Hallmark Movies: Small Town Royalty Magically Celebrating Rekindled Love! - General Discussion

[TVFan17]

Why did they eliminate Thanksgiving movies? They should at least play some Thanksgiving week.

 

They didn't eliminate them... and they do play them.  They play them before and during Thanksgiving week.   Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thanksgiving House and A Family Thanksgiving were all on the regular Hallmark Channel.  Holiday Engagement, if I recall correctly, involves Thanksgiving.  Hitched for the Holidays starts with Thanksgiving.  And a couple of others (the more serious Thanksgiving movies) were shown on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel.  I encountered all of them many times. 

 

Lifetime barely ever touches Thanksgiving anymore either, though they did run that Jim Henson Turkey Hollow movie last year.

 

The bigger question is why did Hallmark eliminate New Year's from the romantic comedy mix?  Not counting that When Calls the Heart Season 3 New Year's installment, I can only think of one Hallmark New Year-themed movie (Kiss At Midnight), and then Hitched for the Holidays ends with New Year's Eve.   It seems like it would be a good holiday for romantic comedies.

 

The main Hallmark Channel is clearly trying to keep the tone of the movies on that channel more lighthearted and more comedic--romantic.   As a viewer and fan of those types of movies -- and as someone who loves all holidays and the entire holiday season -- I can tell you that there is something inherently boring to me about Thanksgiving as a backdrop for movies.  I don't even know exactly why.  Hallmark lucked out with Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade, as that one is actually enjoyable and funny.  But I almost never sit through Thanksgiving House or A Family Thanksgiving when I run into them. 

 

There is something more fun and more whimsical about setting a lighthearted comedy-romance against a backdrop of Christmas, Valentine's Day or even Halloween.  Even if it just boils down to aesthetics and colors, or music (like Christmas songs playing in the Christmas movies), those movies are more interesting than most of Hallmark's Thanksgiving movies.  Plus, the writers of those stories can use "magic" in the way of Christmas spells, Halloween spells and Valentine/love spells.  Thanksgiving in and of itself is not really associated with any kind of magic element.  

 

Thanksgiving itself is a nice holiday, and a meaningful one, but not one that lends itself well to the more upbeat tone that Hallmark maintains on the regular channel.  There are no catalogs of songs that people know are associated with Thanksgiving, so they can't really use Thanksgiving music in a movie.  It's part of the holiday season, but Christmas decorations dominate the holiday season in general, anywhere, because Thanksgiving décor in and of itself is not that exciting.  The most interesting part of Thanksgiving décor is the fall décor that can also be found during Halloween.   Other than the general fall décor, then you have a lot of turkeys everywhere.  Lol.  I think there is just more visual potential in the Halloween or Christmas movies.

 

As for the HMM Channel, I don't know why they don't make new Thanksgiving movies and focus on the serious family stuff that some people want to see.  It would fit better on that channel, I think.

 

I would have to imagine that when Hallmark has dared to make new Thanksgiving movies in the past, the ratings were not that great or else we would be seeing more new ones every year.  I think the last new one they did was Thanksgiving House, and it probably did not pull in a lot of viewers.  I think they only tried Thanksgiving House because LATTDP was popular the prior year. 

 

But I have to think that Hallmark may try to sneak another new Thanksgiving movie into the mix if they continue with their Thanksgiving Week event this year and next year.   I wouldn't expect a whole week or 5 days of brand new Thanksgiving movies, though, but I suspect they will try one new Thanksgiving movie at some point.

Edited January 27, 2016 by Sherry67

[In2You]

There were no new Thanksgiving movies last year and the new movie that was played on Thanksgiving was a Christmas one. Also they could do some more serious movies that still have a romantic aspect too it. UP did it with My One Christmas Wish last year. That movie was a tear jerker but at the same time the lead managed to form  a cute little romance with her choir director.

[TVFan17]

There were no new Thanksgiving movies last year and the new movie that was played on Thanksgiving was a Christmas one. Also they could do some more serious movies that still have a romantic aspect too it. UP did it with My One Christmas Wish last year. That movie was a tear jerker but at the same time the lead managed to form  a cute little romance with her choir director.

 

I know there were no new ones last year -- I just went into the whole Thanksgiving movie subject in detail!  Lol. 

 

UP is not Hallmark and Hallmark is not UP.  I was bored with My One Christmas Wish.  I don't want to see serious movies on the main Hallmark Channel.  As I mentioned above, Hallmark is clearly going for a more lighthearted tone on their main channel.  As for the HMM channel, I have no clue.  But no other channel is cranking out the Thanksgiving movies every year either. There might be a random one here or there, but -- as I mentioned above -- something about a Thanksgiving backdrop is inherently boring to me in a movie, and I have to imagine that Hallmark's ratings were not that great for Thanksgiving House, or we would see more Thanksgiving movies from them.

Edited January 27, 2016 by Sherry67

[In2You]

I know there were no new ones last year -- I just went into the whole Thanksgiving movie subject in detail!  Lol. 

 

UP is not Hallmark and Hallmark is not UP.  I was bored with My One Christmas Wish.  I don't want to see serious movies on the main Hallmark Channel.  As I mentioned above, Hallmark is clearly going for a more lighthearted tone on their main channel.  As for the HMM channel, I have no clue.  But no other channel is cranking out the Thanksgiving movies every year either. There might be a random one here or there, but -- as I mentioned above -- something about a Thanksgiving backdrop is inherently boring to me in a movie, and I have to imagine that Hallmark's ratings were not that great for Thanksgiving House, or we would see more Thanksgiving movies from them.

Its great that you prefer the lighthearted rom coms but some of us prefer the more balanced ones. Alot of their newer rom coms are starting to seem the same and its boring.

[TVFan17]

Its great that you prefer the lighthearted rom coms but some of us prefer the more balanced ones. Alot of their newer rom coms are starting to seem the same and its boring.

 

To you it is boring.  The ratings are not telling Hallmark that people are bored, though.  They get the highest ratings of the entire year during the Countdown to Christmas.  If people don't like what is on the channel, they shouldn't watch.  But the fact is, people are watching -- so someone out there likes what they are putting out.

 

It sounds like the kind of movies you like are on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel.   If you want more movies like My One Christmas Wish, then HMM is the channel you would prefer -- not the main channel.  I'm just saying that that is not the tone (a more serious tone) Hallmark is going for on their main channel. 

