What happened on When Calls the Heart? Elizabeth celebrated her birthday with Jack and Lucas. Wyman Walden arrived back in Hope Valley. And Nathan and Mei said an emotional farewell to each other.

But the biggest surprise came at the very end of the episode. In a preview for Episode 10, Rosemary dropped a hint to Elizabeth that she might be pregnant!

What happened on When Calls the Heart

When the episode opens, Elizabeth receives red roses as a birthday gift from Lucas. When she calls him to say thank you, she mentions that Abigail called to wish her a happy birthday. (Side note: Hallmark was pretty adamant that Lori Loughlin would NOT be returning to the show, but the fact that her character is still being mentioned is interesting.)

Fiona arrives back in town from her trip to San Francisco with bad news. She tells Lucas that Henry confronted Jerome about re-opening the mine. Jerome changed the deal, saying he would only go through with it if Lucas agreed to stay on the board for one more year. This is a problem, as Lucas already told Elizabeth that he was getting out of the oil business.

Wyman Walden shows up at the saloon and tells Lucas that he is going to buy The Queen of Hearts.

Sting operation

Lucas tells Elizabeth that he attempted to catch Wyman swindling people out of their savings (as he did to Jesse and Clara) in a sting operation. It did not go well, and that is how Lucas ended up with a black eye. Elizabeth suggests he go see Bill.

Fiona is giving Lee a haircut when Rosemary asks if she can borrow the salon to give Elizabeth a day of beauty for her birthday. Lee mentions that a man named Arthur Gilchrist of the Hearst newspaper empire is coming to town to talk about The Valley Voice. Fiona says Gilchrist is part of the oil company deal.

Nathan stops by the pharmacy to see Mei, but he can’t find her. Dr. Carter arrives a few minutes later and finds Mei hiding in the back. She has to go back to Chicago, and she doesn’t know how to tell Nathan.

When Bill finds out that Wyman is back in town, he decides to let the sale of the Queen of Hearts go ahead in an attempt to keep the coal mine closed. He also wants to lure Wyman’s henchman to town as he knows the man is wanted for murder. He tells Wyman that he will help him with the deal if Wyman helps Bill become mayor.

Goodbye (for now)

Nathan finds Mei at the saloon getting ready to leave town. She tells him that Jeffrey is pursuing charges against her in Chicago. He offers to come with her.

“You have no idea what that means to me,” she tells him.

She says that she can’t ask him to leave Allie. She tells him that she regrets not letting him catch her that day she road into town. Nathan holds back tears as he says goodbye.

Molly and Florence are chatting. Molly says she thinks Faith has feelings for Nathan.

At the café, Joseph confronts Lee. He knows that Lee made a phone call so that Joseph could get his loan. He says he wishes Lee would have asked him first.

Nathan runs into Faith. They chat about Mei leaving town. He says it is probably similar to her situation with Carson. But then he changes his mind and says perhaps not, as Faith was ready to get married. Faith tells him that Carson was the one who wanted to get married, and she wasn’t ready. He is surprised. She invites him for ice cream, and he accepts.

Joseph and Cooper talk about Cooper’s decision not to go to church. Cooper explained that he “likes being his own boss.”

Closing the deal

People in town are upset with Bill because of the deal he made with Wyman. When Wyman arrives with Spurlock, Bill attempts to arrest him for murder. Spurlock shoots at Nathan and takes off in his car. Nathan goes after him on his horse and arrests him.

Bill then confronts Lucas about the deal he was trying to make with Wyman. Lucas said he was trying to catch him with a sting, but Bill cannot confirm the story. He says that Wyman stated that Lucas was working with gamblers in Louisiana and that he has the documents to prove it.

Fans have mixed reactions to news that Candace Cameron Bure leaving Hallmark Channel

By now, most fans have heard about Candace Cameron Bure leaving Hallmark Channel to work with GAC Family. The Full House actress made the announcement on Instagram last week.

“Excited to join the @gactv and @gacliving family!” she wrote in the caption.

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A post shared by Candace Cameron Bure (@candacecbure)

The actress, who has starred in more than two dozen movies for Crown Media Family Networks, received support from other actors who have signed deals with GAC Family.

“Yayayay!!!! Welcome to the family, my friend!!” Danica McKellar wrote in the comments.

But among fans, the reactions were mixed.

Some fans thrilled that Candace Cameron Bure now working for GAC Family

“I’m so excited for you and for GAC family,” one wrote on Bure’s Facebook page. “Can’t wait to see what you and Mr. Abbot will create together. Crossing my fingers in hopes of seeing some mysteries on this channel too. Oh! And bring back the home and family show. God Bless and enjoy this new adventure.”

“This is such great news!” wrote another. “I was hoping we would see you there especially when they picked up Full House & Fuller House. May God continue to richly bless you in all that you do!”

Some fans upset that Candace Cameron Bure leaving Hallmark Channel

Most fans who have objected to Bure’s departure say the issue is straightforward: they don’t have access to GAC Family.

Though the new network is included in some basic cable packages — you can check yours here — in others, it can cost extra. It’s also available on several streaming platforms, but some fans they can’t afford to pay.

“I’m on disability and a fixed income and can’t afford to have a bunch of extra channels,” one wrote on social media. “I hate that so many have abandoned ship at Hallmark. Will miss seeing them.”

Fans in Canada say they can’t even get GAC Family.

“This makes me a little sad because GAC Media isn’t currently available in Canada!” one wrote. “Neither is Hallmark but I could at least watch your movies on WNetwork through StackTV.”

What is GAC Family?

GAC Family is one of two networks launched by former Crown Media CEO Bill Abbott. Abbott left Crown Media — which produces content for Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, and Hallmark Drama — in early 2020.

In June of 2021, he announced that his new company, GAC Media, had purchased two cable networks. Programming on GAC Family and GAC Living began in September. In addition to old episodes of family-friendly shows such as Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, and Father Knows Best, GAC Family released 12 original movies for the holiday season in 2022.

Other Hallmark stars such as Jen Lilley, Jessica Lowndes, and Danica McKellar have also signed contracts to work with GAC Media. Holly Robinson Peete, Brennan Elliott, and Lacey Chabert have signed contracts to continue to work for Crown Media.

What happened on When Calls the Heart: Season 9, Episode 8

What happened on Hallmark Channel’s When Calls the Heart in Season 9, Episode 8 — Hope Valley Days Part Two:

When the episode opens, Nathan runs into Jeffrey on the street. Jeffrey says he wants to talk to Ned and Florence about running the pharmacy with Mei.

Elizabeth overhears the news that Jeffrey is Mei’s husband. She runs to the saloon to tell Lucas, but he already knows. She is disappointed that he didn’t share the news with her sooner.

When Nathan asks Mei about Jeffrey, she explains that she apprenticed with him while she was still at school. He started having feelings for her. When she made it clear she didn’t feel the same way, he told everyone they were engaged.

When Mei found out he had forged a marriage license, she left Chicago and rode to Hope Valley to take the job at the pharmacy. When Mei asks Nathan if he believes her, he says yes. However, he says, they need proof that Jeffrey lied.

What happened on When Calls the Heart: Wherefore art thou, Lee?

Lee — dressed as Romeo for Halloween — runs into Hickam and attempts to apologize for his editorial. Back at the Valley Voice, he confides in Rosemary — dressed as Juliet — that he didn’t realize the impact his opinion piece would have. Rosemary tells him that writing for a newspaper is a huge responsibility.

Jeffrey tells Nathan he wants Mei arrested.

Lucas runs into two schoolteachers at the town bulletin board who are looking for textbooks. He tells them that he knows someone who can help them. At the schoolhouse, he offers to teach Elizbaeth’s class so she can talk to the other teachers.

At the café, Minnie, Joseph, and Bill celebrate their new business partnership. Bill begins coughing hard and steps outside. When he sees blood on his handkerchief, he goes to see Dr. Carter.

The doctor tells him he needs to go to Union City to get tested for pneumonia. As Bill rests, she runs over to the pharmacy for supplies. While she is there, Nathan arrests Mei. Faith follows them to the jail, where she sits with Mei. Faith tells Mei she feels like all this is her fault.

A call from Chicago

Back at the infirmary, Molly discovers that Bill has a bruise on his side. He says it must be from his fight with Jeffrey. Dr. Carter gives him some cough medicine and tells him to rest.

Bill decides to rest in Nathan’s office. He drinks all of the cough medicine and starts telling Mei about how his wife followed him to Hope Valley. Nathan arrives just in time to answer a phone call from Chief Inspector Hargreaves. Mei is to be returned to Chicago for prosecution.

When Elizabeth arrives at the café to help prepare Thanksgiving dinner, she finds out that Minnie has agreed to let Emma stay on in her job and rent a room upstairs.

At the Valley Voice, Lee writes a positive opinion piece about Hickam.

Burden of proof

Jeffrey arrives at the jail, where Nathan is just releasing Mei. Jeffrey wants Mei to return to Chicago with him. Nathan tells Jeffrey that Mei won’t be prosecuted, as he has found out that Jeffrey is already married. When Jeffrey leaves, Mei gives Nathan a hug.

The town gathers for a church service to celebrate the end of Hope Valley Days. When the service is finished, everyone steps out and finds a Christmas tree in the middle of the town. No one can figure out where it came from.

It turns out Bill set it up while everyone else was in church as an April Fools’ prank.

At the saloon, everyone shares a Thanksgiving dinner. Lee and Rosemary take pictures of everyone. When Allie and Nathan pose for their photo, Allie pulls Mei in with them.

What happened on When Calls the Heart: A recap of Season 9, Episode 7

What happened on When Calls the Heart this week:

In Season 9, Episode 7, Hope Valley Days Part One, Mei Suo’s husband came to town; Lucas dropped major hints to Elizabeth that he’s ready to pop the question, and Hickam began to exercise his authority as mayor.

When the episode starts, the townspeople have gathered to hear an announcement from Mayor Hickam. In an effort to get the town back to its hopeful, joyous roots, he is initiating a new festival. During Hope Valley Days, the town would celebrate Thanksgiving with Elizabeth, Hannukah with Ned and Florence, Halloween with Lee and Rosemary, and Valentine’s Day with new town council member Mei Suo. He then jokes that Bill will be in charge of celebrating April Fool’s Day.

At the newspaper office, Lee and Rosemary are dressed as Antony and Cleopatra and have candy ready for the children when they come trick-or-treating. Rosemary is excited to see they have received a letter from someone who works for newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst.

Andrea stops by the pharmacy. Mei Suo has hung red decorations for Qixi, a Chinese celebration of love. Nathan rides by outside, and Mei looks at him wistfully.

Mei Suo’s husband

A man comes storming into Bill’s office, saying he wants his wife arrested. Bill tells him to come back when he can behave with more civility. The man refuses to leave. Bill knocks him out and takes him down to the jail in a wheelbarrow.

Nathan makes a phone call and finds out that the man is named Jeffrey. There are no warrants for his arrest, but there are three for Mei Suo. One is for larceny, one for forgery, and one for spousal abandonment.

Lucas stops by the schoolhouse to walk Elizabeth home. He tells her that when he was growing up, all he ever wanted was to live in a town where “my family could get to know everyone and everyone could get to know us.”

Joseph and Minnie

At the cafe, Minnie tells Elizabeth that she and Joseph are applying for a loan to buy out Abigail’s portion of the cafe.

At the pharmacy, Ned and Florence offer Mei her job on a permanent basis. Her joy is cut short when Bill and Nathan confront her over the warrants for her arrest.

Bill goes to the infirmary. Dr. Carter says she thinks he has pneumonia. She wants to send him to the city for an X-ray.

The driving lesson

Nathan asks Elizabeth for a driving lesson. They climb in the car, and she immediately begins explaining how the vehicle works, but Nathan is more interested in pushing all the buttons. Finally, he climbs out and says he will ask Lucas for a lesson instead.

“Maybe it was a good thing that you and I never got together,” he says, grinning. Um, ouch.

Joseph and Minnie pray together before leaving for Buxton to apply for their loan. Joseph tells Minnie they need to be careful about getting their hopes up. Her family may have been well respected in St. Louis, but in some places, there is still a lot of prejudice.

Bill tells Mei he saw a marriage license with Mei’s signature. She insists it was forged. He says he has no choice but to release Jeffrey.

As soon as he is out of jail, Jeffrey chases after Mei and begs her to return with him to Chicago. She refuses.

Joseph stops by Lee’s office to drop off the keys to his car. He says he and Minnie did not get a loan. Lee is furious. He tells Rosemary he is going to back the loan himself. Rosemary suggests he talk to Joseph first, but Lee goes ahead and calls his bank.

Nathan and Lucas

Nathan asks Lucas for a driving lesson. He starts talking about Mei and says he doesn’t understand why she never brought up the situation with Jeffrey. Lucas tells him that she probably had a good reason.

Ned leads a Hannukah celebration at the saloon. Joseph tells Lee that the bank reversed its decision on the loan. Lee pretends to be surprised.

At a bonfire in the middle of town, Lucas asks Elizbaeth if she has ever considered a fall wedding. She asks if he has ever considered a spring wedding.

While we doubt there will be a wedding this season, there may very well be a proposal. The question is, will it top Jack’s epic, candlelit setup from Season 4?

The Hallmark Channel movie Love, Classified stars Melora Hardin from The Office

The Hallmark Channel movie Love, Classified will premiere as part of the network’s Spring Into Love event. Starring actress Melora Hardin, the film follows the lives of people who are connected by a dating app.

A synopsis from the network breaks down the plot as follows:

“Romance novelist Emilia (Hardin) is a whirlwind who blows back into the lives of her adult children, Taylor (Katherine McNamara) and Zach (Max Lloyd-Jones), under the pretense of a book signing arranged by her hometown’s local book shop. As Emilia tries to reconnect, Taylor and Zach explore new and past relationships through an app that boasts old-fashioned human connection by way of the classified ad. Zach is given a chance to heal old wounds while Taylor matches with Franki (Arienne Mandi), a woman that changes the way she’s always thought about love.”

Hardin teased the premiere in a post on Instagram.

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A post shared by Melora Hardin (@meloradhardin)

“Can’t wait for everyone to see this! “ she wrote.

About the movie

Pennsylvania native Lynn Sternberger wrote the screenplay for Love, Classified. In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sternberger said she was surprised when Hallmark expressed interest in the project.

“I was pretty sure it wouldn’t get made pretty much from the day I sold it,” Sternberger told the Post-Gazette. “Thankfully, my executives didn’t feel that way. Internally, they were amazing shepherds of it. Mad props to them.”

The Hallmark Channel movie Love, Classified — About the cast

Melora Hardin had guest roles on Quincy M.E., Magnum, P.I., Murder, She Wrote, and Gilmore Girls. She starred in 27 Dresses with Katherine Heigl and 17 Again with Matthew Perry.

In 2005 she was cast as Jan Levinson-Gould on the NBC series The Office. She played the character for all nine seasons. In 2021, she appeared on Dancing With the Stars.

Katherine McNamara had guest roles on 30 Rock, Law and Order: SVU, and Glee. She starred in Shadowhunters, Arrow, and The Flash.

Max Lloyd-Jones is a Hallmark veteran, having appeared on the series When Calls the Heart as Tom Thornton. The British actor has also appeared in Supernatural, Switched at Birth, and Teen Wolf.

Arienne Mandi has appeared in NCIS, Hawaii Five-O, and The L Word: Generation Q.

Love, Classified will premiere on Hallmark Channel on Saturday, April 16 at 8/7c.

Hallmark movie Color My World With Love stars actress with Down Syndrome

Crown Media has just finished production on the Hallmark movie Color My World With Love, which features a romance between two people with Down Syndrome.

Actress Lily D. Moore stars as Kendall, a talented artist who creates Impressionist-style paintings. She meets Brad (played by David DeSanctis) in a community center cooking class and the two fall in love.

Kendall’s mother, Emma (played by Erica Durance), is happy for her daughter but also concerned. According to the network synopsis, “Emma has spent the last 22 years trying to protect her daughter and has reservations about Kendall and Brad’s new relationship, especially when it quickly moves in a serious direction.”

Not wanting Kendall to experience heartbreak, Emma tries to slow the relationship down. But she meets a friend of Brad’s family (played by Benjamin Ayres), who helps Emma accept that Kendall is ready to live her own life.

Hallmark Movies and Mysteries

The movie will air later this year on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries.

In a statement made through Crown Media, Moore said she was proud to be part of the network’s push for diversity and inclusion.

“Everyone has a dream to fall in love and get married one day, even people with disabilities,” said Lily D. Moore. “I hope viewers take away that ‘Color my World with Love’ is about painting your own story through your emotions and that we all have endless possibilities.”

