Netflix announces four new Christmas movies are on the way

Let's be honest, there hasn't been an awful lot to look forward to this year, has there?

Rather than an optimistic year filled with personal progress, sunny holidays and happy memories, 2020 has resembled something of a low watermark for all of the above.

Yes, as the world continues to battle with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic optimism has, at times, been hard to come by.

Yet we are now approaching a time of year when the holidays come thick and fast: before you know it, Halloween will be upon us and from there it's just a short hop, skip and a jump until Christmas rolls around.

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And in the spirit of festive fun, Netflix has announced a dazzling array of new Christmas movies are on their way to brighten up your year and keep you entertained as the weather turns colder.

Yes, the streaming service has shared a look at its slate of upcoming Christmas movies, and it's got fans gearing up for the festive season already.

First up comes the imaginatively titled Holidate, starring Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey.

The pair play friends who, frustrated by their families' fixation with their single status, decide to be each other's dates to all holiday events throughout the year. They make a pact to remain platonic, but, dear reader, I think we all know the direction this one's heading in...

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Holidate premiers October 28.

Next comes Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square. Christine Baranski plays a wealthy, cantankerous woman who resolves to sell the land of her hometown to a mall developer following her husbands death. Will she have a change of heart in time for Christmas?

Sadly there's no trailer yet, but Dolly Parton is involved so expect a rip-roaring soundtrack. Premiers November 22.

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Following that up, comes Jingle Jangle: A Christmas journey, which frankly deserves an Oscar just for pulling off the tricky skill of using alliteration with the letter 'J'.

Jeronicus Jangle, eccentric toymaker and further proponent of 'J'-based aliteration and his granddaughter Journey are working on an invention that could change their lives. Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Anika Noni Rose  and Phylicia Rashad star, and the soundtrack features music written by John Legend.

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Premiers November 13.

Finally, we have The Christmas Chronicles 2. Yes, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn are back to star in the sequel, which follows a now-teenage Katie reuniting with Santa Claus to stop a n'er-do-well from canceling Christmas.

Check out the teaser trailer here:

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Premiers November 25.

I think we can consider the countdown to Christmas officially on, don't you?