Every year dozens of TV movies and specials premiere just in time for the holidays but it takes the right mix of storytelling and holiday cheer to make one that sticks with viewers.

And Toronto-based Chesler/Perlmutter Productions (The Hitchhiker, You Lucky Dog) is a specialist in the space.

Out of the 15 projects Chesler/Perlmutter has produced in the last 18 months, six of them were holiday MOWs.

All six have aired or are airing in the U.S. on the Hallmark Channel, as part of its annual “Countdown to Christmas,” campaign and include 2011’s Christmas Magic, The Case for Christmas (pictured), Mistletoe Over Manhattan and 2010’s Cancel Christmas, The Santa Suit and The Town Christmas Forgot. All are Canadian coproductions and were shot in the GTA.

In Canada, CTV, clearly, is a fan: Mistletoe, starring Tricia Helfer, premiered on CTV on Saturday Dec. 10 at 8 p.m. and again tonight (Wednesday Dec. 21), Christmas Magic arrived in Canadians’ chimneys Sunday Dec. 11 at 9 p.m. and The Case for Christmas starring Dean Cain just had its bow this past weekend, on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 9 p.m.

Producer Lewis Chesler, who runs Chesler/Perlmutter with co-founder David Perlmutter, says thanks to Ontario’s tax incentives, shooting in the GTA is cost effective, but creating holiday fare isn’t just about the money: “[Canada] has beautiful background, tremendous natural quality environment and atmosphere,” he says, “It gives scope to the films.”

According to Hallmark Channel, Mistletoe, combined with another holiday special, Love’s Christmas Journey, pulled in a combined 6.4 million viewers nationally and Mistletoe earned the distinction of being the #2 rated ad-supported cable movie on Sunday Nov. 6, and became the #2 movie of the week on U.S. cable.

The secret to holiday movie success is in appealing to a co-viewing audience and great casting, Chesler says.

“Often times [holiday] material is either too adult or perhaps too juvenile, but these are stories that satisfy both sensibilities.”

“We’ve done some off-beat casting like Kevin Sorbo as Santa Claus, which I thought was fun,” he continues. “He has a following, he’s a very good actor and he just had fun doing it as well because actors like to show that they’re not confined to one range or one quality.”

Chesler says it was a no-brainer to use mostly Canadian talent for the films.

“I’ve made 70 TV movies in Canada and I’ve always felt that the level of Canadian creative talent was… world class and comparable to any other place in the world,” he says. “The acting pool is very deep and very substantial. The directors now have had tremendous amount of camera experience because of the body of production done in Canada, and the writers as well.”