In 2009 the Hallmark Channel launched "Countdown to Christmas," which included four original movies made on a modest budget that follow a predictable formula. It was an immediate ratings hit, catapulting Hallmark to the top of the cable charts. Competitors start to take notice, most notably Lifetime, which caters to the same demographic. Three years later, L ... Show More
Dec 2021
Christmas Movie Wars | Once Upon A Christmas Ratings Hit | 2
<p>In 1951, the founder of Hallmark Cards, the successful greeting card company, decides to get into television by sponsoring a live opera airing on Christmas Eve. It’s a success, and Hallmark becomes a regular sponsor of television programming for decades. But when they launch t ... Show More
22m 34s
Dec 2021
Christmas Movie Wars | The Scandal Express | 4
<p>Hallmark faces a year of scandals. First, one of their marquee stars gets charged with committing fraud to get her daughters admitted to an elite college. Then, in the midst of their Countdown to Christmas programming, the channel’s decision to pull an ad featuring t ... Show More
22m 57s
Nov 2020
Classic Tides | Peasants' Rebellions and Resistance
<p>Peasants and common folk were oppressed by their social superiors, but they didn't accept that as a natural state of affairs: They resisted in small, everyday ways, and they rebelled, sometimes spectacularly.</p><p><em>This episode originally aired on September 20, 2018.</em>< ... Show More
51m 53s
Nov 2022
Top 10 Lines from Christmas Movies | Part 1
Great lines from movies have a way of making us laugh, shed a tear, or even think about life in a new way. Christmas movies are no exception to this rule. In this episode, Eric and Danny begin to count down each of their top 10 favorite lines from holiday movies.
Do you want to ... Show More
1h 14m
Aug 2023
Building Lego | Out of the Ashes | 1
<p>A small Danish toy company survives World War Two thanks to its quality craftsmanship, but behind the scenes all is not well. Despite its good reputation, Lego teeters on the edge of bankruptcy, and a choice to change production methods threatens to tear the family-owned compa ... Show More
35m 40s
Jan 2024
FRANCESCA FARAGO IS A NEW WOMAN
<p>It's been a year! No literally! Francesca Farago is back on the pod giving us all the updates on her life. We talk all about her engagement and that gorgeous ring, her plans of expanding her family with Jesse, Netflix's insane villain edit of her Perfect Match season, and what ... Show More
55m 36s