Paying Attention
Maybe you noticed it on the way to another channel–the Hallmark Channel. Not necessarily a destination on your cable TV or satellite TV lineup, but a fixture, always there and always programming a type of show or made-for-tv movie that is quintessentially American.
At no time during the year is the presence (and perhaps necessity) of the Hallmark Channel more powerful than during the Christmas season, when the channel runs a continuing stream of Christmas-themed shows with similar story lines and outcomes that make for a very safe viewing haven for millions of American TV watchers during the holiday season. It’s an All-American look at the American Christmas Season and no one does it better.
It is, as Ted Turner once famously said, “not as simple as it looks” and the amount of effort and detail that goes into programming the Hallmark Channel is impressive. Bloomberg did a piece on the Hallmark Channel and the rather amazing woman behind it, and it’s certainly deep background worth knowing. Even more interesting, it’ll all come into sharper focus the next time the TV lands–and stays–on the Hallmark Channel. Happy Holidays.
Editor’s Note: This post is number 812 for this site.