It’s no secret that Candace Cameron Bure exited Hallmark in order to head to rival network GAF, taking her talent for solving murder (while simultaneously engaging in romance) with her. So, it was likely only a matter of time before she announced a new murder mystery movie series for the cabler. That time has come, and I’m both happy and bummed about the prospect. It’s weird to have such mixed feelings, but it all stems back to Aurora Teagarden.
The Curious Case Of Aurora Teagarden
When Bure's exit was announced amidst a slew of Hallmark stars defecting, it was in the early era of stars leaving Hallmark for GAF. One thing new CEO head honcho Bill Abbott did was sign certain stars to exclusive deals so they would be in contract with the newcomer cable outlet. However, these contracts were a little unclear early on, and there was a lot of talk at the time that Bure might have been "leaving" Hallmark, but still might have been making room or bringing with her the beloved series Aurora Teagarden.
Fans love Aurora Teagarden. They love her spunk and sweaters, her love interests, her red hair, and --of course -- the murder club she's a part of. In fact, the murder mystery series had been a staple on Hallmark since A Bone to Pick came out way back in 2015. When Bure exited, it was around the time the 18th movie in the franchise had aired and reports indicated that her new contract may allow her to continue with the Aurora movies. It wasn't to be, but it gave a lot of fans, myself included, hope at the time.
Instead, Hallmark is moving on with Aurora and without Bure by creating a prequel Aurora Teagarden movie. I have mixed feelings about this too.
Candace Cameron Bure's New Murder Mystery Series
It's been almost two years since Bure left Hallmark and fans had to say goodbye to their beloved librarian character. Meanwhile, the actress has been actively developing new projects, and this week GAF announced a new mysteries series with her as the lead. That project is called The Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker, and will star the former Fuller House actress opposite Warehouse 13's Aaron Ashmore.
The first movie will set up Bure's character, the titular Ainsley, as a former criminologist who leaves Chicago to return to her hometown in Texas. There, she'll try to leave crime behind, but will end up teaching a criminology class and helping out the local sheriff (Ashmore). The movie (or movies if this is popular) will be based on books by Candace Havens and is giving me a little bit of Mystery 101 vibes but with a Texas twist.
Ainsley McGregor Is Exciting, But Also Bittersweet
Look, it's been quite some time since there has been an Aurora Teagarden movie to look forward to. While I always enjoyed the spunky character, on the one hand, I'm just happy that Candace Cameron Bure is getting back to her murder mystery roots. On the other hand, it really kind of makes me sad to know that Bure's run as Aurora is over. Even if there is reason to be hopeful with the prequel, the whole thing has been messy and didn't end in a way that felt satisfying for me as a fan.
It's also an announcement definitively marking the end of an era. I knew Bure was focused on faith-based programming at GAF and had cut ties with Hallmark, but the optimistic part of me really hoped that one day we'd see stars able to go back and forth between the two networks. Then we could have the 19th and 20th Aurora movies on the upcoming Hallmark schedule alongside the more diverse storytelling they're moving toward. That said, Ainsley may not be Aurora, but change is inevitable, and clearly Mrs. Bure feels like it's time for something (or rather someone) new. If Hallmark's prequel is any indication, that network is ready for a fresh start, too.
