When You Care Enough to Stream the Very Tackiest: Hallmark Channel Shows on Peacock

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Mark Jeffries

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Oct 31, 2022, 6:07:50 PM10/31/22
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Starting Wednesday, all three of Hallmark's channels will stream 24/7 on NBCU's streamer, along with current and library programming available for on-demand streaming (including those formula Christmas movies), the first major cable channel to put the mainline channel on a streamer that isn't a faux cable system (Sling, YouTube Live)--and speaking of cable systems, considering that Hallmark is beloved by the audience that hasn't cut the cord yet (along with TCM and news channels), the cable systems have to not be happy about this:

Jon Delfin

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Oct 31, 2022, 6:38:33 PM10/31/22
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I have a perverse interest in Hallmark (used generically, encompassing other sources) movies -- I like to watch the first few minutes of each, long enough to know if it's too dreadful to continue. But sometimes there's some combination of better-than-average writing and acting that makes me watch further, as happens with this weekend's "Christmas Bedtime Stories." It was unusually tight and honest -- until the last five minutes. To save you time, here's what I posted to Facebook this morning:

Dear Hallmark, I watched "Christmas Bedtime Stories" last night. Thank you for having the courage to tell a story about a woman who struggles to raise her daughter on her own, three years after her Marine husband is listed as MIA overseas. Her travails and her breaking off her engagement to the great guy who's been her support in the interim were very well handled. And the ending, when she suffers a psychotic break after hearing a news story about a raid on an enemy camp where prisoners were being held and imagines her husband has returned, was powerful.
What's that? He really did come back? He was in that camp, and, not knowing it was an American rescue team, he escaped in the confusion and found his way to an American embassy? And nobody in the military or government contacted her to let her know he's alive? But they had the wherewithal to give him a shave and a haircut and a new field uniform, and send him home, where he could be standing casually, staring at a wall outside the father/daughter dance, waiting for his wife to find him? Because he's some sort of emotional sadist who thought it would be great to surprise her?
You must be so proud of this one.

I discovered belatedly that the movie was based on a story co-written by Nancy Grace. Yes, that Nancy Grace. Not sure how much that connects to the total sell-out at the end.

On Mon, Oct 31, 2022 at 6:07 PM Mark Jeffries <spotl...@gmail.com> wrote:
Starting Wednesday, all three of Hallmark's channels will stream 24/7 on NBCU's streamer, along with current and library programming available for on-demand streaming (including those formula Christmas movies), the first major cable channel to put the mainline channel on a streamer that isn't a faux cable system (Sling, YouTube Live)--and speaking of cable systems, considering that Hallmark is beloved by the audience that hasn't cut the cord yet (along with TCM and news channels), the cable systems have to not be happy about this:

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Dave Sikula

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Nov 1, 2022, 5:53:21 AM11/1/22
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In a sane world, this would mean the release of the vast number of Hallmark Hall of Fame episodes of the 50s through the 70s that featured really notable actors in really good plays. (The only one I own is an "Arsenic and Old Lace" with Boris Karloff, Tony Randall, and Tom Bosley.)

Seeing that we're in the Worst Timeline, though, we'll be getting more crappy mysteries and sappy romances.

--Dave Sikula

PGage

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Nov 1, 2022, 9:43:15 AM11/1/22
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I just finished James Garner’s book about his life (it’s not quite as formal as an autobiography, more like a stringing together of grouped stories about his life).

When he gets to a section on his career as a Producer he says something like: Hallmark Hall of Fame is known for quality; it was a no brainer to make a deal to produce TV movies for them.” I was shocked to: 1) see Hallmark and quality in same sentence and 2) see Garner and Hallmark in same sentence. Then he reminds the reader that he made TV films like “Promise” and “My Name is Bill”, both, if somewhat sentimental, we’re very highly regarded and honored projects, which I enjoyed at the time (even more shocking, both with a very able James Woods, back when he was a functioning actor and human person).

This reminded me that there was a time when the Hallmark brand in television signified more than just schmaltz.


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