Hallmark Channel - what's ahead? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

clj2 · 04-28-2009, 12:28 AM

We were discussing this in another thread but I thought I would create one....what do you all see in the future for this channel? Honestly, very few has changed since it began IMO (except dropping the 60s sitcoms they had). Unless something does really badly, they usually keep a schedule virtually the same for a long time. Not a lot of acquisitions happen. Seems their philosophy is if it works, leave it or add more of it (Matlock, LHOTP, M*A*S*H, Angel, and now Golden Girls).
I'm sort of disappointed. I know this sounds odd, but in their 8-year existance, it seems nothing on Hallmark has changed, which I know it has....but overall it seems the same. But I guess it's working....one good thing about them (same can go for WGN) is that they aren't being run by some huge TV/media conglomorate like NBC, Viacom, Turner, etc. so they have a little more freedom.

I think Wonder Years and Designing Women would fit well...also Mama's Family. TWY and Designing Women would fit hand-in-glove with the rest of the programming, I think (unlike Lucy and Cheers, who seem better for WGN). DW worked well with Golden Girls on Lifetime for ages. But they yank shows SO FAST. Look at Lucy and Cheers, remember Family Ties? They don't seem too open to much change, but maybe so with Golden Girls. Any thoughts?

browneyes106 · 04-28-2009, 08:57 AM

I agree I think Wonder Years would be a great show for the Hallmark Channel.

ekkostar · 04-28-2009, 04:11 PM

I'd like to see McBride, Mystery Woman and Jane Doe back with some possible updating of the characters, but I doubt it will happen. The first series for most of these ended a while ago, but it would be nice with a different cast, setting and budget you know? Hallmark Channel is also maturing a bit and veering away from the "family friendly" Odyssey Network holdover it once toted was much like ABC Family is doing with the old Family Channel standards & practices.

Tubehead · 04-28-2009, 09:54 PM

I wish theywould bring back Familyties. they didn't even show onlyhafl a month they didn't gave it a chance. i don't know but i was thiniking highway to heaven would fit good on hallmark. it kind of like the show touched by a angles. i would like to see the incabile hulk, or or evencourt ship of eddies father on hall mark. .

heres few show might work for hallmark:
Kungfu
kung fu ledgen counties just want back on tv
Quatam leap is ion is showing why not hallmark
the hooney mooners
mAMMA'S FAMILY
My two dads
family ties
alf

i wish they would get rid of mash. it comes on four different channel it wouldn't be probbley that bad but they show it for four hoursa day on five differnt channels..

JT · 04-28-2009, 10:42 PM

I've been hoping for new installments in those series too, along with the one with Dick Van Dyke as a college professor. I like that whole idea for them...it's kinda like doing original series, but in the form of TV movies instead of weekly series. They could easily venture out of the mystery/crime genre and into family drama or maybe even medical drama. I think it could work. They made like a hundred "Love" movies.

Jude The Obscure · 04-29-2009, 12:26 AM

Those "Love" movies were based on the 8 books by Janette Oke (I should say loosely based). She has also written other book series and lots of standalone novels too--I wonder if they are considering adapting those as TV movies too.

clj2 · 04-29-2009, 01:42 AM

I can't believe they don't show Diagnosis Murder. Didn't they air it before? Talk about Hand-in-glove...

Jude The Obscure · 04-29-2009, 01:45 AM

^Briefly as a strip, then down to once a week showings (and the occasional 2 hr episode), now it's off altogether.

A&E seems like a good place for DM reruns.

browneyes106 · 04-29-2009, 10:15 AM

I think Hallmark should air dramas like Sisters and Life Goes On.

Jude The Obscure · 04-29-2009, 10:58 AM

I think Eight is Enough would be a perfect pairing with 7th Heaven!!

browneyes106 · 04-29-2009, 06:22 PM

I think American Dreams should be on the Hallmark Channel.

clj2 · 04-29-2009, 10:51 PM

Nah, Diagnosis Murder seems too "old" for A&E with the airing the likes of Dog the Bounty Hunter and The Sopranos. With a well-known star like Van Dyke and the show's calmer tone, it would fit well with Matlock and Murder She Wrote. Honestly it is a perfect fit, and the movies as well.

Highway to Heaven would be a nice replacement for Touched By An Angel.

Jude The Obscure · 04-29-2009, 10:55 PM

but Hallmark doesn't seem interested in DM, so nyah

I never understood why they just didn't do new DM movies with DVD instead of doing the almost-the-same concept with the Murder 101 movies.

clj2 · 04-30-2009, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jude The Obscure

but Hallmark doesn't seem interested in DM, so nyah

I never understood why they just didn't do new DM movies with DVD instead of doing the almost-the-same concept with the Murder 101 movies.

Yeah, that's true - God knows if something isn't a smash in 2 days it's a goner on there. Maybe the success of The Golden Girls will open them up more to new acquisitions.

I'm really surprised nobody shows DM. We all know it was a mainstay on PAX/i/ION for ages. If not Hallmark, a network like USA would be a good fit, that relies more on syndicated programming.

Jude The Obscure · 04-30-2009, 09:52 PM

Every network prolly thinks it skews too "old". Maybe something like American Life (which is aimed at the boomers--but heck, let's face it Gen X is not far behind them!) would pick it up. The show also seems to have stalled on dvd.

