Crown Media won’t be producing any more movies in its Hailey Dean and Matchmaker Mysteries series. The stars of both franchises made the announcement in social media posts to fans.
“I just found out that Hailey Dean is done at Hallmark,” Kellie Martin wrote on Twitter. “Really sad and sorry to report.
Danica McKellar, who stars in the Matchmaker Mysteries series, broke the news in response to a fan asking when the next movie was coming out.
“They decided to stop making them last summer,” she wrote in a tweet. “Let them know how you feel; I’d love to make more mysteries — a lot of us would.”
When the fan asked if McKellar would return to Hallmark if the network changed its mind, the actress answered yes.
“I’d do a mystery on Hallmark for sure!” she wrote.
Changes at Crown Media
Crown Media Family Networks is the company in charge of Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, and the streaming service Hallmark Movies Now. A new CEO took the helm at Crown Media in July 2020, following the departure of Bill Abbott, who held the position for 11 years.
The company has canceled two of its television series, Home and Family and Good Witch, in the past year. It has two other series, When Calls the Heart and Chesapeake Shores. Season 9 of When Calls the Heart premieres in March. Fans are still waiting to hear if there will be a sixth season of Chesapeake Shores.
Hallmark Movies and Mysteries is still producing new mystery movies. Cut, Color, Murder will premiere in February, as will another installment in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries starring Candace Cameron Bure.
In a December appearance on the Hallmarkies podcast, actor Kristoffer Polaha, who stars in the Murder 101 series with Jill Wagner, said the network was trying to get away from its current formula of a woman working with law enforcement to find a murderer.
Disappearing series
Both Martin and McKellar said they were surprised and sad about the news that their series had been canceled.
Some fans expressed hope that the series would find a home on Bill Abbott’s new network, GAC Family.
“Hoping it gets picked up by another network like @GACfamilyTV for example,” one fan wrote on Twitter. “Thank you for all your work in this series @Kellie_Martin! My mom and I here in France have loved it!!!”
Martin, who starred in Life Goes On and ER, played sleuth Hailey Dean for four years. Based on the best-selling book series by Nancy Grace, the movies followed a lawyer with a talent for solving mysteries. Hallmark produced nine films in the series.
The Matchmaker Mysteries series got its start in 2019 with the movie Matchmaker Mysteries: Killer Engagement. McKellar played Angie Dove, a matchmaker who sets out to clear her client’s name when he is accused of killing his fiance.
I do not want to see any of these mystery series end. They are shows that have had mystery, & some fun moments. Clean movies no swearing, or sexual scenes you wouldn’t want your children to see. Movies that can be enjoyed by anyone. No they aren’t realistic, so! That’s what the history Channel, news, & documentaries cover. Please make more mysteries with Danica Kellar, Hailey Dean, & Kellie Martin in their series.
I am sorely disappointed that the mysteries are being cancelled. Shame on you for letting Danica and Kellie get away. They are always fun to watch, no matter what the story line is. I especially liked the Matchmaker Mystery and Murder 101. The last Mystery 101 ended with a cliff hanger of sorts, will we ever find out what happened between Amy & Travis. Bring back Matchmaker & Hailey Dean!