Good Witch has had a long and storied history on the Hallmark Channel. Beginning as a series of movies starring Catherine Bell in the early aughts, by 2015 Hallmark would turn popular character Cassie Nightingale’s story into a TV series starring Bell, Bailee Madison and a newcomer love interest in James Denton. The show enjoyed a successful run on the cabler until it became one of the major shows canceled in 2021. But star James Denton still believes in the magic.
Speaking in a recent interview, the Good Witch (and former Desperate Housewives star) explained that while he is not currently in talks to do another project in the franchise, he does recognize the popularity the series has had with the fanbase over an extended period of time. He told TV Insider specifically that despite the network’s abrupt ending of the series (at least where the fans are concerned), that Hallmark is a fan of the franchise overall.
Nobody’s made me an offer. There’s nothing in the works, but I think the odds are decent just because I know the network respects the franchise. It ran for 14 years between the movies and the series. So I think there’s a decent chance, but I had to say in the same breath there is nothing in the immediate works.
When Good Witch was initially canceled amidst its seventh season on Hallmark, James Denton had responded, noting “it would be unseemly to complain” given the show’s long shelf life. In addition, Lisa Hamilton Daly, Hallmark’s EVP previously called the franchise the network’s “most popular IP” though she also had nothing concrete to note a few months ago. Though I do think it is still worth pointing out the show was canceled two weeks before Good Witch’s Season 7 finale, meaning the show was not given the time to really properly wrap up in the way some other shows with a full season of advance notice have.
Still, Denton has also been involved in more Hallmark projects in the time since, and he clearly seems open to the idea of more if the network is. With a little “double, double, toil and trouble,” perhaps we may get more in the future? As Denton also noted:
I think there’s a chance. I know [with] the popularity of the show and the circumstances under which it ended sort of abruptly that it would not surprise me if we revisit it.
So, feel free to be cautiously optimistic.
Of course, the reason Good Witch was able to successfully become a TV series, in my opinion, is due to the fact that Bell agreed to continue on in the role but also because killing off her former husband Jake (Chris Potter) allowed the franchise to shake things up. Introducing James Denton worked extremely well, and the storyline where they were both raising teenagers while finding time for romance was a good fit too. Where the story would go next is anyone’s guess, but I’m not sure I would be totally happy if Hallmark brought the show back, but then made a major change to kickstart a new romance again.
So, that’s a lot to think about and consider. Hallmark has honestly seen a lot of shakeups recently in its programming, with a slew of former Hallmark stars leaving for GAF, including the likes of Candace Cameron Bure and Danica McKellar. In addition, the network also recently said goodbye to Chesapeake Shores, thereby ending another long-running show. While Where The Heart Calls is still running, it looks like original series are taking less precedence on the network overall, and if Good Witch were to come back it makes me wonder if another TV movie might be the most likely forum.
You can see what all is upcoming with our full Hallmark movies schedule.