 

They are not programming their channel based on what I like.  What they put on their channel has nothing to do with what I, personally, as a solo individual, like.  I am simply saying that I enjoy what they put out overall.  I am not asking for anything to change.  They can only look at numbers, and regardless of how bored you and others may claim to be with the repetitive plots and familiar faces, people are still tuning in.

Edited January 27, 2016 by Sherry67

[twoods]

I actually loved the Thanksgiving House- it was one of my favorites that year. Most of the movies so far this year have been forgettable.

[Irlandesa]

I think I read that they are eliminating Fall Harvest so that they can start their Countdown to Christmas on Columbus Day this year...and then I believe in 2017, the Christmas movies will start on Labor Day weekend!

Well played. 

 

I do think there will be fewer Thanksgiving movies  for the same reason there will be fewer Halloween movies.  It's a specific holiday that isn't really about romance.  Neither is Christmas but Christmas has a whole season surrounding it.  There is no Thanksgiving holiday.  I bet there will be more made in the future, it just won't be an annual event.

 

Hallmark is really working to brand its channels but it does do some more serious movies on Hallmark such as Love, Again and Lead With Your Heart. And pet movies. 

[TVFan17]

To give you an idea of what Hallmark's approach to each channel's tone is, there is a quote in this article -- http://www.avclub.com/article/hallmark-channels-countdown-christmas-movie-event--229545 -- that kind of outlines it when referencing this past wave of holiday season movies:

 

Yet these stories vary, because the Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries differ in terms of their respective programming approaches. Nothing is ever too traumatic or risqué (both channels are known for family-friendly programming), but there are subtle distinctions in storytelling tone and content. “On the Hallmark Channel, it’s the lighter side of that celebration—so, romantic relationships and stories around Santa and [the] North Pole,” Vicary says. “On Hallmark Movie & Mysteries, [we’re] thinking in terms of dramatic storytelling and some of the other dramatic things that happen around the holidays.” For example, she cites the latter channel’s popular The Christmas Card, about a soldier who receives a holiday card while in Afghanistan and falls in love with the writer.

 

 

And what they don't really address is that the same distinctions in storytelling are present beyond the holiday season too.  The main Hallmark Channel focuses more on romance, romantic comedy types of movies, fantasies, or just lighthearted romps with wacky mix-ups and ensuing shenanigans (like that One Christmas Eve movie from 2014). 

 

Hallmark Movies & Mysteries seems to have the movies with more substance -- even the more dramatic Christmas-romance movies are moved to HMM after a run on the regular Hallmark Channel -- and more drama.  Also, HMM seems to like angel movies.  if there is an angel in the movie who is not particularly funny, then the movie will end up on HMM.  if the angel is funny and whimsical (like Mrs. Miracle) or in a comedy-romance sort of movie, then the movie stays on the regular Hallmark Channel.  This is why the movie Angels & Ornaments, a lovely movie which premiered on the regular Hallmark Channel in 2014, ended up on HMM in 2015.  It fit HMM's tone much better because it wasn't a comedy.

 

In any case, what anyone prefers is a personal thing.  But Hallmark isn't devoting 30% of its budget to making Christmas movies with familiar faces and formulas that no one is watching.  So even if people are tired of the same faces, or what they perceive to be the same stories, either they or other people are tuning in, just as people tuned in to Fall Harvest, Winterfest and will be tuning in to the Countdown to Valentine's Day.

[kirinan]

A big problem for me (who would like some substance mixed with my sugar; I enjoy both) and other people I know who like Hallmark fare is that a lot of cable systems, at least in my area, don't carry Hallmark Movies & Mysteries without making it part of another tier that I have to pay another set of fees to get (at least $10 and in some cases more). Which, sorry, I know that's not Hallmark's fault, it's the cable company's--at least, I think it's the cable company's fault--but we pay far too much already. So it does make me wish that Hallmark and HMM would do more cross-broadcasting of their movies so viewers could get a more rounded viewing experience.

 

I still haven't forgiven Hallmark for making me give up Signed, Sealed, & Delivered, which I loved, by moving it to HMM.

Edited January 28, 2016 by kirinan

[Mountainair]

A big problem for me (who would like some substance mixed with my sugar; I enjoy both) and other people I know who like Hallmark fare is that a lot of cable systems, at least in my area, don't carry Hallmark Movies & Mysteries without making it part of another tier that I have to pay another set of fees to get (at least $10 and in some cases more). Which, sorry, I know that's not Hallmark's fault, it's the cable company's--at least, I think it's the cable company's fault--but we pay far too much already. So it does make me wish that Hallmark and HMM would do more cross-broadcasting of their movies so viewers could get a more rounded viewing experience.

 

I still haven't forgiven Hallmark for making me give up Signed, Sealed, & Delivered, which I loved, by moving it to HMM.

I was teased over Christmas time with a week of HMM channel, then my cable provider yanked it away. I caught one of the Murder she Baked movies and really liked it, the Christmas movies however were a bit too depressing for my tastes.

I found that this week and part of last week my cable provider has gifted me yet again with HMM channel and I've been able to catch a bunch of the Murder she Baked movies, the Aurora Teagarden series and one other series waiting on my Dvr. I haven't even bothered with the Hallmark winter fest movies as they haven't really sounded appealing and the HMM channel movies offer a bit more than just straight sap, which is more my speed. I'm hoping to not have the channel yanked away from me again because I am enjoying it but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Like you, I am not willing to pay for the next tier of cable programming just to have access to this one channel.

[TVFan17]

I'm already thinking ahead and trying to guess which movies from 2015's group of new Christmas tales will be moved over to HMM this coming holiday season.  Aside from The Christmas Card, A Christmas Visitor, A Christmas Wish and other older, dramatic pieces being relocated to HMM in the past couple of years, in 2015 they also moved The Christmas Ornament, Trading Christmas, Christmas Magic, Mr. Miracle, Lucky Christmas, The Christmas Shepherd, Farewell, Mr. Kringle, Angels & Ornaments and Christmas with Holly over to HMM.  Heck, they even moved Part 1 of The Bridge to HMM after it ran on the main Hallmark Channel a few times -- meaning that anyone who is eager to see Part 2 will have to have HMM if they want to see it in March, I guess... unless Hallmark possibly runs it a couple of times on each channel.

 

Just today I was looking at the Hallmark Channel website to find out if one of their 2 Ireland-themed movies is on the schedule.  Sure enough, Chasing Leprechauns is now part of the HMM catalog, and has moved off of the regular channel.   And, let's be honest - it's not as though Hallmark is cranking out the leprechaun or Ireland movies for 'round-the-clock St. Patrick's Day marathons, so it wouldn't have hurt to keep that one movie on the regular Hallmark Channel.

