Hallmark Releases Its First Fiction Podcast

Sometimes brand extensions make no sense but seem a greedy way to make more money and extract the core of a brand. Do we really need 20 kinds of jelly? Or 14 kinds of spaghetti sauce?

However, smart companies find ways to logically extend their brand that makes financial sense and enhances the value of their product or service to their customers.

That is the case with Hallmark Channel's move into fiction podcasts. It makes sense. The company is adept at presenting such material, and romantic fiction is its special sauce.

So it was not a surprise when Hallmark Media launched its first scripted podcast, Crimson Hearts Collide, billed as “a soulful romance-mystery story spun from the company’s Mahogany content initiative.”

The eight-part podcast series, produced by Aliza Rosen’s AYR Media,  premiered its first two episodes on August 24, followed by new episodes every Thursday.

The cast of “Crimson Hearts Collide” includes Malinda Williams (“Soul Food”), Amanda Seales (“Insecure”) and Keith D. Robinson (“Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday”).

The podcast’s plotline: Sonora Williams (Williams), a top lawyer in New York City, receives a letter in the mail that changes everything: Sonora has an uncle who just passed away and left her an inheritance, a farm in Alabama. For her entire life growing up in foster care, she was told she had no family leaving her to wonder if he knew about her, why did he not come for her? In order to get the answers she seeks, Sonora must leave her best friend in NYC (Seales) and close-knit community to travel to Greenville, Ala., and meet the people who keep the farm running – including the handsome cowboy Zeke Summers (Robinson), who immediately captures her attention. (Pictured above: Malinda Williams, Keith D. Robinson)

I listened to the first episode and the podcast is well done. It's standard Hallmark fare, and if you're a fan, the fiction podcast will definitely meet your expectations. The first two episodes average 37 minutes, which is perfect, I believe, for a fiction podcast. After all, TV hour-long dramas are about 41 minutes when all the commercials are deducted from the running time. 

There are also Hallmark Channel rewatch podcasts that deserve attention from dedicated Hallmark fans, especially those who love the Christmas movies.

Deck The Hallmark blends comedy, wit, and a Hallmark chill vibe. My favorite is a new podcast called Hallmark Junkies. Co-hosted by Kerri, a published romance novelist (Is there a more appropriate job for a Hallmark Movie critic?) and Jenny, her BFF and self-anointed Hallmark junkie, the podcast is funny, insightful, and informative.

The show, which began in mid-July, has released seven episodes so far, my favorite being the one on the 2022 movie, Three Wise Men And A Baby. On that episode, we learn that fans of Hallmark Christmas actor extraordinaire Tyler Hynes are called "Hynies." We also learn that Kerri and Jenny were hoping that in the film's opening scene where Hallmark hunk Andrew Walker appears with only a towel on, the towel would somehow slip off and expose Walker's Christmas tree. 

Sure, this isn't earth-shattering stuff, but for Hallmark Christmas fans, it's delectable and delightful.

The podcast is a faithful rewatch show with a healthy dose of wit, humor, fun facts, legitimate criticism, and friendship bonds.

Listen to Hallmark Junkies if you're a diehard Hallmark Christmas movie fan. 

Check out Crimson Hearts Collide, Hallmark's initial fiction podcast that delivers the audio version of the Hallmark movie brand.

Photo by Jeffry Surianto