Hallmark Hall of Fame Shifts Premieres to Hallmark Channel

Hallmark Cards today announced that new movies in its acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame series will debut in 2014-15 on Hallmark Channel.

The move comes after three years of a unique arrangement under which the premieres of new Hallmark Hall of Fame movies have aired on ABC and encore presentations have aired on Hallmark CHANNEL the following week. Hallmark CHANNEL will now air both the premiere presentations and multiple encores of each production.

"Over the past three years the Hallmark Hall of Fame has had higher total viewership via ABC and Hallmark CHANNEL than in any three-year period in the past decade," said Brad Moore, president of Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions. "We've enjoyed the success and our working relationships with both ABC and Hallmark Channel."

"This move is an important next step for us," Moore added. "Hallmark Channel's strong brand, distinctive positioning, and highly-effective audience delivery present exciting opportunities for us. Hallmark CHANNEL is also where more and more viewers expect to find our programs."

"Hallmark Hall of Fame is the longest running and most beloved drama franchise in television history. We're thrilled that Hallmark CHANNEL will become the new home for these movies' debuts," said Bill Abbott, President and CEO, Crown Media Family Networks. "Adding these premieres to the network's lineup brings great value to our viewers and further reinforces Crown Media's position as the leader in high-quality original family entertainment."

The first movie in the new arrangement will be ONE CHRISTMAS EVE. Anne Heche, appearing in her third Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, will star as a recently-divorced mom who wants her two kids' first Christmas "without dad" to be perfect. An entertaining but unfortunate series of Christmas Eve mishaps ensures that won't happen unless perfect means the family has its most memorable and heartwarming Christmas ever.