Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Trivia At St. Nick’s’ on Hallmark, Where A Christmas Trivia Competition Helps Opposites Attract

Trivia At St. Nick’s is different 1 of nan Hallmark Channel’s caller vacation rom-coms (Countdown to Christmas 2024) hoping to triumph immoderate hearts this month. Tammin Sursok and Brant Daugherty lead nan formed of this Christmas movie group amongst nan world and unit of an elite New England assemblage and their section obsession pinch seasonal barroom trivia. But is nan operation of an astronomy professor and a shot coach capable to really people an out-of-this-world vacation romance?

TRIVIA AT ST. NICK’S: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: It’s wintertime break astatine an unnamed Vermont assemblage and Type-A, tighly-wound astronomy professor Celeste (Tammin Sursok) is mounting her sights connected building nan eventual winning squad for this year’s Christmas Bar Trivia Tournament astatine section joint, Nick’s Bar. She seemingly acquires a ringer successful pompous mathematics professor Richard (Denis Ooi), a two-time Jeopardy! champ who Celeste is crushing connected for immoderate reason. But Richard ends up bailing past infinitesimal to spell connected a speech circuit successful Asia, leaving Celeste successful a lurch.

Unable to find a sixth member, it seems for illustration Celeste’s trivia squad, The Quizmas Elves, won’t get to compete this year. But erstwhile Max Robbins (Brant Daugherty) approaches nan group to beryllium astatine their table, Celeste tells him to return a hike, moreover if it intends her squad can’t compete. Max is nan school’s caller violative statement coordinator who led their shot squad to a historical undefeated championship-winning play successful his first play pinch them. Celeste, naturally, hates shot because nan assemblage prioritizes sports while treating astronomy for illustration an afterthought. She besides dislikes Max personally because he apparently did a buffet incorrectly (the horror). But nan squad overrules Celeste connected this one, recruiting Max to thief tackle sports-related questions that he nails pinch ease.

Celeste’s Christmas trivia Avengers is now assembled to see herself, her champion bud and schoolhouse admissions worker Ashley (Kathleen Elizabeth Monteleone), Ashley’s hubby and assemblage landscaper Freddie (Ari Brand), Celeste’s mom and municipality euphony coach Sherry (Liz Keifer), history professor Gary (Willie C. Carpenter), and Max. But pinch nary 1 taking things arsenic earnestly (some would argue, too seriously) arsenic Celeste, nan seemingly well-rounded group originates to autumn isolated successful nan look of her intensity.

Will Celeste’s obsession pinch being correct and preconceived notions astir Max get successful nan measurement of her ending up pinch nan correct feline and falling successful love? And is Max’s beingness capable to move things astir for some nan trivia squad and his bad first belief pinch Celeste?

Photo: Hallmark

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: The full “Type A female meets laid-back joke-cracking feline only to initially dislike 1 another, past go friends and possibly moreover thing more” feels for illustration an effort astatine speed-running a type of When Harry Met Sally that conscionable takes spot complete 1 trivia-filled Christmas.

Performance Worth Watching: I loved Willie C. Carpenter’s winning whimsy and easy charm arsenic Gary. Even arsenic a supporting character, he popped and was a consistently likable and affirmative beingness successful immoderate segment that he was in.

Memorable Dialogue: “What? I whitethorn beryllium a Rhodes Scholar but I tin still admit nan top sitcom of each time.” Did not expect to get a plug for Friends successful this movie, but spell disconnected I guess, Gary!

A Holiday Tradition: For nan past 45 years, nan college’s faculty, residents, and further stragglers successful municipality for nan vacation break spell to Nick’s Bar to compete successful a Christmas Bar Trivia Tournament, pinch nan title going down connected Christmas Eve. The victor gets a year’s worthy of bragging authorities and a trophy called “The Stan,” named aft Stan, nan astir legendary subordinate successful nan section trivia tourney lore.

Does nan Title Make Any Sense?:It’s a Christmas movie astir trivia that happens astatine a barroom called Nick’s, truthful yep, Trivia At St. Nick’s feels beautiful apt.

Photo: Hallmark

Our Take: Trivia At St. Nick’s is, unfortunately, not arsenic charming and engaging arsenic its first premise sets it up to be. The trivia perspective is nosy and somewhat original compared to immoderate different Hallmark movies retired there, but nan film’s mostly two-dimensional characters and cheesy penning ended up making nan last merchandise consciousness a spot bland and boring.

Both Celeste and Max consciousness for illustration caricatures, but Celeste is particularly frustrating. I mean, it’s genuinely ironic that she teaches astronomy because she’s often a stepping achromatic spread sucking each nosy and bully feelings retired of nan room pinch her uptight and judgmental personality. And Max successful comparison comes crossed arsenic this cleanable himbo who is excessively bully to beryllium true, pinch changeless childlike wonderment that yet starts to go somewhat grating. Their romance is neither breathtaking nor peculiarly believable successful nan fixed timeframe, making this full point a spot of a reliable sell.

While immoderate joyousness does travel from supporting characters Ashley, Gary, Sherry, and Freddie, moreover their pops of characteristic aren’t capable to flip nan wide belief of this movie. At a definite point, it feels difficult to warrant Celeste’s desperation to triumph Christmas trivia and it’s besides difficult to understand why these group want to support hanging retired pinch her. I get that her mom benignant of has to, but nan others don’t request to put up pinch her tomfoolery. I do wish Gary and Sherry each nan happiness successful nan world, however. Maybe nan movie should person conscionable been astir them and their budding narration instead.

Our Call: Buzzing successful to answer… SKIP IT. Although nan premise shows promise, Trivia At St. Nick’s is weighed down by uninspired main characters and their alleged emotion story. I mean, erstwhile nan broadside characters and their relationships eclipse nan cardinal pair, you cognize you’ve missed nan mark. But astatine slightest it mightiness animate you to effort immoderate trivia?