‘When Calls the Heart’ Renewed for Season 14 on Hallmark

“When Calls the Heart” has been renewed for season 14 on Hallmark Channel.

Based on Janet Oake’s novel of the same name, When Calls the Heart follows schoolteacher and single mother Elizabeth Thatcher as she adjusts to her evolving hometown and the different people who enter her life.

The period drama stars Erin Krakow, Kevin McGarry, Jack Wagner, Chris McNally, Pascal Hutton, and Kavan Smith. Original cast member Lori Loughlin will reprise her role as Abigail Stan and appear in six of the 12 episodes.

“Since her series debut in 2014, the character of Abigail Stanton has been a fan favorite and beloved of Hearties,” Michelle Vicary, head of programming at Hallmark Media, said in a statement. “At the heart of the Hallmark brand is a theme of hope, positivity and connection, which is also the central theme of ‘When Calls the Heart.’ We felt Season 14 was the right time to continue Abigail’s story as she returns to this beloved series.”

Production is expected to begin next year and resume in 2027.

programming

NBC will broadcast an encore presentation of “Wicked: One Wonderful Night” on December 31st at 8 p.m. to commemorate the movie release of “Wicked: For Good,” which is currently playing in theaters.

Filmed at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, “Wicked: One Wonderful Night” was joined by a 37-piece live orchestra led by Grammy Award-winning music director Stephen Oremus, who transformed the venue into an Emerald City-inspired set. The night also featured dance numbers inspired by the film and reinvented by Christopher Scott for this special.

“Wicked: One Wonderful Night” originally aired on the network on November 6th. The show featured “Wicked” stars including Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater and Bowen Yang singing songs from both “Wicked” and its sequel “Wicked: For Good.”

The set list included “The Wizard and I,” “Popular,” “Dancing Through Life,” “For Good,” and “Defying Gravity.”

Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, who created the roles of Elphaba and Glinda on Broadway, also appeared along with special celebrity guests.

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TNT Sports and Shaquille O’Neal are developing Dunkman, a limited series in which 40 of the world’s best basketball dunkers compete for a $200,000 prize. The six-episode series will air on TNT, Tru TV, and HBO Max.

O’Neal will appear as a commissioner and judge. A rotating panel of former dunk contest champions will also appear, including Vince Carter, Dwight Howard, Nate Robinson, Mac McClung and Naismith Hall of Famer Chris Webber. Adam Lefkow and Jalen Rose will host.

TNT Sports is behind the show produced by A. Smith & Co. Productions and Jersey Legends Productions, an Authentic Company. The show will premiere with two episodes on Thursday, December 4th, followed by two more episodes on December 11th and December 18th.

“This show takes the dunk contest to a level never seen before,” said Arthur Smith, executive producer and chairman and CEO of A. Smith & Co. Prods. “These athletes are pushing the limits of what is physically possible and are truly amazing to watch. With legends in the judge’s seats, showmanship that jumps off the screen, and contestants from around the world whose personalities are as exciting as their moves, this show offers something special.”

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Disney Junior’s new animated family comedy series “Hey AJ!” is scheduled to premiere on Disney Junior on January 13, 2026 with the first seven episodes, and later that same day on Disney Channel and Disney Junior On Demand.

Episodes will be available to stream on Disney+ starting the next day, with additional episodes debuting later this year. “Hey AJ!” stars Amari McCoy as AJ, Martellus Bennett as Marty, Jhené Aiko as Sigi, Juliette Donenfeld as Jesse, Innocent Ekakiti as Jazz, and David Mitchell as Theo.

Celebrity guest voice actors include Meghan Trainor, Cristo Fernandez, Bootsy Collins, Kate Micucci, Maulik Pancholy, Callum Scott, Lena Waithe, and former NASA astronaut and engineer Leland Melvin, who guest stars as himself.

Inspired by children’s book author and former Super Bowl champion Martellus Bennett, Hey AJ! is a “whimsical, musical family comedy about an imaginative young girl who, along with her stuffed bunny sidekick Theo, uses her wild imagination to make everyday moments special.”

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A documentary series about John Meehan, a bachelor man who manipulated women and their children into extorting money from them in the early 2010s, is coming to Netflix.

The documentary series will feature never-before-seen archival materials, evidence, and testimonies from the women affected and the investigators involved in the case. The untitled project is produced by Bunijay America’s Bunim/Murray Productions, Empress Films and director Emma Cooper.

Julie Pizzi, Jesse Daniels and Melissa G. Moore will serve as executive producers. A release date for the documentary has not yet been announced.

trailer

The first trailer for Apple TV’s First Snow on Fraggle Rock has been released, and the holiday special is set to premiere on the streaming service on December 5th. The special will feature a guest appearance by musical artist Lele Pons.

“First Snow on Fraggle Rock” follows the Fraggle family as they look forward to the first snow of the season. “When a single snowflake arrives and Gobo is unable to write the annual Christmas song that everyone expects, the season is thrown into disarray. Gobo ventures into the human world, or space as the Fraggles call it, for the first time to find unexpected musical inspiration. Then, back at the Gorgs’ castle, Junior is overwhelmed by the arrival of baby Gorg, who has joined the family.”

