Brian J. Gordon

As the "black sheep" of her wealthy family, struggling artist and single mother Britt Calhoun (Dana Delany) is reluctant to return home for the Christmas holidays. Finally persuaded to do so, Britt finds that her imperious mother Maggie (Doris Roberts) is still more concerned about "what people will think" than what people may be like inside. Even so, Britt is determined to mend fences with Maggie, if for no other reason than to convince the father of her child that she can lead a stable home life. But a dark cloud hangs over the Yuletide proceedings: Maggie is in the first stages of Alzheimer's, and it may never be possible to stage a reconciliation. Produced for the Hallmark channel, A Time to Remember debuted November 23, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This made-for-cable family film was inspired by the 1960s TV series after the same name. Following the (apparent) deaths of his parents, young Mark (Reiley McClendon) goes to live with his sheriff uncle Jack (Dean Cain) in the North Woods. Here Mark befriends a huge but lovable bear, whom he nicknames Ben. The rest of the film finds Mark and Jack joining forces to rescue the endangered Ben from a relentless poacher named Fog (Corbin Bernsen). Filmed on location in Auburn and Foresthill, CA, Gentle Ben debuted March 25, 2002 over the Animal Planet cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the family-entertainment tradition of his multi-talented father Michael Landon, writer/director Michael Landon Jr. offered this made-for-cable frontier drama, adapted from a novel by Janet Oke. En route to her new home in the West, Marty Claridge (Katherine Heigl) suddenly finds herself a widow, with no roof over her head or means to support herself. At the gentle prodding of her settler friends Ben and Sarah Graham (Corbin Bernsen, Theresa Russell), Marty accepts the marriage proposal of taciturn widower Clark Davis (Dale Midkiff). It is strictly a business arrangement, with no romance or cohabitation involved; Marty will act as housekeeper to Davis and as teacher and surrogate mother for Clark's sullen nine-year-old daughter Missy (Skye McCole Bartusiak), and in return she will receive food and lodging. Pragmatists both, Marty and Clark assume that they will dissolve their marriage of convenience when the spring thaw comes...but that isn't how things turn out. Love Comes Softly first aired April 13, 2003, on the Hallmark Channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

It's been two years since Missie's husband Willie died in a tragic accident, and now after returning to her father's Tettsford Junction ranch the girl who once lost all faith will find new cause to live after adopting a desperate teenage orphan. Compelled to defend her adopted daughter's orphaned brother as well after discovering that his malicious foster parents are woefully mistreating the boy, Missie does her best to ensure the safety of the children while simultaneously attempting to come to terms with her growing affection for the town sheriff. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