 

So I am guessing that from the 2015 group of new Christmas movies, one of them that is sure to move over to HMM this year will be Angel of Christmas (with Jonathan Scarfe).    Just in Time for Christmas will probably end up on HMM sooner or later, not because it's a drama (which it isn't, for the most part) but because it's a Hall of Fame movie.  They also might move a few more of the older movies to HMM too, just to clear the path on the main Hallmark Channel for the new Christmas movies.  I wouldn't be shocked if the 2 Mrs. Miracle movies end up getting moved to HMM in the next year or two.

 

I can understand that Hallmark wants people to tune into the HMM channel, and if they put all of their movies on the main Hallmark Channel then it eliminates a big part of the reason people would be watching HMM.  They want people to watch and buy into HMM.   They don't want to put all of their eggs in one basket, I suppose. 

 

BUT -- because so many of the movies that are now being shown on HMM are movies that originally premiered on the main Hallmark Channel (some of them even just in the last 2 years), and that's where viewers were used to seeing them, I certainly think Hallmark could work out a compromise to give the viewers the movies for a limited time on the main channel.  In other words, they could, perhaps, run a bunch of the "relegated to HMM" movies on the main Hallmark Channel for the first week or two of the Countdown to Christmas.  Just a week or two at most, and not more than that, but repeat each movie at least 2 times during the two weeks.  Then, at the end of the 2 weeks they could remove all of those movies and send them back over to HMM for the rest of the year (which would be another 6 or 7 weeks).  Or, they could do something like "Christmas classics weekend," and air all of those "relegated to HMM" movies over one weekend only.   That way, it would give viewers a small window of time to see or record the movies they were used to seeing on the Hallmark Channel, but it would also keep the movies exclusive to HMM for the majority of the time.

Edited January 28, 2016 by Sherry67

[In2You]

A big problem for me (who would like some substance mixed with my sugar; I enjoy both) and other people I know who like Hallmark fare is that a lot of cable systems, at least in my area, don't carry Hallmark Movies & Mysteries without making it part of another tier that I have to pay another set of fees to get (at least $10 and in some cases more). Which, sorry, I know that's not Hallmark's fault, it's the cable company's--at least, I think it's the cable company's fault--but we pay far too much already. So it does make me wish that Hallmark and HMM would do more cross-broadcasting of their movies so viewers could get a more rounded viewing experience.

 

I still haven't forgiven Hallmark for making me give up Signed, Sealed, & Delivered, which I loved, by moving it to HMM.

Yes! Hallmark didn't always show rom com type movies all the time that's only a recent  thing they've been doing.  Yes they always had some cheesy movies but they have movies with substance mixed in that didn't always feature the same faces over and over. It would cost me an extra $50 to get the package with HMM so not worth it in the day and age where I can find some of the same style movies on Netflix. 

[TVFan17]

Yes! Hallmark didn't always show rom com type movies all the time that's only a recent  thing they've been doing.  Yes they always had some cheesy movies but they have movies with substance mixed in that didn't always feature the same faces over and over. It would cost me an extra $50 to get the package with HMM so not worth it in the day and age where I can find some of the same style movies on Netflix. 

 

It's a more recent thing (changing the tone on the main channel and focusing more on lighthearted types of movies) because they have started to put more focus on and push their Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel in the last couple of years, complete with rebranding it and renaming it (it used to just be the Hallmark Movie Channel).

Edited January 29, 2016 by Sherry67

[In2You]

It's a more recent thing (changing the tone on the main channel and focusing more on lighthearted types of movies) because they have started to put more focus on and push their Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel in the last couple of years, complete with rebranding it and renaming it (it used to just be the Hallmark Movie Channel).

I know they rebranded it and changed the name. Like most in this thread I've been watching Hallmark for awhile.

[TVFan17]

I know they rebranded it and changed the name. Like most in this thread I've been watching Hallmark for awhile.

 

That's awesome! Hopefully they will make some movies that you like and can watch on the main channel in the near future.  Otherwise, HMM is where many of the meatier, more substantial movies will be.

Edited January 30, 2016 by Sherry67

[In2You]

It will be interesting to see how Hallmark addresses their diversity issue this year. I've been noticing since this past Countdown to Christmas that more and more people have been vocal about the lack of diversity in Hallmark Channel movies.  I also noticed they were not as vocal about the ratings as they were the year before. The other channels have definitely been giving them some competition. Lifetime, UP, and ION have been stepping their game up and share some of the same viewers. And then you have smaller more exclusive channels like PixL( created by Larry Levinson who has produced many movies for Hallmark in the past) gaining traction. INSP made their first venture into the movie game last year with their first original movie. 

[Valentine]

And then you have smaller more exclusive channels like PixL( created by Larry Levinson who has produced many movies for Hallmark in the past) 

I had never heard of PixL. Uverse doesn't carry it (they finally started carrying Hallmark and HMM last year-- my DVR has been working overtime), but you can subscribe to their YouTube channel for $1.99 a month. The price is certainly right. Has anyone done this? I might give it a go when I've caught up on Hallmark movies. I've enjoyed many of the Larry Levinson Christmas movies.

[In2You]

I had never heard of PixL. Uverse doesn't carry it (they finally started carrying Hallmark and HMM last year-- my DVR has been working overtime), but you can subscribe to their YouTube channel for $1.99 a month. The price is certainly right. Has anyone done this? I might give it a go when I've caught up on Hallmark movies. I've enjoyed many of the Larry Levinson Christmas movies.

I want to subscribe but I hear they take awhile sometimes to update their youtube channel with new movies. For example it seems like from July they didn't post a new movie until October.If they consistently post a new movie every month then its a good deal. There's a movie I want to see that's coming on their TV channel soon so when its posted on Youtube I'll do a free trial to watch that and a couple of others I'm interested in. Because I've been hearing about this channel for awhile now.

[twoods]

I was expecting to watch half an hour of Dater's Handbook because I thought it would be boring, but I ended up loving it. The leads were terrific and had great chemistry, and it was pretty funny. I thought her sister was super annoying though, but loved her mom. Meghan Markle is stunning! I was envious of her perfect skin and hair throughout the whole movie.

