With so many movies coming out each year—often packed with disturbing content—it’s often difficult for a careful Mom to pick out a good movie to watch at home on family movie night. Although movies are screened by ratings, over the years, film censorship in America has become increasingly liberal in its interpretation of what constitutes safe and fun entertainment. Sometimes, too, there may be no sex, violence, or bad language in a movie, but it still has a dark and pessimistic theme, portraying disturbing ideas likely to upset little children.
Fortunately, you can always rely on the high standards of wholesome entertainment established by Hallmark Hall of Fame movies. What’s more, you can even watch Hallmark movies online, making it a snap to organize family movie night without having to take time out from your busy day to browse through available selections in neighborhood video stores or video kiosks.
While you may already have a high opinion about this line of broadcast programming based on past experience, here are 5 surprising facts that may surprise and delight you and renew your faith in the Hallmark Hall of Fame series:
Surprising fact #1: Did you know that the Hallmark Hall of Fame series has been the longest-running prime time series on television? Starting in 1951, it is still running today.
Surprising fact #2: Did you know that the Hallmark Hall of Fame series was an early color television proponent? Hallmark began showing color television video productions as early as 1954 when color television was considered a rare and delightful treat. While we take color television in our stride today, it was a controversial topic in its time. A newspaper article in the 1950s even talks about the “crisis” associated with television manufacturers adopting the revolutionary technology.
Surprising fact #3: Did you know that the Hallmark Hall of Fame series started as a telecast of live dramas and then evolved to videotaped productions before finally becoming films?
Surprising fact #4: Did you know that the Hallmark Hall of Fame series has won the top awards in television programming. It has won 8 Emmy awards, 9 Golden Globes, 24 Christopher Awards, 11 Peabody awards, and 4 Humanitas Prizes.
Surprising fact #5: Did you know that the Hallmark Hall of Fame series is the last remaining TV show that still includes its sponsor’s name in the title? The name comes from the greeting card company, Hallmark Cards in Kansas City. Once a common practice, the idea of paying public homage to the sponsors has long since disappeared.
Conclusion
Today, the Hallmark Hall of Fame series is the only remaining long-running television series on the air that does not have a weekly schedule. This anthology program has been a staple offering on American television shortly after the Second World War. It established its fame and longevity with refreshing stories carefully selected to make everyone feel good by the end of the movie. Most long-time TV watchers are surprised to learn exactly how much the Hallmark Hall of Fame series has impacted television history.
