ItB次元官网网址檚 beginning to look a lot like Christmas B次元官网网址� at least on Canadian movie sets.
Especially in Vancouver, where B次元官网网址淪ense, Sensibility & SnowmenB次元官网网址� was one of five holiday-themed TV-movies B次元官网网址� three by Hallmark B次元官网网址� shot in B.C. this July alone.
Directed by Calgary native David Winning, the family-friendly feature stars Erin Krakow and London, Ont.-born Luke Macfarlane. Krakow, the American-born star of HallmarkB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淲hen Calls the HeartB次元官网网址� (also shot in Vancouver), plays an over-enthusiastic Christmas planner, while Macfarlane co-stars as a Scrooge-like toy company CEO.
Before you can say B次元官网网址渉o-ho-ho,B次元官网网址� they become holiday sweethearts.
ItB次元官网网址檚 WinningB次元官网网址檚 15th movie for Hallmark, eight of which have been Christmas-themed.
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The director has a theory as to why his films consistently draw three to four million U.S. cable viewers: B次元官网网址淚n dark times, Hallmark does an excellent job of offering a safe harbour for viewers,B次元官网网址� he said in a recent phone interview.
Quite often that safe harbour originates in Canada. Hallmark, a Crown Media company, ordered a record 100-plus TV movies into production in 2019. The network says about 70 are shot in Canada, including places such as North Bay, Sudbury and Parry Sound, Ont.
To achieve the right Christmas-in-July look, workers roll out fake snow made out of cotton batting, fetching truckloads of the real stuff from local hockey rinks to cover green lawns on outdoor sets.
Companies producing these films earn points and claim big tax advantages for every Canadian actor near the top of the call sheet. Canadian directors and writers also trigger tax incentives.
The price is right for Hallmark, which powered an aggressive slate of wholesome fare into becoming the most-watched U.S. cable network among women 18 to 49 and 25 to 54 in the fourth quarter of 2018, according to Nielsen.
The same leap in viewership occurred when the Hallmark brand was introduced in Canada last November as part of CorusB次元官网网址� W Network. On weekends that quarter, W became the No. 1 specialty network in Canada and the No. 1 most-watched network, surpassing conventional broadcasters such as CBC, CTV and Global according to Numeris PPM data.
Montreal-born Colin Ferguson, for one, is thrilled to be in high rotation on Hallmark. After years of playing it dark on shows such as B次元官网网址淓urekaB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淭he Vampire Diaries,B次元官网网址� the Pasadena, Calif., resident is happy to fly to B.C. to shoot HallmarkB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淐edar CoverB次元官网网址� or 2018B次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淐hristmas on Honeysuckle Lane.B次元官网网址�
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B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e so loyal,B次元官网网址� said the 46-year-old actor at a Television Critics Association event last winter.
B次元官网网址淚n this industry, you get used to the disposability of everybody because weB次元官网网址檙e all replaceable. These guys seek us out and go, B次元官网网址楧o you want to do another one?B次元官网网址� That goes a long way with actors.B次元官网网址�
As does finally being in a project his six-year-old son can enjoy. B次元官网网址淗e canB次元官网网址檛 watch most of what IB次元官网网址檝e done yet, but he can watch a Hallmark movie, which is nice.B次元官网网址�
Other Canadian actors who frequent Hallmark TV-movies include: Ottawa-born Brendan Penny, part of CTVB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淢otiveB次元官网网址� a few years ago and a regular on HallmarkB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淐hesapeake ShoresB次元官网网址�; Kamloops native Benjamin Ayres, seen last season on CBCB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淏urden of TruthB次元官网网址� and featured on HallmarkB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淐hronicle MysteriesB次元官网网址� movies; Lynda Boyd, a B.C. native and B次元官网网址淩epublic of DoyleB次元官网网址� regular who has played mom to Meghan Markle and Jamie-Lynn Sigler in Hallmark Christmas movies. Finally, thereB次元官网网址檚 Vancouver son Paul Campbell, who shared top billing with Dave Foley on the CTV sitcom B次元官网网址淪pun OutB次元官网网址� a few years ago and who has shot five holiday movies for Hallmark, including B次元官网网址淎 Godwink Christmas.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淵ou do a Hallmark movie, you know itB次元官网网址檚 going to be feel-good and fun,B次元官网网址� said Boyd, who nonetheless had some challenges shooting B次元官网网址淪nowComingB次元官网网址� in a 35 degree Celsius heat wave last summer in Squamish, B.C. B次元官网网址淚 was wearing a hat, coat and a scarf and I was having hot flashes. Help!B次元官网网址�
Crews routinely raid B.C. fishing docks for shaved ice to make summer Christmas shoots look more wintery, while frosty breathing is sometimes added later in editing for the same reason.
Despite weather-related challenges on set, few Canadians turn down a Hallmark moment. Toronto-born Gabriel Hogan, featured on a series of B次元官网网址淢urder, She BakedB次元官网网址� TV-movies, says he loves the 13 to 15-day shooting schedules.
Actors with an itch to write and produce are taken seriously. Ayres and Campbell both have future Hallmark projects in development based on their own story suggestions.
Winning says it takes time to earn your way into the Hallmark family. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a very small group of directors,B次元官网网址� he says. Once youB次元官网网址檙e in B次元官网网址� and enough viewers respond B次元官网网址� youB次元官网网址檙e in.B次元官网网址� The demand is such that Winning will get four days off before embarking on his 16th Hallmark TV-movie at the end of this month.
Campbell is also grateful for the Hallmark seal of approval. Usually an American, such as former B次元官网网址淔ull HouseB次元官网网址� actress Candace Cameron Bure, takes top billing on a shot-in-Canada original.
CampbellB次元官网网址檚 star at the network has risen to the point, however, where he and Ottawa-born Kimberly Sustad B次元官网网址� two Canadians B次元官网网址� have the No. 1 and 2 spots in B次元官网网址淎 Godwink Christmas.B次元官网网址� The key, says Campbell, is becoming B次元官网网址渁 recognizable faceB次元官网网址� on the network.
As for why Hallmark keeps casting Canadians in their Christmas films, Campbell, tongue somewhat in cheek, says it goes beyond the dollar.
B次元官网网址淎 lot of L.A. actors have a swagger which doesnB次元官网网址檛 actually work for Hallmark,B次元官网网址� he says. Better the low-key Canadian approach: B次元官网网址淧lease love me!B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址� Bill Brioux is a freelance TV columnist based in Brampton, Ont.
Bill Brioux, The Canadian Press
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