Hallmark movie Color My World With Love — The cast

Eighteen-year-old Lily D. Moore is an experienced actress and activist. She has appeared in the TV shows Sleepy Hollow, The Gifted, Never Have I Ever, and Teenage Euthanasia.

David DeSanctis is an actor, producer, and motivational speaker. He produced and starred in the 2015 movie Where Hope Grows, alongside Hallmark favorite Kris Polaha.

Erica Durance starred as Lois Lane in the TV series Smallville. She also appeared in Saving Hope, Super Girl, and Private Eyes. In January, she co-starred with Barbara Niven in the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries film North to Home.

Benjamin Ayres has appeared in The Vampire Diaries, Saving Hope, Schitt’s Creek, and Suits. He has appeared in the Hallmark movies 12 Dates of Christmas, Falling For Vermont, and You, Me & the Christmas Trees.

Viv Leacock and Natasha Burnett in the Hallmark romance movie Legend of the Lost Locket. (Image: Hallmark Media)

Viv Leacock and Natasha Burnett find magic in Hallmark romance movie Legend of the Lost Locket

April 10, 2024 No Comments

When Calls the Heart co-stars Viv Leacock and Natasha Burnett will headline the new Hallmark romance movie Legend of the Lost Locket. The actors, who

Erin Krakow as Elizabeth Thornton in Season 5 of When Calls the Heart. Writers told fans another wedding will soon happen in Hope Valley. (Image: Hallmark Media)

Hope Valley will soon see another wedding

April 6, 2024 No Comments

Another wedding is coming to Hope Valley. Writers for the hit Hallmark series When Calls the Heart said someone will be getting married in Season

Erin Krakow in Season 11 of When Calls the Heart. Hallmark recently released a sneak peek at the new season. (Image: Hallmark Media)

Hallmark gives fans a first look at Season 11 of When Calls the Heart

March 11, 2024 No Comments

Hallmark has shared a first glimpse at Season 11 of When Calls the Heart. In several short video clips released on the Hallmark Channel website,

Hallmark addressed the rumors that Lori Loughlin will return to When Calls the Heart. (Image: Hallmark Media)

Hallmark responds to rumors about Lori Loughlin returning to popular TV series

November 8, 2023 No Comments

A representative for Hallmark Media has responded to the rumors that actress Lori Loughlin will be returning to the TV series When Calls the Heart.

Kayla Wallace and Kevin McGarry are engaged!

December 24, 2022 No Comments

When Calls the Heart stars Kayla Wallace and Kevin McGarry announced in a social media post that they are engaged. “Forever,” wrote Wallace in the

Amanda Wong on the set of Hallmark's When Calls the Heart. In a recent interview on The Edify Show, the actress talked about what it was like the join the show in Season 9

Amanda Wong’s mother had no idea her daughter had joined the cast of Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart

November 1, 2022 No Comments

Amanda Wong was waiting for just the right time to tell her mother about her new job. The Canadian actress had landed the role of

Janette Oke shares heartwarming message with fans during When Calls the Heart reunion

Author Janette Oke shared a faith-filled, heartwarming message with fans of the hit series When Calls the Heart during a recent appearance at Hope Valley Days. Oke, who wrote the book series that inspired the Hallmark series, spoke to Hearties at an annual event that allows fans to tour the set and meet the stars, crew, and creators of the show.

During a question-and-answer session with fans, Oke was asked what she hoped future generations would take away from the stories told on When Calls the Heart.

Season 10 of When Calls the Heart will be ‘electrifying’

Erin Krakow and Pascale Hutton promised fans that Season 10 of When Calls the Heart will be one of the best.

“It’s going to be one of the most engaging and electrifying seasons yet,” Krakow wrote in an Instagram post.

“That’s a wrap on the Coulters (all three of them),” wrote Hutton, alluding to her character’s pregnancy on the show. “Oh Hearties — do we have a season for you!!!!!!”

Erin Krakow and Pascale Hutton did the Tortilla Challenge and we can’t stop laughing

BFFs and When Calls the Heart co-stars Erin Krakow and Pascale Hutton tried the social media trend known as the Tortilla Challenge and the results ae hilarious.

Cast members share pics and videos from the set of Season 10 of When Calls the Heart

Filming has begun on Season 10 of When Calls the Heart, and cast members appear to be having a great time on set. Erin Krakow, Andrea Brooks, Ava Grace Cooper, and Chris McNally have been posting pics and videos on Instagram of all the fun they’re having behind the scenes.

When can fans expect to see Season 10 of When Calls the Heart? That’s a good question...

Fans anticipating the Season 10 premiere of the beloved Hallmark series When Calls the Heart have been left hanging after a network executive said the show will air sometime in the middle of 2023.

Erin Krakow and cast mates celebrate the news that When Calls the Heart is coming back for Season 10

Erin Krakow was all smiles in a recent Facebook post in response to the news that When Calls the Heart has been renewed for a 10th season.

“Celebrating the great S10 news from Italy! We’re thrilled!!!” Krakow wrote in a post featuring her castmates Kayla Wallace, Kevin McGarry, and Ben Rosenbaum.

Henry goes rogue

On this week’s episode of When Calls the Heart, Lee got a job offer, Carson called Faith, and Henry surprised the whole town in a daring move.

Rosemary learns she might be pregnant and Florence gave Henry a piece of her mind on When Calls the Heart

Rosemary had some surprising news this week, and Florence hauled off and gave Henry a slap during this week’s episode of When Calls the Heart.

Bill gets the last laugh in Episode 8, but how serious is that cough?

In Part 2 of Hope Valley Days, Bill surprised the entire town with his April Fools’ prank. But his cough sounds serious, and Dr. Carter can’t convince him to get an X-ray.

When Calls the Heart Season 9, Episode 7: Hope Valley Days Part One

When the episode starts, the townspeople have gathered to hear an announcement from Mayor Hickam. In an effort to get the town back to its hopeful, joyous roots, he is initiating a new festival.

When Calls the Heart Season 9, Episode 6: Past, Present, Future

When Calls the Heart Season 9, Episode 6: Past, Present, Future highlighted the many changes in Hope Valley.

When Calls the Heart Season 9, Episode 5: Into the Light

When Calls the Heart, Season 9, Episode 5 was epic. First of all, Allie is back in town. And she called Nathan “Dad.” Best of all, she convinced him to shave the caterpillar off his upper lip.

Also, Minnie invited Augustus Landis to dinner, Lee and Rosemary had a heart-to-heart, and Fiona returned to Hope Valley.

When Calls the Heart has an app. No, seriously.

Hallmark Channel’s When Calls the Heart has its own app. Produced by Edify Films, it features photos, interviews, recipes, merchandise, and even printable coloring pages..

Viv Leacock: When Calls the Heart is the new 'Little House'

In a recent interview, Viv Leacock referred to Hallmark Channel’s When Calls the Heart as the new ‘Little House on the Prairie.”

The new season of Chesapeake Shores

The cast and crew are hard at work on the new season of Chesapeake Shores, the Hallmark original series based on the book series by Sherryl Woods. Hallmark announced on March 29 that the show was coming back for a sixth and final season.

“We are so proud of Chesapeake Shores, a show that has captured imaginations and was reaching a natural conclusion, and we decided to wrap up the show on a high note in the sixth and final season, which premieres later this summer,” a network spokesperson wrote on Twitter.

The reaction from fans has been mixed. While some are glad they get one more season with the O’Brien family, others feel betrayed.

“Don’t understand why you are getting rid of such good shows,” one wrote on Twitter. “Did the same thing with Cedar Cove.”

Chesapeake Shores is the third series Hallmark has canceled in the past 12 months. In July, Good Witch ended after seven seasons. The final episode of the lifestyle program Home and Family aired in August.

With Chesapeake Shores ending after this season, Hallmark will have only one original program still on the air: When Calls the Heart. The show’s co-creator, Brian Bird, has already started encouraging fans of When Calls the Heart to support bringing the series back for another season.

The new season of Chesapeake Shores

The stars of the show have been posting behind-the-scenes looks on Instagram. Robert Buckley, who joined the show in Season 5, shared a photo with the caption, “Aaaaaaaand we’re back. Chesapeake Shores sixth and final season, let’s go!!”

Barbara Niven posted a photo with a caption promising the final season would be the best one yet. Season 5 ended with a series of cliffhangers, so the pace is expected to be fast and furious in the Season 6 opener.

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A post shared by Robert Buckley (@robertearlbuckley)

Here’s what we know so far:

Filming began the second to last week of March.

A Vancouver Island newspaper reported on March 27 that cast and crews were shooting scenes in the area.

Connor isn’t dead.

This is a big one, since he collapsed during the Season 5 finale from a suspected heart attack. But Andrew Francis has assured fans on his social media that his character will be back for the season. Phew.

A new face is joining the cast.

In Season 5, Connor opened his own law practice in Chesapeake Shores and ended up falling for his paralegal, Margaret. Though Raylene Harewood played the role last season, actress Mariesa Crouse is taking over for Season 6.

Evan is still in town.

In the Season 5 finale, Abby O’Brien (Meghan Ory) told her sister she had decided between the two men pursuing her. Unfortunately, the audience never got to find out which guy she picked. Fans have been left wondering if she will date the wealthy, eccentric businessman Evan (played by Robert Buckley) or Jay Ross (played by Greyston Holt), her daughter’s teacher.

Neither Buckley nor Ory has revealed whether their characters will be an item. However, the fact that Buckley is already on set means fans can expect more antics from Evan this season.

There will be 10 episodes.

This one is great news. Season 1 had only nine episodes, and Season 4 had only six.

The series will premiere this summer.

Though Hallmark hasn’t given an exact date, it has told fans to expect the first episodes in summer 2022.

When Calls the Heart Season 9, Episode 6: Past, Present, Future

When Calls the Heart Season 9, Episode 6: Past, Present, Future highlighted the many changes in Hope Valley.

When the episode opens, Nathan (Kevin McGarry) is trying to put a saddle on Newton. The horse is still spooked from the accident, so Nathan leads him out of the stables. The main road is clogged with cars, and Nathan ends up directing traffic.

Lee (Kavan Smith) goes to Bill’s office to complain about all the traffic in Hope Valley. Bill (Jack Wagner) replies that there is nothing he can do since he is not the mayor. He suggests Lee use his power as a newspaper editor to get something done. Bill then tells Nathan he can’t ride Newton until the horse has fully recovered.

Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) and Rosemary (Pascale Hutton) are chatting when they hear yelling from the soda fountain. Three children come running out splattered with ice cream. It turns out Allie (Jaeda Lily Miller) and Robert (Jaiven Natt) got into an ice cream fight. Mei Suo says she only left for a minute. Nathan hauls Allie to his office for a chat.

When Nathan speaks to Allie in private, she is contrite but also pleased with herself for landing a shot of ice cream right in Robert’s face. Allie leaves to help clean up the shop, and Nathan tells Elizabeth that his niece reminds him of his sister.

Etiquette

At the Mercantile, Florence (Loretta Walsh) complains to Ned (Hrothgar Mathews) about how rude some of the customers are. Just then, Molly (Johannah Newmarch) enters and displays perfect manners. This gives Florence an idea.

Hickam (Ben Rosenbaum) stops by to see Dr. Faith Carter (Andrea Brooks). She is surprised when he asks her out to dinner. He says that she has an analytical mind, and that he could use her advice in his new job as mayor. She agrees, saying it would be nice to take a break from her heavy workload.

Over at the newspaper office, Rosemary is disturbed by the noise coming from outside. When Lee investigates, he finds Joseph working with a group of men to build a billboard. Lee asks what is going on, and one of the workers pushes him. A fight breaks out, and Lee ends up in the infirmary. He tells Rosemary that the billboard was advertising jobs at the foundry.

The opinion piece

Lee prints an opinion piece in the Valley Voice saying Hickam is responsible for the town’s problems. The newspaper sells so well that Lee wants to publish a second edition. But Rosemary talks him out of it, saying the attention they are getting for the newspaper isn’t the right kind of attention. She also disagrees that Hope Valley’s problems are Hickam’s fault.

In a meeting with Lucas (Chris McNally), Henry (Martin Cummins) said he is concerned that Jerome Smith might want to reopen the mine.

Florence and Molly decide to start a newspaper column titled “Minding Your Manners with Molly.”

During a visit to the soda fountain, Bill asks Mei if she has told Nathan about her husband. Mei insists Jeffrey is not her husband. Bill says that sometimes people too upset to deal with the truth feel safer believing a lie.

Elizabeth and Jack stop by the stables. Nathan asks if she is still up for teaching him how to drive a car. She says yes.

Elizabeth then visits Joseph. She wants to build a wagon with bookshelves. During school holidays, she plans on traveling to rural areas to distribute books.

Brennan Elliott revealed his wife has cancer

In a recent Instagram post, Hallmark star Brennan Elliott revealed his wife has cancer. Calling her “fearless,” Elliott said his wife, Cami, is being treated for stage 4 gastric cancer.

“Those closest to me know that my Wife Cami has had several bouts with cancer in the past but now she embarks on a new journey as a Stage IV metastatic gastric cancer patient,” he wrote on in Instagram post. “There is no one I consider braver, stronger, more Fearless even when you’re Faced with a sinister opponent who never plays fair.”

https://web.archive.org/web/20240122005323/https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb3UPSJvmbk/

Brennan Elliott revealed his wife has cancer

Cami and Brennan have been married since 2011. They have two children.

Stage 4 stomach cancer is the most advanced form of the disease. By stage 4, the cancer has metastasized — or spread — to other areas of the body. It can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy, immunotherapy, and radiation.

Elliott says his wife will pursue an aggressive course of treatment.

“She forges ahead into spring taking on the one of the most aggressive types of chemotherapy and immunotherapy,” he wrote. “As you all know me to be a very private person, this feels scary and exposing but If there is any hope that her story can help Even one person, then her cancer Experience Was Not Done in vain. Please keep @Camilla_row in your prayers.”

His Hallmark co-star Lacey Chabert replied, “We love you guys and are holding you close in our hearts. Cami is stronger than anyone I know. We are praying for you and sending all our love.”

Cameron Mathison wrote, “Thinking of you both and sending so much love.
Love you guys.”

Brennan and Cami Elliott

Cami maintains a private Instagram account. Brennan has posted a few photos of his children, including a shot of his daughter putting makeup on his face. The caption read, “Daughter payback for #quarantineponytailfail.”

In another photo, he and his children posed at Disneyland.

“When your kids want to go to #Disneyland and upon arrival they put us here for having too much fun!😂 kidding. Thanx 4 an absolute blast for the whole family!” he wrote in the caption.

Elliott and Hallmark

Brennan Elliott made his Hallmark debut in the TV series Cedar Cove. He appeared in the network’s All Of My Heart series alongside Lacey Chabert. Elliott also played Lt. Logan O’Connor in the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries series The Crossword Mysteries.

He recently signed a multi-picture deal with Hallmark.

The Hallmark movie A Royal Runaway Romance

The Hallmark movie A Royal Runaway Romance is part of the network’s Spring Into Love event. The romantic comedy stars Philippa Northeast, Brant Daugherty, Sarah-Jane Redmond, and Vincent Gale.

The Hallmark movie A Royal Runaway Romance: The plot

Princess Amelia of Bundbury (Northeast) is preparing to take over royal duties for her mother (Redmond), when she falls in love with the American artist commissioned to paint her portrait. When her boyfriend returns home to Chicago, Amelia hatches a plan to visit him while on a trip to the US to see her uncle (Gale).

When she arrives in Los Angeles, her uncle lends Amelia a car and tells her to see her boyfriend in Chicago. He sends along a bodyguard (Daugherty) to keep an eye on her. As the two travel across the country, they grow closer, and Amelia starts to wonder if she has picked the wrong man.

The Hallmark movie A Royal Runaway Romance: The stars

Philippa Northeast

Northeast got her start as a child actress in Australia. She had starring roles in the TV shows Home and Away, Standing Up For Sunny, and Bondi Slayer.

A Royal Runaway Romance is her first Hallmark film.

Brant Daugherty

Brant Daugherty is a Hallmark veteran. He starred in the movies Mingle All the Way, Timeless Love, and The Nature of Romance. He has also had roles on the TV shows Pretty Little Liars, Freakish, and Relationship Status.

During a 2021 with Access Hollywood, Daughterty talked about how his wife went into early labor while he was on location filming the Hallmark movie The Baker’s Son.

The film was supposed to wrap two days before his wife’s due date.

“I thought, I’ll take the film as a way of providing for my family, and hopefully I’ll make it,” he said. “A lot of first babies come late.”

But his wife ended up going into labor early. Daugherty called her in between every take. Finally, after 30 hours in labor, she opted for a C-section, which Daugherty was able to watch on a FaceTime call.

