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Hallmark Channel is the quintessential 24-hour television destination for family-friendly programming and a leader in the production of original movies.  The network launched in 2001 and brings to audiences a brand with a 50-plus year legacy that resonates with consumers.  Hallmark Channel is the fastest-growing major ad-supported cable network since its launch, and its strong ratings consistently rank the channel in the top 10 in Prime Time.  Hallmark Channel is seen in over 85 million homes across the U.S. and has developed a stellar reputation for keeping viewers engaged and entertained.

A staple to the network, Hallmark Channel’s original movies are characterized by strong storytelling through compelling themes and vibrant characters.  The network will produce more than 30 original movies scheduled to air in 2009 – its largest-ever slate.  Rounding out its schedule, Hallmark also airs a mix of popular television series, including “Cheers,” “7th Heaven,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “M*A*S*H,” “Walker, Texas Ranger” and “Little House on the Prairie.”

Hallmark Channel continues to expand its offerings to viewers through its companion network, Hallmark Movie Channel, available in both standard definition (SD), and in high definition (HD).  Crown Media Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRWN) owns and operates the networks.

Hallmark Channel, along with its sibling network Hallmark Movie Channel, serves as the exclusive cable home to the prestigious Hallmark Hall of Fame library, the longest-running and most-awarded movie series in television’s history.

Launched on April 2, 2008, Hallmark Movie Channel HD is simulcast alongside Hallmark Movie Channel SD, and offers audiences an unparalleled viewing experience.  Hallmark Movie Channel, the second linear channel from Crown Media, is a 24-hour digital cable network dedicated to bringing viewers the very best family movies of all time with a mix of classic theatrical films, presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library, original Hallmark Channel movies and special events.

Hallmark Movie Channel HD exists at a time of high demand from distribution partners hungry for family-friendly content amidst the threat of government regulation, and utilizes the latest technology available to programmers and audiences.  

PROGRAMMING

Hallmark Channel Original Movies

LADIES OF THE HOUSE
Birdie (Pam Grier, “The L Word”), Rose (Florence Henderson, “The Brady Bunch”) and Elizabeth (Donna Mills “Nip/Tuck”) join together to remodel a house owned by their church so it can be sold and the money can be used to fund the church daycare center.  As they remodel the house, one woman decides to divorce her husband, one woman deals with her husband’s retirement and the third woman deals with the death of her husband from cancer.  Richard Roundtree (“Shaft”) and Lance Henriksen (“Into the West”) co-star in “Ladies of the House,” premiering Saturday, October 18 (9-11 p.m.).

GENERATION GAP
Troubled New York teen, Dylan Statlan (Alex Black, “Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide”) gets expelled from school, forcing his single mother to take desperate measures.  She sends him to spend the summer with her estranged, rigid father, Bart (Ed Asner, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”), a.k.a. “The Colonel,” in the hopes  that  a   positive  male role model will straighten him out.  The two get off to a rough start, but as the summer progresses Dylan learns some valuable life lessons from his grandfather.  Eventually, Dylan opens up his heart to the grandfather he never took the time to get to know and in the process, starts to become a responsible young man.  Much to the Colonel’s surprise, he finds his own hardened heart opening up as well.  Rue McClanahan (“Golden Girls”) and John Heard (“Prison Break”) co-star in “Generation Gap,” premiering Saturday, October 25 (9-11 p.m.).

MAIL ORDER BRIDE
Diana McQueen (Daphne Zuniga, “Melrose Place”) is a con woman anxious to flee from her handler and fellow conman, Tom Rourke (Greg Evigan, “My Two Dads”), whom she has worked for since she was 12.  Diana seizes an opportunity to start a new life for herself by claiming to be her recently-deceased friend in order to move out West to marry a Wyoming rancher neither woman has ever met.  But Diana’s lies begin to crumble when her new “fiancé” becomes suspicious and her violent past suddenly shows up on her doorstep.   Cameron Bancroft (“24”) co-stars in “Mail Order Bride,” premiering Saturday, November 8 (9-11 p.m.).

ACCIDENTAL FRIENDSHIP
Emmy® nominee Chandra Wilson (“Grey’s Anatomy”) stars as Yvonne Caldwell, a woman who blames the world for the fact that she’s forced to live on the street with nothing but her shopping cart of junk and two beloved dogs, Bebe and Man-Man.  Police officer Tami Baumann (Kathleen Munroe, “Cold Case”) has been unwilling to risk loving anyone since her father abandoned her when she was a little girl.  Drawn together by Yvonne’s devotion to her dogs, Tami becomes her unlikely guardian and friend; she helps get Yvonne off the streets and Yvonne helps Tami learn to trust her heart and love again.  Based on a true story and co-starring Ben Vereen, “Accidental Friendship” premieres Saturday, November 15 (9-11 p.m.).

