'Good Witch' Renewed for Second Season on Hallmark Channel

James Denton, Catherine Bell and Bailee Madison star in Good Witch on Hallmark Channel. Photo: Copyright 2015 Crown Media, Inc./Brooke Palmer

Hallmark Channel has renewed its newest original primetime series, Good Witch, starring Catherine Bell, James Denton and Bailee Madison, for a second season of 12 new one-hour episodes.

Good Witch has charmed audiences in its first season, becoming the most-watched primetime drama in the time period among total viewers and highest-rated among households. Additionally, Good Witch is the #2 new original drama series in 2015 among household rating and delivery, as well as total viewer delivery. The announcement of the renewal comes as Good Witch stars, Catherine Bell and James Denton, make their debut at the Marché International des Programmes de Télévision (MIPTV), the world’s largest TV and digital content market and creative forum, in Cannes, France.

'A Girl's Best Friend' Premieres January 4 on UP, Stars James Denton, Lilah Fitzgerald, Laura Mennell, Kirsten Robek

James Denton, Lilah Fitzgerald, and Luey in A Girl's Best Friend

UP movie A Girl's Best Friend premieres Sunday, January 4 at 7 p.m. ET. The film stars James Denton (Desperate Housewives, The Good Witch), Laura Mennell (Haven), (The Gourmet Detective), Kirsten Robek (Hell on Wheels) and Lilah Fitzgerald (The Pastor's Wife).

In A Girl’s Best Friend, Penelope "Polka-Dot" Daught (Fitzgerald) is a precocious 11-year-old obsessed with Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” With her single mother, Frances (Robek), struggling with chronic illness and money tightness, Polka-Dot is pushed into looking for odd jobs after school for extra cash. While sweeping up around the neighborhood coffee shop, Polka-Dot’s life perks up when she meets K-9 unit police officer Cooper “Coop” Boone (Denton) and his trusty bloodhound, Luey.

James Denton Joins Catherine Bell & Bailee Madison in 'The Good Witch' Series On Hallmark Channel

Golden Globe Award and two-time Screen Actors Guild Award winner James Denton (Desperate Housewives) has been added to the cast of Hallmark Channel's original primetime scripted series, The Good Witch, starting production October 29th in Toronto.

The series, based on the network’s most successful original movie franchise of all time, will star Catherine Bell (Army Wives, JAG, Bruce Almighty), who returns to the network as audience's beloved ‘good witch’ Cassie Nightingale, alongside series regular Bailee Madison (Northpole, Just Go With It, Trophy Wife). Denton will play Cassie's new next-door-neighbor, a divorced doctor and single dad who stirs things up in Middleton when he discovers Cassie's signature charm is more than just a magic touch. Season One will have 10 episodes and is slated for a Q1 2015 premiere.

Hallmark Movie 'Stranded in Paradise' Premieres Tonight, Stars Vanessa Marcil and James Denton

Vanessa Marcil, James Denton. Photo Credit: Copyright 2014
Crown Media United States, LLC/Photographer: Francisco Roman

Stranded In Paradise, based on Lori Copeland’s novel of the same name, will have its World Premiere on Hallmark Channel, Saturday, August 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Emmy Award winner Vanessa Marcil (General Hospital, The Nanny Express) and James Denton (Desperate Housewives) star in the romantic tropical escape, shot on location in Puerto Rico, and follows the story of a driven executive whose disastrous business trip to a beautiful island turns into an unexpected new beginning.

Tess Nelson (Marcil) is a poised and confident human resources executive who is aiming for a well-deserved promotion. But when her boss informs her she’s being laid off instead, Tess is furious and worried about letting down her demanding mother, Mona (Cindy Pickett). Determined to use a business trip to an HR convention in Puerto Rico to score a new job, she is discouraged when the trip is a disaster from the start, and an approaching hurricane makes it impossible to fly home. But after bumping into a handsome fellow traveler, Carter (Denton), Tess opens up to the possibilities beyond her desk job, and the couple’s adventures on the island bring them closer while the hurricane rolls in. With help from a fearless and friendly local, Stella (Gladys Rodríguez), Carter and Tess take shelter, and Tess sees taking an unanticipated risk could lead her to a happiness she never dreamed of, and a love that goes beyond a week in paradise.

Vanessa Marcil and James Denton Star in 'Stranded In Paradise' Premiering August 9

The Nanny Express and General Hospital star Vanessa Marcil
will next appear in Stranded in Paradise.

Emmy® Award winner Vanessa Marcil (General Hospital, The Nanny Express) and James Denton (Desperate Housewives) star in the romantic tropical escape, shot on location in Puerto Rico, and follows the story of a driven executive whose disastrous business trip to a beautiful island turns into an unexpected new beginning. Stranded In Paradise, based on Lori Copeland’s novel of the same name, will have its World Premiere on Hallmark Channel, Saturday, August 9 (9 p.m. ET/PT).

“Bringing Lori’s novel to life on screen with this opportunity to film on location in Puerto Rico was picture-perfect for this project,” said Michelle Vicary, Executive Vice President, Programming for Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel. “It’s a great story for the network and we were pleased to give it the beautiful backdrop it deserves.”