“It was a little intense,” he said in an interview with Hallmark. “I was doing my best to hold it together from a thousand miles away.”

Premiere date

A Royal Runaway Romance will premiere on Hallmark Channel on Saturday, April 9 at 8/7c.

Danica McKellar: Lori Loughlin didn’t deserve prison time

According to Danica McKellar, Lori Loughlin didn’t deserve prison time for her role in an infamous college admissions scam. The actress made the statement in response to a question about her fellow Hallmark star at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles.

“She’s a wonderful person, she always has been, and it would be challenging to find a person who hasn’t made a mistake in their life,” McKellar told a reporter. “She served her time. I’m not going to speak to whether or not she deserved that. Personally, I don’t think so — but she served the time.”

Loughlin was sentenced to two months in prison for her role in the scandal. She and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, pleaded guilty to fraud charges after they paid so-called “fixers” to help their daughters gain admittance to the University of Southern California. They were among 50 parents charged in what officials called Operation Varsity Blues.

Loughlin completed her prison sentence in December of 2020. She completed 100 hours of community service. According to reports from US Weekly, Loughlin also paid $500,000 to put two students through college.

When Calls the Heart

When news of the admissions scandal broke, Loughlin was starring Hallmark Channel’s longest-running original series When Calls the Heart. The show took a month-long hiatus as writers and producers decided what to do with her character, Abigail Stanton. They chose to write her off the show.

But Loughlin returned to television in December of 2021. Her When Calls the Heart character made an appearance on the show’s spinoff series, When Hope Calls.

Hallmark produced the first season of When Hope Calls. It was picked up by a new network, GAC Family, for Season 2. Loughlin appeared as Abigail Stanton in a Christmas special for the series.

Danica McKellar: Lori Loughlin didn’t deserve prison time

McKellar spoke about Loughlin in response to a question about her own involvement with GAC Family. The network started programming in September 2021. It is run by former Crown Media CEO Bill Abbott.

In October, McKellar signed an exclusive multi-picture deal with the network.

During her appearance on the red carpet at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles, McKellar spoke of her work with GAC Family and Hallmark.

”I’ve done 16 movies for the Hallmark Channel, and I loved my time there,” she said. “In this network, I get a much more hands-on role with executive producing, and it’s really exciting to sign this multi-picture deal with them and be creating movies.”

We want to know what you think. Did Loughlin deserve prison time? Post your comment below:

When Calls the Heart, Season 9, Episode 5: "Journey Into Light"

When Calls the Heart, Season 9, Episode 5 was epic. First of all, Allie is back in town. And she called Nathan “Dad.” Best of all, she convinced him to shave the caterpillar off his upper lip.

Also, Minnie invited Augustus Landis to dinner, Lee and Rosemary had a heart-to-heart, and Fiona returned to Hope Valley.

When Calls the Heart Recap: Season 9, Episode 5

The episode starts with Nathan (Kevin McGarry) and Allie (Jaeda Lily Miller) riding back into town. She loves the new soda fountain. While she’s there, she meets Mei Suo (Amanda Wong). Allie tells Nathan that Mei is beautiful. He says he hadn’t noticed.

Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) finds Rosemary (Pascale Hutton) cleaning up the headline board at The Valley Voice. Rosemary confides in Elizabeth that she thinks Lee is getting tired of her now that they both work at the newspaper.

A makeover for Hickam

Bill (Jack Wagner) decides that if Hickam (Ben Rosenbaum) is going to be mayor, he needs some help. Bill tells Hickam he needs to change the way he dresses and that he must stop being so nice to everyone. He needs to show strength as the new leader of Hope Valley.

Elizabeth finds Lucas (Chris McNally) working on Lee’s motorcycle. He explains that he bought it and that he had been out for a ride because he was stressed about the deal with Jerome Smith.

Allie and Nathan have a talk

Allie confides in Nathan that has feelings for Robert (Jaiven Natt). While she is talking, she slips and calls Nathan “Dad.” Nathan suggests that she try just being friends with Robert.

Allie asks Nathan if he would consider shaving his mustache. “It hides your smile,” she says.

At the newspaper, Rosemary gets a call from her confidential informant. Desperate to find out who it is, Lee goes to Florence (Loretta Walsh) to find out who she patched through from the switchboard. Loretta leans forward and says, “None of your beeswax.” (How much do we love this woman?)

Minnie (Natasha Burnett) decides the best way to deal with Augustus Landis (Todd Thomson) is to show him kindness. She invites him to dinner, much to the dismay of Angela (Vienna Leacock) and Cooper (Elias Leacock).

A love poem

Rosemary finds a poem Lee wrote and tells Elizabeth she thinks it’s for someone else. Lee has been disappearing for periods of time, and she is afraid he is in love with someone else.

At the Canfields, Angela sits down at the piano to entertain Mr. Landis with some music. Before she can get more than a few seconds into the piece she is playing, Mr. Landis sits down next to her. He begins to coach her. It turns out he used to be a music teacher.

The next day, he sees Elizabeth and says he is going back to teaching music. As much as he likes the higher pay and the stability that come with being an administrator, he misses teaching.

Horsepower

In a show of misguided testosterone, Nathan and Lucas decide to race against each other, Nathan on his horse, and Lucas on his motorcycle. Lucas breaks down by the side of the road and refuses Nathan’s offer of a lift back to town.

Fiona (Kayla Wallace) arrives back in town and tells Faith (Andrea Brooks) that she has closed an oil deal. Henry (Martin Cummins) comes to see her, furious that she allowed Jerome to buy Lucas out of the business.

Lee surprises Rosemary with two wooden chars he built with help from Joseph. He said they need to spend more time together, not less.

Lucas tells Elizabeth that he has never stayed put in one place for more than a short time but that if they were to marry, he would hurry home to her every night.

The Hallmark movie Always Amore (Image: Crown Media)

The Hallmark movie Always Amore

Autumn Reeser and Tyler Hynes star in the Hallmark movie Always Amore, new rom-com produced by celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis. It is premiering as part of the Spring Into Love lineup.

The Hallmark movie Always Amore:

What is it about?

According to a synopsis from Hallmark, Autumn Reeser plays Elizabeth, a widow working hard to keep her late husband Marco’s Italian restaurant in business. She’s holding on to the recipes and styles established by Marco to honor his memory, but business continues to go downhill. At the urging of her mother-in-law (played by Patty McCormack), Elizabeth hires Ben (Tyler Hynes), a “restaurant fixer” who has many new ideas to save money, enhance the décor, and change the menu.

Elizabeth is initially reluctant to change anything and instead focuses on showing Ben what makes the restaurant, Il Cibo È Vita, so special. The two begin to work together, and they seize the opportunity to enter their head chef into a cooking competition to revitalize interest in the restaurant. In the process, Elizabeth rediscovers her love of baking and even opens her heart to the possibility of love.

Who is in it?

Autumn Reeser

A Hallmark favorite, Reeser recently co-starred with Alison Sweeney and Lacey Chabert in The Wedding Veil trilogy. She has also starred in A Country Wedding, Love on the Meni, and Christmas Under the Stars.

On her Instagram, Reeser shared a photo of the movie and dedicated it to the memory of her grandmother.

“I am dedicating this film to my Gramma Bea, who passed away last week,” she wrote in the caption. “She was my biggest fan and always made sure that everyone watched my Hallmark films. I loved making her happy, and I hope she’ll be watching from above this time!!!”

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A post shared by Autumn Reeser (@autumn_reeser)

Tyler Hynes

Tyler Hynes started acting as a child, starring in the TV series Neverending Story. He went on to have parts on Valemont, Warehouse 13, and Heartland.

He has also starred in the Hallmark movies Falling For Love, Winter in Vail, and An Unexpected Christmas.

Patty McCormack

Academy Award nominee Patty McCormack had her breakout role in 1956’s The Bad Seed. She went on to appear in Rawhide, As the World Turns, Death Valley Days, and The Doctors. She has also had roles on The Sopranos, Criminal Minds, and Entourage.

Always Amore premieres on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries on Sunday, April 3 at 9/8c.

When Call’s the Heart’s Ava Grace Cooper is a Hallmark veteran, having starred in Mingle All the Way, Summer Romance, and Holiday Date.

Ava Grace Cooper made her first appearance on When Calls the Heart as Opal Weise during Season 3. The actress was five years old at the time. Now in seventh grade, she is still on the show and has an impressive list of acting credits to her name.

Her latest Hallmark project is the romantic-comedy Just One Kiss, which is part of the network’s Spring Into Love lineup. In the movie, she plays 11-year-old Rosie, a New York City girl whose parents recently divorced. She moves with her mom into a new apartment building and watches while her grandmother tries to fix her mom up with a new guy.

But this is no regular Hallmark Channel rom-com. With Broadway stars Krysta Rodriguez and Santino Fontana in the lead roles, the film is more of a musical extravaganza.

“All I can is there is some singing and dancing,” Ava Grace Cooper said in a recent interview on the Everything Abut Hallmark podcast.

All about Ava

Ava got her start on Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart alongside her brother, Christian Michael Cooper, who plays Timmy Lawson. She studied acting for several years, she said. Her current coach is Wesley Salter, who plays Wyman Walden on the series.

In addition to When Calls the Heart, Ava has starred in the Hallmark movies Mingle All the Way, A Summer Romance, and Holiday Date.

Just One Kiss

In Just One Kiss, Krysta Rodriguez plays literature professor Mia, who is starting a new life with her daughter (Cooper) following a divorce.

Santino Fontana plays a popular singer at a Manhattan supper club.

One day, Mia’s mother (Illeana Douglas) and Tony’s mother (Aida Turturro) witness their daughter and son’s chance encounter at a showing of a classic, black-and-white movie at the local theater and start to hatch a plan.

They decide to do everything they can to bring the two together. They arrange for Mia and her daughter (Cooper) to move into Tony’s apartment building so that Mia and Tony continue to run into each other. Tony’s niece (Alice Rose) and Mia’s daughter become friends, and the four end up spending time together.

But both Mia and Tony are still recovering from past relationships. Mia’s soon-to-be-ex-husband complicates things when he tells Mia he wants her back. But the matchmakers believe that everything could change if Mia and Tony would just share a kiss.

Just One Kiss will premiere on Hallmark Channel on Saturday, April 2 at 8/7c.

Filming has started on Season 6 of Hallmark Channel’s Chesapeake Shores. A Vancouver Island newspaper posted photos of the cast and crew shooting scenes for the next season of the series, which Hallmark confirmed would be the last.

“With a top-notch ensemble cast and creative team, Chesapeake Shores has shared stories that are relatable, poignant and unforgettable,” said Laurie Ferneau, senior vice programming of series, in a press release. “We look forward to honoring the journey viewers have been on with the O’Briens with one final, special season.”

The Parksville Qualicum Beach News reported that shooting would take place in different locations in the coming week.

The news confirms what one of the show’s stars had been hinting about on Instagram. Treat Williams posted a photo of his family last week, saying he would miss them when he went to Canada. Though Chesapeake Shores is set in coastal Maryland, the show is filmed on Vancouver Island.

On Friday, he shared a photo of a coastline with the caption, “Good morning. Dawn in the Pacific Northwest.”

“Omg are you filming Chesapeake?” one fan asked.

“Filming Season 6,” another wrote with prayer emojis.

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A post shared by Treat Williams (@treat.williams2)

Chesapeake Shores

Based on a series of books by Shery Woods, Chesapeake Shores debuted on Hallmark Channel in 2016. The show follows a single mother (Ory) who returns from New York City to her small hometown following a divorce. She reconnects with her ex Trace Riley (Jesse Metcalfe) and is thrown back into the drama of her large family.

Metcalfe surprised fans when he decided not to return for Season 5 of the series. In an interview with ET, he said it was time to move on.

”Life’s all about growth,” Metcalfe said. “I tend to put myself in challenging situations because I feel like that’s the fastest way to grow. No one saw this decision coming for me to leave Chesapeake, but sometimes the hardest decisions are the best ones to make and the ones that you grow the most from.”

Season 5 cliffhangers

The Season 5 finale of Chesapeake Shores aired in October. The episode included several cliffhangers. Meg (Barbara Niven) and Mick (Treat Williams) O’Brien began to argue after agreeing earlier in the season to reconcile. Mick appeared to have a growing addiction to painkillers following a plane accident.

Connor O’Brien (Andrew Francis) collapsed in the driveway of a suspected heart attack. Abby O’Brien (Meghan Ory) finally chose between the two men pursuing her, though the audience never found out which guy she picked.

Hallmark Channel has not announced when Season 6 of Chesapeake Shores will premiere. The last season premiered in August 2021.

Holly Robinson Peete is the latest star to sign a contract with Crown Media Family Networks. The actress and advocate will have exclusivity when it comes to making holiday movies for the company, which produces content for Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, and Hallmark Movies Now.

The actress announced the news with a post on her Instagram page.

“Awww suki suki,” she wrote. “So excited about this!!! Thank you to everyone at @hallmarkchannel you have not only supported my career but my family, my charity @hollyrodfdn and the #autism & #parkinsonsdisease communities through our work together and everything that’s important to me!”

Robinson Peete has worked extensively with Crown Media in the past. Her latest project was Our Christmas Journey, in which she played the mother of a teenage son with autism. She has also appeared in all four Christmas in Evergreen movies, as well as The Christmas Doctor and A Family Christmas Christmas Gift.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbflymyJgAO/

Holly Robinson Peete

A native of Philadelphia, Robinson Peete got her start in front of the camera on Sesame Street at the age of 5. She went to have parts in Howard the Duck and Booker before she got her breakout role playing Officer Judy Hoffs on 21 Jump Street, which ran from 1987 to 1991 on Fox.

She appeared in a slew of TV shows, including Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper, Mike & Molly, and Chicago Fire. Her first project with Crown Media was the movie Angel of Christmas.

Advocacy

In 1999, Robinson Peete and her husband, NFL player Rodney Peete, created the HollyRod Foundation to help improve the quality of life for those with Parkinson’s disease. It was a cause near to her heart as her father had been diagnosed with the disease.

The foundation expanded its focus to include autism when the couple’s oldest child, RJ, was diagnosed with the condition.

In a statement through Crown Media, Robinson Peete said she was excited to continue her relationship with the company.

”Hallmark is one of the most unique and warm destinations on television, especially at Christmas, and I am so proud of the projects that we have done together these past years,” Robinson Peete said. “I am thrilled to continue my work with them to collaborate on creating joyful and heartfelt movies, while highlighting special stories in which viewers can truly see themselves.”

The campaign to save Hallmark Channel’s Good Witch grows

It’s been nine months since Hallmark Channel announced it would no longer produce the series Good Witch. The show, which starred Catherine Bell and James Denton, had been on the air for seven seasons and had attracted a dedicated group of fans who called themselves “Goodies.”

The show has found a renewed popularity on Netflix, where it continues to trend among the most-watched shows on the streaming service.

This has encouraged the Goodies who have been working since the series finale to get the show back on the air.

Fans have also been buoyed by the responses they’ve received from cast members Scott Cavalheiro, Nicole Wilson, and Kyana Teresa to social media posts in support of getting the show back on the air.

“We have heard even more recently over the last week from the cast and crew via social media likes and acknowledgment to our pleas for support,” said Lisa Gursky-Choi. “With all seven seasons on Netflix, and viewers acknowledging how much they love binging this show, it’s not surprising they are continuing to trend everyday.”

History of Good Witch

The franchise got its started with the 2008 movie Good Witch. Starring Catherine Bell, the film followed a mysterious woman named Cassie Nightingale who moves to a small town called Middleton. Though at first the locals are wary of her, she is so kind and helpful that they soon begin seeking her out for advice.

A TV series based on the characters premiered on Hallmark Channel in 2015, with James Denton playing Cassie’s new neighbor, Dr. Sam Radford. More movies were added to the franchise each season the show aired.

The Save Good Witch campaign

Fans were shocked when Hallmark Channel announced on July that the series was coming to an end. Hallmark executives said the show had run its course.

“Good Witch has enchanted viewers for over a decade,” said Randy Pope, Hallmark’s senior vice president of programming and development. “We…extend our gratitude and thanks to the entire cast and crew for their dedication and hard work.”

But fans disagreed and started a social media campaign to get the show back on the air. At first, they targeted Hallmark Channel, then turned their attention to Netflix. More recently, they appealed to GAC Media, the company started by former Crown Media CEO Bill Abbott.

Gursky-Choi, who has spearheaded the Save Good Witch campaign, says Goodies are feeling new optimism thanks to the series trending on Netflix.

“We have reached a new level in this campaign,” she said.

