Morning Show Mysteries: Murder Ever After

After the disaster of an episode in another Hallmark series ' When Calls the Heart' (Elizabeth and Lucas) I was concerned about Billie with another character (not Rick Fox). But It worked! And it worked well! I've enjoyed watching this series and I get attached to characters, but this works. Looking back she and Ian never fully clicked. This new character appreciates her and the chemistry was good. I love her aunt. I enjoy the Phil and Lucy characters and the bond they have with Billie. Not sure about the new reporter, yet. Please keep this series going. I really enjoy it.

I enjoyed the revamp of this series. There is no more restaurant and no more Rick Fox as the love interest, but the new format works quite well. The stories will now centre around Billie's role as a TV host. I am not sure about the co-host. Something doesn't quite work with him. Perhaps his character will be more developed in future episodes. I am not sure why the Aunt character is still included. She comes across as unnecessary and rather nosy. But seeing Sean Millington as the new detective and possible love interested is just great. Those of us that are BC fans remember watching Sean play for the BC Lions, win Grey Cups for us, and be an amazing player. He is a handsome, charming fellow and is very good in this role. I will look forward to some further additions to this series.

A new head of homicide is not what morning show host Billie Blessings (Robinson Peete) needs, however. While helping her friend, Maggie Carson (Francesca Bianchi), cope with an attack on her father, Ryan (Steve Makaj), Billie discovers human remains in his basement, a find that puts both Carsons on top of Price's suspect list. He thinks that father or daughter may killed Ryan's much younger second wife, Phoebe (Meghan Heffern), missing since a New Year's party years ago. Billie knows that neither her friend, an assistant district attorney and her former babysitting charge, nor her father, the affable high school gym teacher, are capable of murder, but she also knows that Maggie is not being forthright regarding Phoebe's disappearance

Starts out well, but just crumbles with an unfocused plot, convoluted and dialogue that isn't committed. The acting, however, is good - the lead actress is likeable and smart, but overall a weak episode.

Big Holly fan but the previous cast was so awful I couldn't watch this series. Thank you for hiring a real acting partner for Holly. Much better!

The format was drastically changed for this episode of The Morning Show Mysteries based on Al Rocker's book. Ian and his daughter are off the show having moved to California, the restaurant is closed, the chef is gone, aunt Cassandra is messing around her kitchen and garage organizing things with her trusty label maker, there is a new investigative journalist on The Morning Show named Carlos, and there is a new lead detective on the force named Tyrell Price.

I, for one, am thrilled with the new detective Tyrell played by Colin Lawrence. He is an excellent addition to the cast and I am hoping for an eventual romance between him and Billie Blessings. He added a more serious and by the book take on the role that gave this episode a grittier feel.

One of Billie's friend's father is hospitalized upon discovering a body in his basement. This brings together a reunion of old neighbors of Aunt Cassandra for a murder mystery involving money and infidelity...and strangely a watch.

The Morning Show Mysteries aren't my favorite Hallmark mysteries (those are Hannah Swensen's Murder She Baked, Aurora Teagarden, and Mystery 101), but I love Holly Robinson Peete and have ever since watching her in my teens on 21 Jump Street (The original).

Hopefully they will continue to build a great cast around Holly and I think they have definitely started to do so with the addition of Colin Lawrence. I am not sure how I feel about the new investigative reporter, Carlos, he has an almost phrenetic energy that doesn't mesh well with the rest of the cast. He is playing a foil to Billie and Tyrell...but I don't like him lying so frequently or the phrenetic energy.

Still hopeful and desperate for new mystery content on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries...but can't recommend this series yet.