On November 4, the original movie The Lost Wife of Robert Durst will debut at 8 PM on Lifetime.
Based on the book by investigative journalist Matt Birkbeck, the film focuses on young and wide-eyed Kathie (Katharine McPhee from Scorpion) falls in love with charming, yet quirky real estate scion Robert Durst (Daniel Gillies from The Originals), only to find their marriage turning stranger, darker and more disturbing as time passes. But when Kathie disappears in 1982, her family and friends are deeply disturbed that her disappearance isn’t taken seriously by police.
The Hallmark Movies & Mysteries holiday movie The Perfect Christmas Present will debut on November 4 at 9 PM.
Tom Jacobs (Sam Page from The Bold Type) has built an entire business around helping clients find the perfect gift for their loved ones. Since his company’s busiest time of the year is the holidays, he’s earned himself the nickname Mr. Christmas.
When Tom’s good friend Paul comes to him asking for help in finding a gift for his girlfriend, Jenny (Tara Holt from Z Nation), Mr. Christmas finds himself in a bit of trouble. The more he learns about Jenny during his research, the more he likes her, and the guiltier he feels being caught between his heart and his best friend.
On November 4, the Hallmark Channel original movie Christmas Festival of Ice will debut at 8 PM.
Those years of law school pay off for Emma (Taylor Cole) but not in ways one would expect. When she finds out that her beloved ice-sculpting contest, part of her hometown’s Christmas festival, has been canceled, she springs into action. Determined to keep it going, she enlists sponsors and artists. Nick (Damon Runyan), the town’s ace artisan, isn’t interested in competing this year, but Emma wants him as her teammate. Considering what she’s managed to accomplish, Nick is impressed and signs on. As Emma and Nick work together, she realizes there’s more to life than legal briefs. Transformed by Emma’s can-do spirit, Nick is invigorated, too. They just might have a shot at winning this very special Christmas contest – and a lot more.
On November 3, the new Netflix series Alias Grace will debut online.
The series follows Grace Marks (Sarah Gadon from 11.22.63), a poor, young Irish immigrant and domestic servant in Upper Canada who, along with stable hand James McDermott (Kerr Logan), was convicted of the brutal murders of their employer, Thomas Kinnear, and his housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery (Anna Paquin from True Blood), in 1843. James was hanged while Grace was sentenced to life imprisonment. Grace became one of the most enigmatic and notorious women of 1840s Canada for her supposed role in the sensational double murder, and was eventually exonerated after 30 years in jail. Her conviction was controversial, and sparked much debate about whether Grace was actually involved in the murder, or merely an unwitting accessory.
The series also stars Paul Gross (Due South), Zachary Levi (Chuck), Rebecca Liddiard (Houdini and Doyle) and Edward Holcroft (Kingsman movies).
The new CBS drama S.W.A.T. will debut on November 2 at 10 PM.
Inspired by the TV series and the feature film, the series stars Shemar Moore as a locally born S.W.A.T. sergeant, former Marine Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson who is newly tasked to run a specialized tactical unit that is the last stop in law enforcement in Los Angeles.
The cast includes Stephanie Sigman (Narcos), Kenny Johnson (Secrets and Lies), Lina Esco (Kingdom), Jay Harrington (Better Off Ted) and Peter Onorati.
On October 28, the original Lifetime telefilm Flint will debut at 8 PM.
This movie focuses on the gripping retelling of a crisis that shook a nation and shines a light on the whistleblowers who exposed the biggest environmental scandal of our generation.
The cast includes Betsy Brandt (Breaking Bad), Marin Ireland (Sneaky Pete), Jill Scott (Steel Magnolias), Lyndie Greenwood (Sleepy Hollow) and Queen Latifah.
The Hallmark Channel movie Marry Me at Christmas will debut on October 28 at 8 PM.
Organizing a Christmas wedding is a true treat for bridal boutique owner Madeline Krug. She loves the challenge of finding the perfect dress for the bride and orchestrating an exquisite event. What Madeline didn’t expect was to be swept off her feet by the bride’s gorgeous brother, movie star Jonny Blaze.
The film stars Rachel Skarsten (Lost Girl and Reign) and Trevor Donovan (90210, Texas Rising and the Hallmark Channel movie Love on a Limb).
On July 20 at San Diego Comic Con, actress Melissa Joan Hart (best known for her work on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and the sitcom Melissa and Joey) and her producing partner (and mother) Paula Hart [among others] participated in a panel focusing on their upcoming new project from their Hartbreak Films production company: The Watcher in the Woods.
This new take on the book by Florence Engel Randall and the 1981 Disney film, which starred legendary actress Bette Davis, will air on Lifetime this Saturday, October 21.
