Shannon Day Movies
Based on an actual incident at the University of Virginia Medical Center, this made-for-TV drama stars Melissa Gilbert and Rosanna Arquette as Sarah and Linda, two expectant mothers who give birth on the same day in the same hospital. It is not until 18 months after the two women had contentedly gone home with the babies that a DNA test proves the infants were switched at birth thanks to a hospital snafu. Although Sarah and Linda both elect to keep the babies that they've grown to love, they reach an unusual compromise that has profound (and not entirely positive) effects on their respective families and friends -- leading, inevitably, to a heated courtroom battle. Originally telecast by CBS under the title Two Babies: Switched at Birth on November 24, 1999, the film has since been released to video as Mistaken Identity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melissa Gilbert, Rosanna Arquette, (more)
- 1998
Filmed on location in Oregon, the made-for-cable Halloweentown stars Debbie Reynolds as Aggie Cromwell, the peppery grandma to typical American kids Marnie (Joey Zimmerman), Dylan (Joey Zimmerman) and Sophie (Emily Roeske). During her annual visit to the youngsters' mother Gwen (Judith Hoag), Aggie reveals that she is a benevolent witch, and that Gwen and the kids all have latent magical powers. Whisking the three little ones off to Halloweentown, Aggie subsequently does battle with evil forces conjured up by Gwen's old flame Kalabar (Robin Thomas), a warlock with delusions of grandeur and a nasty habit of transforming children into zombies. Telecast by the Disney Channel on October 22, 1998, Halloweentown was followed three years later by a sequel, also starring Debbie Reynolds, Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Debbie Reynolds, Judith Hoag, (more)
- 1997
Los Angeles district attorney Jess Kostner (Lori Laughlin) inaugurates her own personal descent into hell when she agrees to prosecute an accused rapist named Sean Ferguson (Tracey Walter). Having just recovered from a nervous breakdown brought about by the mysterious death of her mother, Jess is in no mood to discover that Sean's defense attorney is her own ex-husband Don Shaw (Bruce Greenwood). Things get really dicey when Ferguson's victim Connie (Lauren Tom) refuses to appear in court. Jess manages to persuade Connie to testify, only to be plunged into the abyss of guilt and self-loathing when Connie is "mysteriously" killed just before her testimony. The only positive aspect of this sordid affair is Jess' growing relationship with amiable courtroom spectator Adam Stiles (Joe Flanigan). Ultimately, the trial--and acquittal--of Sean Ferguson is revealed to be an elaborate charade, designed as a prelude to a uniquely perverse form of vigilante justice! Boasting so many plot twists that one virtually needs a scorecard to keep abreast of new developments, Tell Me No Secrets debuted January 20, 1997 on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lori Loughlin, Bruce Greenwood, (more)
- 1997
Three longtime friends try to untangle the knots of their love lives in this comedy. Darin (Paul Provenza), Matt (Stephan Dunham), and Kevin (John Gloria) all live in San Francisco. Darin recently married Natalie (Shannon Day), and while he loves her, he misses the excitement of bachelor life. Matt, on the other hand, is tired of jumping from girl to girl and wants a relationship that will last. And Kevin, luckless with ladies, would settle for a date every once in a while. Matt thinks that he's found a woman whom he can stick with in Maxine (Krista Taylor), but there's a catch -- she's already married to a close friend. Meanwhile, Kevin decides that he believes in love at first sight when he falls head over heels for a woman he sees on the street -- now he only has to find out who she is and then convince her that he's everything that she's been looking for. Penn Jillette (of Penn and Teller), Don Novello (aka Father Guido Sarducci) and "Weird" Al Yankovic all appear in cameo roles. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Provenza, Stephen Dunham, (more)
- 1994
In this tender made-for-television drama, a motorcycle racer changes his outlook on life after becoming close to a young mother and her dying son. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Craig T. Nelson, Helen Shaver, (more)
- 1992
After eight months at sea, Mike's lifelong friend Eddie (K.C. Martel) pays an unexpected return visit to Long Island. Under normal circumstances, Mike (Kirk Cameron) would be delighted--but instead, he keeps the notoriously irresponsible Eddie at arm's length, worried that his old pal might prove to be a bad influence on Luke (Jeremy Miller). Meanwhile, Ben (Jeremy Miller) shoots a video of the Seaver family on behalf of Carol, who is still studying in London. In the original network version of this episode, the cast of Growing Pains touchingly acknowledges the conspicuous absence of series regular Tracey Gold (Carol), who had been forced to leave the show because of severe health problems. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
