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Hallmark Channel's Longest Running Series Is Renewed For Season 12
I always found it interesting that the Hallmark Channel's most successful series is set in Western Canada with mounties and mostly Canadian stories, but still a US production.
When Calls The Heart was originally developed by Michael Landon Jr. The show seems to be more popular in the US than here and one of Hallmark's anchor programs. Season 12 starts shooting in BC in July. When Calls The Heart ran for six seasons on CBC as a summer series and has long run on Super Channel in Canada.
From Variety...
Last edited by paterson1 (May 11, 2024 12:11 pm)
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Re: Hallmark Channel's Longest Running Series Is Renewed For Season 12
Small correction: Michael Landon's signature show was "Little House on The Prairie" not "The Waltons." I believe his son, Michael Landon Jr., was only on one episode, and is best known these days as a director and executive producer (including on his dad's other show, "Highway To Heaven.") He was also on a few movie versions of "Bonanza" made decades after the series aired on NBC.
But he has no association at all with "The Waltons," which was one of my favourite shows as a kid.
Michael Landon Jr. at IMDB
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Re: Hallmark Channel's Longest Running Series Is Renewed For Season 12
Never watched either The Walton's or Little House but that is no excuse.
Last edited by paterson1 (May 10, 2024 9:07 pm)
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Thread Starter- newsguy1
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Re: Hallmark Channel's Longest Running Series Is Renewed For Season 12
I am not a big fan of Hallmark shows -- mainly sappy family or romantic stories -- but one production does stand out.
You might not be in the mood at this time of year, cut Hallmark made what I think is the best version of A Christmas Carol ever, starring Patrick Stewart.
It's a terrific version, with only one weakness in my view.
The ghost of Christmas to come is rather lame.
Other than that it's brilliant with Stewart giving a performance as Scrooge the way I always pictured him -- not a feeble old man, but a rather menacing character.
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Re: Hallmark Channel's Longest Running Series Is Renewed For Season 12
Looking at the US cable ratings last Sunday, When Calls The Heart was the 3rd most watched program (behind NASCAR and NHL Playoffs). Also just outside of the top ten 18-49, which isn't bad since it trends to an older audience. Respectable numbers for a cable show that's been on over 11 years.
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Thread Starter- Chrisphen
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Re: Hallmark Channel's Longest Running Series Is Renewed For Season 12
Hallmark movies are the dramatic equivalent of CKQT's 1980's programming.
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Re: Hallmark Channel's Longest Running Series Is Renewed For Season 12
I once worked for CKDA/CFMS FM in Victoria.
CFMS was the first FM stereo station in Canada, and when I was there they were still using the old "candle light and wine" music format -- the equivalent of Hallmark movies. Everything is mellow and schmaltzy and you had to have a really deep male voice to be a DJ there.
In Vancouver CHQM FM did the same thing.
When I got to Toronto I did some work with Don Parrish who was still voicing a segment that featured the candle light format
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Re: Hallmark Channel's Longest Running Series Is Renewed For Season 12
We had a local announcer in K/W who had a popular late evening program called Night Flight. It was somewhat similar to Candlelight and Wine. Fred Merritt had a long career at CFCA in Kitchener and after a format change in 1994 after CHUM purchased the station, Fred continued on at CKWR until 2011. Here is the the story back then from The Waterloo Region Record when Fred was about to retire..
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Thread Starter- newsguy1
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Re: Hallmark Channel's Longest Running Series Is Renewed For Season 12
sounds like a dream job and charmed life.