CBS and Hallmark Hall of Fame have reached an agreement to keep the long-running and lauded telefilm franchise exclusively on CBS through 2008.
The 2004-05 season marks the 10th season that CBS has held exclusive rights to Hallmark Hall of Fame productions, a relationship that the new three-year pact will keep in place.
“We are incredibly pleased to continue our partnership with Hallmark Hall of Fame for another three years,” says CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler.
“The rich tradition and quality storytelling of their films has brought both critical acclaim and ratings success to CBS and we look forward to many future projects.”
Although CBS’ Sunday movie franchise has been erratic in recent seasons, the network’s Hallmark Hall of Fame presentations have been reliable performers for some time. Of the highest rated telefilms of the ’90s, three were CBS-Hallmark collaborations — “Sarah, Plain and Tall,” “What the Deaf Man Heard” and “To Dance With the White Dog.”
The 2003 John Grisham adaptation “The Painted House” was the most-watched two-hour telefilm on any network since 2001, according to CBS.