Below are some of the graphics shared by the #SaveGoodWitch campaign. They are were put together from comments fans shared on Facebook and in response to articles about the show:

Hallmark introduced a mysterious new character at the start of Season 9 of When Calls the Heart. Mei Suo (played by Amanda Wong) rode into town dressed as a man, capturing the eye of Mountie Nathan Grant. She showed up for work at the pharmacy, shocking Ned and Florence, who had been corresponding with someone named Geoffrey Lewis.

Fans got a hint of Mei’s backstory in Episode 4, “Straight From the Heart,” when Mei went to visit Bill Avery (Jack Wagner) and told him she needed his help.

“I’m a fugitive, of sorts, from my husband,” she said.

She then goes on to say that the man she’s running from isn’t really her husband. The scene then finishes, so viewers didn’t get to hear the rest of her story.

Fans responded on social media to the new development.

“Finally get to hear Mei Suo’s intriguing side,” one wrote on the show’s Facebook page. “Glad she has Bill to help.”

The return of Augustus Landis

Also in Episode 4, Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) gets another visit from school inspector Augustus Landis (Todd Thomson). In Season 8, he told Elizabeth she wasn’t qualified to teach Angela Canfield (Vienna Leacock) because of her blindness.

In Sunday’s episode, Elizabeth proudly tells him that she earned her certification in Hamilton, so the district doesn’t need to worry anymore. He tells her that he can’t accept training completed outside the district. The two argue, and Elizabeth tells him that the school is still under her authority.

Landis attempts to retrieve his hat, but someone has glued his hat to a table in the classroom. Cooper Canfield (Elias Leacock) eventually admits he was the one who did it.

Wyman Walden causing trouble

Businessman Wyman Walden (Wesley Salter) has been throwing his weight around in town since Season 8, when he announced he wanted to build a foundry. In Sunday’s episode, Bill gets a call from the constable of the town of Brookfield, who said that Walden came to town, attempted to con someone out of money, and then left. A merchant was shot shortly before he skipped town.

When Walden and a Pinkerton agent drive back into Hope Valley, Avery tells them he needs to see Walden’s gun. Walden says he lost it. Soon after, Lucas is attacked as he leaves Elizabeth’s house.

Filming has begun in Italy on Unthinkably Good Things, the first in a series of movies under the Crown Media’s Mahogany banner. Named for the Mahogany greeting card line, the movies will tell stories “through the unique lens of Black culture,” according to Crown Media. It will air on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries.

Unthinkably Good Things (which is a working title and subject to change), stars Karen Pittman, Erica Ash, Joyful Drake, Jermaine Love, and Lance Gross.

A Crown Media spokesperson said the network was excited to introduce the first movie in the new series.

“Mahogany is a beloved brand by millions of consumers around the world and we are thrilled to bring the brand to life on screen with this first new movie,” said Toni Judkins, senior vice president of programming development at Crown Media – Mahogany. “We are committed to telling beautiful, emotionally rich, authentic stories that show Black women experiencing the joys of love through romance, sisterhood and community.”

Karen Pittman shared the news on her Instagram page.

“I couldn’t be more proud and excited,” she wrote.

Joyful Drake shared a behind-the-scenes look at the shoot on her Instagram page.

“Sometime you get to shoot an amazing movie in Italy!!” she wrote. “My God is awesome! Won’t He do it!! #blackgirlmagic.”

Hallmark’s Mahogany brand

Hallmark began producing greeting cards aimed specifically at African American consumers in 1962, according to the company’s website. The Mahogany line debuted in 1987.

Crown Media announced in July 2021 that it would expand the brand to include movies as part of an overall push toward diversity in its films and TV shows.

“Before I arrived, we had begun to expand our brand inclusiveness in front of and behind the camera,” said CEO Wonya Lucas “I’m proud of the progress this team is making to expand diversity in our programming and it is nothing short of seismic.”

Unthinkably Good Things

According to a synopsis released from the network, Unthinkably Good Things follows Allison (Pittman), who is living in Tuscany and is at a crossroads in her personal and professional lives. When her friends from home Melina (Drake) and Reese (Ash) come for a visit, they are able to give her the advice she needs.

The network says the movie exemplifies Hallmark’s core ethos of family, community, human connection, positivity, and the transformational power of love.

Hallmark’s Cameron Mathison recently opened up about his childhood battle with a rare degenerative bone disease. The actor and TV host posted five photos to his Instagram account that show him as a child wearing a leg brace and using crutches to walk.

“In honor or Rare Disease Day I’m posting about the rare degenerative bone disease I had as child: Legg Calve Perthes Disease,” he wrote.

Mathison said he was diagnosed as a child with the condition, which disrupts blood flow to the hip bones. He wore the brace — which allowed his femur bones to harden — around the clock for four years.

“The treatment has come a long way since then, but still so much to learn about this rare disease,” he wrote.

The actor has been open about other health issues. In 2019, he announced on the Hallmark Channel series Home and Family that doctors had discovered a cancerous growth on his right kidney.

“It’s a tumor that’s consistent with something called renal cell carcinoma,” he said as his co-host Debbie Matenopoulos looked on.

The cancer had not spread, and the tumor was surgically removed. In
In October 2021, he announced that he had been cancer-free for two years.

Dancing With the Stars

Mathison and his parents opened up about his struggle with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease during the actor’s 2009 appearance on Dancing With the Stars. In an interview with ABC, they said he was diagnosed after complaining about pain in one of his legs.

“I remember my mom coming out of the doctor’s office,” Mathison said. “She’d been crying. She was really fighting back the tears. And I knew — I really knew that something wasn’t OK.”

“Initially, it was difficult because everyone looked at him,” his father said. “And it became an emotional thing for him.”

Onward and upward

When the brace finally came off, Mathison picked up a love of skiing.

“I really probably went a little bit overboard to prove to myself and to prove to other people that’s not what I was or who I was,” he said. “Skiing became a really important sort of experience to kind of get out there and have all this freedom and movement.”

He eventually turned to acting, and landed bit parts on The Drew Carey Show and JAG before being cast as Ryan Laevery on General Hospital in 1998. He also starred in Hallmark movies and the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries series Murder, She Baked, alongside Alison Sweeney.

He joined Debbie Matenopoulos as co-host of the lifestyle series Home and Family in 2018, replacing Mark Steines. Hallmark canceled the series in 2021.

In “Turn the Page,” the residents of Hope Valley finally get to read the book Elizabeth published. Called A Single Mother on the Frontier, it’s a semi-autobiographical novel about a woman named Elsa who moves to a small mining town, falls in love with a Mountie, and then loses him in a tragic accident.

When copies finally arrive in Hope Valley, they fly off the shelves, as everybody wants to see if there is a character based on them. Molly Sullivan (Johannah Newmarch) becomes incensed when she reads about a redhead who is always on the lookout for a new man. It is only later in the episode that she finds out Elizabeth was referring to her sister, not Molly.

Mixed reviews

Elizabeth becomes dejected when she reads reviews of her novel that claim her writing lacks “depth and nuance” and that it “only scratches the surface of anything meaningful and profound.”

Missed connections

Poor Nathan bears the brunt of everyone’s sympathy. Still, Nathan gets annoyed that everyone keeps bringing up his ‘flouted’ heart. It was all fun and games until Mei Suo read the book. She asked Faith if Nathan courted Elizabeth. Faith answers truthfully, and the next time Nathan comes to see Mei, she gives him a polite brush off.

Faith has her own romantic troubles. When she attempts to place a phone call to Carson, she is routed through a switchboard at Johns Hopkins, where she has to leave a message for him. Not exactly the heart-warming exchange she was hoping for.

Cooper Canfield

Since the start of Season 9, Minnie and Joseph Canfield (Viv Leacock and Natasha Burnett) have been dealing with some bad behavior from their son, Cooper (Elias Leacock). In Episode 2, Cooper told his mother he didn’t want to go to church. In Episode 3, we found out why.

Cooper doesn’t understand why God let Angela become blind. Both children got the measles, but he recovered fully, while Angela lost her sight.

When Minnie tells Joseph about the conversation, they talk about what really happened when the children were sick. A doctor refused to treat Angela because of her race. When Minnie suggests they tell Cooper this, Joseph says no. He doesn’t want his son to grow up with hate in his heart.

The return of Wyman Walden

Finally, businessman Wyman Walden (Wesley Salter) has returned to Hope Valley. He is still trying to build a foundry, much to the dismay of the community. Though Hickam (Ben Rosenbaum), wants to learn more about Walden’s plans, Lucas seems determined to stop him.

In a mysterious phone call — spoken almost entirely in French — Lucas tells someone named Janette that he is trying to stop Walden but he can’t do it alone.

Crown Media Family Networks announced that actor Brennan Elliott has signed a deal to make multiple pictures with the company. The parent corporation of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies and Mysteries shared the news on social media.

“Brennan brings tremendous talent and charisma to every role,” said Lisa Hamilton Daly, executive vice president of programming for Crown Media Family Networks. “He’s a joy to work with and we look forward to collaborating with him on new movies we know our viewers will fall in love with.”

Elliott has starred in movies for both Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, including the All Of My Heart series and the Crossword Mysteries series. He joins fellow Hallmark stars Lacey Chabert and Heather Hemmens in signing an exclusive contract with the network.

Hallmark has been making announcements about multi-picture deals as its new rival, GAC Media, gains steam. Started by former Crown Media CEO Bill Abbott, GAC Media began programming on two cable networks in September 2021. It aired 12 original movies during the holiday season, and has premiered two films, The Winter Palace and Harmony From the Heart, in 2022.

Several actors who have also worked for Hallmark have signed agreements to work for GAC Media.

Celebrity deals

In October, Danica McKellar announced she had signed a contract to produce and star in four movies for GAC Media. She was joined in January by Hallmark favorite Jen Lilley.

GAC has also made plans to take over Hallmark Channel’s Kitten Bowl, which the network stopped producing this year. The Great American Rescue Bowl will air on GAC Family on Super Bowl Sunday — February 5 — 2023.

Elliott and Hallmark

Brennan Elliott had bit roles on Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS, and Criminal Minds before being cast as Warren Saget on the Hallmark series Cedar Cove. He went on to make the movie All Of My Heart with the network, and co-starred with Chabert on the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries series Crossword Mysteries.

In a statement made through Crown Media, Elliott said he was excited to officially become part of the Hallmark team.

“It’s been a dream to have worked with the wonderfully creative and supportive team at Hallmark over the years,” Elliott enthused. “I’m thrilled to continue this relationship that’s meant so much to me and have the opportunity to bring to life new characters and tell stories that will make people smile.”

When Calls the Heart’s Erin Krakow feels protective of Elizabeth

For nine years now, actress Erin Krakow has been the face of Hallmark Channel’s period drama When Calls the Heart. As Elizabeth Thornton — Thatcher, when the show started — she has weathered highs and lows. She became an integral part of the Hope Valley community, married a handsome mountie, and soon after became a widow and single mother.

In Season 9 of the series, which premiered on Hallmark Channel earlier this month, she finds herself in a good place, both in terms of her personal and professional life. Krakow said she is grateful that the show has continued to do so well.

“It’s been an amazing ride so far,” Krakow said in an interview with The Pop Culture Principle. “I am well aware that most shows don’t make it this far.”

Season 8 was a tough one for Elizabeth. A widow with a young son, she was trying to choose between two suitors. She also quarreled with her friend Rosemary (played by Pascale Hutton), something that was out of character for the pair.

Season 8 highlights

Her favorite scene in Season 8 was when the town came together to help a new family in Hope Family. The Canfields arrived in town at the start of the season. Their daughter, Angela, was blind, but Elizabeth was determined to have her attend the school with the rest of the children. She received pushback from higher-ups in the district, but the town stood by her decision, coming together to walk Angela to the schoolhouse.

“That scene was a true Hope Valley moment in the sense that it was community coming together in support of one another to do what was right and that to me is what When Calls the Heart is really about,” she said.

Romantic drama

Krakow also touched on the backlash she and other actors faced when Elizabeth finally chose Lucas over Nathan in the Season 8 finale. While she understood the disappointment some fans felt, it was difficult to deal with the criticism.

“I am very protective of Elizabeth, and I think she has had so many challenges along the way,” Krakow said. “Her losing Jack was a major loss in her life, but it would be really nice if we could celebrate the joy that she’s now getting to experience.”

When Calls the Heart co-creator tells fans their support is crucial for Season 10

The co-creator and executive producer of Hallmark Channel’s longest-running original series posted a letter on social media telling fans their support could help keep the show on the air. In his letter, Brian Bird thanked When Calls the Heart fans for their “eFangelism.”

“If indeed there is to be a season 10 and beyond of WCTH, it will be because you reached down into your hearts and found that same excitement and passion for rallying your friends and family to watch the only show on TV that celebrates hope, faith and love every week,” he wrote.

Season 9 of the series premiered on March 6. Around 3.5 million viewers tuned in to watch the episode, according to Nielsen.

In his letter, Bird said he had seen levels of support among fans that reminded him of the “halcyon early days.”

“You wore WCTH T-shirts, drank coffee out of WCTH mugs, collected thousands of little hand-made hearts from all over the country, bearing messages of support, and you strung them together in a giant heartstring and sent it to the Hallmark Channel, pleading for just one more season,” Bird wrote.

When Calls the Heart

When Calls the Heart premiered on Hallmark Channel in 2014. Based on a series of books by Canadian author Janette Oke, the show followed a wealthy woman, Elizabeth Thatcher (played by Erin Krakow), who moved to a small Canadian mining town to work as a teacher. She fell in love with and eventually married a mountie — short for Royal Canadian Mounted Police —named Jack Thornton (played by Daniel Lissing).

The series has had its share of controversy. At the end of Season 5, Jack Thornton was killed shortly after his wedding to Elizabeth. In Season 6, two men were brought in to replace him, and they vied for Elizabeth’s hand until she chose between them in the Season 8 finale.

Many fans were upset when Elizabeth chose businessman Lucas Bouchard (Chris McNally) over Mountie Nathan Grant (Kevin McGarry). Some vowed never to watch the show again.

Renewed enthusiasm

In his letter, Bird said he had been touched by the show of enthusiasm he has seen for Season 9. He also said the support is needed if the series is to continue.

“And if you would like to see it continue, it’s your time to shine once again,” he wrote.

There has been no word yet from Hallmark Channel about whether the series will be renewed for a tenth season.

Henry shares a powerful lesson with Hope Valley’s children on When Calls the Heart

Hearties were treated to some of the feel-good, old-fashioned moments that have made When Calls the Heart famous during the second episode of Season 9 on Sunday.

Businessman Henry Gowen, who has been Hope Valley’s on-again, off-again villain since Season 1, set the record straight with the town’s children after he got involved in a saloon brawl during the first episode.

After spending the night in jail, he went to the schoolhouse and stood before the students. He explains what led him to attack businessman Jerome Smith in the saloon but said that violence is never the answer.

“If all we do is hurt each other, we all end up in pain,” he said.

Though some of the boys seemed disappointed, teacher Elizabeth Thornton was downright shocked. Henry has obviously come a long way from his early days in Hope Valley, when he made self-serving decisions that cost coal miners their lives.

Election results

In other developments, the votes in the town’s mayoral race were tabulated, and Mike Hickam was the winner. Though Bill and Lee were disappointed, Rosemary consoled her husband and even offered him the job as managing editor of her newspaper.

Hickam went to Fiona and told her it would be a conflict of interest for him to hold public office and be part owner of Gowen Petroleum. He turned over his shares to Fiona.

Nathan on the mend

Fans tuning into the second episode of Season 9 were expecting the worst after Nathan was hit by a car during the Season 9 premiere. After he was brought to Dr. Carter’s clinic, Elizabeth rushed to his bedside. When Nathan saw her, he didn’t recognize her, leading many fans to believe he was suffering from amnesia.

But almost immediately during Episode 2, it became apparent that Nathan was just kidding. He knew who Elizabeth was, there was no evident damage to his brain, and he would simply need rest and the doctor’s care to get better.

Several fans mentioned how much they appreciated Lucas visiting Nathan’s bedside. The two former rivals sat and ate ice cream together, giving some fans hope that it was the start of a beautiful friendship.

Finally, viewers were introduced to a softer side of newcomer Mei Suo (Amanda Wong). When Elizabeth went to check on Nathan’s horse, she found Mei there, soothing the animal, who was still skittish from the accident.

Heather Hemmens signs multi-picture deal with Hallmark Channel

Roswell, New Mexico star Heather Hemmens has signed a deal to make several movies for Hallmark Channel. The actress made the announcement in a post on Instagram.