Edited January 31, 2016 by twoods

[Irlandesa]

I also noticed they were not as vocal about the ratings as they were the year before. The other channels have definitely been giving them some competition. Lifetime, UP, and ION have been stepping their game up and share some of the same viewers. And then you have smaller more exclusive channels like PixL( created by Larry Levinson who has produced many movies for Hallmark in the past) gaining traction. INSP made their first venture into the movie game last year with their first original movie. 

I hadn't heard of PixL either.  The Dish/DirectTV group has tons of channels I've never learned about.  I wonder how the newer movies are. 

 

As for Hallmark touting ratings, I actually thought they were more vocal this year with all the press they'd be doing over their season.  But I honestly never paid close enough attention to know either way.

 

It will be interesting to see how Hallmark addresses their diversity issue this year.

They could start slow if they're nervous.  Megan Markle is biracial.  Why not make her characters biracial instead of all white, as she seemed to be in this movie?

 

I was expecting to watch half an hour of Dater's Handbook because I thought it would be boring, but I ended up loving it. The leads were terrific and had great chemistry, and it was pretty funny. I thought her sister was super annoying though, but loved her mom. Meghan Markle is stunning! I was envious of her perfect skin and hair throughout the whole movie.

I doubt I will watch this one again. I  kept going back and forth from thinking they had decent chemistry and banter to finding the sister, the mother and the whole dating handbook thing so annoying.  I mean really really annoying.

Edited January 31, 2016 by Irlandesa

[Misslindsey]

 

I was expecting to watch half an hour of Dater's Handbook because I thought it would be boring, but I ended up loving it. The leads were terrific and had great chemistry, and it was pretty funny. I thought her sister was super annoying though, but loved her mom. Meghan Markle is stunning! I was envious of her perfect skin and hair throughout the whole movie.

I liked it a lot too. I liked all the leads. I pretty much always like Kristoffer Polaha. The sister was annoying, but I think the audience was suppose to find her annoying as well. I also liked that it was more Cass' fault that it was not going to work with George, because she was not being herself. They did not make him a bad guy, just a harmlessly more serious one. He just was not the one for her. 

[twoods]

I can see that. I found the sister more annoying than the mom. She was pushing her to dating a guy she didn't even seem to like because of a stupid book. Is that how she found her husband? And the other guy she really liked (Robert) didn't seem at all like her previous boyfriend who never paid attention to her. I just loved their banter and easy chemistry and can see how they fell in love.

I was also disappointed they didn't make Meghan's character biracial. They ignored it in her other movie as well- at least on the show Suits they don't ignore it.

The movie next week, Appeite for Love, looks absolutely terrible. Same with the Autumn Reese movie. Tonight's looks promising, but that may be because I like the two leads.

Edited January 31, 2016 by twoods

[Misslindsey]

 

The movie next week, Appeite for Love, looks absolutely terrible. Same with the Autumn Reese movie. Tonight's looks promising, but that may be because I like the two leads.

I will probably give the movies next week a chance, but who knows how I will like them. The other week I expected to like Unleashing Mr. Darcy, but hated it. Tonights movie will probably be a pass, though I might catch it some other time. I like Sarah Rafferty, but I still associate Sam Page as Dr. Rapist on Mad Men. 

 

I too was hoping that they would make Meghan Markle's character biracial, but there was no mention of it. Though we did not see a picture of dead dad.

Edited January 31, 2016 by Misslindsey

[EyewatchTV211]

I was expecting to watch half an hour of Dater's Handbook because I thought it would be boring, but I ended up loving it. The leads were terrific and had great chemistry, and it was pretty funny. I thought her sister was super annoying though, but loved her mom. Meghan Markle is stunning! I was envious of her perfect skin and hair throughout the whole movie.

Agree with all of this. I really enjoyed it and enjoyed the chemistry. The sister drove me nuts and was the worst part. And it didn't even really make sense to the story that was created except to create an unnecessary obstacle. I understand that she felt like the book was the right way to go and that they should follow it. However, she seemed to go above and beyond to make George fit into what the book was saying and to make Robert not fit what the book was saying. There wasn't really a reason why she would be biased one way or the other, but she definitely was separate from how they matched the criteria in the book. It makes more sense in the HMM movies Murder She Baked, where of course the sister is rooting for the cop since her husband is a cop and works with him, and of course the mom is rooting for the dentist because moms like doctor types. All I can think of is that she was going for what SHE would have found to be romantic and compatible for her, almost living vicariously through Megan Markle. 

 

I'd rewatch, but I will definitely skip the sister scenes. I did like the mother. And of course Megan was stunning. I'm going to be bad and invoke an overly positive stereotype (similar to people assuming Asian people are smart), but biracial people are always beautiful! Just saying. Haven't seen one who wasn't, lol. Or maybe my limited sample of mostly celebrities is biased, since celebrities tend to be pretty anyway.

[Luckylyn]

My expectations were really low for Dater's Handbook, and so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.  

[TVFan17]

I've heard of PixL, and have poked around on the website, but I don't subscribe to it on YouTube. I know that sometimes there are certain movies that appear on PixL under certain titles, and then they move to Hallmark where they end up with totally different titles.  That's happened with at least a couple of movies in the last year or so.  I'm not sure if they are sold to Hallmark, or if there is a shared distribution deal, but was odd last year when certain movies were debuting on Hallmark and people were saying they already saw them one month prior!

 

In2You is right that during the Countdown to Christmas 2015, Hallmark was not as vocal on their Facebook pages about the ratings -- whereas in 2014 they were posting here and there about how many viewers they had after the weekend ratings were released.  The ratings for the 2015 were just as good, though, based on what the assorted ratings sources such as TV by the Numbers and Futon Critic seemed to indicate (and they get their info from Nielsen), and according to press releases.  I think that ABC Family/Freeform is the only other channel that even comes close to giving Hallmark any significant competition as far as holiday programming, and I think ABC Family beat Hallmark in the ratings on a few occasions. 

 

As expected, the Mariah Carey movie got big ratings for the Hallmark Channel, but, interestingly, it was Christmas Land that got the biggest ratings of all of the 2015 Hallmark Christmas movies, and it was the very last new movie to air.  I am guesssing that some of Mariah's fans stuck around to the next night, to watch it?  That's the only reason I can guess why it would have had the highest ratings.

