Good Witch star James Denton has been injured while training to appear on a French television show. The actor, 61, told fans on Instagram that he hurt himself during rehearsals for the French version of Dancing With the Stars.
“Grade 3 hamstring tear in rehearsal — a frustrating setback,” he wrote in the caption. “Sincere apologies to the Danse Avec Les Stars audience and other contestants for not being able to participate last night.”
James Denton
Fans were thrilled when Denton announced he would be appearing on the 13th season of Danse Avec Les Stars. The actor admitted he was nervous because he couldn’t dance and didn’t speak French but fans were supportive.
“You’re going to hit that show out of the park,” wrote one fan on Instagram.
“I can’t wait to see you dance,” wrote another. “I wish you lots of fun and good luck.”
TV show
In a promotional interview for Danse Avec Les Stars, Denton admitted that his initial response to appearing on the show was negative.
“When I was asked I said no,” he said.
But his children convinced him otherwise.
“Then I thought about it and I asked my kids and they both said, ‘No, it’s very cool. You have to do it,’” he said.
Denton said that part of his reluctance had to do with the fact that he had little experience.
“I’m not a dancer,” he said. “I’ve never danced in my life at all. So it was a little bit scary, which is the main reason I decided to do it.”
The actor admitted that he had some advantages.
“If I have a strength it is maybe that I’m a musician,” he said. “…And I was an athlete in my younger days.”
Injured
Last week, Denton posted a photo to Instagram sharing the news. Since then, he has added messages updating fans on his progress.
“My new daily routine with the amazing Cyril Msika,” he wrote, sharing a photo of his physical therapist at work. “I’ll be back.”
Denton has been paired with dancer Candice Pascal. When asked who he would love to dance with, he immediately mentioned his Desperate Housewives co-star Teri Hatcher.
Good Witch
For seven seasons, Denton starred on the hit Hallmark series Good Witch as Dr. Sam Radford. Hallmark abruptly canceled the series in 2021. But Denton and Bell were reunited on the small screen in the 2023 Countdown to Christmas movie Christmas on Cherry Lane.
Denton also starred on the ABC series Desperate Housewives as Mike Delfino.
Dancing With the Stars
Denton is not the only contestant to face an injury while filming the series. Participants in both the French and American versions have suffered everything from bruised ribs to broken limbs while competing on the reality show.
Denton remains optimistic about getting back on his feet. He said he would love to dance to the song Singing in the Rain.
“When his son was young that was his favorite song,” he said.
Two new Aurora Teagarden movies in the works
Two new Aurora Teagarden movies are headed to television. Crews will be filming the new mysteries in various locations around Vancouver, British Columbia, in the coming weeks. The projects were confirmed by producer Mike Barbuto in a recent interview.
“…I can tell you that the next two are going to be even better than the first one,” Barbuto said on the Hallmark Mysteries and More podcast.
The movies follow a reboot of the Hallmark Mysteries franchise in 2023 that featured Skyler Samuels in the title role. The original series ended abruptly when actress Candace Cameron Bure, who played Aurora “Ro” Teagarden in the films, left Hallmark to work with the new network Great American Family.
New Aurora Teagarden movies
According to Creative BC, crews will be filming in the coming weeks in various locations around Vancouver. The projects listed are “Young Aurora Teagarden Mysteries 2” and “Young Aurora Teagarden Mysteries 3.” The director listed on both projects is Jessica Harmon, who directed Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Something New in 2023.
Hallmark surprised fans when it announced it was reviving the series. Based on the novels by Charlaine Harris, the mysteries follow Aurora Teagarden, a crime-obsessed librarian who lives in the small town of Lawrenceton, Washington. Marilu Henner starred as her mother, Aida, and Niall Matter joined the cast eventually as Aurora’s love interest.
The network made 18 movies in the series:
A Bone to Pick (2015)
Real Murders (2015)
Three Bedrooms, One Corpse (2016)
The Julius House (2016)
Dead Over Heels (2017)
A Bundle of Trouble (2017)
Last Scene Alive (2018)
Reap What You Sew (2018)
The Disappearing Game (2018)
A Game of Cat and Mouse (2019)
An Inheritance to Die For (2019)
A Very Foul Play (2019)
Heist and Seek (2020)
Reunited and It Feels So Deadly (2020)
How to Con a Con (2021)
Til Death Do Us Part (2021)
Honeymoon, Honeymurder (2021)
Haunted by Murder (2022)
Candace Cameron Bure
But in April 2022, series lead Candace Cameron Bure shocked fans when she announced she would be leaving Hallmark to work with Great American Family, a network started by the former CEO of Hallmark Media.
“I’m very excited to develop heartwarming family and faith-filled programming and make the kind of stories my family and I love to watch,” Bure said in a statement through the network, which started airing material in September 2021.“I am constantly looking for ways that I can inspire people to live life with purpose. GAC fits my brand perfectly; we share a vision of creating compelling wholesome content for an audience who wants to watch programming for and with the whole family. Great, quality entertainment with a positive message is what my partnership with GAC is all about!”
In the works
But in 2023, Hallmark premiered a prequel to the series.
