• Variety, Tuesday, June 5, 2007 10:30 AM

The Hallmark Channel has signed up Barbara Fisher to be senior vice president of original programming, and her first task will be to find a new batch of TV movie suppliers to replace the Robert Halmis, a father- and-son combo that turned out dozens of movies for the channel each year.

The duo is moving on, lured by Lifetime, Spike, Sci Fi Channel and ION Media Networks. "Our doors are wide open," says Fisher. "I've met with producers, writers and directors, and I'm looking for movies in all genres -- comedy, romance, holiday and seasonal stories, plus Westerns, fantasies and true stories."

She will also be searching for the odd suspense drama to link with shows like "Murder, She Wrote" and "Matlock." But Fishers will stay away from some edgier fare common to other networks: "All of the members of a family should be able to sit down in front of the television and watch a Hallmark movie without embarrassment."

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