FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Nancy Carr, 818-755-2643 October 19, 2009 [email protected]
Sarah Kolell, 816-274-4378 [email protected]
HALLMARK CHANNEL AND HALLMARK CARDS ANNOUNCE ‘MOVIE NIGHT WITH hoops&yoyo,’ FIRST-EVER TV APPEARANCE FOR POPULAR CHARACTERS AND FIRST-EVER CREATIVE ON-AIR PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO COMPANIES
Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Cards today jointly announced a special night of programming entitled “Movie Night with hoops&yoyo,” the first-ever synergistic creative on-air programming and marketing endeavor between the world-renowned card company and the Hallmark Channel cable television network. The beloved animated characters will be featured each Friday night November 27 – December 25 hosting programming on Hallmark Channel during the network’s holiday season-long “Countdown to Christmas” initiative. The programming effort also represents the first time that the popular animated characters have appeared on television. Hallmark Cards is the majority investor in Crown Media Holdings, the owner and operator of Hallmark Channels. “Movie Nights with hoops&yoyo” is a part of Hallmark Channel’s new year-round holiday countdown programming and marketing campaign, “Hallmark Channel Holiday Countdown,” a cross-platform initiative.
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“This is a terrific win-win opportunity for Hallmark Channel to further align itself with the powerful and trusted Hallmark brand, and provides a wonderful new opportunity to reach consumers across a multi-platform campaign with the brand’s most popular characters who have a significant fan base,” said Susanne McAvoy, Senior Vice President, Marketing for Hallmark Channels. “This is just one of many synergistic programming and marketing opportunities we will forge with Hallmark Cards.” “We’re delighted that hoops&yoyo will get their television debut on Hallmark Channel,” notes Diana Stuart, Hallmark Properties Creative Director. “The partnership is mutually beneficial and we look forward to similar partnerships in the future.” hoops&yoyo are among the most popular and endearing animated greeting cards that Hallmark offers. hoops is a pink kitty and yoyo is a green bunny. Together they are a couple of comical, carefree friends who never fail to find the fun in any situation. Since the creation of the hoops&yoyo e-cards in 2004, there have been more than 77 million hoops&yoyo e-card senders and recipients. The hoops&yoyo characters are also available in greeting cards with sound and a variety of gift items including stuffed characters, bobbleheads and mugs.
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At the beginning of and throughout each film, hoops&yoyo will entertain viewers and provide a running commentary on the films. The characters will also be featured in custom on-air promotions for each movie, and on their own micro site at www.hallmarkchannel.com. hoops&yoyo will host the following movies:
“Moonlight and Mistletoe,” (Friday 11/27, 10 p.m. ET/PT) Having grown up with Christmas year-round in a quaint New England town named Santaville with her dad playing Santa, a young woman has lost her Christmas spirit. When her dad is injured she returns home to find Santaville in financial trouble. In her effort to help her dad save his beloved Santaville, she is able to reconcile her past and find love in her future. Stars Tom Arnold, Candace Cameron Burre and Barbara Niven.
“Meet the Santas,” (Friday 12/4, 10 p.m. ET/PT) In this sequel to “Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus,” Nick Claus, Jr. and Beth are preparing for their Christmas Eve wedding. Beth must call on her socialite, Grinch of a mother to arrange the wedding, but can’t quite figure out how to tell her that her new son-in-law drives a sleigh with eight flying reindeer. Stars Steve Guttenberg, Crystal Bernard and Dominic Scott Kay.
“Mr. St. Nick,” (Friday 12/11, 10 p.m. ET/PT) Deciding it's time to pass the torch on to his son, Nick St. Nicholas, Santa learns that his son has a few plans of his own. When things go terribly wrong, only a miracle can stop Christmas from becoming a dim memory forever. Stars Kelsey Grammer, Ana Ortiz, Charles Durning, and Katherine Helmond.
“Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” (Friday 12/18, 10 p.m. ET/PT) The overwhelming tasks that go along with Christmas have taken the joy out of the holidays for busy single mom Jennifer Cullen. Then her Uncle Ralph arrives at her home with the young, handsome Morgan Derby. Morgan's love of Christmas, and life, is contagious and as Jennifer glumly navigates through the holidays, she soon realizes that what she needs most is right under her nose. Stars Henry Winkler, Brooke Burns and Warren Christie.
“I'll Be Home for Christmas,” (Friday 12/25, 10 p.m. ET/PT) A college student experiences difficulty getting home for Christmas when his friends play a trick on him. His mission to get home by the holidays turns into a nonstop comedy of errors, but the closer Jake gets to home, the closer he gets to the true mean of Christmas and the importance of family. Stars Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Jessica Biel.
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Hallmark Channel, owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., is a 24- hour basic cable network that provides a diverse slate of high-quality entertainment programming to a national audience of 88 million subscribers. The top tier program service is distributed through more than 5,450 cable systems and communities as well as direct-to-home satellite services across the country. Hallmark Channel consistently ranks among the highest-rated cable networks and is the nation’s leading network in providing quality family programming. Hallmark Channel’s sibling network is Hallmark Movie Channel which focuses on the greatest family movies of all time. For more information, please visit www.hallmarkchannelpress.com.
About Hallmark Cards, Inc. Kansas City-based Hallmark has been helping people communicate, celebrate and connect for nearly 100 years. Hallmark greeting cards and other products can be found in more than 41,500 places in the U.S. alone, with the network of Hallmark Gold Crown® stores providing the very best selection. The Hallmark brand also reaches consumers online at Hallmark.com and on television through Hallmark Hall of Fame original movies and the top-rated Hallmark Channel. In addition, Hallmark publishes products in more than 30 languages and distributes them in 100 countries across the globe. The company’s Crayola subsidiary provides fun and imaginative ways for children to colorfully express themselves. In 2008, privately held Hallmark reported consolidated net revenues of $4.3 billion. For more information about the company, visit http://corporate.hallmark.com.
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