“Our viewers have been waiting for more adventures with Aurora and her friends — what better way to do that than to take them back to when the young, amateur sleuth was just coming into her own?” said Emily Merlin, development manager of programming at Hallmark Media. “The Aurora Teagarden franchise is a fan favorite and we’re excited to share this new chapter with viewers.”
In Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Something New, Skyler Samuels portrayed a young Ro Teagarden who returned to her hometown following college graduation.
While working as a teacher’s assistant in a crime fiction class and waitressing at the local diner, she discussed true crime with local police detective Arthur (played by Evan Roderick) and helped her friend Sally plan her wedding.
When Sally’s fiancé didn’t show up at the wedding rehearsal, Aurora and Arthur went to track him down. They discovered a body, which they at first assumed was Sally’s tardy groom. But when it turned out to be someone else, Sally’s fiancé became the main suspect.
Hallmark has not yet given a release date for these films. We will update this story as more information becomes available.
Fans are in a frenzy after seeing this post on Kayla Wallace’s Instagram
Some Hallmark fans are in a frenzy over a recent Instagram post on Kayla Wallace’s account. The photo shows a Polaroid of Wallace and her When Calls the Heart co-star and fiancé Kevin McGarry smiling at the camera. The only caption is a heart.
While some fans thought it was just a sweet nod to her romance with McGarry, others are convinced the photo is proof that the pair are married.
“Photo evidence,” wrote one fan in the comments section.
Kayla Wallace’s Instagram
Kayla Wallace and Kevin McGarry announced in December 2022 that they were engaged. The couple posted a video to Instagram with the caption, “Forever.”
Fans were thrilled.
“Best couple EVER,” wrote one. “I love the way you look at each other.”
Their When Calls the Heart co-star Erin Krakow weighed in with, “Our forever friends found their forever! So happy for you both! Still haven’t recovered from this beautiful moment!”
Wallace and McGarry met on the set of Hallmark’s longest-running original series When Calls the Heart in 2019. Both actors joined the series in its sixth season.
McGarry was cast as Mountie Nathan Grant, who was brought on the show as a suitor for widow Elizabeth Thornton (played by Erin Krakow). Wallace joined the cast as Fiona Miller, an independent young woman who was brought to Hope Valley to help set up the town’s first switchboard.
Wallace and McGarry announced they were a couple in 2020. In March 2022 they starred in the Hallmark rom-com Feeling Butterflies. The movie was so popular Hallmark featured the couple again in the 2022 Christmas in July movie My Grown-Up Christmas List.
Instagram post
Over the years, both McGarry and Wallace have shared photos and messages to each other on Instagram. But it was a Valentine’s Day post that got fans excited.
In the photo, Wallace is wearing a white dress and has her hand on McGarry’s shoulder. Some fans claim she is wearing two rings on her finger. (Every single staff member here at TV Cheddar has taken a look and we cannot agree on whether there is a second ring or not.)
“Did you get married?” one fan wrote. “You are wearing 2 rings. Congratulations!!!!”
“Zoomed in on photo and your ring finger,” wrote another. “You got two rings on it looks like. Is this maybe photo evidence of more than just being engaged?”
Neither Wallace nor McGarry responded immediately to the rumors. We will update this article as soon as more information becomes available.
Hallmark premieres new version of Sense & Sensibility with diverse cast
A new version of Sense & Sensibility will premiere on Hallmark as part of its Loveuary lineup. The movie, which is part of Hallmark’s Mahogany series, stars Deborah Ayorinde, Bethany Antonia, and Dan Jeannotte.
At a recent press event, a Hallmark exec spoke of how the movie was part of the company’s commitment to diversity.
“I think making sure that our casts are diverse, that the stories were telling are diverse, that’s still a big front-and-center issue for us,” said Lisa Hamilton-Daly, executive vice president of programming at Hallmark Media. “It hasn’t gone away and it won’t, because I think we are trying to tell everyone’s story so that means making sure people see themselves when they come to us, so it’s not gonna change.”
Sense & Sensibility
Hallmark’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility follows the fortunes of the Dashwood sisters, who find themselves in difficult circumstances following the death of the family patriarch. Forced to leave the family’s stately home, they move to a modest cottage in Devonshire.
There, practical Elinor (played by Deborah Ayorinde) falls for equally pragmatic gentleman Edward Ferrars (played by Dan Jeannotte). Her passionate sister Marianne (Antonia) spurns the advances of their steadfast new neighbor, Colonel Brandon (played by Akil Largie), for the much more exciting John Willoughby (played by Victor Hugo).
“When Elinor and Marianne’s romantic prospects do not turn out as hoped, each sister learns to embrace the other’s approach to matters of the heart,” reads a synopsis from Hallmark.
Jane Austen February
The network announced that all four new movies premiering in February will have a Jane Austen theme.
“We’re really excited,” Hamilton-Daly told Variety. “Each one of them occupy a special little niche; they really are different from each other, but they kind of cover a whole range of ways of approaching Jane Austen. I think it’s a fun evolution for us to really dig into period and think about the origins of the romance genre — which we are so much a part of in contemporary — and really think about what that means.”
