Monday, July 31, 2017
TCA Summer 2017 Press Tour: Cable Days 4 and 5 - Lifetime, Hallmark Channel
Lifetime ups its premium scripted content with new season greenlights of the critically-acclaimed drama series UnREAL for a fourth season and freshman drama Mary Kills People for a season two. The renewal of UnREAL comes ahead of its much-anticipated third season, which will debut in early 2018 alongside Mary Kills People. Lifetime's scripted fare also includes the straight-to-series psychological thriller from Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble, YOU, starring Penn Badgley and Elizabeth Lail, which begins production this August. In line with Lifetime's Broad Focus initiative, more than 50% of directors for these series are female, and are predominately produced and written by women.
With three original cable movies ranked in the top four in women 25-54 this year, Lifetime furthers its supremacy in long form storytelling with greenlights of Faith Under Fire and The Simone Biles Story (working title). Grammy® winner Toni Braxton, whose Lifetime biopic Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart was the #1 rated cable movie of 2016, makes her return to the network to star as Antoinette Tuff, a clerical worker who talks down a school shooter in Faith Under Fire from Sony Pictures Television. America's most decorated gymnast with 19 Olympic and World Championship medals, Simone Biles also signs on for a Lifetime biopic revealing the sacrifices and dedication it took her to become one of the greatest and most celebrated athletes in the world.
Lifetime also sets airdates for its fall movies: The Watcher in the Woods (Oct 21) starring Academy Award winner Anjelica Huston and directed and executive produced by Melissa Joan Hart; Flint (Oct 28) starring Queen Latifah, Jill Scott, Marin Ireland and Betsy Brandt from executive producers Neil Meron, Craig Zadan and Katie Couric; The Lost Wife of Robert Durst (Nov 4) starring Katharine McPhee and Daniel Gillies and I Am Elizabeth Smart (Nov 18) featuring Elizabeth Smart and starring Skeet Ulrich, Deirdre Lovejoy and introducing Alana Boden.
Crown Media Family Networks, home of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and cable's leading provider of family entertainment, announced today the introduction of a third linear cable offering, Hallmark Drama, which will launch October 1, as the company continues to register revenue and ratings growth across both its existing networks. Featuring a wholly distinct lineup from Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Hallmark Drama's programming will evoke the rich legacy and spirit of Hallmark Hall of Fame, the most award-winning and longest-running primetime series in the history of television. In addition to spotlighting movies and series from Crown Media's vast library of original dramatic content, plans are underway for new, original programming to be produced exclusively for the network. More news certainly to come on this in the coming weeks!
Further solidifying its position as the ultimate destination for holiday entertainment, Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries will light up audiences' homes with a record number of 33 new, original holiday world premiere movies in 2017. Hallmark Channel's annual, top-rated holiday event "Countdown to Christmas" and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries' beloved "The Most Wonderful Movies of Christmas" will gift viewers with more Christmas content than any other network. Along with 33 new, original movies across the two networks, holiday specials will also be part of the programing extravaganza including the "National Christmas Tree Lighting," "Holiday Homecoming with Jewel" and "A Very Happy Yule Log" featuring Happy the Cat and Dog. The annual round-the-clock holiday programming tradition begins Friday, October 27, 2017 and continues throughout the season until Monday, January 1, 2018. Stars include Rachel Boston, Catherine Bell, Candace Cameron, Danica McKellar, Alexa & Carlos PenaVega, Alison Sweeney, Lacey Chabert, Lori Loughlin, Jack Wagner, Julie Benz, Autumn Reeser and more.
Hallmark Channel has renewed its two-time Daytime Emmy(R) nominated, original lifestyle series Home & Family for a sixth season that will begin September 11, 2017. Home & Family will continue to air 260 original episodes this season, with new episodes premiering Monday through Friday at 10am. Season five of Hallmark Channel's original, primetime series When Calls the Heart returns with a two-hour sneak peek during the network's annual, popular programming event, "Countdown to Christmas." In February 2018, the saga of Hope Valley will continue with 10, one-our weekly episodes. In the wake of ratings growth in its third season that concluded July 2, Hallmark Channel has renewed its hit, original primetime series Good Witch for season four.
And finally, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries inks a development deal with award winning TV personality and author Al Roker. The mystery movie brings to life Roker's celebrated novel The Midnight Show Murders: A Billy Blessing Novel and will star famed actress Holly Robinson Peete (21 Jump Street). The movie is set to premiere in 2018. They also announced a development deal with world-renowned strategist and crisis communications specialist Judy Smith. The new mystery movie, The Adjuster, is loosely based off her real-life experiences and professional work. And the network's movie freanchies returns with new installments. Viewers will be treated to more of their favorite mysteries with new installments of Garage Sale Mystery starring Lori Loughlin; Aurora Teagarden starring Candace Cameron Bure and Marilu Henner; Gourmet Detective starring Dylan Neal and Brooke Burns; Signed, Sealed, Delivered starring Eric Mabius, Kristin Booth, Crystal Lowe and Geoff Gustafson; Hailey Dean Mysteries starring Kellie Martin and Fixer Upper Mysteries starring Grammy Award nominee Jewel and Colin Ferguson. News films include Darrow & Darrow (working title) from Emmy Award (R) Winner Phoef Sutton starring Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Tom Cavanagh and Wendie Malick.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Thursday, May 22
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "Diet Crap" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Tensions rise when Georgie intrudes on Mandy’s new sales gig. Meanwhile, Audrey’s conflicted when Jim makes it a point not to coddle Connor.
Ghosts - "Sad Farnsby" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Sam accidentally creates a rift between Sam and Jay’s neighbors, the Farnsbys, Henry Farnsby moves into Woodstone B&B. Also, Isaac and Nigel battle over a belated wedding present.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 19)
Thursday, May 22
- Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) - Catch Miley on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Chloe Fineman (Big Mouth/Search Party) - Chloe appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm. Featured host Vlad Duthiers sits down with Ronny on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Elizabeth Banks (30 Rock/Scrubs) and Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Elizabeth and Amanda are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10:15pm on Bravo.
- Cynthia Nixon (And Just Like That.../Sex and the City) - Cynthia talks about ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Hugh Jackman (Human Resources) - Hugh chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Bill Bellamy (Mr. Box Office/Men, Women & Dogs/Cousin Skeeter) - Bill brings the laughs to the third annual cookout on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
- Finola Hughes (Blossom) - Finola dishes on General Hospital on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Jason Schwartzman (Blunt Talk/Mozart in the Jungle/Bored to Death) - Jason talks about Mountainhead on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Sterling K. Brown (Starved) - Sterling is telling Drew all about playing a secret service agent in the thrilling new show Paradise on a repaet of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Midori Francis (The Sex Lives of College Girls) - Midori is a guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/08 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive
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