Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Stars on screen
‘Tis the season: If you’re looking for feel-good TV — and many of us are this time of year — look no further than Hallmark Channel. The epitome of Christmas spirit, the cable network has been airing Christmas movies and specials non-stop since the beginning of November, many of which are brand new Hallmark originals.
“Crown for Christmas,” airing Sunday, Dec. 20, is one such original. Starring Danica McKellar (“The Wonder Years”) as Allie Evans, this holiday flick pays homage to the globally adored musical “The Sound of Music.”
When Allie is fired from an upscale New York City hotel where she worked as a maid, she desperately searches for a new job, eventually falling into a position as governess to Theodora (Ellie Botterill in her first ever acting gig), the daughter of a powerful European man — a family she later learns is royalty from the (fictional) kingdom of Winshire.
And here’s where the similarities to the Dame Julie Andrews classic are found: informed that the princess’s mother has tragically passed away and that the girl has since been terrorizing governesses, Allie manages to overcome Theodora’s hard exterior and forge a special bond with her. While making inroads with the girl, she also finds herself falling for the father, the King of Winshire (Rupert Penry-Jones, “MI-5”), who is expected to wed a local countess in the near future.
Much like the classic it’s based on, the story weaves a tale of love and family and a “will-they-or-won’t-they” romance. All Allie was looking for was a job for the holidays, but she gets much more.
For a a dose of Christmas spirit and holiday fun, catch the original movie “Crown for Christmas,” Sunday, Dec. 20, on Hallmark.
Higher learning: Alison Brie, sweetheart of the comedy world, lends her star power to TV Land’s upcoming comedy series, “Teachers,” premiering Wednesday, Jan. 13. Until now, Brie has been primarily a performer, spending most of her time in front of the camera. But after wrapping six seasons of the beloved comedy “Community” as well as seven seasons of cable powerhouse “Mad Men” earlier this year, she was looking for a change. She looked for something to produce, hoping to get involved behind the scenes with a project she was excited about and could believe in.
Enter the Katydids. For seven years, the Katydids — an improv group made up of six hilarious women named Katie (or some variation of the name) — have been writing and performing together in Chicago. Caitlin Barlow, Katy Colloton, Cate Freedman, Kate Lambert, Katie O’Brien and Kathryn Renée Thomas make up the ensemble.
When Brie’s management team sent her the webseries “Teachers,” written by and starring the Katydids, she knew she’d found the project she was looking for.
The troupe’s comedy stands on its own, and the webseries was like a TV show just waiting to be made. “It was just so funny,” Brie said in a 2015 San Diego Comic-Con interview, “the [webseries] episodes are very short, like the best little taste, and just left me wanting more. And I was like, the world needs more! And now they’re going to have it.”
In the new half-hour comedy, as in the webseries, each member of the troupe plays a teacher at an elementary school. They all have very different personalities, and the comedy that ensues when they bring their personal lives to work is gold. The material, the talent and the production value are all topnotch, and TV Land — relatively new to the original programming world — should soon have a hit on their hands.
“Teachers” premieres Wednesday, Jan. 13, on TV Land.
‘American’ tale: CBS has ordered a new, haunting drama from Steven Spielberg’s production company, Amblin Television. “American Gothic” is described as the story of a family with dark secrets trying to escape their twisted past. When the patriarch of the family dies, a chilling discovery is made that seems to link him to a string of gruesome murders that were committed over decades.
The new drama is written and produced by Corinne Brinkerhoff, who has helmed two of CBS’s most successful series, “The Good Wife” and Elementary,” and been integral in bringing other successful shows to the screen too, such as “Boston Legal” and “Jane the Virgin.” This new series is set to hit the small screen in the summer of 2016, and CBS executive Glenn Geller has big expectations:
“With American Gothic, Corinne Brinkerhoff has created the perfect CBS summer mystery, filled with suspense, intrigue and an explosive ending that will leave you breathless. It feels like a compelling summer novel that we can deliver to our viewers in 13 one-hour chapters.”
There’s no set premiere date yet, but keep your eyes peeled for “American Gothic,” coming to CBS summer 2016.