Costumes for the movie were designed by Project Runway alum Kara Saun. Hair designs are by Kim Kimble, who worked on the TV series Euphoria. Author and historian Vanessa Riley served as a historical consultant.
In an Instagram post, actress Bethany Antonia promoted the film’s premiere.
“We made a movie and had tooooo much fun doing it,” she wrote. “Melanated folk finally getting our turn in this kinda getup!!!!!”
Tyler Hynes, Kat Barrell, and Kristin Booth to star in new movie directed by Crystal Lowe
Four of Hallmark’s favorite stars are collaborating on a new movie. Tyler Hynes, Kat Barrell, Kristin Booth, and Crystal Lowe announced they have finished shooting Shifting Gears, a new Hallmark romance that will premiere in March.
Lowe directed the movie as part of Hallmark’s Make Her Mark directing program, a new initiative to make movies with women directors. In an Instagram post, Lowe thanked fellow Hallmark star Ashley Williams, who created the program.
“This woman!!!” she wrote in the caption. “@ashleywilliamsandcompany chose me to the the first recipient of the Make her Mark initiative. A project that took her five years to make happen. I am in awe of her tenacity, drive, talent and most importantly her light. She literally shines from the inside out.”
New movie
In Shifting Gears, Kat Barrell plays mechanic Jess Barro, who runs a garage with her father (played by James Burke). Business is tight thanks to competition from a big auto repair shop chain in town. When she finds out about an auto restoration competition, she enters in the hope of winning the prize money.
But she’s shocked to discover that she will be competing with her ex-boyfriend Luke (played by Tyler Hynes). As the competition revs up, Jess and Luke’s personal rivalry becomes a big hit with the audience and producers alike. After a few misfires, they work through their former relationship and start to bond again over their shared love of classic cars.
“As they speed toward the finish line, Luke has a disastrous painting mishap that threatens to ruin Jess’ chances of winning,” reads a synopsis. “And when she learns his dad plans to buy her family’s garage, she suspects the painting disaster was sabotage rather than an accident. Will their relationship break down again and be beyond repair, or will they be able to restore it and jump-start their romance once again?”
Lowe praised both stars in Instagram posts.
“#hynies you are in for a treat!!” she wrote. “A @tyler_hynes movie told through the female gaze. Hopefully you enjoy!”
In another post showing Barrell in her costume, Lowe wrote, “This is @katbarrell if you’re looking for the epitome of grace and power….that’s Kat. Showed up every day ready to play in the work, shine in her beauty and make us all laugh. Thank you Kat for being such an incredible leading lady!”
Make Her Mark
Former Hallmark CEO Wonya Lucas announced the launch of its Make Her Mark program in 2022 at the Television Critics Association Summer Tour.
“Hallmark is a brand built around giving to and connecting with others, and the Make Her Mark program is our gift of opportunity experience, coaching, and guidance for such deserving and talented women in our field,” Lucas said. “I hope one day, when she accepts her Emmy or Peabody or Oscar, that she fondly remembers that Hallmark Media gave her that first shot…and then she pays it forward.”
The first movie in the series premiered as part of the 2023 Countdown to Christmas lineup. Dream Moms starred Tamera Mowry-Housley as a stay-at-home mom who gets a second chance at Broadway stardom. The movie was directed by Jessica Harmon, who was shadowed by Crystal Lowe.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Lowe was joined on the set by her Signed, Sealed, Delivered co-star Kristin Booth, who also appears in Shifting Gears.
“This woman,” Lowe wrote. “Through thick and thin and ups and downs my @kristintbooth one of the stars of #shiftinggears.”
Booth responded in the comments section with, “God I love you! I am so dang proud of you. You set your sights on your dream of directing many years ago and I was witness to both the conception of that dream and the birth!! I’m so honored to have been by your side and to watch you soar!! Can’t wait to see what you do next Wonder Woman!!”
Fans of Signed, Sealed, Delivered are still waiting to hear when they can expect a new installation in the series. At a recent press event, Hallmark exec Lisa Hamilton-Daly told a Variety reporter to “standby” when she was asked about a new Signed, Sealed, Delivered.
“The Signed, Sealed, Delivered fans are all over me every day,” said Hamilto-Daly, who is executive vice president of programming at Hallmark Media. “I love it, I hear them.”
Cobra Kai’s Martin Kove shows softer side in new romantic comedy for Hallmark
“Mean guy” Martin Kove will show fans his sensitive side the new Hallmark romance A Taste of Love. Kove co-stars with Erin Cahill and his real-life son Jesse Kove as a chef in danger of losing his restaurant.
The actor, who is well-known for playing hard-nosed karate instructor John Kreese in the Karate Kid and Cobra Kai franchises, said he enjoyed getting to play a nice guy.
“I really enjoy playing the nice guy. I mean, I cry at supermarket openings,” he told Niagara Frontier Publications. “You know, everybody always thinks (I’m a bad guy) because of The Karate Kid character and Rambo and all the tough guys I played. I enjoy playing characters like this one in Taste of Love. I like playing romantic and soft things, where I can emote.”
