Now dubbed the “Conservative Queen of Christmas,” Candace Cameron Bure made headlines when she departed Hallmark for the Great American Family network in 2022. So, why did Candace Cameron Bure leave Hallmark in the first place? Here’s what the actress has said.
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Candace Cameron Bure made her Hallmark debut with 2009’s Moonlight & Mistletoe, eventually starring in A Christmas Detour, A Shoe Addict’s Christmas, Christmas Town and more. In 2015, she started portraying librarian Aurora Teagarden in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries series. She has done 18Aurora Teagarden films in total, starting with A Bone to Pick in 2015 until her final film, Haunted by Murder, in 2022. In addition to starring in films, the actress has also executive-produced a number of Hallmark projects.
In an interview with E! News in November 21, the Aurora Teagarden star spoke about the pressures of creating Christmas movies for Hallmark. “This being my 10th Christmas movie for the Hallmark Channel, you do try to make them as different as you can, while still staying in the framework of a Hallmark movie,” she explained. “So, there’s always pressure to not have a repeat story; the repeat beats, the same tropes that you can fall into with a Hallmark film. There’s pressure, but I’m very aware of what those elements are and try my best to make it fresh and new every year.”
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The 47-year-old actress rose to fame portraying D.J. Tanner on Full House and the sequel Fuller House. From 2009 to 2003, she starred as Summer van Horne on Make It or Break It and was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars Season 18. From 2015 and 2016, she was the co-host of the daytime TV talk show The View. Burke is now the Chief Content Office of Great America Media (which we’ll get to below).
So, after more than a decade of acting in Hallmark films, why did Candace Cameron Bure leave for its rival network? Keep reading to find out.
Why did Candace Cameron Bure leave Hallmark?
Why did Candace Cameron Bure leave Hallmark? Candace Cameron Bure left Hallmark to join Great American Media. It was announced in April 2022 that Bure signed a deal with Great American Media—which owns cable networks Great American Family and Great American Living. Bure will develop, produce and star in movies and television shows across its networks. Along with developing original content through her production company, Candy Rock Entertainment, Bure was also hired in an executive role at GAC to help curate programming for the network, including creating year-round seasonal celebration content and having a part in GAC’s annual Great American Christmas programming.
As a result of the deal, Bure’s relationship with the Hallmark Channel ended. She filmed 29 movies for Hallmark over the course of 10 years, including 18Aurora Teagarden Mysteries movies.“Crown Media has enjoyed over 10 years of collaboration with Candace,” a representative for Hallmark Channel’s parent company, Crown Media, told TV Linein a statement. “We respect her decision and thank her for her many contributions.”
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In her own statement toVariety, Bure explained why she left Hallmark for GAF. “I’m very excited to develop heartwarming family and faith-filled programming and make the kind of stories my family and I love to watch. I am constantly looking for ways that I can inspire people to live life with purpose,” she said. She continued, “GAC fits my brand perfectly; we share a vision of creating compelling wholesome content for an audience who wants to watch programming for and with the whole family. Great, quality entertainment with a positive message is what my partnership with GAC is all about.”
Bill, the president and CEO of GAC Media (and the former president of Crown Media), also toldVarietyin a statement: “Candace is adored by generations of fans as one of family entertainment’s most cherished and relatable stars. She has helped build this genre into the mainstream success it is today, and I look forward to working together at GAC Media as we further establish our brands as leaders in quality family programming. I am truly honored that she has chosen to be a part of and help curate her special brand of family entertainment here at Great American Channels.”
Cameron Bure came under fire after she made controversial comments in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in November 2022. When asked about same-sex couples being portrayed on screen, Cameron Bure replied, “I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core.”
Celebrities and LGBTQ activists were swift to call out the former Hallmark actress for her remarks. For example, social media star and performer JoJo Siwa fired back on Instagram: “Honestly, I can’t believe after everything that went down just a few months ago, that she would not only create a movie with intention of excluding LGBTQIA+, but then also talk about it in the press,” Siwa wrote in the caption directed at Cameron Bure. “This is rude and hurtful to a whole community of people.”
Cameron Bure defended her words and accused the media of using her marriage comments to “fan flames of conflict and hate.” “All of you who know me, know beyond question that I have great love and affection for all people. It absolutely breaks my heart that anyone would ever think I intentionally would want to offend and hurt anyone,” she told Page Six in a lengthy statement at the time.
Cameron Bure is one of several actors who left Hallmark to sign a deal with GAF, including Trevor Donovan, Jen Lilley and Danica McKellar. Her first Christmas movie with GAF was A Christmas … Present, which she starred in alongside Marc Blucas and Paul Fitzgerald.
Check out our gallery below on the Aurora Teagarden: Something New Cast – including the new vs. original actors playing the same characters.
As a seasoned entertainment industry expert and enthusiast with a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics within television networks and film production, I can offer insights into the intriguing shift of Candace Cameron Bure from Hallmark to the Great American Family network in 2022.
Candace Cameron Bure, often recognized as the "Conservative Queen of Christmas," left her longstanding collaboration with Hallmark to embark on a new venture with the Great American Family network. This departure marked a significant transition in her career, prompting many to wonder about the reasons behind this move.
Having made her Hallmark debut in 2009 with "Moonlight & Mistletoe," Candace Cameron Bure became a staple in the network's Christmas movies, starring in various films such as "A Christmas Detour," "A Shoe Addict’s Christmas," and the "Aurora Teagarden Mysteries" series. Her involvement extended beyond acting, as she also took on executive-producing roles for several Hallmark projects.
In a November 2021 interview with E! News, Bure expressed the challenges of creating unique Christmas movies for Hallmark, emphasizing the pressure to avoid repetitive storylines and tropes while staying within the hallmark framework.
The decision to leave Hallmark came to light in April 2022 when it was announced that Bure had signed a deal with Great American Media, the parent company of Great American Family and Great American Living networks. This deal involved Bure taking on a multifaceted role, where she would develop, produce, and star in movies and television shows across the Great American Media networks. Additionally, she would use her production company, Candy Rock Entertainment, to contribute to original content and serve in an executive capacity at GAF, curating programming for the network.
This move concluded her decade-long association with Hallmark, during which she filmed 29 movies, including 18 films in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries series. In her statement to Variety, Bure expressed excitement about creating family and faith-filled programming with GAF, aligning with her personal and professional values.
It's worth noting that her departure from Hallmark was not without controversy. In a November 2022 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Bure made comments regarding same-sex couples on screen, stating that she believed Great American Family would keep traditional marriage at the core. These remarks sparked criticism from celebrities and LGBTQ activists, with social media star JoJo Siwa expressing disappointment and accusing Bure of exclusionary intentions.
Despite the controversy, Bure defended her comments, stating that the media had sensationalized her words and emphasized her love and affection for all people.
Candace Cameron Bure's move to Great American Family is part of a trend where several actors, including Trevor Donovan, Jen Lilley, and Danica McKellar, left Hallmark to sign deals with GAF. Bure's first Christmas movie with GAF, titled "A Christmas … Present," featured her alongside Marc Blucas and Paul Fitzgerald, marking a new chapter in her career within the Great American Channels.
This transition showcases Bure's commitment to creating wholesome content for a broader audience, reflecting the evolving landscape of family programming and the changing dynamics within the entertainment industry.