 

 

Anyway... Dater's Handbook -- I am kind of on the fence about it.   I agree with Irlandesa about finding the sister and mother very annoying.  I prefer Jonathan Scarfe in the roles where he gets the girl, and not in the role of the stuffy, reliable guy.  I didn't necessarily think that the chemistry between "Cass" (Meghan Markle) and the other guy was strong, but I really like her.  I like Meghan, I think she is a capable leading lady in these types of movies and I hope she does more Hallmark movies.

 

Although I didn't like that Jonathan Scarfe was relegated to playing the guy who doesn't get the girl, I appreciated that Cass was taking her time -- even if inspired by the stupid book -- to try to figure out which guy was right for her.  Jonathan's character was clearly not the right guy for her, but they didn't make him such a crazy caricature riddled with flaws that it would be impossible for anyone to understand why she'd spend more than 10 seconds with him.  He at least attempted to make an effort and be a guy she might like.

 

At the end of it, though, I thought that I liked it -- better than I liked Unleashing Mr. Darcy (which a lot of people seem to love) -- but I did not love it.  I might like it more over time.

 

I am recording All Things Valentine tonight as I semi-watch Grease: Live.  I like Sam Page -- and I have realized that he keeps getting paired up with redheaded leading ladies.  Also, Kimberly Sustad -- who starred in Nine LIves of Christmas -- is one of the supporting players in this movie, and I like her.

 

Next weekend there is only one new Countdown to Valentine's Day movie -- Appetite for Love on Sat., 2/6.   Then we have the final 2 new Hallmark Valentine movies on 2/13 and 2/14, and there is even a a new ION Valentine movie on 2/12.   I may or may not like Appetite for Love, but it has Andrew Walker in it and I am always okay with him being in Hallmark movies, even if I don't like the movie that much (as was the case with Dashing Through the Snow)!  Nothing wrong with a little eye candy for the ladies!  I'm looking forward to the Autumn Reeser movie (Valentine Ever After) because I like her a lot -- I think she is charming in whatever movie she does for Hallmark.

 

Remember -- just for anyone who is interested -- that there will also be one movie airing each weeknight at 8 p.m. on Hallmark, from 2/1 - 2/5 and from 2/8 - 2/12.

Edited February 1, 2016 by Sherry67

[Irlandesa]

As expected, the Mariah Carey movie got big ratings for the Hallmark Channel, but, interestingly, it was Christmas Land that got the biggest ratings of all of the 2015 Hallmark Christmas movies, and it was the very last new movie to air.  I am guesssing that some of Mariah's fans stuck around to the next night, to watch it?  That's the only reason I can guess why it would have had the highest ratings.

Okay.  That shocked me.  All I remember about that movie is that it wasn't the disaster it could have been.  I wonder if it being the last movie helped it in the ratings.

 

I think my biggest problem with Daters's Handbook is the fact that it wasted a good male lead.  I thought the guy who got the girl was good. And I've liked Jonathan Scarfe in the past.  So that means one of them could have been in Unleashing Mr. Darcy and made it better.

 

I think All Things Valentine suffered from a similar issue except this time it was with the "The Nine Lives of Christmas" actress.  I really need a sequel about her character but she was one of the most real characters that Hallmark has had in a while.  She broke up with the guy because he didn't value what she valued.  And then she got jealous when he found out that she was doing the one thing she asked of him with someone else. She exposed his lie but then regretted it because she got involved for the wrong reasons. Hallmark must like the actress because it's pretty rare an "antagonist--although I'm not sure that's what she was" gets such a nuanced perspective. 

Overall I liked it. I probably liked it more than the movie last night because even though the leads probably had better chemistry yesterday, I wasn't annoyed like I was.  Plus, I liked that the lead had Valentine's Day with her family.  I liked that the angst was organic to the plot and not just thrown in there for angst. 

 

And that wraps up "2/3 of the Women of Suits" weekend.  I don't watch often but I vastly prefer Sarah Rafferty on that show but Meghan does week in these Hallmark movies.  If Hallmark wants to openly be more diverse, they need to get the other female star from Suits, Gina Torres.

[TVFan17]

^^^ Lol at  "2/3 of the Women of Suits" weekend!  So true.  In the past it's been "The Women of 90210" in Hallmark movies.

 

Gina Torres is the one who is married to Laurence Fishburne, correct?  You know where I first became familiar with Gina, embarrassingly enough?  She was an occasional guest star on either Xena: Warrior Princess or Hercules back in the '90s -- or maybe she was on both shows?  It was so long ago, but I am pretty sure she played one of the villains who popped up every now and then.

 

Now that Grease: Live is over I might start watching All Things Valentine.  I really like Kimberly Sustad -- and she has only been the lead in one Hallmark movie, curiously, which was Nine Lives... Otherwise, she is always the supporting character.  She was also in A Bride for Christmas as Arielle Kebbel's business partner/sister.  It sounds like her character in All Things Valentine is somewhat relatable?

[redpencil]

As someone who grew up in the Denver area, I have to comment on Dater's Handbook. I know they don't film movies in the actual location, but at least try to make it look like it could be there. Even the establishing shots were so clearly not Denver. For a while I thought it was going to be that they were in a mountain town a couple hours from Denver, but nope. It was actually Denver. They made it look like it was smack dab in the middle of the mountains. Denver is in the plains, people. It's not nestled in the mountains and it isn't right next to a body of water. That was so weird.

 

At least Signed, Sealed, Delivered manages to pull it off for the most part.

[TVFan17]

I watched All Things Valentine, and I liked it very much.  I wouldn't say that it's up there on my list of non-Christmas Hallmark favorites such as Love On the Air, but I definitely liked it a little bit more than Dater's Handbook.  It still followed a basic romantic dramedy sort of formula and fit the Hallmark mold, but it felt a bit more mature and grown up.  That could be due to the writing, the acting, the editing or some other ingredient, but it worked for me.  It didn't feel like a giddy, whimsical sort of story.  It felt like it had a bit of substance.  Just as in the case of Dater's Handbook, it was nice that the leads were actually taking time to get to know each other and not just falling for each other after a couple of short conversations.

 

Also, as someone who is a sucker for holiday decorations of different kinds, I appreciated the random Valentine decor here and there.  I also liked that they were doing Valentine-esque things, such as going to the chocolate class or taking dance lessons.  I felt the same way when watching the Fall Harvest movies last year -- I wanted to see the characters doing Halloween-ish things, like picking out pumpkins and trick-or-treating.  In Christmas movies I want to see them building snowmen and singing Christmas carols.

