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TV Bulletin Board (March 26)


Hallmark has Bob Newhart, Florence Henderson in new movies.

By ED BARK
The Hallmark Channel continues to unabashedly target baby boomers while also announcing a new HD movie network.

A bundle of programming initiatives released Wednesday also announces the acquisition of 99 "family-friendly" movies from Disney-ABC Domestic Television, including evergreens Old Yeller, The Parent Trap, The Shaggy Dog, Flubber, The Love Bug and Swiss Family Robinson.

Thirty new movies also are planned for 2008, with Old Hollywood actually invited. One premise seems kind of odd, though. Bob Newhart has signed to star in Herb's Murders. He'll play a "quirky" L.A. police detective who teams with his by-the-book police officer daughter.

Hallmark already has Dick Van Dyke and John Larroquette solving crimes in their respective series of Murder 101 and McBride movies. Add Jane Seymour as a "Martha Stewart-like" advice columnist and TV personality who gets wrapped up in a murder mystery while on vacation. That one's called Dear Prudence.

In a tamer venue, Florence Henderson, Donna Mills and Pam Grier will star in Ladies of the House. They play a trio of "mature women" who renovate a broken-down abode while discovering "what's important about life and living." FYI, Buddy Ebsen lamentably is no longer available after leaving life's building in 2003.

Hallmark cites a "groundbreaking study," which it commissioned, that says baby boomers have more money than "millennials" (humanoids born between 1980 and 1995) and also are "less likely to change the channel or multi-task." And hey kids, baby boomers also are "less likely to fast-forward or skip commercials," even if they have DVR.

This baby boomer has DVR and does fast-forward, perhaps making Uncle Barky a little nutty and not entirely suitable for Hallmark Channel viewing. Dagnabbit.

Meanwhile, the new Hallmark Movie Channel HD will launch on April 2nd with a "star-studded celebration" in Peoria, Ill. David Carradine and Ernest Borgnine are scheduled to attend.

***Fox has axed The Return of Jezebel James after just three episodes. Its Friday night slot will be taken by reruns of Bones.