Some of Hallmark Channel’s hottest stars are opening up about Candace Cameron Bure leaving the network to become an executive at Great American Family.
Tyler Hynes, Andrew Walker, and Paul Campbell – the three stars of Three Wise Men and a Baby – chatted with Vulture for a new feature on Hallmark.
The guys had some thoughts in response to Candace‘s claim that Hallmark has become “basically a completely different network” because of leadership changes.
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“I think it was just a good excuse to cover up an opportunity she had somewhere else. Whether she thought she had it less at Hallmark because she’s an executive now over at Great American Family, I don’t know. That’s the way I took it,” Andrew said.
Tyler added, “I can’t imagine how complicated or nuanced her relationship was or wasn’t. All I know is, for us, it’s very simple why we’re here. We know what we’re doing. I don’t want to speak for you guys, but I certainly know why I’m here.” The guys said he can speak for them and he added, “That was the intention from the beginning. We want to see the same things you’re talking about — diversity of storytelling. Because things have to evolve.”
Andrew continued, “Hallmark has created a culture that’s a trickle-down effect from the top. You get somebody like Lisa Hamilton at the top, who replaced Bill Abbott, who’s now making these choices that are affecting the network. The formula is pretty sound. I don’t think we need to sit here and go, ‘Oh, one network is better than the next.’”
The guys were also asked if they feel there is competition between Hallmark Channel and GAC.
“I don’t know who else can do what we do. Even if we have shortcomings and perhaps other places do certain things better or have more money, I don’t know how our style gets duplicated somewhere else in quite the same way. It’s like comparing apples to oranges,” Andrew said.
Paul added,”I think the word competition implies there are viewers going elsewhere because somebody else is doing what Hallmark is doing. If you look at the numbers this season, viewership is up, so it’s a big playground. There’s a lot of space for people to produce and tell similar stories. But I don’t think there’s competition. Hallmark is the only place that does specifically what Hallmark does… Hallmark has created something that resembles an old studio system. I don’t know if there’s anywhere else where the same actors appear year after year to create that familiarity. For the actors that work in Christmas movies at Hallmark, we don’t make Christmas movies anywhere else.”
Wondering what each of their relationship status is right now? Get to know more about Tyler, Andrew, and Paul by tapping their names.