 

The supporting characters were pleasant and fairly interesting.  Oh, and I liked the little boy too -- much  more so in this movie than in Lifetime's Gift-Wrapped Christmas, where I last saw him.  He was so sweet with his little Valentine that he was giving to the girl he liked (who was good at math).

 

Edited to add:  I forgot to mention that, while there was at least one scene in which coffee was being poured and drunk in All Things Valentine, I did not see any telltale red coffee canisters lurking ominously in the background.  I kind of had a feeling that the coffee scene near the end of the movie was deliberately written into the script in hopes that Folgers would pay big bucks for more product placement, like what we see in the Hallmark Christmas movies -- and so that there would be a reason for a red Folgers canister to appear somewhere.  But, alas, no red canister anywhere -- at least not that I saw.  I wonder if Folgers just doesn't want to jump on the Countdown to Valentine's Day bandwagon yet, as it is not as big of an event as the Countdown to Christmas.  Folgers knows that a lot of people will be watching the Countdown to Christmas -- so their product placement in movies for the last couple years has probably been a worthwhile investment.  Maybe, because the Countdown to Valentine's Day is a smaller event overall, they just don't want to spend whatever money would be necessary for their familiar red packages to be prominently featured?

Edited February 1, 2016 by Sherry67

[In2You]

I've heard of PixL, and have poked around on the website, but I don't subscribe to it on YouTube. I know that sometimes there are certain movies that appear on PixL under certain titles, and then they move to Hallmark where they end up with totally different titles.  That's happened with at least a couple of movies in the last year or so.  I'm not sure if they are sold to Hallmark, or if there is a shared distribution deal, but was odd last year when certain movies were debuting on Hallmark and people were saying they already saw them one month prior!

 

PixL is partly owned by Larry Levinson who's production company has sold many movies to Hallmark.  So if people are saying they saw a movie on PixL first its because his channel got first dibs on the airing. 

[TVFan17]

PixL is partly owned by Larry Levinson who's production company has sold many movies to Hallmark.  So if people are saying they saw a movie on PixL first its because his channel got first dibs on the airing. 

 

I've liked quite a few of Larry's Hallmark movies in the past.  He's done some good stuff.

 

I'm trying to remember which movies people were saying that had already seen by the time they premiered on Hallmark, and it turned out they were talking about seeing them on PixL.  I know there were at least a couple of movies like that (last year).  I am pretty sure that one of them was Love by the Book.  Someone on Hallmark's Facebook page saw that it was premiering on the Hallmark Channel early last year, and she said she already saw it a month earlier, referring to it by a different title.  So the title changed by the time it got to Hallmark, or maybe Hallmark bought an edited version of it with a different title.  I think it was originally called Mr. Fiction when the lady said she saw it.  The other movie title I remember someone commenting on escapes me right now, but will probably hit me later on.

 

But then a movie like Cloudy with a Chance of Love (a title that I don't like) aired on PixL, and on the Hallmark Channel, and it kept the same title in both places.

[EyewatchTV211]

I may be in the minority, but I didn't particularly care for All Things Valentine. It wasn't bad, but I didn't love it, so I guess it was just okay for me. It didn't have the lows of Dater's Handbook in terms of the annoying sister, but I didn't feel the highs either of great chemistry or anything. The family stuff was cute, and it WAS interesting that they focused so much on side characters, but I found it to be pretty boring overall. It definitely felt more like a Valentine's Day movie than Dater's Handbook. That one probably would have fit well with the Winterfest grouping since it had snow. The Winterfest movies did not seem to really fit any sort of theme besides the usual romance. I somewhat expected more wintery stuff, even though we had all of the Christmas movies - just without the Christmas aspect. I guess they were just put together based on being aired at the same general time during what happens to be winter. I still preferred that one, though. 

[TVFan17]

I may be in the minority, but I didn't particularly care for All Things Valentine. It wasn't bad, but I didn't love it, so I guess it was just okay for me. It didn't have the lows of Dater's Handbook in terms of the annoying sister, but I didn't feel the highs either of great chemistry or anything. The family stuff was cute, and it WAS interesting that they focused so much on side characters, but I found it to be pretty boring overall. It definitely felt more like a Valentine's Day movie than Dater's Handbook. That one probably would have fit well with the Winterfest grouping since it had snow. The Winterfest movies did not seem to really fit any sort of theme besides the usual romance. I somewhat expected more wintery stuff, even though we had all of the Christmas movies - just without the Christmas aspect. I guess they were just put together based on being aired at the same general time during what happens to be winter. I still preferred that one, though. 

 

Dater's Handbook was initially grouped into Winterfest as the 5th and final movie (it was on the original Winterfest schedule on the Hallmark Channel website), and it also had a couple of title changes along the way.  It was always scheduled for January 30th.  Suddenly it got switched to the Countdown to Valentine's Day as the first new movie of that event.  I don't know if that was always the plan or if Hallmark fell short by one Valentine movie and needed a 5th one, but it followed a similar pattern from 2015.  

 

In January 2015 there were 4 new movies on the Hallmark Channel -- one each weekend for the first 4 Saturdays of the month, just like this past January -- but they didn't call it Winterfest, and the movies were not wintry in theme.  It was just "new movies every weekend in January."  And the final Saturday in January 2015 was the first new movie of the Countdown to Valentine's Day, just like what happened this year.  There were 5 new Countdown to Valentine's Day movies, just as there are this year.

 

This year was the first time they gave the new January movies the "Winterfest" name.  So my guess is that it was a way for Hallmark to try to keep some of the viewers tuned in right after the Countdown to Christmas ended, and get them to stick around through the Countdown to Valentine's Day.  Winterfest was kind of the transition between Christmas and Valentine's Day.   By attaching some sort of brand name to the new movies and dubbing the whole thing "Winterfest," they make it seem like more of an event, and possibly attract more advertisers and sponsors if they keep doing it and it proves to be a success.

Edited February 2, 2016 by Sherry67

[scenicbyway]

A Crown for Christmas was the best 2015 Christmas movie by far.  Danica was a little awkward, but that actually went along well with the character she was playing.  I wasn't expecting anything from Unleashing Mr Darcy and I was pleasantly surprised.  I don't like animals as gimmicks in shows, but they weren't too distracting from the overall storyline. 

[TVFan17]

A Crown for Christmas was the best 2015 Christmas movie by far.  Danica was a little awkward, but that actually went along well with the character she was playing.  I wasn't expecting anything from Unleashing Mr Darcy and I was pleasantly surprised.  I don't like animals as gimmicks in shows, but they weren't too distracting from the overall storyline. 

