Update: ABC Picks Up Hallmark Hall of Fame

[JamesG]

CBS, Hallmark Hall of Fame End Partnership
by Chris Harnick
posted May 6th 2011


CBS has ended its partnership with Hallmark Hall of Fame.
After 16 years, the network opted out of renewing the contract.





According to Variety, CBS and Hallmark Hall of Fame had a deal for three TV movies a year. CBS wanted a deal to air films on an ad-hoc basis, but Hallmark passed and is currently looking for a new network home.

"This is a partnership that has served CBS very well for many years," a network spokesman told Variety. "Hallmark Hall of Fame is a first-class organization, and we wish them nothing but success in their future."






Beyond the Blackboard, the 243rd film in the series that starred Emily VanCamp and Treat Williams, aired April 24.

The other two films of this season included November Christmas with John Corbett and The Lost Valentine starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Betty White.

Hallmark Hall of Fame began in 1951 and spent 30 years on NBC before moving to PBS, ABC and most recently CBS in the 1990s.





CBS isn't getting out of the TV movie business -- it will keep its Jesse Stone series of films.
The next Tom Selleck-fronted flick will premiere on May 22.

http://www.tvsquad.com/2011/05/06/cb...d-partnership/

[AKA]

I don't see CBS, ABC or Fox picking this series up. Things are different now from sixteen years ago, when all the "Big 3" networks were airing TV movies on Sunday nights. Now, I believe, ABC is completely out of the TV movie business, while NBC sometimes airs family movies on Friday nights that are sponsored by Walmart.

[70s show watcher]

its a shame because there have been many great tv movies aired under the hallmark hall of fame banner over the years and one difference that ive noticed is that the hall of fame movies made for the networks usuailly have wonderful stories and great acting whereas the cookie cutter movies made for the hallmark channel with a few execpetions like annies point for the most part are flat predicable and frankly flatout stink

[gidgetgrape]

Oh, that's too bad. I enjoyed Beyond the Blackboard and The Magic of Ordinary Days.

[mets82]

I actually think the Hallmark Hall of Fame movies will just air on the Hallmark Channel or The Hallmark Movie Channel.

[TV Knowledge Fan]

...didn't always have a harmonious relationship with each other (the "HALL OF FAME" began appearing exclusively on CBS in 1979, because NBC decided, after 27 years, they could do without the "prestige" Hallmark was offering...plus the fact they were "falling apart", and was in a state of unstable programming decisions at the time, irritated by the arrival of Fred Silverman as NBC's president in 1978, who was more interested in trying to rebuild the network, rather than offering "quality drama" at the time).

Back in the days when Hallmark accepted films from "outside producers" to be seen under their "HALL OF FAME" banner, CBS tried to persuade them to sponsor a topical TV movie, "The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana", as a "HALL OF FAME" presentation in 1982. Hallmark, though, saw the film for what it was- a pure exploitation of Charles and Diana's story [ABC also scheduled a similar movie for their network], not up to their standards of what a "HALL OF FAME" movie should be, and rejected CBS' suggestion (they eventually scheduled the film on one of their movie nights). The "deal breaker" came when Hallmark was producing "Love Is Never Silent" in 1985, about a girl at odds with her hearing-impaired parents. CBS wanted Valerie Bertinelli in the lead role, as they figured her previous starring TV movies for them {"The Princess and the Cabbie", "The Seduction of Gina", et. al.} would attract the same number of teens and young women who made her earlier ones a ratings success for them. Hallmark, on the other hand, wanted Mare Winningham for the part. It came down to CBS insisting, "This is our network, and we want Valerie to star in it". Hallmark's response was, "This is our program, and no one has ever questioned our choice of casting or story. If you don't like our choice, we'll take our business elsewhere". They did- "Love Is Never Silent" aired on NBC in 1986, earning Mare Winningham an Emmy. Hallmark then placed their "HALL OF FAME" presentations on ABC and NBC- and did not return to CBS until 1991. Ever since then, the network has pretty much stayed out of their way when it came to choices of material and casting.

Unfortunately, there's no room for a "HALLMARK HALL OF FAME" on CBS anymore. They feel their weekly series (most of which are produced or co-produced and owned by them) are more important to their schedule- and their "bottom line"- than an occasional series of "prestige" specials.
{In Wal-Mart and Procter & Gamble's cases, they've placed their "family movies" on NBC- and at least one occasion, on FOX!- because those networks "leased" the two-hour time periods to them, regardless of the content of those films}.

