Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Announces Programming To Start 2018

Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, the premiere television destination for thrilling mysteries, will offer a slate of new, original world premiere movies as well as a new acquisition to further bolster the schedule.  On the heels of record-breaking ratings in Q4, the network unveiled plans for new installments of returning, popular mystery franchises along with a new offering from Executive Producer Al Roker (“Today”), starring Holly Robinson Peete (“Christmas in Evergreen,” “Meet the Peetes”) and Rick Fox (“Greenleaf,” “Oz”).  The announcement was made today as part of Crown Media Family Networks’ bi-annual TV Critics Association Press Tour.

“Viewers have a strong appetite for our mystery programming, as reflected in the ratings surge that Hallmark Movies & Mysteries has experienced with continued year-over-year growth,” said Michelle Vicary, Executive Vice President, Programming and Network Publicity, Crown Media Family Networks. “We’re thrilled to introduce new franchises to complement returning viewer favorites as we take sleuths on smart, exciting and thrilling adventures through our storytelling.”

Audiences will be able to immerse themselves in their favorite mysteries with new installments of “Emma Fielding Mysteries” starring Courtney Thorne-Smith (“According to Jim,” “Melrose Place”) and James Tupper (“Big Little Lies,” “Revenge”), “Fixer Upper Mysteries” starring Grammy Award nominee Jewel and Colin Ferguson (“The Vampire Diaries”), the return of the POSTables in a new “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” adventure starring Eric Mabius (“Ugly Betty”), Kristin Booth (“Orphan Black”), Crystal Lowe (“Primeval: New World”) and Geoff Gustafson (“Rogue”) along with a new “Hailey Dean Mystery” from Executive Producer Nancy Grace and starring Kellie Martin (“The Guest Book,” “ER”).  The network will premiere “Morning Show Mystery: Mortal Mishaps,” an all new original movie from Executive Producer Al Roker (“Today”) starring Robinson Peete and Fox.

Further solidifying the network’s compelling mystery line-up is the addition of “Psych,” long-running dramedy starring James Roday, Dule Hill, Timothy Omundson, Corbin Bernsen and Maggie Lawson.  The series follows young police consultant Shawn Spencer (Roday) who solves crimes with powers of observation so acute that Santa Barbara PD detectives think he’s psychic.  Beginning January 15, three episodes air every weekday from 6-9 p.m. ET/PT, leading out of three episodes of “Monk.”

Viewers have made Hallmark Movies & Mysteries the premiere destination for mysteries on cable television, as reflected in a continued ratings surge in 2017.  Compared to 2016, the network’s annual “Most Wonderful Movies of Christmas” programming event showed double-digit increases over the same period a year ago among HH (+20%), W18-49 (+16%), W25-54 (+12%), A18-49 (+11%), A25-54 (+13%) and Total Viewers (+19%).*

*Source: Nielsen (10/28/17 – 1/1/18 vs. 10/29/16 – 1/2/17)