 

I was just thinking about Crown for Christmas earlier today, trying to decide if it is one that I will eventually get on DVD when it gets to Amazon for a low price.  It really is a cute movie -- it had its flaws, like mostly all Hallmark movies do, but it is a nice Christmas time fairly tale.

 

I might have to give in and watch Unleashing Mr. Darcy again.   It really did not grab me when I first watched it, and I thought that the chemistry was lacking.  But so many people seem to like it -- not just like it, but a lot of people love it -- that I am starting to second guess my initial observations.  I might try to catch it again sometime soon and see if I have a different opinion.

 

The next new Valentine movie is in 2 days -- Appetite for Love.  I am not a fan of that title, and the plot looks questionable, but I like Andrew Walker and so I'm in.

 

Hallmark favorite Alicia Witt is currently working on the series Nashville, but she has also joined the cast of The Walking Dead, apparently.  It is assumed that she will begin appearing in the next season of TWD and not in the last half of the current season.  Depending on how big her role on TWD is, and if she is working on Nashville at the same time, she may not be filming any Hallmark Christmas movies for a while!

[Myrrhine]

They could start slow if they're nervous. Megan Markle is biracial. Why not make her characters biracial instead of all white, as she seemed to be in this movie?

I was happy to see they did do this with Katrina Law, in the Christmas movie where she played a personal shopper. Her character's father was played by an Asian actor. That by no means addresses the incredible lack of diversity in Hallmark programming of course!

Upthread someone was commenting on the unvarying youth of the main characters in Hallmark movies. I know the HMM channel isn't available / reasonably priced everywhere, but there are some high profile productions on that channel starring women in their 40s / 50s.

[Irlandesa]

Upthread someone was commenting on the unvarying youth of the main characters in Hallmark movies. I know the HMM channel isn't available / reasonably priced everywhere, but there are some high profile productions on that channel starring women in their 40s / 50s.

HMM does have some older stars.  But there are a few Hallmark movies that have stars around 40.  In fact, the first two Winterfest movies had people around 40.  Emmnuelle Vaugnier will be 40 this summer and Luke Perry is in his 40s.  Holly Marie Combs is 42 and her co-star was 47. Alicia Witt is 40.  Lisa Welcher is 52 and starred in a wedding movie in 2014 where her love interest was the younger Antonio Cupo. 

 

Most of their stars are in their 30s.  While that's definitely not what I'd call an older group. It's also not a group I'd describe as super youthful.

Edited February 6, 2016 by Irlandesa

[twoods]

Finally caught All Things Valentine and I really enjoyed it. Like others said, unlike Dater's Handbook there wasn't an annoying character and dumb reason why the leads couldn't be together. I liked how the secondary characters got a little storyline (loved the other vet and the bakery owner) and it was good to see the actress from Nine Lives. Plus, the lead actor was very nice to look at AND could act, and the leads had a lot of scenes together before they became a couple. I will definitely watch it again.

I definitely enjoyed Crown For Christmas more the second time around, but I felt there were a few scenes lacking between the leads. They didn't spend enough time together. At least the one that had Paul Campbell in it showed him and the princess hanging out together for 2 days and bonding.

[Irlandesa]

Andrew Walker makes things better.  This movie was plagued by lack of chemistry, as so many of these movies are, but it wasn't anti-chem and it was an easy movie to get through.  The scenery was gorgeous as well.

 

I did have to laugh at how much they focused on farm-to-table but then had very obvious product placement Reddi-Whip.  Maybe he was doing it because he was away from the restaurant but whipped cream is pretty much the easiest thing to make.

Edited February 7, 2016 by Irlandesa

[TVFan17]

Love me some Andrew Walker!  

 

I liked Appetite for Love well enough -- it was pleasant -- though I think I still liked All Things Valentine a little bit better.  The couple's happy ending was rushed, as usual... but not rushed at the same time.  In other words, yes, maybe the outcome of the lead couple was sped up at the end -- but it was not out of the realm of reason because of what we learn in the latter part of the movie.  In other words, it kind of made sense given what almost happened 15 years earlier.

 

I chuckled aloud at the Reddi-Wip product placement, as I don't think I had ever seen that specific product in a Hallmark movie before this one.  I know that during the coffee pouring scene in All Things Valentine last week, I was fully expecting to see a red Folgers canister somewhere on the table and was almost disappointed when there wasn't one.  So imagine my surprise to see the familiar can of whipped cream making a cameo appearance on some pie in tonight's new movie!

 

I agree with you also, Irlandesa, about the gorgeous scenery.   I liked the rainy look of the scenes.

 

Taylor Cole is very pretty -- she must have modeled at some point in her life, pre-acting.

 

I have come to the conclusion that Marcus Rosner (who played "Reed") is going to be typecast from here on out, and he will always play the same guy.  I think that his character in Appetite for Love was basically the same guy he played in A Christmas Detour.  He just has a face -- chiseled and handsome though it may be -- that makes him appear to be an uppity snob/jerk.  I think that Hallmark will eventually put him in a leading role, though -- in which case he can't be too jerky.

 

The final 2 new Valentine movies are next weekend.  And then the next movie "event" is not until April, when the new Spring Fling deal begins.  But Part 2 of The Bridge will air on both HMM and later on the regular Hallmark Channel in March, so that's something to chew on in the meantime, I guess.

Edited February 7, 2016 by Sherry67

[Irlandesa]

The final 2 new Valentine movies are next weekend.  And then the next movie "event" is not until April, when the new Spring Fling deal begins.  But Part 2 of The Bridge will air on both HMM and later on the regular Hallmark Channel in March, so that's something to chew on in the meantime, I guess.

Next weekend is it for Hallmark but Hallmark Movies and Mysteries is showing Signed, Sealed, Delivered: From The Heart in two weeks. It appears to be Valentine-y.  I don't have a schedule but I wonder if they'll start airing their mystery series movies while Hallmark takes its break.

[EyewatchTV211]

I have come to the conclusion that Marcus Rosner (who played "Reed") is going to be typecast from here on out, and he will always play the same guy.  I think that his character in Appetite for Love was basically the same guy he played in A Christmas Detour.  He just has a face -- chiseled and handsome though it may be -- that makes him appear to be an uppity snob/jerk.  I think that Hallmark will eventually put him in a leading role, though -- in which case he can't be too jerky.

