I only watch the Hallmark Channel when it is time for Christmas, and they are doing their annual twelve days of Xmas. Otherwise, I am not even sure what channel Hallmark is even on. That being said for the first time EVER Hallmark TV is venturing into scripted television. It will use two of its movies as pilots and will launch the new scripted series closely after and I think I just might have to tune in. There is nothing like a Hallmark movie when you want a great love story, and the ability to believe in humanity again
UPCOMING Hallmark Channel Original Movies for 2013……
At age 45, hockey legend Gordie Howe has retired from The Game. When given the chance to play alongside his sons, however, Gordie attempts to accomplish the unthinkable and return to professional hockey. As the Howe family prepare themselves for a comeback that some labeled “the biggest publicity stunt in hockey history,” they discover lessons about family, pride and believing in their own dreams. Stars: Michael Shanks, Kathleen Robertson, Dylan Playfair and Andrew Herr.
BEVERLY LEWIS’ THE CONFESSION (Premieres: May 11 @ 9p.m. ET/PT, 8C.)
Based on the novel by New York Times bestselling author Beverly Lewis, “Beverly Lewis’ The Confession” portrays a young Amish woman who makes her first journey to the outside world in search for her birth mother, a wealthy estate owner who is dying of cancer. When she finally finds her, she isn’t expecting the woman’s greedy husband to be scheming to steal her entire estate, and is soon caught up in a tangled web of deception as she desperately tries to get closer to the mother she never knew. Stars: Sherry Stringfield, Katie Leclerc and Adrian Paul.
PLAYING FATHER (Premieres June 15 @ 9p.m. ET/PT, 8C.)
A former famed jazz musician gets a job teaching music at a local disadvantaged high school after his divorce. Discovering one young man’s musical talent on the trumpet, he is inspired to mentor him and start a band to keep the school open, unexpectedly leading him back to a relationship with his own estranged son. Stars: Eddie Cibrian and Michael Beach.
STAR SPANGLED BANNERS (Premieres: June 29 @ 9p.m. ET/PT, 8C.)
In their late teens and early 20’s, the Banner siblings Mitchell, Desiree and Danny made it big as a rock group, but at the height of their fame, Desiree decided to leave the group and everything fell apart. Now, fifteen years later, their mother has a plan to bring the group back together and heal her family. But will the siblings be able to put aside their differences and reunite or will they remain estranged forever? Stars: Brooke White.
Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove’ Starring Andie MacDowell, is to make its premiere on Hallmark Channel on July 20 as a two-hour movie, then continue with 10 hour long episodes from July 27 through Sept. 28. Andie MacDowell plays Judge Olivia Lockhart, whose Cedar Cove Municipal Court is the professional milieu and social microcosm of issues the judge will face in her own day-to-day life with family and friends. Jack Griffith (Dylan Neal), the editor of the Cedar Cove Chronicle, is a new friend and potential love interest for Judge Lockhart.
TWO IN (Premieres: July 27 @ 9p.m. ET/PT, 8C.)
A 911 operator who is a single mom starts to fall for a fireman after he breaks his leg in an emergency and unusual circumstances bring them together. As he gets to know her and her two young kids, their connection is undeniable, but with the best interests of her family in mind, she has to decide if two really is better than one. Stars: Alison Sweeney, Greg Vaughan and Ed Asner.
READING WRITING & ROMANCE (Premieres: August 10 @ 9p.m. ET/PT, 8C.)
A struggling actor takes a job teaching Shakespeare at the local high school to make ends meet. As he starts to fall in love with a fellow teacher and use his theatrical talent to motivate his students to complete a big project, the jealous vice principal cruelly sets out to sabotage his romance and his job, forcing him to face the toughest decision of his life. Stars: Eric Mabius, Virginia Williams, Stefanie Powers, Meredith Baxter and Martin Mull.
WHEN CALLS THE HEART (Premieres: October 5 @ 9p.m. ET/PT, 8C.) - THIS WILL BECOME A NEW SERIES
Based on Janette Oke’s bestselling Canadian West series of books, “When Calls the Heart” is the story of Elizabeth Thatcher, a young teacher accustomed to her high society life, who receives her first classroom post in a prairie town in the Western Frontier. She is determined to prove to her family she is brave enough to live on her own, but struggles with her own fears and doubts. But when she discovers her late Aunt’s secret diary, Elizabeth learns she was a pioneer woman herself, a teacher in the frontier who struggled with prairie life and fell in love with a Royal Canadian Mountie. Inspired by her aunt’s hopeful words and unfaltering determination, Elizabeth decides to embark on her own adventure, using the diary as her guide and family friend Edward, another Mountie, as her support. “When Calls The Heart” will serve as a two-hour sneak peek for the newest primetime series to be greenlit by Hallmark Channel which will premiere January 2014. Stars: Maggie Grace, Jean Smart, Lori Loughlin, Poppy Drayton and Stephen Amell.
