network's ethos, but it sounds like it was fun for Hart to think about. For now, the actress has found a neat niche while continuing to pop up in the most unexpected places outside of Lifetime. And if anyone at Hallmark or Lifetime is listening, a battle between the respective stars could prove to be the "Avengers: Endgame" of holiday movies.