“Manifestation update!!” Hemmens wrote in the caption. “As a black girl from rural Maine, an offer to spread joy, love and fun with the @hallmarkchannel is a dream come true! And on #internationalwomensday! I’m overcome with gratitude. Thank you to the wonderful team at #Hallmark for this very official welcome to the family. I am honored!”

Hemmens has already made two movies for Crown Media Family Networks. Love, Take Two premiered on the Hallmark Channel in 2019. Christmas In My Heart aired on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries in 2021.

A network spokeswoman said Hallmark was thrilled to have the star on board.

“We are excited to sign this multi-picture deal with Heather Hemmens,” said Lisa Hamilton Daly, executive vice president of programming for Crown Media. “Heather is such a pro at what she does, making every movie she works on unique and special. We are lucky to have her on-board, starring in multiple movies for us.”

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Hemmens and Hallmark

In a statement through the network, Hemmens said she was pleased to continue working with Hallmark.

“Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies and Mysteries are the go-to networks for feel-good entertainment, and I feel very lucky to be a part of that,” Hemmens said.

In a 2019 appearance on Hallmark’s Home and Family, the actress shared one of her many talents with co-hosts Debbie Matenopoulos and Cameron Mathison, teaching them how to make candles.

“We grew up in the woods with no TV or entertainment, so my mom was always trying to find stuff for us to do,” Hemmens said.

From Maine to Hollywood

Hemmens grew up in Maine and attended the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Boston, where she received weapons training and earned a black belt in martial arts. After graduation, she moved to Los Angeles. She landed bit parts in The Dukes of Hazzard and Glory Road before being cast as Alice Verdura in the CW series Hellcats in 2010. She also appeared in the OWN series If Loving You is Wrong and the CW show Roswell, New Mexico.

Neither Hemmens nor Hallmark gave details about the movies Hemmens will make. She is the second actress to announce a multi-picture deal with the network. In February, Laci Chabert said she had signed a two-year agreement to make movies with Crown Media.

Danica McKellar uses her love of math and physics on new Fox reality show

For years now, actress Danica McKellar has worked hard to help children (and adults) understand and appreciate math. She has written 12 books on the topic, with titles such as Math Doesn’t Suck and Kiss My Math, and runs a website, McKellar Math, dedicated to the subject.

Now on Fox, the mathematician will get a chance to share her knowledge on the reality show Domino Masters. Produced by the same team that put together the show Lego Masters, the program will feature teams building domino structures and then knocking them down.

“I can’t wait for you to see the mind-blowingly impressive domino structures our brilliant teams created,” the actress wrote in a post on her Instagram page. “It’s a wild, nail-biting ride and you’re gonna love it! It’s almost….TOPPLE TIME!”

The show is hosted by Modern Family star Eric Stonestreet. The other judges on the show are former NFL player Vernon Davis, and expert domino artist and YouTube star Steve Price.

The three teams competing will create structures using blocks and kinetic devices.

“I can’t believe what our teams were able to create in less than in 16 hours,” McKellar said during an Instagram Live appearance.

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Love of math

McKellar first became known to television audiences as Winnie Cooper on the series The Wonder Years, which ran from 1988 to 1993 on ABC.

After the show ended, she earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from UCLA. As an undergraduate, she helped author a mathematical-physics theorem, the Chayes-McKellar-Winn theorem. She has also testified before Congress on the state of women in the fields of math and science.

New projects

Domino Masters is only one of many new projects McKellar has taken on recently. In October, the actress announced she had signed a contract to make four movies with GAC Family, a new network started by Crown Media Family Network’s former CEO Bill Abbott.

The Winter Palace, which she starred in and produced, premiered on GAC Family on January 8. In an interview with The List, she said she would use some of the skills she learned on Dancing With the Stars in one of the movies.

“I can’t give you a lot of details yet, but I’m working on one that involves some dance, which is a lot of fun,” she said.

Five new movies coming to Hallmark during Spring Into Love event

Five new rom-coms will premiere on Hallmark Channel during its Spring Into Love event, which begins the last weekend of March and runs through the month of April. Melora Hardin, Illeana Douglas, Chris McNally, and Brittany Bristow are among the stars who will headline the films.

“We’re all in the mood for love (and puppies),” Bristow wrote on her Instagram page. “A Tail of Love will be premiering Saturday, April 23rd on @hallmarkchannel and I’m so excited to share it with you all!”

In addition to featuring Crown Media favorites such as Bristow, McNally, and Brant Daugherty, Spring Into Love also includes some actors new to the network.

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Illeana Douglas, who starred in Goodfellas, Cape Fear, and Seinfeld, will appear in Just One Kiss, alongside Krysta Rodriguez, Santino Fontana, and Aida Turturro. In the romantic comedy, Douglas and Turturro play matchmakers for their children, a professor (Rodriguez) and the headliner at a supper club (Fontana), who keep having chance encounters.

Another newcomer is Melora Hardin, who appeared in The Office as Jan Levinson-Gould. In Love, Classified, she plays a romance novelist who returns to her hometown and reconnects with her children, who are both trying out a new dating app.

Reunions

Also premiering during the Spring Into Love event is Always Amore, which stars Autumn Reeser and Tyler Hynes and is being produced by celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis. A Second Chance at Love, which premieres in March, will reunite ER co-stars Gloria Reuben and Eriq LaSalle.

“It’s true! Reunited and it feels so good!” Reuben wrote in an Instagram post.

Brant Daugherty will appear in his second rom-com this year for Hallmark in A Royal Runaway Romance. He plays a bodyguard who falls for the princess (Philippa Northeast) he is protecting.

The family man

On his Instagram, Daugherty shared how difficult it was to be away from his wife and infant son during filming.

“I had to spend 4 weeks away from this boy while I was filming in Canada and let me just tell you that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Daugherty said.

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Daugherty was on location in Canada shooting Hallmark Channel’s The Baker’s Son (2021) when his wife went into early labor with their son, Wilder David, in Los Angeles.

“I thought, I’ll take the film as a way of providing for my family, and hopefully I’ll make it,” he said. “A lot of first babies come late.”

But Wilder didn’t want to wait. On one of the last days of filming, Daugherty’s wife, Kimberly Hidalgo, went into labor. He ended up checking in on her in between takes via Zoom. After 30 hours in labor, she had a C-section, which he watched over FaceTime.

“My sister-in-law held the camera up for an hour while it all happened,” he said.

Spring Into Love starts on March 26 on Hallmark Channel.

Pascale Hutton: 'Rosemary has always been Team Elizabeth'

On Hallmark Channel’s When Calls the Heart, Rosemary Coulter (played by Pascale Hutton) has worn many hats over the years.

“She’s been an actress, and she’s been a gossip columnist. She has worked in the restaurant, she has played the piano, she has worked in the dress shop, of course,” Hutton said during a recent appearance on the Sarah Scoop Show.

In Season 9, Rosemary will find a new purpose, according to Hutton. But not before she attempts to — once again — do several things at once, she said.

“We’ll see her trying to wear a bunch of different hats and succeeding and not so much succeeding,” she said. “Rosemary is one of those people who always thrives in a bit of chaos.”

Hutton has played the character since the first season of When Calls the Heart premiered on Hallmark Channel in 2014. A former flame of Jack Thornton (played by Daniel Lissing), Rosemary arrived in what was then called Coal Valley and threw herself into small-town life by trying to start a theater company. She ended up falling for Lee Coulter (Kavan Smith), and the two married in Season 3.

Becoming Rosemary

A native of British Columbia, Hutton had a long list of credits to her name when she tried out for When Calls the Heart. In addition to bit parts on Supernatural, Dead Like Me, and Royal Pains, she had lead roles on the series Arctic Air and Sanctuary.

In the interview, Hutton said she tried to dress the part for her Rosemary audition. Since she knew the series was a period piece, she styled her hair in an elaborate updo. Because the character was supposed to be wearing a red dress, she showed up in a red blouse.

But all it took was one look at her audition video for the show’s executive producer and director Michael Landon Jr. to know she was right for the part.

“He thought, ‘Oh, this is who should play Rosemary,’” she said.

When Landon left work and pulled into traffic, he got another sign. “I was on was on a different TV series at the time that was being advertised a lot,” Hutton said. “A bus pulled up right beside him, and he looked over, and there was a big billboard on the side of the bus with my face on it.”

Champion of true love

During her interview, Hutton touched on the complexity of the character she plays. Rosemary has a public persona that is confident and theatrical. In private, she is quite sensitive, according to Hutton.

“I love her flair and her excitability and her enthusiasm and her theatrics,” she said. “But I also like those softer, quieter, vulnerable moments.”

As for whether Rosemary is Team Nathan or Team Lucas, Hutton said she is Team Elizabeth.

“Hands down, and this has always been unwavering, Rosemary has always been Team Elizabeth,” she said. “She just wants Elizabeth to find love again. There’s no bigger champion of love than Rosemary of love in Hope Valley.”

Brian Bird and Trevor Donovan are bringing back the after-school special. (Woot woot!)

The co-creator of Hallmark’s longest-running original series and the star of several Hallmark films are teaming up to create a series of “edutainment” films, similar to the after-school specials that used to run on ABC.

Brian Bird and Trevor Donovan will produce the films through Bird’s production company, True Brand Entertainment. In a statement to Variety, Donovan said the movies would examine issues such as substance abuse, equality, bullying, and inclusion.

“These scripted narratives will be fun and humorous presentations of contemporary issues which inspire and uplift, just as they did in the original series,” Donovan said. “That model worked well back then, and after twenty years, the lessons and storytelling that entertained Gen-X should be enjoyed again.”

Bird, who co-created When Calls the Heart, also weighed in, saying the films would be a great vehicle for discussion.

“At a time when our culture is so divided, our stories can be bridges of understanding, solve problems, offer healing and sometimes even save lives,” the producer notes. “We believe there is a welcome market for entertainment that can entertain, inspire and lift all people up.”

The Upstanders

Donovan leads an anti-bullying movement called the Upstanders. The program works with schools to help students learn how to spot bullying and stand up to bullies.

During a 2020 appearance at a Pennsylvania middle school, he talked about the abuse he received at the hands of his peers because of his introverted nature.

“You cannot escape it, and as a kid, you could feel as though you are surrounded, from the vicious messages sent directly to you to the disparaging content about someone’s reputation,” he said.

A California native, Donovan trained as a graphic artist before pursuing a career in Hollywood. He played Jeremy Horton on Days of Our Lives before taking the role of Teddy Montgomery on 90210. His character eventually came out as gay and eventually married his partner in a Vegas ceremony.

He has starred in many Hallmark movies, including Strawberry Summer (2012), Love, Fall & Order (2019), USS Christmas (2020), and Nantucket Noel (2021).

Working with Bird

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Donovan met writer and producer Brian Bird through his work at Hallmark. Bird co-created the series When Calls the Heart, which is going into its ninth season at Hallmark. He also helped produce the show’s spinoff series, When Hope Calls. Though the spinoff ran for only one season on Hallmark, it has been picked up by new network GAC Family for a second season.

Bird and Donovan recently finished making the independent film The Engagement Plot in Colorado, and Donovan said he would be open to making an appearance on one of Bird’s shows.

Donovan is also close with Bill Abbott, who was the CEO of Crown Media Family Networks for 11 years before leaving in early 2020. He recently signed a deal to make four movies with GAC Family, which was started by Abbott in June 2021.

As for the “edutainment” films, they will follow the model used by ABC in its after-school specials, which ran from the 1970s through the 1990s. The short films addressed issues of concern and ran on weekday afternoons. Over the years, the series won 51 Daytime Emmy Awards.

No premiere date has been set for the first film.

Meghan Markle in the Hallmark Channel movie When Sparks Fly. (Image: Crown Media)

Before she was royalty, Meghan Markle was a Hallmark star. (She also read The Rules.)

Before she was royalty, Meghan Markle was a TV star. Some viewers knew her as Rachel Zane from the series Suits. Others watched her on CSI: Miami and CSI: New York. Hallmark fans knew her from the two romantic comedies she made with the network, Dater’s Handbook and When Sparks Fly.

On Monday, Hallmark will air Dater’s Handbook as part of a Valentine’s Day movie marathon. In the film, Markle plays Cassandra Barber, a young woman who is tired of picking the wrong guy. She decides to follow the advice given by a relationship expert in her best-seller The Dater’s Handbook.

In the end, she finds herself caught in a love triangle with two men: reliable George (played by Jonathan Scarfe) and fun-loving Robert (played by Kristoffer Polaha).

“It’s hard to change old habits and place your faith in the experts, especially when your heart tells you something different,” reads a synopsis from the network.

“I think the reason Cassandra still has to refer to a handbook is the same reason all of us are trying to find our way and a little bit of guidance and trying to balance having it all,” Markle said in an interview to promote the film. “And having it all isn’t easy. I think we’re all still striving for that, so I think watching Cassandra’s journey is pretty fun.”

Happily ever after

Markle met her own true love on a blind date arranged by friends in 2016. She and Prince Harry were married two years later in a ceremony attended by Queen Elizabeth II at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The couple welcomed son Archie in May 2019.

“It’s magic. It’s pretty amazing,” she said during her first public appearance after giving birth. “I mean, I have the two best guys in the world, so I’m really happy.”

The couple welcomed their second child, Lilibet Diana, in June 2021.

Hallmark history

Markle made her first movie with Hallmark in 2014. She played journalist Amy Peterson in When Sparks Fly opposite Christopher Jacot. In the movie, her character returns to her small hometown for to write a newspaper feature about her parents’ fireworks business. When she arrives home, she is enlisted by a friend to help her plan a Fourth of July wedding to Amy’s ex-boyfriend Hank (played by Jacot). As Amy and Hank spend time together, they are reminded of why they were so good together and old feelings resurface.

Dater’s Handbook followed two years later. In an interview to promote the movie, Markle talked about the futility of playing games when it comes to serious relationships.

“I remember when I was in high school and college we were still reading The Rules — do you remember that book?” she said. “So this is very much like that. And all those different things they would say like, ‘Be a creature unlike any other,’ and it’s really about playing these games but at the end of the day, when it comes down to finding the person that you’re right for, that’s not the person you’re going to play games with.”

The stars of Chesapeake Shores are dropping hints about Season 6

It’s been almost four months since Season 5 of Chesapeake Shores wrapped up on Hallmark Channel. Fans anxious to know if there will be a Season 6 have heard only unconfirmed rumors about whether their favorite show will be back.

Now even the actors on the series are dropping hints that they would like to know the fate of the series.

“Gee I hope I get to see these guys again,” wrote Treat Williams on an Instagram post that featured a photo of his Chesapeake Shores castmates.

He followed it up with a photo of Robert Buckley, who joined the cast in Season 5, with the caption, “I am of course hoping to see this guy soon. Mr. Buckley.”

Finally, he posted a photo of actress Laci Mailey, who plays his daughter in the series.

“This of course is my beautiful youngest TV daughter Laci who plays Jess. I hope to see you soon!” he wrote.

Co-star Barbara Niven made her own social media post, sharing a photo from the first day of production on the series.

#ThrowbackThursday: Day 1 on set for #ChesapeakeShores back in 2016. I can’t believe it’s been nearly six years since we filmed season 1,” she wrote. “It’s been amazing ever since! #chessies.”

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Will there be a Season 6?

Fans have been asking the stars and the network when they can expect to see Season 6 of the series ever since the last episode of Season 5 premiered in October.

In November, a website claimed it had proof that Season 6 was scheduled to begin production in April 2022.

Williams saw the article and posted a screenshot with the caption, “This was interesting.”

But the network wouldn’t confirm whether the article was correct, and Williams followed his post up a few days later with the caption, “As to this post the actors have heard nothing from Hallmark so this tweet is all we know. As I said it is interesting. I know as much as you do.”

The back story

Based on the best-selling books by author Sherryl Woods, Chesapeake Shores follows single mother and attorney Abby O’Brien (played by Meghan Ory), who returns to her small coastal hometown following a divorce.

She reconnects with an old boyfriend and is thrown back into the drama of her large family.

Season 5 saw the introduction of several new characters, including a potential love interest for Abby and two potential suitors for her sister Bree (played by Emilie Ullerup). Mick (played by Williams) and Meg (played by Niven) O’Brien also began reconciling after years apart. In the final episode, Connor O’Briien (layed by Andrew Francis) collapsed with a suspected heart attack.

Ryan McPartlin turns a stylist into a super sleuth in Hallmark’s Cut, Color, Murder

Hallmark Movies and Mysteries is known for its movies featuring unlikely sleuths. In the Aurora Teagarden series, a timid librarian (played by Candace Cameron Bure) always solves the crime. In Mystery 101, a professor of literature (played by Jill Wagner) always finds out whodunit.

In February, the network will premiere a new murder mystery in which a stylist must figure out who killed the judge in a local beauty pageant.