In this new version Academy Award winner Anjelica Huston takes on the role of Mrs. Alywood, the distraught mother whose daughter, Karen, vanished in the English countryside 36 years ago. Jan Carstairs (relative newcomer Tallulah Evans) and her family move into the idyllic Alywood manor for the summer. Upon arriving in the small village of Northrop, the family is warned against entering the surrounding woods, but Jan and her little sister Ellie (newcomer Dixie Egerickx) hear voices coming from the forest. Strange occurrences begin to unnerve the family and Jan begins to suspect that they are linked to Karen’s disappearance. As Jan unravels the dark past hidden by the townspeople, she delves further into the mystery and deeper into danger, but now it might be too late to escape the Watcher in the Woods.
Melissa not only served as executive producer alongside her mother, but she also directed the film, which has been a passion project of hers for the past 20 years. In a special roundtable interview with the press, Melissa and her mother as well as writer Scott Abbott and associate producer Andrew Gernhard shared details about the reimaging of The Watcher in the Woods.
Here is an excerpt of that interview:
What inspired you to reimagine The Watcher in the Woods?
Melissa: I was obsessed with the 1981 movie. I watched it over and over again with my family. When we were doing Sabrina, (we were constantly) looking for projects to do when I was off from the show.
Paula: At the time, Melissa would have been perfect for the part of Jan.
Melissa: (Mom) tried getting the rights for 17 years and we finally got Disney to give us the rights to let us do it, but at this point I was too old to play Jan and too young to play Mrs. Alywood.
Paula: Melissa really wanted to play Mrs. Alywood (though)…
Melissa: Then I was going to play the mom, but I really (didn’t) want to have to act AND direct so we ended up finding a really wonderful woman (Melanie Gutteridge) to play the mom and I didn’t have to do it.
What are the things you most wanted to use in this reimagining?
Scott Abbott (Writer): The first thing I wanted to preserve was the story itself. It’s a gothic story; it’s really a ghost story. The biggest concerns I had were, “Who is the Watcher?” “What is the Watcher?” and “What does the Watcher want?” Another thing I wanted to observe was (the) tone. (I wanted) to tell a straight gothic story. I didn’t want it to be a tale full of blood. I wanted it to be a tale of suspense.
Melissa: I think one of the things that Scott did that was so great, he really preserved (the) family aspect. (He also made) the Watcher be his own character (and that is the one major difference (from the movie and the book). I think he did an amazing job streamlining the story and making it clear who the Watcher is, what it wants and what’s going on.
You’ve got Anjelica Houston and some talented newcomers playing the kids. Can you talk a little about the casting process?
Paula: When we work on projects like this we have wish lists: “Who do we want?” “What do we think?” On top of my wish list was Anjelica Houston. And she said yes, it was fairly simple. We have this fantastic script, (we) sent it off to her and she said “yeah, I’ll do it.”
Melissa: And I freaked out. And (then) I (got) to direct her. We did casting in London and even some of the day players are people from Downton Abbey and Doctor Who because we filmed in Cardiff. But we cast in London and they were an amazing cast. They were all so easy to work with. Everyone gave 110 percent.
Paula: Everybody auditioned…no matter how small the part was or how big the actor was, they all auditioned.
NOTE: It should be noted that actor Benedict Taylor, who played Mike Fleming in the 1981 movie, plays John Keller – the grown version of the teenager who was in love with long missing Karen – in this new version. It should also be noted that Huston was the only American actor, playing a character with a British accent, while many of the British actors in the cast were playing Americans.
What was your favorite part of this version?
Melissa: Everything. It was really fun. It’s been fabulous. It’s an actual dream of mine. This has been going on for almost 20 years for us. So this is something – to finally get it done. This is a dream come true.
Scott: I learned a lot about the process from working with Paula and Melissa.
Andrew Gernhard (Associate Producer): We did all the post-production. We loved every minute of it. From the rough cut to the color correction to the special effects. It was just cool to get to recreate the 1980’s to something that was new.
Here is a trailer for the movie:
The Watcher in the Woods will debut on Lifetime on Saturday, October 21 at 8/7c.
The Hallmark Movies & Mysteries movie Darrow & Darrow will debut on October 22 at 9 PM.
Claire Darrow, a lawyer, fights for what’s right, regardless of whether it makes her a dime. Naomi, Claire’s estranged mother and a lawyer as well, would rather make a profit. They clash on nearly everything, even on the best way to raise Claire’s daughter, Louise.
The film stars Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Tom Cavanagh and Wendie Malick.
On October 22, the Hallmark Channel series Good Witch will air a special two-hour Halloween special called Spellbound at 8 PM.
A long-forgotten prophecy is unearthed in the basement of city hall and – when the things that were predicted to happen actually start to come true – the people of Middleton begin to fear that this might be the year of a horrible curse that could change their lives forever.
And as Halloween night approaches, Cassie (series lead Catherine Bell) comes to realize that she and Sam (series lead James Denton) might be the key to ending the curse and saving their town.
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