AN OLD-FASHIONED THANKSGIVING
A widowed mother of four (Hélène Joy, “M.V.P.”) struggles to keep her family intact and to put food on the table.  The oldest daughter, an aspiring writer, sends a letter to her estranged and very wealthy grandmother (Jacqueline Bisset, “Nip/Tuck”) urging her assistance, much to her mother’s disapproval.   When the grandmother arrives, old wounds are opened but eventually healed.  “An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving” premieres Saturday, November 22 (9-11 p.m.).

MOONLIGHT & MISTLETOE
It’s always Christmas in Santaville!  But now, Vermont’s year-round yuletide attraction is losing its widespread appeal.  On the verge of bankruptcy, the resident St. Nick (Tom Arnold, “True Lies”) is hoping for a Christmas miracle to keep his dream from being bulldozed into another mini mall.  When his daughter – and onetime Number One elf, Holly (Candace Cameron Bure, “Full House”) -- returns  home,  she  is shocked to learn of her father’s situation.  Holly recruits Peter (Christopher Wiehl, “Jericho”), Nick’s employee and master wood craftsman, to devise a solution to the money woes.  “Moonlight & Mistletoe” premieres Saturday, November 29 (9-11 p.m.).

THE CHRISTMAS CHOIR
Peter Andrews (Jason Gedrick, “Desperate Housewives”) is a workaholic accountant with no interest in the holidays.  He has shut out everyone from his life, including his fiancée Jill (Cindy Sampson, “Swamp Devil”) who decides she can’t go through with the marriage.  Peter soon finds his calling in helping the less fortunate when he meets a homeless man named Bob (Tyrone Benskin, “300”), who inspires Peter to start a choir at the homeless shelter.  With the help of Sister Agatha (Rhea Perlman, “Cheers”) and the men at the shelter, Peter turns his life around, making the choir’s success his main priority.  Working with the homeless allows Peter to realize that everyone deserves a second chance at life, love, and relationships.  Inspired by a true story, “The Christmas Choir” premieres Saturday, December 6 (9-11 p.m.)

OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS
Recently-married couple Cindy (Julie Warner, “Tommy Boy”) and Tom (Steven Eckholdt, “Secret Santa”) are a perfect match, but when they try to unite their families from previous marriages their children aren’t interested in getting to know their new siblings.  Cindy’s husband has passed away, as has Tom’s wife, leaving each of them with two children to raise.  With Christmas right around the corner, the kids are looking forward to taking part in their usual family traditions, but there’s no way the family can keep both. All Cindy and Tom want is for their family to stay together, but with nobody willing to give an inch, it starts to look like their first Christmas may be ruined.  Dixie Carter (“Family Law”) and John Ratzenberger (“Cheers”) also star in “Our First Christmas,” premiering Saturday, December 20 (9-11 p.m.).

A KISS AT MIDNIGHT
Faith Ford (“Murphy Brown”) stars as Amy Flowers, an expert matchmaker who has sent countless happy couples to the altar.  After spending yet another New Year’s toasting her matches, she sets a goal for herself to find the man of her dreams by the following New Year’s Eve.  Amy soon meets widower Josh Sherman (Cameron Daddo, “Drifter”), and the two seem to be a perfect pair.  Only later does the pair realize how they came to meet, what each does for a living and are convinced they are each out to destroy their respective businesses.  Dyan Cannon (“Kangaroo Jack”) and Hal Linden (“Barney Miller”) also star in “A Kiss at Midnight,” premiering Saturday, December 27 (9-11 p.m.).

Hallmark Channel Series Premieres

NASCAR ANGELS
Hosted by former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion and current ABC/ESPN broadcaster Rusty Wallace, and NASCAR.COM talent, Shannon Wiseman, “NASCAR Angels,” is a reality program that fixes the cars and trucks of deserving individuals across the country.  “NASCAR Angels” will continue to feature top NASCAR drivers and crew chiefs giving deserving individuals the chance to go behind-the-scenes to meet their heroes and get an up-close-and-personal glimpse into the NASCAR experience. The half-hour, weekly series will premiere on Hallmark Channel Sunday, October 5 (8-8:30 a.m.).