New Hallmark romance
Kove co-stars with Erin Cahill in the new movie, which will premiere on Presidents’ Day. In A Taste of Love, Erin Cahill plays Taylor Green, a Culinary Network star who is stuck in a rut as a cheesy cook on a show called “Quick, Easy and Delicious.” When the network rejects an idea she has for a new show, Taylor decides to return home to visit her father (played by Martin Kove) and sort out her future before making any permanent career decisions.
When she arrives in her hometown, she runs into her high-school sweetheart, Jacob (played by Jesse Kove), and finds she still has feelings for him. But her attention becomes diverted when she finds out her family’s restaurant is in danger of closing.
Taylor devises a plan to rekindle her father’s passion for cooking by entering them in the town’s annual Sugar Festival cooking competition. While rediscovering her passion for food, Taylor is forced to choose between her budding relationship with Jacob, saving the family’s restaurant, and her dream career.
Cahill, who also produced the movie, posted on Instagram to promote the premiere.
“Doing this movie with @jessekove @martinkove and the rest of this wonderful cast and crew was such a gift to my life!” she wrote. “And thanks to the incomparable @lincoln_lageson this was the first movie I got to cut my teeth being a producer on! I learned so much and I’m forever grateful for this beautiful experience. I hope you all enjoy this sweet one, and I can’t wait to hear what you think!”
About the cast
In a career that has spanned decades, Martin Kove has appeared in Cagney & Lacey, The Incredible Hulk, Kojak, Walker, Texas Ranger, and Diagnosis Murder. He is currently starring in the Netflix series Cobra Kai.
Erin Cahill has starred in the Hallmark movies Christmas on Cherry Tree Lane (2023), Hearts in the Game (2023), Christmas Bedtime Stories (2022), Every Time a Bell Rings (2021), A Timeless Christmas (2020), and The Secret Ingredient (2020).
When Calls the Heart spinoff a possibility after series finale
A Hallmark exec recently spoke about the possibility of a spinoff of the network’s hit series When Calls the Heart. But she made it clear that a spinoff would likely only occur once When Calls the Heart comes to an end.
In an interview with Variety, Lisa Hamilton-Daly said that company executives have considered creating a spinoff.
“It’s hard to think, who would you peel off?” said Daly, who is executive vice president of programming at Hallmark Media. “Erin [Krakow] is really central to the show, as many of the cast members are. It’s possible, were that show to reach a conclusion, then we might think about what to do, but at this point, we plan to keep going.”
When Calls the Heart spinoff
Hallmark launched a When Calls the Heart spinoff once before. When Hope Calls premiered in 2019 on Hallmark Movies Now. Starring Jocelyn Hudon and Morgan Kohan, the series followed two characters who were introduced during the 2018 Christmas special When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Wish (Blessing).
In the new series, two sisters reunited in adulthood opened an orphanage in the small town of Brookfield.
The show only ran for one season on Hallmark. Rival network Great American Family picked it up for a two-part Christmas special in 2021.
Series finale
When Calls the Heart premiered in 2014 on Hallmark Channel. Based on a a series of books by Canadian author Janette Oke, the series followed a privileged young woman (played by Erin Krakow), who moves to a small coal-mining community to teach school.
The 11th season of the popular show is set to premiere in April. According to Nielsen ratings, Season 10 was the most-watched cable program on television, bringing in 3 million unduplicated viewers per episode.
One of the show’s co-creators said he would like to keep the series running indefinitely.
“We’re going to try to catch up with ‘The Simpsons,’ which is in season 42 or something like that,” said Brian Bird at a September 2023 gathering of When Calls the Heart fans.
“As I’ve said many times over the last decade, you Hearties are the reason for the show,” he said. “I think one of the big reasons that the show is still going strong is all of you.”
A librarian finds true love in new Hallmark movie
A librarian finds true love when she wakes up inside her favorite Jane Austen novel in the new Hallmark romance An American in Austen. The film, which will premiere this weekend on Hallmark Channel, stars Eliza Bennett, Nicholas Bishop, and Nell Barlow.
New Hallmark romance
In An American in Austen, Eliza Bennett stars as Harriet, a librarian who believes no one can ever live up to the character of Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
When her boyfriend proposes to her, she is so overwhelmed that she flees. She falls asleep on the car ride home and wakes up in the novel Pride and Prejudice. She befriends her literary hero Elizabeth Bennett (played by Nell Barlow) and the rest of the Bennett family and wows them with her uncanny knack for predicting what will happen next. Soon, her peculiar behavior beguiles none other than Mr. Darcy (Nicholas Bishop) himself.
As Harriet’s presence disrupts the story she loves most, she starts to question the fantasies she once held of Regency-Era life. Harriet must choose between this unexpected chance at love with the man she’s always dreamed of or her imperfect life back in the real world.
Jane Austen February
Hallmark announced late last year that all five new movies premiering during the month of February would have a Jane Austen theme.
“Jane Austen’s stories are timeless and continue to resonate with readers and viewers of all ages,” said Lisa Hamilton Daly, executive vice president of programming at Hallmark Media. “Our movies will bring her beloved characters to life in fresh, new ways and honor the many women who continue to be inspired by them.”