THE GOOD WITCH’S DESTINY (Premieres: October 26 @ 9p.m. ET/PT, 8C.)
Life is good for Good Witch Cassie Nightingale and as her birthday’s approaching, all she wants is a family party surrounded by everyone she loves including newlywed’s Grandpa George and his new wife Gwen. But life starts getting complicated when Gwen’s estranged son arrives in town and begins to make trouble for Cassie. And to make matters worse, Cassie’s stepson Brandon, has decided to put his career on hold and follow his girlfriend to college. Meanwhile, stepdaughter Lori, discovers disturbing parallels between Cassie and the original Grey Lady who disappeared at her own birthday party years before. Will Cassie be able to sort everything out in her own magical way or will history repeat itself and cost Cassie everything she has built? Stars: Catherine Bell and Chris Potter.
Six highly skilled teenagers are handpicked to be part of a summer space camp competition at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. As the competition heats up, the kids have no idea that their ultimate challenge will be to solve a life or death crisis aboard the International Space Station as the world anxiously watches. “Space Warriors” is part of Hallmark Channel’s new appointment viewing franchise, “Walmart and P&G present Walden Family Theater,” created by Walmart, P&G, award-winning family entertainment producer, Walden Media, and fast-growing independent studio, ARC Entertainment. Stars: Dermot Mulroney, Thomas Horn, Mira Sorvino, Josh Lucas and Danny Glover.
PETE’S CHRISTMAS (Premieres: Holiday 2013.)
A young 14 year old boy named Pete had the worst Christmas Day ever and wakes up to find he must repeat the day again and again until he gets it right. “Pete’s Christmas” is part of Hallmark Channel’s new appointment viewing franchise, “Walmart and P&G present Walden Family Theater,” created by Walmart, P&G, award-winning family entertainment producer, Walden Media, and fast-growing independent studio, ARC Entertainment. Stars: Bruce Dern, Zachary Gordon, Bailee Madison, Molly Parker and Rick Roberts.
DEAD LETTERS (Premieres: October 19 @ 9p.m. ET/PT, 8C.)
Created by bestselling author Martha Williamson, “Dead Letters,” follows a quirky quartet of civil servants in the Dead Letter office of the US Postal System who transform themselves into an elite team of lost-mail detectives. Their determination to deliver the undeliverable takes them out of the post office into an unpredictable world where letters and packages from the past save lives, solve crimes, reunite old loves and change futures by arriving late but always miraculously on time. The intrepid bunch is led by the charming and handsome (but idiosyncratic) Oliver who still considers the stamped and mailed letter to be the gold standard of human communication. His hapless team of lost letter experts, free-spirited Rita and oddly-intuitive Norman, are thrown for a loop when a beautiful, no-nonsense technophile named Shane is mistakenly transferred to their inner sanctum. Shane inspires the lovable crew to step up in a risky and unorthodox way, beginning with a chance to clear the name of a wrongfully accused man and reconnect him with the love of his life. “Dead Letters” is one of two new pilot-to-series projects currently in development for Hallmark Channel.
MARY HIGGINS CLARK’S MY GAL SUNDAY
Based on the book of short stories by Mary Higgins Clark, “My Gal Sunday” follows the husband and wife crime solving duo of Sunday and Henry Parker. Parker, an ex-Vice President of the United States and Sunday, a legal aid lawyer are celebrating their first wedding anniversary when Parker assists Sunday in snaring a murderer and he takes a bullet in the arm in the process. As they later head off on a romantic weekend getaway, they are kidnapped and taken to a remote, abandoned farmhouse where the kidnapper demands the release of a dangerous, notorious former hit man. Both Parker and Sunday assume the ex-Vice President must be the target but as time ticks down and Parker becomes desperately ill from his untended wound, Sunday musters all her brilliant skills and bravado to confront and expose the kidnapper—realizing that she is his true target of vengeance.
Breezy's Recap....
I am actually really interested in about half of these movies. in fact some of them like; Pete's Christmas, TWO IN , Ceder Cove, The confession, and My Gal Sunday, will be added to my must watch TV calendar. Hallmark has grabbed some great actors to star in these movies, and with the acquisition of The Good Wife and The Middle, Hallmark TV is well on its way to getting better recognition. Do any of these movies excite you? What will you be watching on Hallmark? Let me know in the Comments
I really enjoyed the confession!
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