04-28-2009, 12:28 AM	#1
clj2 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 16, 2005 Location: SC Posts: 3,501	Hallmark Channel - what's ahead? We were discussing this in another thread but I thought I would create one....what do you all see in the future for this channel? Honestly, very few has changed since it began IMO (except dropping the 60s sitcoms they had). Unless something does really badly, they usually keep a schedule virtually the same for a long time. Not a lot of acquisitions happen. Seems their philosophy is if it works, leave it or add more of it (Matlock, LHOTP, MAS*H, Angel, and now Golden Girls). I'm sort of disappointed. I know this sounds odd, but in their 8-year existance, it seems nothing on Hallmark has changed, which I know it has....but overall it seems the same. But I guess it's working....one good thing about them (same can go for WGN) is that they aren't being run by some huge TV/media conglomorate like NBC, Viacom, Turner, etc. so they have a little more freedom. I think Wonder Years and Designing Women would fit well...also Mama's Family. TWY and Designing Women would fit hand-in-glove with the rest of the programming, I think (unlike Lucy and Cheers, who seem better for WGN). DW worked well with Golden Girls on Lifetime for ages. But they yank shows SO FAST. Look at Lucy and Cheers, remember Family Ties? They don't seem too open to much change, but maybe so with Golden Girls. Any thoughts?

04-28-2009, 04:11 PM	#3
ekkostar Coffee, Tea & Larroquette! Senior Member Join Date: Apr 16, 2005 Posts: 1,077	I'd like to see McBride, Mystery Woman and Jane Doe back with some possible updating of the characters, but I doubt it will happen. The first series for most of these ended a while ago, but it would be nice with a different cast, setting and budget you know? Hallmark Channel is also maturing a bit and veering away from the "family friendly" Odyssey Network holdover it once toted was much like ABC Family is doing with the old Family Channel standards & practices.
	__________________ "All my sitcoms had an audience, with four or five cameras, so working this way has always been appealing to me." - John Larroquette A living legend, five Emmys and a Tony award! Your favorites could never...

04-28-2009, 10:42 PM	#5
JT Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 29, 2001 Location: USA Posts: 7,223	I've been hoping for new installments in those series too, along with the one with Dick Van Dyke as a college professor. I like that whole idea for them...it's kinda like doing original series, but in the form of TV movies instead of weekly series. They could easily venture out of the mystery/crime genre and into family drama or maybe even medical drama. I think it could work. They made like a hundred "Love" movies.
	__________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrEbJBFWIPk

04-28-2009, 08:57 AM	#2
browneyes106 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 01, 2008 Posts: 6,097	I agree I think Wonder Years would be a great show for the Hallmark Channel.

04-28-2009, 09:54 PM	#4
Tubehead Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 12, 2007 Location: chattanooga.tn Posts: 5,139	I wish theywould bring back Familyties. they didn't even show onlyhafl a month they didn't gave it a chance. i don't know but i was thiniking highway to heaven would fit good on hallmark. it kind of like the show touched by a angles. i would like to see the incabile hulk, or or evencourt ship of eddies father on hall mark. . heres few show might work for hallmark: Kungfu kung fu ledgen counties just want back on tv Quatam leap is ion is showing why not hallmark the hooney mooners mAMMA'S FAMILY My two dads family ties alf i wish they would get rid of mash. it comes on four different channel it wouldn't be probbley that bad but they show it for four hoursa day on five differnt channels..

04-29-2009, 12:26 AM	#6
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,519	Those "Love" movies were based on the 8 books by Janette Oke (I should say loosely based). She has also written other book series and lots of standalone novels too--I wonder if they are considering adapting those as TV movies too.

04-29-2009, 01:42 AM	#7
clj2 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 16, 2005 Location: SC Posts: 3,501	I can't believe they don't show Diagnosis Murder. Didn't they air it before? Talk about Hand-in-glove...

04-29-2009, 01:45 AM	#8
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,519	^Briefly as a strip, then down to once a week showings (and the occasional 2 hr episode), now it's off altogether. A&E seems like a good place for DM reruns.

04-29-2009, 10:15 AM	#9
browneyes106 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 01, 2008 Posts: 6,097	I think Hallmark should air dramas like Sisters and Life Goes On.

04-29-2009, 10:58 AM	#10
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,519	I think Eight is Enough would be a perfect pairing with 7th Heaven!!

04-29-2009, 06:22 PM	#11
browneyes106 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 01, 2008 Posts: 6,097	I think American Dreams should be on the Hallmark Channel.

04-29-2009, 10:51 PM	#12
clj2 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 16, 2005 Location: SC Posts: 3,501	Nah, Diagnosis Murder seems too "old" for A&E with the airing the likes of Dog the Bounty Hunter and The Sopranos. With a well-known star like Van Dyke and the show's calmer tone, it would fit well with Matlock and Murder She Wrote. Honestly it is a perfect fit, and the movies as well. Highway to Heaven would be a nice replacement for Touched By An Angel.

04-29-2009, 10:55 PM	#13
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,519	but Hallmark doesn't seem interested in DM, so nyah I never understood why they just didn't do new DM movies with DVD instead of doing the almost-the-same concept with the Murder 101 movies.

04-30-2009, 09:52 PM	#15
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,519	Every network prolly thinks it skews too "old". Maybe something like American Life (which is aimed at the boomers--but heck, let's face it Gen X is not far behind them!) would pick it up. The show also seems to have stalled on dvd.