About the cast
Eliza Bennett played Amanda Carrington in Dynasty. She has also appeared on the shows Broadchurch, This Is Us, Sweet/Vicious, and The Conners.
Nicholas Bishop starred in the HBO series Industry. He has had roles in the movies Lady Chatterley’s Lover and The Critic. Bishop starred alongside Alexa PenaVega in the 2023 Hallmark movie A Paris Proposal.
Everything you need to know about Chyler Leigh
In an industry where careers come and go, Chyler Leigh has remained a force to be reckoned with. The North Carolina native began working in Hollywood in 1997 and has appeared in countless movies and TV shows since.
The actress has become a new staple at Hallmark Media, where she stars in and produces the surprise hit series The Way Home. Written by mother-daughter team Alexandra Clarke and Heather Conkie, the drama follows three generations of women in the same family who are searching for a missing loved one and trying to make peace with themselves and each other.
The series debuted in January 2023 and quickly picked up a devoted fan base. As Season 2 plays out on TV, we are turning our attention to each of the show’s stars.
Chyler Leigh
Chyler Leigh is well-known to television audiences. From 2007 to 2021, she played Lexie Grey on the hit ABC drama Grey’s Anatomy, the half-sister of series lead Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo). She went on to appear in Supergirl and The Flash, becoming a fan favorite in each.
But Leigh has played many roles in her life. In addition to successful careers in modeling and acting, she has recorded music with her husband, Nathan West, and has acted as an advocate for those suffering from mental illness.
A little history
Leigh was born in Charlotte, NC, and lived in Virginia Beach before her family moved to Miami. She began modeling in 8th grade and acted in commercials and a Florida TV show called Hall Pass. At the age of 16, she moved to Los Angeles with her mother to pursue a career in acting.
She met fellow actor Nathan West at the age of 17 when the two appeared on the series 7th Heaven. They married in 2002 and have three children: Noah, Taelyn, and Anniston.
Leigh had roles in The Practice and That ’80s Show before starring in the 2001 hit comedy Not Another Teen Movie.
Mental health advocate
Leigh has been open about her mental health struggles. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 29 after voluntarily checking herself into a hospital.
“I was so terrified because of my past,” she said in an interview with Prevention. “I was so worried about turning into all of the things I hated when I was growing up, but it was life or death. I was going to make a change, or I wouldn’t be here anymore.”
About 7 million Americans live with bipolar disorder, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. A person going through a manic episode may feel elated, energized, and reckless, while a depressive episode can result in total loss of energy, trouble concentrating, and feelings of hopelessness.
Leigh said she first noticed the signs as an adolescent when the sound of clinking dishes filled her with rage. She also experienced recklessness, mood swings, and trouble sleeping. She said she suppressed her feelings for years.
“I closed off and developed a shell around me,” she said.
The actress threw herself into her work and into the responsibility of raising three children. Eventually, she became overwhelmed.
“I was constantly hiding layers of myself, trying to come off as pretty and palatable,” she says. “I wanted to pass off as ‘I’m doing fine,’ but when I went to the hospital it was very clear that I was not.”
Helping others
Leigh became an advocate with Be Vocal: Speak Up for Mental Health, which meant coming out of her comfort zone.
“I’ve always been a very kind of private person,” she said. “I think mostly because of being afraid of having my story out there and being labeled as anything because there is very often such a negative stigma about it. That fear of judgment and ‘Oh, if people see me this way, that means that I’m not good enough or I’m not well enough to be able to take care of myself’ or whatever it might be. But, being able to have a fantastic platform to be able to speak my story and know that it’s going to reach a tremendous amount of people, that was major motivation for me [to speak out].”
The Way Home
In a 2022 Instagram post, Leigh shared the news that she would be joining the cast of a new series on Hallmark Channel.
“Took time off to work hard on myself,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “It’s not been easy. Letting go of the past can be quick or a lifelong journey. But it’s a journey that is so so worth the climb. My thanks to those who have helped me along the way. I’m standing on a new mountain top and am so excited for what’s on the horizon. @hallmarkchannel #TheWayHome #KatLandry … here we go.”
Leigh plays Kat Landry on The Way Home. When the series started, Kat was living in Chicago with her teenage daughter, Alice (played by Sadie Laflamme-Snow), and dealing with her recent divorce. After getting fired from her job as a journalist, she decided to return to her hometown and visit her estranged mother (played by Andie MacDowell).
When she arrived home, she was forced to deal with the pain of losing her brother, Jacob, who disappeared when she was a teenager. But when her daughter discovered a way to time travel, Kat became determined to solve the mystery of what happened to her brother.
Executive producer
Leigh has been enthusiastic about her new role as executive producer on The Way Home.
“I had much more space to give my input this year and it has been so rewarding,” she said in an interview with Uinterview. “Being behind the camera is something that I absolutely love, so watching the processes of creating these environments and creating these worlds and how difficult that actually can be, I love being a part of that.”