CHEERS
Sam (Ted Danson, “Damages”), a former pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, owns and runs Cheers, a cozy bar in Boston. Several wacky characters make Cheers their home-away-from-home and share their experiences and lives with each other while drinking or working at the bar where everybody knows your name.  This multi-award-winning series also stars Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger, Woody Harrelson, Kirstie Alley and Kelsey Grammer. Back-to-back episodes of “Cheers” will air Sundays beginning October 5 (10 a.m.- 12 p.m.).

Hallmark Channel Feature Film Premieres

DRIVING MISS DAISY
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Driving Miss Daisy covers the 25-year relationship between a wealthy, strong-willed Southern matron (Jessica Tandy, “Cocoon”) and her equally obstinate black chauffeur (Morgan Freeman, “The Dark Knight”).  Dan Aykroyd (“I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry”) also stars in “Driving Miss Daisy,” making its Hallmark Channel debut Friday, October 10 (9-11 p.m.).

THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN
On his 83rd birthday, Eddie (Jon Voight, “Transformers”), a maintenance worker at an amusement park, dies while trying to save a girl who has fallen from a ride.  When he awakens in the afterlife, he encounters five people with ties to his corporeal existence who help him understand the meaning of his life.  Ellen Burstyn (“Big Love”) and Jeff Daniels (“Good Night and Good Luck”) also star in “The Five People You Meet in Heaven,” making its Hallmark Channel debut Saturday, October 11 (8-11 p.m.).

THE ROOKIE
Jim Morris (Dennis Quaid, “American Dreamz”) strikes an intriguing bargain with the Texas high school baseball team he coaches:  If they make the playoffs, he'll try out for a pitcher position with a big league team.  Going from worst to first, the team makes it to state and Jim is forced to live up to his end of the deal.  “The Rookie” makes its Hallmark Channel debut Thursday, November 27 (7-9 p.m.).

Hallmark Movie Channel Premieres

A PLACE FOR ANNIE
Sissy Spacek (“In the Bedroom”) stars as a caring nurse who adopts an HIV positive baby but must fight prejudice and the natural mother who wants custody.  Mary-Louise Parker (“Weeds”) and Joan Plowright (”The Spiderwick Chronicles”) also star in this Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation making its Hallmark Movie Channel debut Saturday, October 4 (10 p.m.- 12 a.m.).

SQUANTO:  A WARRIOR’S TALE
Squanto (Adam Beach, “Law & Order:  SVU”), a young warrior abducted from his homeland and enslaved, must battle impossible hazards on a desperate journey home.  Driven by a passion to be free, he risks everything to escape his captors, braving the wilderness and triumphing, finally, as a great leader.  Mandy Patinkin (“Criminal Minds”) co-stars in “Squanto:  A Warrior’s Tale,” making its Hallmark Movie Channel debut Saturday, October 11 (4-6 p.m.).

THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST
An author of travel guides (William Hurt, “Vantage Point”) must come to terms with the tragic death of his young son and his wife’s estrangement (Kathleen Turner, “Romancing the Stone”).  But things begin to look up when he meets a lovely, kooky dog trainer (Geena Davis, “The Fly”) who definitely marches to the beat of her own drum.  Davis won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar® for her role in this faithful adaptation of Anne Tyler's novel.  “The Accidental Tourist” makes its Hallmark Movie Channel debut Sunday, November 2 (5:30-8 p.m.).

AUDREY’S RAIN
Audrey (Jean Smart, “Samantha Who?”) is a beautiful woman who has given up her hopes and dreams to care for her mentally ill sister, niece and nephew.  But it's not until Audrey's ex-love (Richard Gilliland, “24”) returns to town that Audrey begins to understand she is a lot more than a surrogate mother to these children and realizes she has a second chance at her dreams.  Carol Kane (“Hope & Faith”) and Angus T. Jones (“Two and a Half Men”) also star in “Audrey’s Rain,” making its Hallmark Movie Channel debut Thursday, November 20 (10 p.m.- 12 a.m.).

SOUTH PACIFIC
Glenn Close (“Damages”) and Harry Connick Jr. (“P.S. I Love You”) star in this TV remake of the classic 1949 musical.  Set on a remote island during World War II, the story follows two parallel romances:  one between Nellie Forbush (Close), a Navy nurse, and Emile de Becque (Rade Serbedzija, “24”), a wealthy French plantation owner; the other between Liat (Natalie Mendoza, “Hotel Babylon”), a native girl, and Lt. Joseph Cable (Connick), a young American Marine whose secret mission on the island could help change the course of the war. “South Pacific” makes its Hallmark Movie Channel debut Saturday, November 30 (5-8 p.m.).