He has already been typecast. Even before A Christmas Detour, he was in much of the last season of When Calls The Heart. There, he played the main female character's childhood best friend and somewhat love interest. His family and her family were wealthy and knew each other from social/business circles in the city from before the main character moved to teach in the "wild west" and when she was briefly back in the big city. Of course there was another love interest she met there who was not the rich, snobby type. Seeing him in two movies since then playing the same general part is already kind of amusing. We'll see if he can break out of this character type and ever win the girl.

 

Someone from cinema movies who wasn't typecast, but who I also wondered if he'd ever get the girl, was poor James Marsden. He was in so many movies as a somewhat love interest who lost. I think 27 Dresses was the first that I saw where he got he girl. Interesting how that happens. 

[TVFan17]

He has already been typecast. Even before A Christmas Detour, he was in much of the last season of When Calls The Heart. There, he played the main female character's childhood best friend and somewhat love interest. His family and her family were wealthy and knew each other from social/business circles in the city from before the main character moved to teach in the "wild west" and when she was briefly back in the big city. Of course there was another love interest she met there who was not the rich, snobby type. Seeing him in two movies since then playing the same general part is already kind of amusing. We'll see if he can break out of this character type and ever win the girl.

 

Someone from cinema movies who wasn't typecast, but who I also wondered if he'd ever get the girl, was poor James Marsden. He was in so many movies as a somewhat love interest who lost. I think 27 Dresses was the first that I saw where he got he girl. Interesting how that happens. 

 

I don't watch WCTH, but know the main actors on the show (Erin Krakow, Lori Loughlin, Jack Wagner, Daniel Lissing).  The supporting characters are the ones that I probably only know from other work.  I didn't know that Marcus was one of the supporting characters on the show last season until just a few days ago.  It seems that every time Hallmark puts out a new movie, I recognize an actor from a previous Hallmark movie or from projects outside of/unrelated to Hallmark, but someone else will mention that he/she was on WCTH or Cedar Cove!  Lol.  Those Hallmark actors get around, between all of the series and the movies.  It seems like everyone has done a shift on Cedar Cove or WCTH at some point.

 

It's interesting that you mention James Marsden -- I think I just saw him in a new commercial.  Was it one of the ads that ran during the Super Bowl, or before that?  I'm not sure.   I was not paying attention to the TV, and only happened to look up as the ad was about to end and it hit me that it appeared to be James Marsden.

Edited February 8, 2016 by Sherry67

[In2You]

Currently trying out PixL  and I'm enjoying the movies so far. I've been watching the new ones because the older ones already aired on Hallmark. They all kind of skewed different ages as far as who they targeted. I know we've talked about how alot of Hallmark movies feature 30 and 40 something actors. I think Larry Levinson is trying to appeal to a younger crowd because some of the more recent ones featured 20 somethings and actors who are popular in the teen drama circuit.  And there were some actors who I recognized from different shows. I really recommend It Had To Be You because it was a sweet story but the side characters really set it apart from similar stories. Some of them I could definitely see on UP. And they're more diverse than the movies I've been seeing on Hallmark lately. 

[twoods]

Went on the PixL website and some of these movies look really good! I'm cursing Direct TV for not having the channel. They have actors that I love, the characters seem more diverse, and the storylines aren't so cookie cutter. Gah! I may have to shell out the two bucks a month to watch it on you tube.

Edited February 9, 2016 by twoods

[TVFan17]

Went on the PixL website and some of these movies look really good! I'm cursing Direct TV for not having the channel. They have actors that I love, the characters seem more diverse, and the storylines aren't so cookie cutter. Gah! I may have to shell out the two bucks a month to watch it on you tube.

 

Beware that there are quite a few movies there that you may have seen or may end up seeing on Hallmark, but under different titles or even under the same title.  There are certainly plenty that have not aired on Hallmark as well, but I am seeing a lot of movies on the PixL YouTube Channel that I have seen on Hallmark and/or HMM.  I am only pointing this out so that you know you could end up paying that monthly fee and getting some content you have already seen or may see at some point on the Hallmark Channel. 

 

Just one example of many is "Heart of the Matter," in the New Releases section.  It has aired on Hallmark under the name "Portrait of Love."  

 

Otherwise, the titles on there that have not  trickled over to Hallmark -- such as the one that In2You mentioned above, "It Had to Be You" (with Torrey DeVitto of "Best Christmas Party Ever" and "Pretty Little Liars") -- look pretty interesting!

Edited February 9, 2016 by Sherry67

[In2You]

Beware that there are quite a few movies there that you may have seen or may end up seeing on Hallmark, but under different titles or even under the same title.  There are certainly plenty that have not aired on Hallmark as well, but I am seeing a lot of movies on the PixL YouTube Channel that I have seen on Hallmark and/or HMM.  I am only pointing this out so that you know you could end up paying that monthly fee and getting some content you have already seen or may see at some point on the Hallmark Channel. 

 

That's what the 14 day free trial is for. So you can see what movies they have and if you're interested in shelling out $2 every month. We've already discussed that alot of their older material is Hallmark movies but most of their newer movies seem exclusive to PixL. And they have a few upcoming ones that I heard about last year like Late Bloomer which Italia Ricci (Chasing Life) is featured in.

Edited February 9, 2016 by In2You

[TVFan17]

That's what the 14 day free trial is for. So you can see what movies they have and if you're interested in shelling out $2 every month. We've already discussed that alot of their older material is Hallmark movies but most of their newer movies seem exclusive to PixL. And they have a few upcoming ones that I heard about last year like Late Bloomer which Italia Ricci (Chasing Life) is featured in.

 

I wanted to mention it anyway, as I have no way of knowing which movies twoods may have seen on Hallmark or may see on Hallmark in the future.  The title I mentioned just made its Hallmark debut last year, but under a different name.  Because some of the titles are different on PixL, at a glance someone might not know that it is a movie that has already aired on Hallmark (under a different name) or that will air on Hallmark again. It doesn't hurt anything to mention it.  And twoods said, "I may have to shell out the two bucks a month to watch it on you tube," so I wanted to address that before any money was shelled out.

 

Some of the other titles stay the same between the 2 channels, and may or may not be several years old (such as Kiss at Midnight).

Edited February 10, 2016 by Sherry67

[twoods]

Thanks for the heads up. I did notice that a few movies sounded familiar and had the name changed, but others I hadn't seen before (like the upcoming Casa Vida). The upcoming Hallmark movies don't sound appealing so I'm going to give PixL a try.