Luke Macfarlane solves a murder in new movie
Luke Macfarlane plays a detective who needs the help of a famous actress to solve a murder in the new movie Crimetime: Freefall. Lyndie Greenwood will co-star in the mystery, which will premiere on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries.
Greenwood promoted the film on Instagram from the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour.
“I’m honored to be part of this Hallmark family,” she wrote in the caption of a photo. “There are some incredible new projects on their way to you soon — not to mention my new movie CrimeTime: Freefall, which airs Feb 23 on Hallmark Mystery. I can’t wait for y’all to see it!!”
New movie
In Crimetime: Freefall, Greenwood plays Hadley Warner, a famous crime series actress who finds herself at a loss when her show is canceled. She decides to move her family from Los Angeles to the small town of Mystic, Colo. But her attempt to lead a quiet life goes horribly wrong when a body falls from the sky and lands in her backyard.
Unable to resist solving the murder, Hadley begins using the skills she used playing a detective to figure out whodunnit. Though her attempts to help are at first rejected by the local detective assigned to the case (played by Macfarlane), he soon realizes she is a big help. As the two work together, he begins to develop feelings for her.
About the cast
Lyndie Greenwood has appeared in the TV shows Flashpoint, Being Erica, Covert Affairs, Saving Hope, Degrassi: The Next Generation, S.W.A.T., and Sleepy Hollow. She has starred in the Hallmark movies Every Time a Bell Rings (2021), Girlfriendship (2022), and Magic in Mistletoe (2023).
Luke Macfarlane
From 2006 to 2011, Luke Macfarlane played Scotty Wandell on the ABC series Brothers & Sisters. He has also appeared on Beauty & the Beast, Iron Road, Supergirl, and Mercy Street.
Macfarlane has starred in the Hallmark movies Christmas Land (2015), The Mistletoe Promise (2016), A Birthday Wish (2017), Karen Kingsbury’s Maggie’s Christmas Miracle (2017), A Shoe Addict’s Christmas (2018), Just Add Romance (2019), Sense, Sensibility and Snowmen (2019), A Valentine’s Match (2020), Chateau Christmas (2020), Taking a Shot at Love (2021), Christmas in My Heart (2021), Moriah’s Lighthouse (2022), A Magical Christmas Village (2022), Notes of Autumn (2023), and Catch Me If You Claus (2023).
Ali Sweeney and Benjamin Ayres find romance in new movie
Ali Sweeney plays a Jane Austen fan who comes face-to-face with her idol in the new movie Love and Jane. Not only does Sweeney get to meet Jane (played by Kendra Anderson), she gets help navigating a romance with Benjamin Ayres.
“I am beyond thrilled to share this movie with you all,” Sweeney wrote in an Instagram post. “I can’t thank you enough for being so supportive of me and these incredibly fun, dynamic and sometimes quirky characters I get to play. The role of Lily is so unique and special to me. I hope you love her as much as I do.”
New movie
In Love and Jane, Sweeney plays Lily, a woman who is so devoted to Jane Austen’s work that she runs a book club dedicated to discussing her work. When Jane Austen suddenly appears in her living room, Lily is shocked but soon turns to her idol for advice.
Jane helps her navigate a tricky situation at work and advises her not to ignore Trevor, the handsome tech billionaire (played by Ayres), she keeps running into.
As romance between Trevor and Lily grows, Lily becomes inspired to finish the novel she shelved years ago. But when Trevor makes a grand gesture that backfires, their love story may not get its happy ending.
Jane Austen
Hallmark announced late last year that all five new movies premiering during the month of February would have a Jane Austen theme.
“Jane Austen’s stories are timeless and continue to resonate with readers and viewers of all ages,” said Lisa Hamilton Daly, executive vice president of programming at Hallmark Media. “Our movies will bring her beloved characters to life in fresh, new ways and honor the many women who continue to be inspired by them.”
The next film to premiere will be An American in Austen, starring Eliza Bennett, Nicholas Bishop, and Nell Barlow. In the movie, Bennett stars as a librarian who wonders if any man could ever live up to the romantic ideals set by Austen’s character Mr. Darcy. She gets to find out for herself when comes face to the face with him.
Finally, Hallmark will debut an adaptation of Sense & Sensibility. Starring Deborah Ayorinde, Bethany Antonia, Dan Jeannotte, and Akil Largie, the movie will be part of Hallmark’s Mahogany series.
When Calls the Heart stars will reunite in new Hallmark movie
Daniel Lissing and Erin Krakow, who co-starred for five seasons on the hit Hallmark series When Calls the Heart, will reunite onscreen in a new Hallmark movie. The actors will appear in Santa Tell Me, a romantic comedy that is currently in production.
The movie will mark the first time the two have shared the small screen since Lissing left When Calls the Heart at the end of Season 5. It will also mark the first time Lissing has appeared on the network since leaving the series in 2018.
In a past interview, Lissing mentioned he had pitched a Christmas movie to Hallmark.
“About two or three years ago, I sent a big proposal to Hallmark pitching a Christmas movie with Erin and I in modern day, and they didn’t think it was the right time,” he said during a 2020 interview. “Maybe it is now?”