First Snow on Fraggle Rock is executive produced by Lisa Henson, Halle Stanford, John Tartaglia, Matt Fassfeld, Alex Cuthbertson, Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan, and co-executive produced by Dave Goelz and Karen Prell. Harvey Mason Jr. served as executive music producer, and the special was written by Fassfeld and Cuthbertson. “First Snow on Fraggle Rock” is directed by John Rosenbaum and produced by Chris Prude, with Tim O’Brien serving as co-producer.

Watch the first trailer for The First Snow of Fraggle Rock below.

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The trailer for Season 2 of Hulu’s Victorian drama “A Thousand Blows” has been released. The show will premiere on Hulu on Hulu and Disney+ for bundle subscribers on January 9, 2026.

Starring BAFTA winner Malachi Kirby as Hezekiah Moscow, Emmy Award winner Stephen Graham as Sugar Goodson, and Erin Doherty as Mary Karr, the film follows a group of characters fighting to survive in London’s harsh East End in the 1880s. Joining the ensemble cast for next season are Ned Dennehy as Bull Jeremy and Catherine McCormack as Sophie Lyons.

The cast for Season 2 also includes James Nelson-Joyce as Edward “Treacle” Goodson, Darcy Shaw as Alice Diamond, Hannah Walters as Eliza Moody, Nadia Albina as Verity Ross, and Esther. The cast includes Morgan Ilea as Mae Long, Gemma Carlton as Belle Downer, Caoilfionn Dunn as Ann Glover, Jason Tobin as Mr Rao, Susan Lynch as Jane Kerr and Daniel Mays as William. “Punch” Lewis, Gary Lewis as Jack Mack, Aliya Odofin as Victoria Davis, Robert Glenister as Indigo Jeremy.

Watch the trailer for season 2 of “A Thousand Blows” below.

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AMC has announced the air date and released a trailer for its upcoming four-part sports documentary series “Rise of the 49ers.” The limited series will premiere with the first two episodes on Sunday, February 1st at 9pm ET, followed by the remaining two episodes on Monday, February 2nd at 9pm ET on AMC and AMC+.

“Rise of the 49ers” is narrated and executive produced by Tom Brady, a 49ers fan since childhood. The doc features him speaking with the 49ers’ Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Steve Young about the “Gold Rush” era from 1981 to 1995, when San Francisco won five Super Bowls and revolutionized the sport.

Rise of the 49ers is a co-production of AMC Studios, Skydance Sports, NFL Films and Religion of Sports. Directed by NFL Films’ Ryan Kelly (The Brady Heist) and Nick Mascolo (30 for 30: The Tuck Rule). Executive producers include Jesse Sisgold, Jason T. Reed and John Weinbach of Skydance Sports. NFL Movie Ross Ketover, Keith Koslow, Ken Rogers, Jessica Boddy. and Religion of Sports’ Tom Brady, Gotham Chopra, Ameeth Sankaran, and Victor Buhler. Here’s the trailer:

event

The chain has turned its Los Angeles headquarters into a “holiday house” and is partnering with Medium Rare to organize events around food specials at eateries such as Cracker Barrel, Friendly’s, Dunkin’ and Sonic Drive-Thru. The event, modeled after Chain’s food festival “ChainFest”, includes:

A chef-driven collaboration that combines Cracker Barrel, Sonic Drive-In & Tabasco Salsa Picante, or Red Robin with a collection of seasonally spiced Arby’s curly fries. Heinz Flavor Workshop potato pancake bars featuring never-before-released Heinz sauces. Free cans of holiday cocktails, mocktails, and Pepsi flavors. Friendly x Chain “Sunday Claus” – A twist on the Conehead Sundae. Kahlua x Dunkin’ Frozen Espresso Martini and MUNCHKINS Donut Hole Garnish with Kahlua (21+ only). Panda Express and Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey products are also available. Dutch Brothers etc.

Awards

The 76th Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards were presented on December 4, and included the Emmy Award for Excellence in Production Engineering for NASA+’s 2024 Total Solar Eclipse: Through NASA’s Eyes. Akamai co-founder Dr. Tom Leighton also received a Lifetime Achievement Award, as presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

“We are honored to recognize the individuals and companies who continue to redefine how technology can communicate with consumers around the world,” said Adam Sharp, president and CEO of NATAS. “We commend Dr. Layton for his years of development and leadership, as well as the countless technological accomplishments he achieved as co-founder and current CEO of Akamai.”

Other 2025 Technology & Engineering Emmy Award winners include:

Pioneering standardization of VOD asset metadata distribution specifications

360-degree consumer video capture, editing, and presentation technology

AV1 specifications

SMPTE ST 2067 — Interoperable Master Format (IMF) standardization

Pioneering mastering HDR display

High-quality TV catalog restoration with AI image/video enhancement

Standardization of Common Media Application Format (CMAF)

The December 4th ceremony also celebrated the following “Technology Pioneers”: Michael Faraday and John Kerr for the pioneering concept of light valves. For pioneering development of photovoltaic cells: Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel, Julius Johann, Phillip Ludwig Elster, and Hans Friedrich Karl Geitel. For pioneering development of optical input facsimile transmission: Carlo Mario Perros.