Hallmark+ sets a Sept. 10 debut

On Sept. 10, viewers will face a rare dilemma: Should they watch the first Harris-Trump debate or obsess on Hallmark?
Hmmm … fate of the free world or love amongst the chaste and beautiful. Why is life always so complicated?
Actually, you could catch both. It’s just that Sept. 10 (already the date of the ABC debate) is now the starting date for Hallmark+.
Company executives had previously laid out the general idea. A small streaming service (Hallmark Movies Now) will be folded into this larger one. In addition to shows from the two Hallmark cable channels, it will soon include other movies (shown here), plus a series, a mini-series and a surge of reality shows. Now the details are available; they include:
— The start date, Sept. 10, is a Tuesday, but most releases will be Thursdays. So some shows will have another episode arriving two days after the opener.
— The price is $8 a month or $80 a year (actually, $7.99 and $79.99). Each month, subscribers will get a free greeting card and a $5 retail certificate; there will also be occasional gifts.
— Arriving on Sept. 10 will be:
… “The Chicken Sisters,” based on a novel about sisters with competing fried-chicken restaurants in a small, Southern town. Alongside the young stars, Lea Thompson and Wendie Malick will be in support. The second episode (of eight) will be Sept. 12.
… “Love on the Danube” (shown here), the first of three movies set on a river cruise. The others will be Sept. 19 and 26.
… “The Jane Mysteries,” with Jodie Sweetin as a singer-turned-sleuth. Others will be Sept. 19 and 26.
… “Celebrations,” which gives Lacey Chabert three days to plan a tribute party for a hometown hero. The second episode is Sept. 12.
… And “Hallmark VIP Movie Pass,” with Tamera Mowry-Housley doing behind-the-scenes visits with actors in Hallmark shows.