Daniel Lissing
Daniel Lissing played Mountie Jack Thornton on When Calls the Heart from 2014 to 2018. In the series, his character was sent to the small town of what was then called Coal Valley to look after Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), a privileged young woman who had moved to the town to teach at the local elementary school.
The two fell in love and married in Season 5. But fans were shocked when Jack was killed off soon after.
Lissing cited personal reasons for leaving When Calls the Heart.
“Circumstances arose for me where I needed to leave When Calls the Heart for reasons that are very personal to me,” he said in a Facebook Live event. “I went to Hallmark and they were nothing but supportive of me. I went to the girls and they were nothing but supportive of me.”
Though Lissing has made appearances on the small screen since leaving the show, they have all been on Great American Family, a network started by former Hallmark CEO Bill Abbott. He appeared as Jack Thornton in a When Hope Calls Christmas special and starred in two movies for the network, A Christmas Star (2021), and Catering Christmas (2022).
New Hallmark movie
Hallmark has not released many details about Santa Tell Me, other than to share that it will premiere during the 2024 Christmas season.
Fans were thrilled when they heard the news of the reunion.
“HEY ARE BACK! IT FEELS LIKE A DREAM!” wrote one on Instagram.
Another simply wrote, “AHHHHHHHHHHHH OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG.”
Fan campaign
Fans have been trying to get Lissing and Krakow back together onscreen for years. They began a social media campaign in which they posted and tweeted to @hallmarkchannel begging for the pair to reunite.
“Turns out 1,768,237 tweets and posts to @hallmarkchannel was the trick!!!” wrote one fan on Lissing’s Instagram page.
Hallmark has not yet given a release date for Santa Tell Me. We will update this story as more information becomes available.
Everything you need to know about Victor Webster
Victor Webster will co-star with Alison Sweeney in the Hallmark movie One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. The actor will replace Cameron Mathison as the romantic lead in the series, playing a handsome prosecutor who faces off with Hannah as she tries to solve another mystery.
Though Webster is new to the Murder, She Baked mystery series, he is no stranger to Hallmark. Over the years, the actor has starred in more than 15 movies for the network, co-starring with everyone from Catherine Bell to Candace Cameron Bure.
Webster has said he appreciates how positive and uplifting Hallmark movies are.
“After you watch a Hallmark film, you have a big smile on your face and you feel positive about the values that can be enjoyed by the entire family,” he said in an interview with Digital Journal. “Everybody can watch these movies together and they are the perfect family bonding experience.”
Victor Webster
Victor Webster was born in Calgary, Alberta, and moved with his family to California at the age of 13. In an interview, Webster said his parents enrolled him in martial arts classes in an attempt to improve his behavior. He excelled and went on to compete as an amateur kickboxer with an undefeated record and as a heavyweight in Tae Kwon Do.
Though Webster enjoyed doing school plays, he didn’t set out to become an actor when he graduated college. Instead, he worked as a stockbroker and started his own import-export business before landing a role on the soap opera Days of Our Lives.
Despite his success, the actor had words of caution for anyone thinking of pursuing a career in Hollywood.
“Don’t become an actor, unless you are absolutely 100 percent drawn to it and have to do it,” he told Digital Journal. “The life of an actor is very unpredictable, and there is a very small percentage of actors that work all the time. If you are drawn to the artistic value of acting, then do that. Make sure you are doing it for the right reasons and that it fulfills you.”
Days of Our Lives
Webster landed the role of Nicholas Alamain on the NBC series Days of Our Lives in 1999. He said he learned a lot from working on a soap opera.
“That show involved a lot of memorization,” he said. “We would shoot an episode a day so I had to learn 20 to 30 pages each time.”
“In my last day that I worked there, I came in and did 75 pages of dialogue, which was 31 scenes, and we filmed them all in five hours. It really trained my brain on how to get dialogue to stick,” he added.
He went on to appear in Sex and the City, Charmed, Reba, CSI: Miami, NCIS, and Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce. He is well-known to fans of the Scorpion King movies as Mathayus.
Hallmark
Webster’s first movie with Hallmark was the 2012 rom-com Puppy Love, which co-starred Candace Cameron Bure. He went on to have parts in Chesapeake Shores and the Matchmaker Mysteries series and starred in The Magic Stocking (2015), Summer Villa (2016), Love Blossoms (2017), A Harvest Wedding (2017), Home for Christmas Day (2017), Homegrown Christmas (2018), Hearts of Winter (2020), Five Star Christmas (2020), The Wedding Veil Legacy (2022), A Christmas Cookie Catastrophe (2022), The Wedding Veil Journey (2023), and Mystery On Mistletoe Lane (2023).
Personal life
Webster met his ex-wife, Shantel VanSanten, when they co-starred in the movie Love Blossoms. The couple had three separate wedding celebrations in 2021. The first was a civil service at Pasadena City Hall in California on Aug. 9, her grandparents’ wedding date.
“When my grandfather unexpectedly passed away on Father’s Day, the heartbreak was unbearable; I had been planning on him walking me down the aisle in Minnesota,” VanSanten told Brides. “In the midst of my grief, I looked at Victor and said I wanted to do a spontaneous civil ceremony on my grandparents’ wedding date, August 9.”
The second celebration was in Napa in October and the third was in the bride’s hometown of Luverne, Minn.
Webster filed for divorce in January 2023. Neither he nor VanSanten have spoken publicly about the reasons for their separation.
Working with Alison Sweeney
Alison Sweeney and Victor Webster have worked together several times, both on Days of Our Lives — where she plays Sami Brady — and in Hallmark movies.
The pair appeared as a couple in The Wedding Veil series, which also starred Laci Chabert and Autumn Reeser.
“I’ve always loved working with Victor — from our years in daytime [TV] to our work together on ‘The Wedding Veil,’” Sweeney said in a statement through Hallmark. “When writing the script and developing this movie, I knew he’d be a great addition to the Hannah Swensen family and am thrilled that he said yes.”
Alison Sweeney will star in new Hannah Swensen
Alison Sweeney will return as everyone’s favorite baker-turned-detective in a new Hannah Swensen movie. But Cameron Mathison won’t play the romantic lead in this one. Instead, Victor Webster will step in.
“I’ve always loved working with Victor — from our years in daytime [TV] to our work together on ‘The Wedding Veil,’” Sweeney said in a statement through Hallmark. “When writing the script and developing this movie, I knew he’d be a great addition to the Hannah Swensen family and am thrilled that he said yes.”
New Hannah Swensen
The new movie is titled One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. In the movie, Sweeney returns as Hannah Swensen, who has been asked to teach a baking class at the local college.
But when someone tampers with her equipment causing an explosion and one of her colleagues is murdered, Hannah begins to investigate. While trying to solve the murder, she comes face-to-face with Lake Eden’s handsome lead prosecutor Chad Norton (Victor Webster).
“The great chemistry Alison and Victor had in ‘The Wedding Veil’ trilogies made the decision to bring him into this world an easy one,” said Laura Gaines, director of development at Hallmark Media. “It will be fun for viewers to see a different side of the legal process as Hannah learns the recipe for a strong case.”
Cameron Mathison
Fans were upset when Hannah and Mike (played by Cameron Mathison) broke off their engagement in Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. Though Mathison appeared in the next movie, A Zest for Death: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, he did not rekindle his romance with Hannah.
Off-screen, Mathison has signed on with Great American Media, a new company started by former Hallmark CEO Bill Abbott. The actor has already made several movies for the company’s network Great American Family.
Hannah Swensen
One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery will be the ninth movie in the Hannah Swensen series, which is also known as “Murder, She Baked.” Based on the cozy mystery books by Joanne Fluke, the movies include:
Murder, She Baked: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery (2015)
Murder, She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery (2015)
Murder, She Baked: A Peach Cobbler Mystery (2016)
Murder, She Baked: A Deadly Recipe (2017)
Murder, She Baked: Just Desserts (2016)
Sweet Revenge: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (2021)
Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (2023)
A Zest for Death: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (2023)
Will Kemp gives Colin Firth a run for his money as the best Mr. Darcy ever in new movie
Will Kemp will star as everyone’s favorite Jane Austen male lead in the new movie Paging Mr. Darcy. The film, which will premiere as part of Hallmark’s Loveuary lineup, is one of four new movies with a Jane Austen theme to premiere during the month of February.
Kemp has been busy promoting the movie on Instagram.
“Mark your dance cards!” he wrote in one post.
Will Kemp
In Paging Mr. Darcy, Kemp stars as an actor portraying Mr. Darcy for a Jane Austen conference. Mallory Jansen plays Eloise, one of the conference’s speakers. Though the two clash at first, they are eventually drawn together by their mutual love of Jane Austen.
Mr. Darcy
Fitzwilliam Darcy is the name of a fictional character in Jane Austen’s 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice. He serves first as a foe and eventually as a romantic interest to the novel’s protagonist, Elizabeth.
He was famously portrayed by Colin Firth in the 1996 BBC miniseries based on the book.
Mr. Darcy
Fitzwilliam Darcy is the name of a fictional character in Jane Austen’s 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice. He serves first as a foe and eventually as a romantic interest to the novel’s protagonist, Elizabeth.
He was famously portrayed by Colin Firth in the 1996 BBC miniseries based on the book.
New Hallmark romance
Hallmark announced in 2023 that it would feature a series of Jane Austen-themed movies in its Loveuary lineup.
“Jane Austen’s stories are timeless and continue to resonate with readers and viewers of all ages,” said Lisa Hamilton Daly, executive vice president of programming at Hallmark Media. “Our movies will bring her beloved characters to life in fresh, new ways and honor the many women who continue to be inspired by them.”
Alison Sweeney will headline the second movie, Love & Jane, along with Benjamin Ayres. The next film to premiere will be An American in Austen, starring Eliza Bennett, Nicholas Bishop, and Nell Barlow. Finally, Hallmark will air an adaptation of Sense & Sensibility. Starring Deborah Ayorinde, Bethany Antonia, Dan Jeannotte, and Akil Largie, the movie will be part of Hallmark’s Mahogany series.