Stars aren't Disposable at Hallmark
Depending upon how charitable you want to be, the Hallmark Channel is either the "Whatever happened to network" or "The old friends network."
It's the channel that still values the talents and enduring popularity of one-time iconic stars, who have been cast aside by the major networks for the pretty young faces du jour.
All Hallmark can say is, "Thank you very much." Bringing back these beloved figures in a steady stream of TV movies (remember those?) has enabled the Hallmark Channel to become a permanent resident of the Top 10 highest rated cable networks. On many movie nights it's Top 3.
Meanwhile, the broadcast networks wonder where their audiences have gone. Maybe they should check with their own research departments. The heaviest watchers of TV are and has always been people 55 and over, which now includes a significant portion of the Baby Boom generation. They also have the most disposable income. As Hallmark president David Kenner put it Tuesday, "Our viewers have assets, not allowances."
Pursuing the people who actually watch TV instead of those difficult to impossible to reach: what a concept!
Hallmark made the opening day of the 2008 press tour with a constellation of old favorites, all of whom have projects coming up on the network: Jane Seymour, Corbin Bernsen, Ed Asner, Greg Evigan, Ben Vereen, Cheech Marin, Cicely Tyson, Florence Henderson, Donna Mills, Lesley Ann Warren and Meredith Baxter.
The lineup wasn't all evergreen. More recent favorites such as Chandra West, Daphne Zuniga, Eriq LaSalle and Michael Michele also were on hand to promote Hallmark projects.
Unlike many networks on the press tour, Hallmark is shrewd enough to grant these stars the liberty to discuss any topic that comes up, as opposed to prompting them to deflect all questions about the things people remember them for with, "I'd really like to stick to this show."
Interesting quotes always include the name of the actor's next work.
For instance, Seymour, who will star in a Murder She Wrote style mystery, Dear Prudence, spiked any chance of a return to her Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman character. "CBS owns the rights and (CBS boss) Les Moonves isn't doing any more Dr. Quinns."
Seymour went on that her husband would prefer that she stopped doing so many "cougar" roles. "I don't know how many times he wants to see me naked." Presumably, she meant on film.
West, who is rebounding from the maddeningly complex John From Cincinnati into the Hallmark romance film For the Love of Grace, was asked if she had any idea what was going on in the HBO series. "Short answer, " she replied, "No."
Somebody asked Alex Black, who stars opposite Asner in the movie Generation Gap, what he learned from working with such an old pro. The former Lou Grant interjected, "How to roll a reefer." You couldn't tell if he was kidding.
Speaking of which, Marin, who heads the cast of Hallmark's Expecting a Miracle, revealed he and former partner Tommy Chong are talking about reuniting their stoner act one last time before it's too late. (As I recall, he says this every time he is on a press tour. Maybe he forgets. It happens.)
Wilson, who stars in Accidental Tourist for Hallmark, made light of Grey's Anatomy colleague Katherine Heigl's decision not to enter this year's Emmy race because she didn't feel her material merited it. "You can have a great seasonal arc but you need (that one) show to submit." She rejected the idea that Heigl was taking a slap at the series writers. "It's amazing how this has been blown out of proportion."
Wilson's Accidental Friendship co-star, Ben Vereen, who has one of the most distinguished and varied resumes in show business, explained why he deigned to appear on the reality show Your Mama Don't Dance.
"Employment."
As long as Hallmark is around, stars of his caliber need not worry about that.
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