“We decided to make our lead female a hairstylist in a beauty salon, and I liked that idea,” said Ryan McPartlin in a recent interview with Digital Journal.

McPartlin wrote, produced, and co-starred in the movie, playing a detective named Kyle Crawford. Actress Julie Gonzalo plays Ali Bowden, a small-town beautician whose clients keep her informed of all the latest gossip. This knowledge comes in handy when the creator of the local beauty pageant is found dead, and everyone involved in the competition — including her sister — becomes a suspect.

Gonzalo and McPartlin work together to solve the crime and clear her sister’s name.

A dream come true

In an Instagram post promoting the movie, McPartlin talked about how grateful he was that the film was getting made.

“This has been another passion project that was years in the making,” he wrote. “@heatherjnyc & I never gave up on this story that @jfilardi @waltbecker3 and I created until all the pieces fell into place.”

Born in Chicago, 47-year-old McPartlin had a few bit roles before landing the part of Hank Bennett on the soap opera Passions. He went on to star in several TV series, including Hart of Dixie, Devious Maids, and Chuck.

He’s also made movies for Hallmark Channel and Lifetime.

In Cut, Color, Murder, he will be reunited with his Passions co-star Eva Tamargo, who played Pilar Lopez-Fitzgerald on the show.

“Eva and I go way back,” he said.

Fun on the set

McPartlin said he was glad he got the chance to act with Gonzalo.

“I just had the best time, and I loved the cast,” he said

McPartlin says he plans on promoting the movie as much as possible on social media.

“I want the fans to have fun with ‘Cut, Color, Murder,’” he said. “I am already trying to figure out how to do a squares game in the same fashion that you do for the Super Bowl, so stay tuned for that.”

Cut, Color, Murder will premiere on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries on Sunday, February 6 at 9/8c.

Stacey Farber says Butlers in Love is a one-of-a-kind love story

When Stacey Farber got the script for Butlers in Love, she was fascinated. The lead character in the movie dreams of becoming a butler, an ambition she found endearing and amusing. The lead character also gets accepted into a school that trains butlers, something Farber had never heard of before.

“My big pitch for Butlers in Love is that I haven’t seen a movie like this,” she said during a recent interview on the Hallmarkies Podcast.

Farber, who plays lead character Emma in the romantic comedy, said she learned a lot while making the film, from how to dress the part to how to set a table for a full-course meal in only minutes.

In her interview, Farber also teased the romantic parts of the movie. Her character, Emma, falls for fellow student Henry, played by Corey Cott, who comes from a long line of butlers.

“My character does not like him until she starts to like him,” Farber said. “And yeah, you guys, the viewers, get to go on that journey with her fighting her feelings.”

Farber has been acting since she was in elementary school. Her breakthrough role came on the Canadian series Degrassi: The Next Generation. She said she loves working with Hallmark.

“Nothing bad happens,” she said. “It’s just good viewing. …It’s heartfelt and an escape from everyday stress.”

Not your typical 9-to-5 gig

In Butlers in Love, Emma finally gets accepted into a butler training academy after years of trying.

“She’s worked as a server, and she’s taken language classes, and she’s done everything she can to improve her application,” Farber said.

Butler academies do exist, and they offer courses in everything from silver service to household management.

“It pays extremely well, apparently,” Farber said. “And you get to travel a lot, and you get to meet fabulous people, and live in beautiful places.”

In the movie, teachers use competitions and timed exercises to train the students. Farber said this made for a lot of pressure when they were filming.

“We were working at a really fast pace,” she said.

Love in the ranks

One of the great dynamics of the film is the romantic tension between Emma and Henry, Farber said. While Emma struggles to get everything right, Henry finds it all pretty easy. Also, while becoming a butler is a dream for Emma, Henry would much rather be a chef. He’s only at the academy to make his family happy.

Overall, the movie is full of energy and heavy on comedy, according to Farber.

“I think it’s an interesting escape and an invitation to go to a butler academy with us,” she said. “And to laugh, I’m hoping.”

Butlers in Love will premiere on Hallmark Channel on Saturday, January 29 at 8/7c.

Trevor Donovan says he would be open to appearing on When Calls the Heart or When Hope Calls

Actor Trevor Donovan had a busy 2021. He filmed back-to-back romantic comedies, one with Hallmark, one with GAC Family, and a third with an independent film company, though he said he hopes it ends up on GAC.

“Bill Abbott, the former CEO of Hallmark, became a pretty good friend of mine while I was working there,” Donovan said in an interview with Feeling the Vibe. “We kept in contact after he stepped down.”

Donovan said he would also be open to working again with Brian Bird, the co-creator and producer of When Calls the Heart and its spinoff series, When Hope Calls. The two recently worked on a movie together and hit it off.

“Yeah, it might very well be happening,” he said in an interview with Heavy. “Like I said, I worked with Brian Bird on two movies this last year… We’ve become pretty good friends…So that’s a definite possibility.”

Bird produced the independent film The Engagement Plot, which stars Donovan and actress Rachel Boston. During filming last fall, he shared photos of the cast and crew, including a shot of himself and Donovan fishing on location in Colorado.

“Some early morning fly fishing on #TheEngagementPlot,” Bird wrote in the caption. “Trying to hook a spouse, maybe?”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CWjdI0tBxqB/

A long, successful career

A California native, Donovan got his start as a professional actor with a bit part in the 2004 series Quintuplets. He followed that with a stint as Jeremy Horton on Days of Our Lives.

His breakout role was on the CW series 90210. Donovan played Teddy Montgomery, a character who came out as gay and eventually married his boyfriend in a Las Vegas ceremony.

The actor has appeared in the Hallmark movies Strawberry Summer, Marry Me at Christmas (2017), Love, Fall & Order (2019), USS Christmas (2020), and Nantucket Noel.

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New network, new partnership

Donovan’s first movie with GAC Family was Jingle Bell Princess, which premiered in November 2021. He co-starred with Merritt Patterson, another actor who has had a long working relationship with Hallmark.

Other Hallmark favorites such as Danica McKellar, Jen Lilley, Jessica Lowndes, Chad Michael Murray, and Cindy Busby have also made movies with the network.

Donovan said he had a vague idea of Abbott’s plans following his 2020 exit from Crown Media Family Networks, the company he ran for 11 years.

“…He was a little secretive about it, going, ‘I’ve got something in the works,’” Donovan told Feeling the Vibe. “He kept me in the loop, so initially, I found out through him. I think it’s going to be an amazing place for family-friendly programming.”

Hallmark’s Cindy Busby shares how she stopped searching and found ‘the one’

Cindy Busby knows a few things about romance. Over the years, the Canadian actress has appeared in more than 20 romantic comedy movies, many of them for Hallmark Channel.

But during a recent interview on the podcast Rave It Up, she shared how she took the long way around when it came to finding “the one” in real life.

“I went through a lot of trial and error to get here,” she said.

The actress announced in December 2020 that she had married producer Chris Boyd.

“Grateful for all the experiences that came before so that I could find my way home to you!” she wrote in the caption. “I love you always @cboydcboyd.”

During her recent interview, Busby talked about how everything changed when she stopped focusing on finding love and instead focused on loving herself.

“The moment I started focusing on loving me…the perfect person came into my life,” she said.

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The queen of rom-coms

Busby had a busy 2021. In March, Hallmark released Chasing Waterfalls, which she starred in with Christopher Russell. In December, she had back-to-back premieres, with Toying With the Holidays debuting on Lifetime on December 18 and Joy for Christmas debuting on GAC Family on December 19.

The actress hasn’t said whether she plans on making more movies for GAC Family, the new network started by Crown Media’s former CEO Bill Abbott. The channel released 12 new films during its first four months on the air and has already released one in 2022. Hallmark stars including Trevor Donovan, Danice McKellar, and Jen Lilley have signed exclusive contracts to make movies for the network over the next two years.

Love in real life

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Busby’s introduction to her husband was straight out of a rom-com. The actress said she went out with a group of friends one night, interested only in catching up and having a good time.

But at the end of the evening, a handsome stranger approached her and asked for her phone number. Surprised, she rattled off the numbers and then left with her friends. They had just climbed into the car when he knocked on the window. He had copied the number down wrong and wanted to make sure he got the right one.

She texted him, and they started dating. It didn’t take long for her to realize that he could the one.

“After a few dates, I was like, ‘Houston, we have a problem,’” she said.

A friend told her to relax.

“She was like, ‘Just enjoy these moments. You don’t need to figure it all out right away,’” she said.

The entire interview can be heard on www.raveituptv.com.

Emilie Ullerup and Clayton James in Don’t Forget I Love You. (Image: Crown Media)

Hallmark's Don't Forget I Love You is all about living in the moment

Canadian actor Clayton James is excited for audiences to catch his most recent Hallmark film. In Don’t Forget I Love You, James plays single dad Josh, who connects with a woman named Taylor, played by Emilie Ullerup.

“He moves to a new town with his daughter and meets the neighbor across the street,” James said in a recent appearance on the Sarah Scoop Show.

At first, there is a bit of a personality clash between the two.

“My character is a little bit…excited and out there,” James said. “She’s a little bit more reserved than he is.”

Taylor digs up a time capsule left by her mother and finds a series of written challenges. Each is designed to force Taylor outside her comfort zone and open herself up to the possibility of love.

Josh agrees to help her challenges, whether it’s dragging her across a suspension bridge despite her fear of heights to taking a yoga class with her in which goats roam among the students.

“I think you gotta live life in the moment,” he said. “And if they’re anything out there that you’re interested in, just go for it.”

Fun on the set

James raved about his co-star, Emilie Ullerup, who stars as Bree O’Brien on the Hallmark Channel series Chesapeake Shores.

“Emilie is a powerhouse,” he said.

He also enjoyed working with 12-year-old Daphne Hoskins, who plays his daughter. Young people don’t overthink things, he said.

“They just act,” he said. “They bring truth to it.”

One of his favorite behind-the-scenes moments was when they shot the yoga class with goats.

“I look over, and the goat was on Emilie’s back, and it was just starting to eat her hair, and we’re rolling, and she’s trying so hard to keep it together,” he said.

Hallmark fan

James has starred in several Hallmark movies over the years, including The Sweetest Heart (2018), The Last Bridesmaid (2019), and Christmas on My Mind (2019). He also has a recurring role on the Hallmark series When Calls the Heart.

In his interview, James said he loves working on projects for the network.

“I think Hallmark has just grown to be a really fantastic production company that’s making these easy-to-watch films that you can watch with your family.”

Each movie also has a positive message, he said. In Don’t Forget I Love You, that message is to take risks because the rewards will be worth it.

“Live in the moment and enjoy it,” he said. “It’s a short journey, and it goes by fast.”

Don’t Forget I Love You will air on Hallmark Channel on Saturday, January 22 at 8/7c.

Paule Greene with his son Austin. (Image: Instagram/@paulgreeneofficial)

Paul Greene shared the most adorable photos of his baby to Instagram

Hallmark star Paul Greene is enjoying his second time around as a father. The Canadian actor shared photos to Instagram of his new son, Austin, wishing him a happy “one-month” birthday.

“We are in baby heaven over here,” he wrote in the caption.

His Hallmark co-stars weighed in with their own comments.

“So precious!!!” wrote Erin Krakow.

“Eeeeee!!” wrote Andrea Brooks.

“Omg,” wrote Josie Bissett.

Greene and his fiancé, Kate Austin, welcomed their son on December 12 after a tense few weeks. Little Austin was due on November 25 but kept his parents waiting. Greene said the baby arrived after a “four-day” marathon.

“He is a super healthy little boy, and we are thrilled,” the 47-year-old star wrote on his Instagram.

Greene has an 18-year-old son, Olivier, with ex-wife Angi Greene Fletcher.

Natural dad

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In an interview with People magazine, the actor said he loves being a parent.

“It teaches me to be kind and patient, and is a total learning experience, which keeps me young,” he shared. “I was born to be a dad.”

Greene has appeared in several Hallmark Channel movies, including Christmas CEO, which aired in November. He also plays Dr. Carson Shepherd on the show When Calls the Heart.

Season 9 of the series will premiere in March.

The return of Carson Shepherd?

Though Greene did not appear in any previews for the season, he has hinted to fans that his character will stay on the show.

In Season 8, his character was trying to decide whether to stay in the town of Hope Valley and propose to Faith (played by Andrea Brooks), who works in his clinic, or accept a fellowship to Johns Hopkins University and follow his dreams of becoming a surgeon.

In an interview on the Bubbly Sesh podcast, Greene said anything could happen.

“A lot can happen in the off-season” he said. “There’s a big-time jump in between seasons. Faith’s character became a doctor in the off-season. There’s so much that can happen.”

According to Greene’s Instagram, he and his family are living in a “baby bubble,” staying at their cabin on Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino Mountains.

“Loving every minute of it,” he wrote.

Kate Austin is an actress and life strategist studying online for her master’s degree in neuro-linguistic programming.

Greene, who recently recorded an album in Nashville called “Long Way Home,” told People magazine that music is a big part of their lives.

“I sang and played guitar to Kate’s belly while she was pregnant,” he said.

Danica McKellar in Christmas She Wrote (Image: Crown Media)

Danica McKellar will put her dancing skills to use in new film for GAC Family

Actress Danica McKellar made headlines in October when she announced that she had signed an exclusive contract with GAC Family, a new network started by Crown Media Family Network’s former CEO Bill Abbott. As part of the deal, she will star in and executive produce four movies for the company. The first of these, The Winter Palace, premiered on January 8.

In an interview with The List, the Wonder Years alum says she is looking forward to using the moves she learned as a contestant on Dancing With the Stars in one of her GAC movies.

“I can’t give you a lot of details yet, but I’m working on one that involves some dance, which is a lot of fun,” she said. “I haven’t done a lot of dancing since “Dancing with the Stars” several years ago, but I love it. And it’s just a fantastic fun exercise and art form all at once.”

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The actress said there’s nothing better than making romantic, feel-good films for viewers.

“Romantic comedies go all year round,” she said. “And I think what audiences love about Christmas is this feeling of nostalgia and family and traditions and warm fuzziness. Really, what we want is that warm fuzziness.”

Making the switch

McKellar first appeared on the small screen as Winnie Cooper in the ABC program The Wonder Years, which ran from 1988-1993. After finishing the series, she went on to study mathematics at UCLA.

In her work as an undergraduate, she helped author a mathematical-physics theorem, the Chayes-McKellar-Winn theorem. She has written 11 books about math and runs a website devoted to the subject.

She continued her acting career as well, making guest appearances on The West Wing and the The Big Bang Theory. Over the years, she has appeared in the Hallmark romcoms Crown for Christmas (2015), Christmas at Grand Valley (2018), and Christmas at Dollywood (2019). She also starred in Crown Media’s Matchmaker Mysteries series.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, the actress said she was excited when Bill Abbott approached her about working for GAC Family.

“So when he was getting ready to launch this new network, I was thrilled that he reached out to me to sign a multi-picture deal as an actress and executive producer,” she said.

New network, new role

McKellar said she having a lot of fun in her new role at GAC Family.

“I’m executive producing and acting in these movies, and I have a little bit more creative say,” she said. “And so, it was really fun to be more hands-on and helping to make more creative decisions, not just in the script, but also just random things, like the props or whatever, just being more involved.”

Nazneen Contractor and Brennan Elliott in Hallmark Channel’s The Perfect Pairing. (Image: Crown Media)

Hallmark debuts new wine to go with The Perfect Pairing

It’s been six months since Hallmark Channel introduced its own line of wines and added a subscription wine service to its website.

This week, the network introduced a new wine to its collection. A late-harvest sauvignon blanc, the wine has a finished residual sugar of 17 percent, placing it in the dessert wine category. According to the network, it was “inspired by the Hallmark Channel original movie, The Perfect Pairing, which tells the story of a passionate vintner, a visiting wine critic and the happy accident that brings them together.”

A late-harvest sauvignon blanc, the wine has a finished residual sugar of 17 percent, placing it in the dessert wine category. According to the network, it was “inspired by the Hallmark Channel original movie, The Perfect Pairing, which tells the story of a passionate vintner, a visiting wine critic and the happy accident that brings them together.”

The movie will premiere this Saturday. Starring Nazneen Contractor and Brennan Elliott, it follows a woman who bumps her head during a trip to a vineyard and develops amnesia. The vineyard owner takes her in and tries to help her get her memory back.

It’s part of Hallmark Channel’s “New Year, New Movies” lineup, which includes four original movies, with a new film premiering every Saturday night in January.

Opposites attract

In the movie, Contractor plays a cynical and anonymous food and wine critic who visits a vineyard run by Elliott. When she realizes it is the same place she panned in a previous review, she turns to leave, only to slip on a patch of ice and bump her head.

Elliott is the vineyard owner, a kindhearted single father who does everything he can to help Contractor regain her memory.

In a scene Hallmark shared with ET Online, Elliott is giving Contractor a tour of the winery and takes her into a room kept at 14 degrees, which he says is the perfect temperature for making ice wine.

When she says it will make a great addition to the tour, he explains the area is only temporary.

“My dad says it’s too expensive to maintain an ice wine room at 14 degrees,” he says, opening a bottle. “He wants us to just rely on what we know best to get our customers back.”

He explains that a particularly negative review caused them to lose a lot of customers and that he and his family are doing everything they can to keep the business alive.

“These reviewers are very brutal,” Elliott says.

“Well, they don’t sound like very happy people,” Contractor replies. “Looking for the negative in everything must be exhausting.”

Hallmark favorites

Both Contractor and Elliott have appeared in a number of Hallmark movies. Contractor starred in The Christmas Ring (2020) and A Winter Getaway (2021). Elliott starred in the Flower Shop Mysteries series for Hallmark Movies and Mysteries and the All of My Heart romantic comedy series with Lacey Chabert.

In an Instagram post, Contractor called The Perfect Pairing her favorite Hallmark movie so far.

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“So much love and labor went into this one,” she wrote in the caption. “From my heart to yours.”

The Perfect Pairing will air on Saturday, January 15, on Hallmark Channel at 8/7c.

James Denton and Catherine Bell on the show Good Witch. Image: Crown Media

Six months after Hallmark canceled Good Witch, fans are doing their best to save the show

Fans of Hallmark Channel’s Good Witch are doing all they can to save their favorite TV show. Six months after the network announced it was canceling the series, fans are circulating petitions, writing letters, and posting messages to social media.

“Being global, we are on social media 24/7 posting and trying to communicate to get our message out to everyone on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter,” said Lisa Gurksy-Choi, a fan from Michigan.

Goodies from as far abroad as Spain, Brazil, and France have been tweeting in support of the series, and sharing photos, quotes, and messages on Instagram and Facebook.

“I joined the campaign because I love the show,” said Melanie Warner, a fan from the UK. “When Hallmark canceled, despite the uplifting connection with fans throughout lockdown, I was devastated.”

The campaign to get Good Witch back on the air has shifted from getting Hallmark executives to rethink their decision to getting a different network, or even a streaming platform such as Netflix, to take over production.

A new network

Hallmark announced in July that it was canceling the program, which had its start in 2008 as a series of films about a mysterious woman named Cassie Nightingale who moves to a small town. The network debuted the TV series in 2015. When it announced in July 2021 that the show was being canceled, there were only three episodes left to Season 7. Hallmark executives said the show had run its course.

Fans said they felt blindsided by the decision and immediately began organizing to get the show back on the air. In addition to starting petitions on change.org, they began writing to Hallmark executives and tweeting in support of the show.

They were encouraged when Manifest, an NBC series that was canceled in June, was picked up in August by Netflix for a final season. They began directing their tweets to the streaming service, as well as to a new network started by the man who was in charge at Hallmark when Good Witch first started.

GAC Family

GAC Family is run by Crown Media’s former CEO Bill Abbott, who left the company in early 2020. In June 2021, he announced he had partnered with Dallas-based Hicks Equity Partners LLC to buy two cable networks in a deal Bloomberg valued at $90 million.

GAC Family began broadcasting in September, and soon after announced it had taken over production of a Hallmark series. In December, GAC Family debuted the first two episodes of a second season of When Hope Calls, a spinoff of Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart that the network abandoned after the first season.

The leaders of the Save Good Witch campaign are hopeful that Abbott will take a chance on another Hallmark favorite.

A Twitter campaign that started in July to save the series is still going strong. Goodies share a steady stream of posts about the show, with nearly everyone in the group tweeting during the show’s old Sunday evening time slot.

In December, fans sent Christmas cards to Abbott, congratulating him on his new network and asking him to consider producing Good Witch. Many of the fans received handwritten responses from the executive, according to Gursky-Choi.

There has been no comment from GAC Family as to whether it plans on picking up the series. Right now, the network is promoting its original movies. Over the holiday season, the network released 12 new films, and it has already released one, The Winter Palace, this year. It has signed deals with Hallmark favorites Danica McKellar, Trevor Donovan, and Jen Lilley to create even more movies.

Catarina Duarte of Brazil says Good Witch would be a perfect fit for GAC Family.

“Good Witch is a high-quality program,” she said. “This series deserves to continue. We miss it so much.”

Ali Liebert takes a turn behind the camera in Hallmark Movies and Mysteries North to Home

Over the years, Canadian actress Ali Liebert has appeared in countless Hallmark productions. In 2016, she had a guest role on the series Chesapeake Shores as the love interest of Kevin (Brendan Penny). She starred opposite Peter Porte in 2017 in the film Cherished Memories, and then again in 2019 in the sequel, Cherished Memories: A Gift to Remember 2. In December 2021, she played the youngest of three daughters in the Hallmark Movies Now film Every Time a Bell Rings.

This Sunday, Liebert will make her debut as a Hallmark director with North to Home, which airs on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries.

“I had been offered a few other Hallmark films but I was busy acting,” Liebert said in an interview to promote the movie. “But then this one came up, and I thought it was such a great fit.”

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The movie stars Barbara Niven as Suzanne McBride, an Alaskan woman whose daughters Posy (Lyndsy Fonseca), Hannah (Erica Durance), and Beth (Kimberley Sustad) return home to help her celebrate her 60th birthday. Before they can make it to the big day, the women begin arguing about past events.

“There’s a certain amount of resentment each sister holds,” Sustad said in a Facebook Live interview. “Then the honesty comes. Everybody gets honest with one another, and the resentment starts to heal itself, and it sort of goes away.”

Lucky shoot

In a Facebook Live event, Sustad, Durance, and Niven commented on how great it was to have an actor directing the film.

“You made the set really calm for us,” Niven said. “You made me a better actor.”

The actors said it was a hectic two-week shoot. Storms that flooded Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart set touched down in the area where they were filming, but they avoided any major problems.

“We really lucked out,” Liebert said. “On days that we were exterior, it would be okay, and days when we were interior, we would look out the window and trees would be flowing by.”

Behind the camera

Liebert made her professional acting debut in the 2004 pilot of the Showtime series The L Word. In 2015, she won a Canadian Screen Award for her portrayal of Betty McRae in the series Bomb Girls.

The actress has been directing for three years and producing movies since 2011 with the boutique company Sociable Films, which she helped found.

She told aspiring directors to get as much experience as they can writing and filming, even if it’s just small projects to begin with.

“Even if it’s on your iPhone,” she said. “Just write and direct a short film, just so you get a feel for the technical stuff.”

North to Home will premiere on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries on Sunday, January 9 at 9/8c.

Daniel Lissing and Lori Loughlin FaceTimed Erin Krakow from the set of When Hope Calls

When Daniel Lissing and Lori Loughlin reunited on the set of When Hope Calls, it was a bittersweet moment.

“I walked on set and Lori saw me and she got emotional,” Lissing said during a recent ET Online interview. “I got emotional about it.”

The two former stars of the series When Calls the Heart were happy they got to work together, but sad because they knew someone was missing.

“We FaceTimed Erin [Krakow],” he said. “The three of us had a moment together.”

Krakow, who recently finished filming Season 9 of When Calls the Heart, was thrilled that her former co-stars got to work together again, even without her.

Season 2 of When Hope Calls will premiere on Saturday, December 18 at 8/7c on GAC Family. The series, about two sisters who start an orphanage in a small Canadian town, had a successful first season on Hallmark in 2019.

But the network made no plans to release a second season, so the show’s creators turned to GAC Family, which was started by former Crown Media CEO Bill Abbott in June.

Co-creator Brian Bird has been making social media posts from the set since October. Last week, he put a photo on Instagram with the caption, “Now that the red serge is out of the bag, #Hearties… I was so pleased to be reunited with my old mate, @DLissing, for his appearance on #WhenHopeCalls.”

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Jack is back (for like, a minute anyway)

Lissing, Loughlin, and Krakow originally appeared together on When Calls the Heart, which premiered on Hallmark Channel in 2014. Based on a series of books by Canadian author Janette Oke, the show followed a wealthy young woman, Elizabeth (played by Krakow), who moved to a small mining town to teach school.

Among the people she meets are widow Abigail Stanton (played by Loughlin) and Jack Thornton (played by Lissing), a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Elizabeth and Jack eventually fell in love, and in Season 5, they married. Soon after, Australian-born Lissing left the series citing personal reasons.

The show’s writers had Jack killed off, not that it stopped fans from asking Lissing to return to the series.

“These fans are just the most loyal fans in the world,” he said.

Lissing said he has always been open to reprising the character of Jack as long as his appearance “made sense.”

The characters for When Hope Calls initially appeared on When Calls the Heart during Season 6. The spinoff series then had its premiere in August 2019.

When GAC Family began working on a second season, Bird approached Loughlin about appearing on the series as her When Calls the Herat character Abigail Stanton.

Loughlin was written off When Calls the Heart in the middle of Season 6 when news broke of her involvement in a college admissions bribery scandal.

But in a June interview, Bird said he would be open to having Loughlin back.

“If anyone should return to Hope Valley, it should be Abigail,” he said.

He got his wish. Sort of. Instead of appearing in Hope Valley, Abigail will make an appearance in Brookfield.

According to Lissing, Loughlin began calling him about appearing on the show several months ago. When he read the script, he thought it was perfect.

“I felt like it was a really nice, poignant way to say goodbye to this character,” he said.

Though he couldn’t say whether Jack appears to Abigail in a flashback or in a more supernatural form, he said being back was an emotional experience.

“I definitely had glassy eyes at one point,” he said.

It was also physically painful.

“I forgot how hard the boots were to put on,” he said.

When Hope Calls Christmas will premiere on Saturday, December 18 on GAC Family at 8/7c.

Rob Thomas wrote his latest album while binge-watching Hallmark Christmas movies. (We like this guy.)

Rock musician Rob Thomas has a weakness for Hallmark movies and Christmas and he’s not afraid to admit it.

“I’m a Christmas geek, I’m a Hallmark movie geek,” the musician said during an interview with Us Weekly.

The lead singer of Matchbox Twenty was thrilled when Hallmark picked one of his songs to feature in their Countdown to Christmas film A Royal Queens Christmas, which stars Megan Park and Julian Morris.

The song comes from his latest album, Something About Christmas Time, which he wrote over the summer while watching Hallmark’s Christmas in July event.

“You know, every year it’s Christmas time, I’m sitting at the piano at some point, and I’m like, ‘Oh, I want to do a Christmas album,’” he said. “And it’s always too late because if you do a Christmas album, a lot of people don’t realize you have to do it in the summer.”

But this year, Thomas planned ahead.

“So the first thing I had to do was I had to kind of shut everything here in my studio, covering everything in Christmas lights, keep Christmas movies on at all times, [and] keep the Christmas vibe kind of, like, going and flowing,” he said.

Christmas in July

Thomas began work on the album in June and finished in August. When Christmas in July was playing on Hallmark, he simply left the TV on. But before and after the televised movie marathon, he brought out his collection of Hallmark DVDs.

“I think my favorite, it’s almost an asterisk one because it used to not be on Hallmark and then Hallmark bought it, but it’s a movie called Most Wonderful Time of the Year and it stars Henry Winkler,” he said.

Thomas, who has worked with musicians such as Mick Jagger, Willie Nelson, and Marc Anthony, released the album on November 1. Soon after he was contacted by Crown Media, Hallmark’s parent company, asking to use one of the songs in an upcoming movie. They also wanted the singer to appear on their float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

‘A New York Christmas’

A re-worked version of ‘A New York Christmas’ will appear in A Royal Queens Christmas. The movie stars Megan Park as DeeDee, a woman who has just returned home to Queens, New York, from a tour of duty in the army. While helping to organize a local Christmas fundraiser, she runs into Colin (played by Julian Morris), who is playing piano at a hotel.

She convinces him to play for the show, thinking he is a hotel employee. It turns out he is a prince, something he keeps hidden from her.

Thomas said he can’t wait to watch the movie.

“…My wife is from Queens and she is a Hallmark movie geek,” he said.

A Royal Queens Christmas will premiere on Saturday, December 11 on Hallmark Channel at 8/7c.

Nik Sanchez is making history as the first actor with autism to portray a character on the spectrum in a Hallmark movie

Nik Sanchez is only 17 years old, but he’s already making history. The Orange County native is starring opposite Holly Robinson Peete and Lyriq Bent in Our Christmas Journey, the first Hallmark movie to include a character with autism.

His portrayal is even more remarkable because Sanchez himself is on the autism spectrum.

In a recent interview with Monsters & Critics, the actor talked about how he got into the business, what it was like to work with industry veterans Robinson Peete and Bent, and what he wishes people understood about autism.

Our Christmas Journey

In the movie, Sanchez plays 18-year-old Marcus, a young man on the autism spectrum who lives with his mother, Lena. When his father finds a space available in a program that helps adults with cognitive challenges learn to live independently, he is immediately interested. His mother, however, is hesitant. She isn’t sure that he is ready to live so far away or without her help.

The family travels upstate to visit the facility, and Lena is forced to confront the fact that she might be the one who can’t live without her son, not the other way around.

Robinson Peete and her husband, former NFL player Rodney Peete, have been vocal advocates for members of the autism community since their son, RJ, was diagnosed with the condition as a young child. In 1993 they founded the HolyRod Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to raising awareness and providing resources to families that have a loved one who has received an autism or Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.

“It was extremely frustrating to have behaviors that you can’t control and then get put down for them, or get talked about, or not have a friendship because of it, or your mom’s nagging at you because of it,” Peete said in an interview with Monsters & Critics.

About Sanchez

Sanchez was diagnosed at a young age with autism and ADHD. His mother enrolled him in acting classes at the age of five because he enjoyed role-playing.

“The instructor told me I wouldn’t do well because I had the attention span of a gnat,” Sanchez said in an interview.

He continued role-playing on his own until a few years back, when he was signed with a Hollywood agent. Soon after, he booked his first role as a recurring character on the ABC series The Rookie.

The experience taught him a lot.

“..I didn’t realize we’d have to do the scenes over and over and over again, because of the angles and the camera changes,” he said. “I gained a much higher respect for the actors.”

He said he liked the script for Our Christmas Journey because it was an accurate portrayal of life with autism.

“In real autistic families, everybody is affected,” he said. “Everybody plays a role and this movie really portrays that.”

Sanchez described working with Robinson Peete as “amazing.”

“Working with her was probably the closest I’ll ever get to making a movie with my own mom,” he said. “She just knew things. Being around her felt very natural from day one.”

The actor said he wishes people would stop seeing autism as something negative.

“Autism isn’t a weakness,” he said. “…For me, I say that I’m awesomely autistic because I view autism as my superpower. My autism allows me to view the world in a different way.”

Hallmark Christmas movies, When Hope Calls, and Virgin River: See what the cast members of Good Witch are up to now

It’s been three months since Hallmark canceled the series Good Witch. While fans have been keeping busy trying to get the series back on the air for an eighth season, the stars have been busy with projects of their own.

Catherine Bell

In September, Bell shared a sweet video to Instagram:

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A post shared by Catherine Bell (@therealcatherinebell)

She has confirmed that she will appear in Season 4 of Virgin River, and she recently shared with fans on Instagram that she is filming a movie for the Lifetime network.

James Denton

The actor, who played Dr. Sam Radford on the show, will appear in a Hallmark Christmas movie with his former Desperate Housewives co-star Teri Hatcher.

In A Kiss Before Christmas, Denton stars as a real estate development executive who wonders if his life would have turned out better if didn’t always take the nice guy approach. He wakes up to find his ex-wife (played by Hatcher) and his children are gone, and he is the CEO of his own company.

He decides he wants his old life back, but he only has until Christmas Day to convince his ex-wife that they belong together.

Kyana Teresa

Teresa, who joined the cast in Season 7, has also kept busy.

She recently finished shooting a Lifetime Christmas movie, Miracle in Motor City, with Tia Mowry. On her Instagram, she posted a photo with the caption, “I got to shoot a Christmas movie for @lifetimetv that was Black and beautiful. The cast and crew were so kind and loving, and I got to work with some truly inspiring people, @tiamowry being one of them. Thanks for bringing me on board this project, it was a dream come true.”

Teresa also has a role in the OWN Christmas movie “A Sisterly Christmas.”

Recently she posted photos to her Instagram from the set of When Hope Calls, which is being brought back for a second season by GAC Family.