This Hallmark Channel TV movie is one of a series starring John Larroquette as McBride (no first name), a hard-nosed cop turned compassionate defense lawyer, specializing in "lost causes." A brutal murder has been committed, and the victim is prominent Beverly Hills madam Heather Bradley. The most likely suspect (who of course is McBride's client) is virginal Omaha girl Marilyn Fletcher (Claire Coffee), a failed actress who out of desperation became a call girl, and who may have been seeking vengeance against Heather after her first "John", who was supposed to have been gentle and respectable, turned out to be anything but. Poring through the dead woman's cryptic e-mails, McBride finds out that she was not only a procurer, but also a big-time blackmailer--and thus the suspect list grows by leaps and bounds! McBride: It's Murder, Madam debuted March 4, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This Hallmark Channel TV movie is one of a series starring John Larroquette as McBride (no first name), a hard-nosed cop turned compassionate defense lawyer, specializing in "lost causes." On this occasion, McBride's client is one-half of a popular FM radio "shock jock" team, accused of murdering his partner. The cops think they have the suspect dead to rights: Not only did he have motive and opportunity, but a recording exists of the victim's last moments on earth, which were broadcast for all to hear, and which seem to confirm the suspect's guilt. Of course, this being a made-for-cable movie, such airtight evidence can't be trusted--especially when McBride finds out that everyone at the radio station hated the dead man's guts. As in all previous McBride films, the climactic "You done it" scene is staged in flashback form, with McBride himself appearing as a sidelines spectator to the foul play. McBride: Tune In For Murder was first broadcast on August 14, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A former nun moves into the suburban home of her deceased aunt only to make a shocking discovery concerning a gruesome crime committed thirty years ago in director Kevin Conner's twisting tale of murder, matricide, and injustice. Together, prodigious savants James and Edward Talley's remarkable brilliance was nearly incalculable, but a sudden act of cold-blooded murder would find them forever confined to separate mental health institutions by strict court order. Ordered to spend the rest of his days at the Greenwillow care center for developmentally disabled adults, James Talley is housed in the same facility as ex-nun Christine Bennett (Megan Ward)'s cousin Gene (Matt Lutz). Upon moving into her aunt's former home in a bid to be closer to Gene, Christine becomes transfixed on the details of the Talley case and soon learns that, despite their current status as a danger to society, neither James nor Edward had ever been officially charged with the crime they were committed for. With the future of the Greenwillow care facility on the line, Christine vows to find out what really happened on that tragic night three decades ago, and ensure that her brother Gene and the other innocent souls housed at Greenwillow will always have a place to call home. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The old "wrong person answers the 'object-matrimony' ad" story device was refreshingly brought up to date in this made-for-TV romance. Jilted by her boyfriend, professional photographer Jordan Donovan (Teri Polo) decides that her problem is one of bad location; though a New Yorker for several years, she still feels like a fish out of water. Meanwhile, Jordan's roommate, Laurie (Patricia Kalember), ever searching for a suitable mate, has put an ad in the personals column of a national magazine. When a widowed rancher answers the ad, Jordan (with Laurie's blessing) answers the letter herself and heads to Wyoming. Upon meeting Jordan, taciturn rancher Tyler Ross (Andrew McCarthy) is disappointed, and lashes out with a steady stream of preconceptions about New York girls. Recoiling, Jordan lets Tyler know exactly what she thinks of "cowboys." Naturally, this means that the two lonely people are crazy about each other -- but before a happy ending can transpire, Tyler must overcome a profound feeling of guilt over his first wife's death, fueled by his spiteful father-in-law. Originally slated to debut over the Hallmark Channel on February 14, 2002, Straight from the Heart was curiously held back for nearly a year, finally premiering on February 9, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The title character in this made-for-cable contemporary Western could be hard-bitten cattle rancher John William Cooper (Lance Henriksen), or, for that matter, John's long-estranged daughter Jacqueline "Jake" Cooper (Jennie Garth). Having broken off relations with her dad due to an unpleasant incident involving her mother, Jake returns to Dry Creek Ranch after an eight-year absence with her young son, Billy (Dylan Wagner), in tow. The reasons have little to do with father-daughter love; John's father has died, and the ranch is now mortgaged to the hilt. Out of a sense of obligation, Jake agrees to work the ranch in hopes of putting it back on its financial feet, all the while keeping her distance from the taciturn John. Other interested parties include cowboy Morgan Murphy (Bradley Cooper), who wants to help Jake despite her father's resistance to Morgan's "newfangled" ranching methods, and John's old pal Amos (M.C. Gainey), who is determined to mend the fences between John and Jake. The Last Cowboy was first broadcast by the Hallmark Channel on January 17, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Night Court alum John Larroquette and character actress Karen Valentine (Gidget Grows Up, Room 222) play Jack Landry and Audrey Landry, husband and wife and the parents of three grown daughters, in this made-for-television comic feature. Learning to adjust to the girls' absence, Jack and Audrey are just beginning to enjoy the empty nest syndrome -- even planning a second honeymoon -- when all three girls (played by Kelly Overton, Marina Black, and Jaime Ray Newman) unexpectedly resurface and each announces her wedding plans. With three trips to the altar for the beleaguered Jack, and Audrey drowning in a sea of invitations, complete pandemonium -- and a surfeit of laughs -- are not far behind. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide