In TV land, the best revenge is high ratings. Just ask the execs at Hallmark Channel as they prepare for Saturday’s Season 2 finale of “Cedar Cove,” the scripted drama starring Andie MacDowell.
When the show first aired, some critics received it with, at best, mild approval. Variety TV critic Brian Lowry called it “weightless” while conceding the show, based on the novels by Debbie Macomber, was created as an alternative to the intense, dark dramas in vogue (think “Mad Men” or “True Detective.”)
“We didn’t set out just to make something different in cable. Our goal was to tell great stories and create something that millions of Hallmark, Debbie Macomber, and Andie MacDowell fans would love, and make something great that would bring new viewers to the network,” Michelle Vicary, Hallmark’s executive vice president of programming, told The Washington Times.
“If being lighter means we didn’t resort to the edgier, darker side of life as a central thread, then that’s true. But real things happen to people in Cedar Cove, and particularly as we brought [creative manager] Sue Tenney into Season 2,” Ms. Vicary said.
The story of a second-generation judge, Olivia Lockhart, balancing her career and personal life in a Norman Rockwell-esque town has been a ratings magnet from the start, making the Hallmark Channel the top cable network in the Saturday 8-9 p.m. time period. And this with no explicit sex, no graphic violence and no rough language.
The second season scored a 1.6 household rating, which means 1.7 million viewers tuned in, according to the network. Those numbers are 26 percent higher than what “Cedar Cove” scored during Season One, according to TV by the Numbers, a website that collects and analyzes TV ratings.
What’s interesting about this success is that Ms. MacDowell, best known for roles in movies such as “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “sex, lies and videotape,” “Groundhog Day,” and “Green Card,” hadn’t planned to act in a TV series though she enjoyed success on ABC Family’s “Jane By Design.”
But when her manager brought “Cedar Cove” to her attention, something clicked.
“It is my first time working longterm in television,” Ms. MacDowell told The Times, speaking from her Montana ranch. “Like anything in my history, I’ve learned that if you get the right people together, you can create something very special. [This show touches on] something that people were really interested in and couldn’t find. It’s been a really nice process developing who this character is.”
Ms. MacDowell has used a composite of different traits — some borrowed from actual people — to create the character of Municipal Court Judge Olivia Lockhart.
“We knew we needed a special actor to play the role of Olivia Lockhart — strong, confident, vulnerable, beautiful, a leader in her community, and someone women would aspire to be like and be able to relate to,” said Ms. Vicary. “When Andie came forth for the role, we knew she was perfect. And fans do connect with Andie’s body of work, and the qualities that she brings to each character.”
This character also has brought something to Ms. MacDowell, who has vowed to stop using vulgar words, especially on set.
“It’s hard not to say bad words,” Ms. MacDowell said of the wholesome environment on the Hallmark set. “I’m trying my best.”
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