She posted a photo of herself to Instagram with the caption, “What do you call a horse that lives next door? A neigh-bour! This beautiful gentle gal is named Rain and she was so incredible on her first set ever! Kinda made all the human actors look subpar if I’m being honest. 🐎♀️ Definitely Brookfield’s finest!!”

Sarah Power

Sarah Power will appear in the Hallmark Christmas movie Nantucket Noel with Trevor Donovan.

Power plays a small-town toy store owner who finds out a developer is planning on tearing down the wharf where she has her business. According to a description on Hallmark’s website, “Tensions rise as she falls for the developer’s son, Andy.”

Kat Barrell

In September, Barrell and her husband, Ray Galetti, welcomed their first child.

“Please welcome the newest member of our family, Ronin Barrell Galletti,” she wrote on Instagram. “All the things they say are true: we are incredibly in love, very tired and feel like we’ve lived both the longest and shortest three weeks of our lives!”

She later posted a photo with the caption, “Once one baby falls asleep the other decides it’s now his turn for cuddles. Bernie’s been so amazing with his brother and absolutely exceeded our expectations! He used to follow me around constantly and now he doesn’t leave Ronin’s side.”

Barrell has a role in the next Godwink movie on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. In a film description from the director’s LinkedIn bio, “The 4th in the series of the true-life Godwink Christmas stories, Divine Destiny not only has two people finding love but a life is saved through a series of coincidences, known as Godwinks.”

A Godwink Christmas: Miracles of Love, will premiere on Saturday, December 11 on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries at 8/7c.

Bailee Madison

Okay, so technically Madison left the show after Season 5. But she did have a cameo in Season 7 and she will always be part of the Good Witch family, so she counts.

Madison will appear in the HBO Max reboot of Pretty Little Liars.

In May, she signed a deal to be represented by Jonas Entertainment Group, run by Kevin Jonas Sr. In an interview with Variety, she said, “I’m finally ready to take this leap. Music is a very personal and vulnerable side of me, and this new partnership with Kevin Jonas, Sr. is an extension of that. Now sharing this part of myself with the world means so much, and it feels like a chance to give insight on my heart. Everything that I do is a circle of love, and that comes with my art as well.”

Scott Cavalheiro

Cavalheiro will be a judge in the Toronto-based Crystalline Film Festival, which will take place in January 2022.

In early October, Cavalheiro appeared on Let’s Dive In with Allen Vaysberg.

The actor revealed that the Season 7 ending the cast originally filmed was not the one that was used.

“We expected to come back,” he told the host, saying everyone was surprised when they found out Hallmark would not bring the show back for another season.

Alicia Witt with her new book, “Small Changes: A Rules-Free Guide to Add More Plant-Based Foods, Peace & Power to Your Life.” (Image: Instagram/@aliciawitty)

Alicia Witt shares her journey to healthy living with new book

It seems Alicia Witt didn’t have enough credits to her name. The actress, classically trained pianist, former child prodigy, recording artist, and touring musician recently added published author to her résumé.

Small Changes: A Rules-Free Guide to Add More Plant-Based Foods, Peace & Power to Your Life is a personal, judgment-free look at fad diets and exercise plans Witt followed in the past, and how she found her way to her current health and wellness.

The Massachusetts native, who now lives in Nashville, is active on Instagram, where she shares photos and videos of the food she grows in her own yard.

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A post shared by Alicia Witt (@aliciawitty)

In an interview with the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, she said the book got its start right when the pandemic was gaining steam.

“My tour had been canceled so it was the perfect time to just hunker down and instead of focusing on the terrifying world events, just to focus on maybe being able to help people a little bit through all of my various experiences,” she said.

”People don’t want to be lectured,” Witt said. “They don’t want to be told how to eat or what is right for their body and their lifestyle,” Witt said. “And I think that of the most well-meaning so-called help gurus can repulse exactly the people that need the help the most by giving them a list of rules and regulations and actually telling them that you might as well just quit if you’re not going to be 100 percent vegan or 100 percent macrobiotic or 100 percent whatever … You can change a few small things at a time and you do not need to drastically overhaul your own life. And you’re going to start to feel and notice the difference.”

Small Changes: A Rules-Free Guide to Add More Plant-Based Foods, Peace & Power to Your Life is available for purchase here:

Scott Cavalheiro has a message for Good Witch fans: Thank you

In a recent appearance on Let’s Dive In with Allen Vaysberg, Good Witch star Scott Cavalheiro said he was extremely grateful for all the work fans are doing to get the show back on the air.

“There is such an incredible fan base for the show,” Cavalheiro said. “If I could say anything it would be a whole-hearted thank you.”

Cavalheiro, who played Adam Hawkins on the show for three seasons, said he and the cast were shocked then they found out Crown Media was canceling the series.

“We expected to come back,” he said.

The ending that aired in July was not the one the cast originally shot, Cavalheiro said.

Still, he was grateful for the experience of working on the show.

“Especially during the pandemic, when we were all at home and isolated and so fearful of the world,” he said. “We got to come to work everyday and we got to see each other and we got to have a laugh and it was so good for our mental health.”

Vaysberg commented on the well-know “Hallmark effect,” saying the pace and tone of the films provide a well-needed balance to the craziness of the world.

The bad guy

Cavalheiro, who was a spin instructor and trainer before becoming an actor, said that being cast in his first feel-good family production was a turning point.

“I was playing a lot of bad guys,” Cavalheiro explained.

In 2018, he starred in the Netflix film Christmas With A View. Following that, he landed a small role on Good Witch. In his interview with Vaysberg, Cavalheiro said he was only supposed to be in a couple of episodes, but that showrunner Darin Goldberg decided to expand his role.

“He would ask me all these questions,” Cavalheiro said. “He’d say, ‘So if Adam stayed around, how do you think his relationship with Kylee or his relationship with Stephanie would go?’”

The Adam and Stephanie Show?

Cavalheiro said he is impressed at how broad and dedicated the Good Witch fan base is. He has been touched by the efforts to get it back on the air, and even weighed in on social media, suggesting that Adam and Stephanie would be great subnets for a spin-off series.

When he made the suggestion to Goldberg, he said the writer had a good laugh and told him, “Listen, if Hallmark wants to talk, let’s talk.”

Brian Bird: Having Elizabeth choose Lucas was best for the longevity of the show

In a recent interview, the co-creator and producer of When Calls the Heart defended character Elizabeth Thornton choosing Lucas Bouchard over her other suitor, Nathan Grant, during the Season 8 finale.

Her decision ended a three-season-long love triangle between three of the show’s main characters and upset many fans who thought she picked the wrong guy.

But in an appearance on the Greenelines podcast,

Bird said pairing Elizabeth with Lucas was best for the longevity of the show.

“We believed this choice of Lucas Bouchard would give us more seasons because we have not gone down that road before,” Bird told podcast host Steve Greene.

Too similar to Jack

He said there were too many similarities between Nathan and Elizabeth’s first husband, Jack Thornton, who died at the end of Season 5. Both men were “mounties” (short for Royal Canadian Mounted Police), so pairing Elizabeth with Nathan would have felt like a rehash of the show’s early seasons, according to Bird.

“We wanted to find a new way to do a love story for Elizabeth, so we didn’t just repeat the same storylines,” he said. “I feel a big responsibility to give the Hearties Hope Valley for as many seasons as possible.”

Next great love story

Actress Erin Krakow, who plays Elizabeth on the show, has also brought up the similarity between Nathan and Jack.

During an interview with Entertainment Tonight in May, she said Elizabeth had projected some of her feelings toward Jack onto Nathan. She believes that Lucas is Elizabeth’s “next great love story.”

Bird assured Greeneline’s listeners that Nathan would remain an essential character on When Calls the Heart. Writers have already started work on Season 9, and have devised storylines that will keep him front and center in the show.

During the half-hour podcast, Bird also talked about the show serving as a gentle alternative to the programming on other networks. When Calls the Heart is based on a series of books by Christian author Janette Oke. The TV show avoids profanity and limits violence, focusing instead on religious faith and the day-to-day life of a small community.

“The last few years have been dramatic and traumatic,” he said. “People…are starved to death for uplifting entertainment, for hope, for happy endings, for a sense of uplift in their lives and getting past the darkness, the cynicism of our age.”

The return of Abigail Stanton

Finally, he touched on his hope for the return of one of the show’s most popular characters, Abigail Stanton. Played by actress Lori Loughlin, Abigail was written out of the series during Season 6, when Loughlin was indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering.

Bird said he would love to Loughlin back on the show, but it’s not entirely up to him.

“If anyone should return to Hope Valley, it should be Abigail,” he said.

Abby new love interest: okay guy or insufferable man-child?

(Is it just us? Does anyone else think they’re trying too hard to bring the wacky with this character?)

Last week, Chessies were introduced to the man expected to take the place of Trace Riley in Abby O’Brien’s heart. Evan Kincaid, the self-described “eccentric billionaire,” hover boarded into town just one episode after Trace took off in his pickup truck, crushing any hopes of a Trabby reunion.

But some fans didn’t know what to make of Kincaid (played by Robert Buckley), who has come to Chesapeake Shores to build a hotel. Maybe. He kept changing his mind throughout the episode, driving straight shooter Abby (Meghan Ory) crazy.

After hearing that asbestos had contaminated the soil on the building site, Kincaid almost canceled the project during a video conference call from Newfoundland, where he was mountain climbing. He immediately backtracked and decided to visit the site.

“You don’t like me”

The next day, he canceled the project again, changing his mind only after Abby tracked him down at a miniature golf course on the edge of town. Kincaid decided to go ahead with the project as long as he could work with Abby instead of Mick O’Brien (Treat Williams).

When Abby asked why, he answered, “You don’t like me.”

He explained that, as a billionaire, he is surrounded by people who tell him what he wants to hear. He believes Abby will tell him what he needs to hear.

Survey says?

Some fans welcomed the addition of Kincaid.

“I like him,” one wrote on the show’s Facebook page. “Give it some time and I am sure he will be a favorite.”

Others rejected him outright.

“This new character is ridiculous,” another fan wrote. “A billionaire man child. So silly.”
At least one fan thought Kincaid would be a good fit on the show, just not for Abby.

“I like the actor, not the character,” another wrote. “I find him annoying and I think he might be a better match for Bree!”

Other surprises

Abby was not the only character who found herself on unfamiliar territory in Episode 3.

Bree (Emilie Ullerup) found out that her new boss, who was her nemesis in high school, has become a decent guy.

Meg (Barbara Niven) discovered a rare painting by a reclusive artist and tracked him down to Chesapeake Shores. When she went to his house to confirm it was his work, he slammed the door in her face.

Mick hired Luke (Stephen Huszar), Kevin’s high school friend, to work at the Bridge, only to find out that Luke was just released from prison.

And finally, at his new job, Connor (Andrew Francis) discovered the firm was representing Paul Dilpher, the man suing his family construction business.

Season 5, Episode 4 of Chesapeake Shores will air Sunday, September 5 on Hallmark Channel at 8/7c.

Image: Crown Media

Candace Cameron Bure and Marilu Henner promote the latest film in the Aurora Teagarden mystery series

Candace Cameron Bure and Marilu Henner answered questions and traded jokes during a Facebook Live event to promote the latest film in the Aurora Teagarden mystery series, Honeymoon, Honeymurder, which will air on Sunday, August 22 at 9/8c.

Although this is the 17th movie in the series, viewers can still expect to find out things about Aurora (played by Bure) and her indomitable mother, Aida (played by Henner).

“I love that the viewer is getting a taste of or just getting more background as to who Aurora and Aida are and their family dynamic,” Bure said. “That’s a really big thing 17 movies in that we’re finally getting to learn about.”

In the film, Aurora and her new husband, Nick (played by Niall Matter), go on a pre-honeymoon trip and discover a dead body. Consequently, he newlyweds begin investigating and soon find themselves in danger, which leads to some action-packed scenes.

“There are a lot of thrilling moments,” Bure said.

Change of scenery

Another element that keeps the story line fresh is a new location, Bure said. Most of the Aurora Teagarden films take place in the small town of Lawrenceton, Washington. In Honeymoon, Honeymurder, Nick and Aurora go to stay in a friend’s cabin in the woods. Most of the film was made on Victoria Island, off the coast of Vancouver.

“When I saw the location I thought, ‘Damn, I should have gone with her on her honeymoon,’” Henner said.

Having the mother and daughter so far apart in this film allows each of their characters to grow, Henner said.

“It’s a nice role reversal in a way for Aida to be more vulnerable,” Henner said. “You’re starting to see the maturity in your character and the vulnerability in mine.”

For Aurora, the change comes from being married.

“We really feel like a team for the first time,” Bure said.

Living arrangements

Throughout the interview, Henner and Bure poked fun at themselves for being so close off screen. The stars shared a home while shooting on location in Canada. While in quarantine they went on Instagram Live to play games of Never Have I Ever and answer fan questions.

“I always tell people during nine months of the pandemic I spent more time with Candace than I did with my husband,” Henner said.

Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Honeymoon, Honeymurder will debut Sunday, August 22 on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries at 9/8c.

Hallmark star Kimberly Williams-Paisley and country music star Brad Paisley provide 1.3 million meals to families in need

In the past year and a half, celebrity couple Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Brad Paisley have fed thousands of hungry families with their free grocery store in Nashville. The Store, as it is called, gives people the opportunity to shop for food with dignity, according to Paisley-Williams.

The couple came up with the idea during a visit to Unity Shoppe, a similar operation in Santa Barbara. They took their sons, Huck and Jasper, to visit because the boys were “acting spoiled,” according to Paisley.

They returned to their hometown and began planning. The Store opened in March 2020, working in partnership with Belmont University. In an interview with the Tennessean, Williams-Paisley said it couldn’t have come together at a better time.

“So many of us feel helpless right now,” said Williams-Paisley. “There’s so many people, who aren’t on the front lines, who want to know what they can do to help. This feels like one of those things for us. We’re pouring a lot into this.”

Located on 12th Avenue South, The Store allows people to shop for groceries at no charge.

Assistance with Dignity

Executive Director Courtney Vrablik told People magazine that the experience for shoppers is as important as the food.
“Our priority is our customer,” Vrablik said. “And they are customers, not clients. No one is forcing them into a situation where they have to show gratitude.”

To donate or volunteer, visit The Store’s website here.

The Store operates as a year-round free grocery store allowing people to shop for their basic needs. There is no charge to those referred or to the people and agencies that send them. They may shop for food to supplement their income during times of crisis and as they work toward self-sufficiency. A philosophy of community empowerment means we aim to solve hunger issues in our community by developing programs to meet the needs of the community, including partnering with other organizations on issues of food security. We believe in cooperation and collaboration between organizations to better serve the community. Over time, we will work with our partner organizations to help provide cooking and nutrition classes.

The Store, "What We Do"

What happened on When Calls the Heart

Sting operation

Goodbye (for now)

Closing the deal

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Some fans thrilled that Candace Cameron Bure now working for GAC Family

Some fans upset that Candace Cameron Bure leaving Hallmark Channel

What is GAC Family?

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What happened on When Calls the Heart: Wherefore art thou, Lee?

A call from Chicago

Burden of proof

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What happened on When Calls the Heart: A recap of Season 9, Episode 7

Mei Suo’s husband

Joseph and Minnie

The driving lesson

Nathan and Lucas

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The Hallmark Channel movie Love, Classified stars Melora Hardin from The Office

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The Hallmark Channel movie Love, Classified — About the cast

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Hallmark movie Color My World With Love stars actress with Down Syndrome

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Season 10 of When Calls the Heart will be ‘electrifying’

Erin Krakow and Pascale Hutton did the Tortilla Challenge and we can’t stop laughing

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The new season of Chesapeake Shores

The new season of Chesapeake Shores

Here’s what we know so far:

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When Calls the Heart Season 9, Episode 6: Past, Present, Future

Etiquette

The opinion piece

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Brennan Elliott revealed his wife has cancer

Brennan Elliott revealed his wife has cancer

Brennan and Cami Elliott

Elliott and Hallmark

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The Hallmark movie A Royal Runaway Romance: The plot

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Philippa Northeast

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Danica McKellar: Lori Loughlin didn’t deserve prison time

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Danica McKellar: Lori Loughlin didn’t deserve prison time

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When Calls the Heart, Season 9, Episode 5: "Journey Into Light"

When Calls the Heart Recap: Season 9, Episode 5

A makeover for Hickam

Allie and Nathan have a talk

A love poem

Horsepower

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The Hallmark movie Always Amore:

What is it about?

Who is in it?

Autumn Reeser

Tyler Hynes

Patty McCormack

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All about Ava

Just One Kiss

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Holly Robinson Peete

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