Rest assured, though- the 'HALLMARK HALL OF FAME" will continue, somewhere.....

[old grouch]

'The Hallmark Hall of Fame' shows classy and interesting movies with high production values and intriguing story lines. No wonder CBS wants to drop them.

[browneyes106]

The TV movie business on broadcast networks are pretty much dead. There were several Hallmark Hall of Fame movies that I enjoyed. I think the Hallmark Channel will take over. I have enjoyed some Hallmark Hall of Fame movies more than the ones that the Hallmark Channel makes.

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by old grouch

'The Hallmark Hall of Fame' shows classy and interesting movies with high production values and intriguing story lines. No wonder CBS wants to drop them.

Sad but true!!

[An 80s Guy]

I thought the last one with Betty White got pretty good ratings.

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by An 80s Guy

I thought the last one with Betty White got pretty good ratings.

It got GREAT ratings, and rightly so. 14.5 million viewers tuned in, making The Lost Valentine the highest rated Hallmark movie in four years and also that week's highest rated program behind American Idol. Betty was amazing in that movie.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/televis...ter02_ST_N.htm

[Zoneboy]

Originally Posted by TV Knowledge Fan

...didn't always have a harmonious relationship with each other (the "HALL OF FAME" began appearing exclusively on CBS in 1979, because NBC decided, after 27 years, they could do without the "prestige" Hallmark was offering...plus the fact they were "falling apart", and was in a state of unstable programming decisions at the time, irritated by the arrival of Fred Silverman as NBC's president in 1978, who was more interested in trying to rebuild the network, rather than offering "quality drama" at the time).

Back in the days when Hallmark accepted films from "outside producers" to be seen under their "HALL OF FAME" banner, CBS tried to persuade them to sponsor a topical TV movie, "The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana", as a "HALL OF FAME" presentation in 1982. Hallmark, though, saw the film for what it was- a pure exploitation of Charles and Diana's story [ABC also scheduled a similar movie for their network], not up to their standards of what a "HALL OF FAME" movie should be, and rejected CBS' suggestion (they eventually scheduled the film on one of their movie nights). The "deal breaker" came when Hallmark was producing "Love Is Never Silent" in 1985, about a girl at odds with her hearing-impaired parents. CBS wanted Valerie Bertinelli in the lead role, as they figured her previous starring TV movies for them {"The Princess and the Cabbie", "The Seduction of Gina", et. al.} would attract the same number of teens and young women who made her earlier ones a ratings success for them. Hallmark, on the other hand, wanted Mare Winningham for the part. It came down to CBS insisting, "This is our network, and we want Valerie to star in it". Hallmark's response was, "This is our program, and no one has ever questioned our choice of casting or story. If you don't like our choice, we'll take our business elsewhere". They did- "Love Is Never Silent" aired on NBC in 1986, earning Mare Winningham an Emmy. Hallmark then placed their "HALL OF FAME" presentations on ABC and NBC- and did not return to CBS until 1991. Ever since then, the network has pretty much stayed out of their way when it came to choices of material and casting.

Unfortunately, there's no room for a "HALLMARK HALL OF FAME" on CBS anymore. They feel their weekly series (most of which are produced or co-produced and owned by them) are more important to their schedule- and their "bottom line"- than an occasional series of "prestige" specials.
{In Wal-Mart and Procter & Gamble's cases, they've placed their "family movies" on NBC- and at least one occasion, on FOX!- because those networks "leased" the two-hour time periods to them, regardless of the content of those films}.

Is this from Wikipedia or another book I've never heard of?

[clj2]

I agree that the HHOF movies don't really fit on networks like NBC/ABC/CBS/FOX anymore. Why don't they move to.....Hallmark Channel where they should have been airing for years? Or even MyNetwork TV?

I think ABC does show movies on the weekends. I've seen some Disney-like movies on there, I think.

[TV Knowledge Fan]

....the background of "The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana" and "Love Is Never Silent" in newspapers, VARIETY, and TV GUIDE, Zoneboy. Sometimes, Wikipedia doesn't list every fact on certain subjects. When you read as much as I do, the information stays with you.

[rodwayne]

Why can't THE HALLMARK CHANNEL produce their own movies like they do sometimes?!It has the money enough;so maybe that why they no longer need CBS.