Actress Melora Hardin will star in a new movie for Hallmark Channel. Love, Classified will also feature Arienne Mandi, Katherine McNamara, and Max Lloyd-Jones.
In the movie, Hardin plays a romance novelist who returns to her hometown for a book signing. She spends time with her children, Taylor (played by McNamara) and Zach (played by Lloyd-Jones), who both start using a dating app that “boasts old-fashioned human connection by way of the classified ad,” according to a synopsis from the network.
“So excited for this!” Hardin wrote in an Instagram post that featured a link to a Deadline article about the film.
Production begins this week on the film, which will premiere on Hallmark Channel in April. Lisa Hamilton, the executive vice president of programming for Crown Media Family Networks, told Deadline that the movie celebrates love in “all its forms.”
“This is such a fun story from writer Lynn Sternberger, that is ultimately a story of love, family, and commitment in all its forms. With a cast that includes Melora Hardin, Arienne Mandi, Katherine McNamara, and Max Lloyd-Jones to help bring this movie to life will no doubt put a smile on the faces of our viewers this spring,” she said.
About the star
A Texas native, Hardin appeared in numerous television series during the 1980s and 1990s, including Murder, She Wrote, Friends, and Quantum Leap. She also played the part of Frances “Baby” Kellerman in the TV version of Dirty Dancing, which ran for one season in 1988-89.
Her breakout role was in the NBC series The Office. From 2005 to 2013, Hardin played Dunder-Mifflin executive Jan Levinson-Gould — later Jan Levinson — the on-again, off-again love interest of Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell).
Love in all its forms
In Love, Classified, Hardin’s character learns about her children’s past relationships and helps them build new ones through the dating app they have discovered. Her son uses the opportunity to heal old wounds. Her daughter is taken by surprise when she “matches with a woman that changes the way she’s always thought about love,” according to the network.
Hallmark Channel has made a commitment to including more diversity in its movies and TV shows, according to Michelle Vicary, executive vice president of programming and network publicity.
“An ongoing and top priority for us is increasing diversity and inclusion among our on-air talent, characters, and storylines,” she told the International Business Times. “We are committed to producing programming that reflects the experiences of all viewers, creating an environment where everyone feels welcome.”
Hallmark Channel has not set a release date yet for Love, Classified.