Thank goodness the summer didn't slip past without our annual fix of an Autumn Reeser romantic comedy on Hallmark Channel.
Reeser has become quite the fixture on Hallmark. The 37-year-old, who first got our attention as the scheming, over-achieving Taylor Townsend on The O.C., has now made seven movies for Hallmark dating to 2012.
Season for Love is her latest and airs at 8 p.m. Saturday. This is a TV-G offering, meaning you can round up the entire family, from Poppy and Momo to the preschoolers and cats, and enjoy it without fear of anything untoward or crass sneaking onto the screen.
Note: This film is not to be confused with Hallmark's 'Tis the Season for Love, although there are similar themes.
Marc Blucas, 46, stars as Reeser's romantic interest. Fans know him best as Riley Finn in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but Blucas has guest-starred in a number of other series, as well as being a regular on USA Network's Necessary Roughness. Blucas is set to star in the forthcoming ABC midseason drama The Fix opposite Robin Tunney.
Here's the background for Season for Love. The title is a sort of pun having to do with barbecue seasoning.
Following her divorce, chef Tyler Dawson (Reeser) returns to her hometown of Red Rock, Texas, to spend the summer with her daughter, Rosie (Lola Flanery), and help out her mom, Jo (Shelley Thompson), at the family restaurant.
At Rosie's urging, Tyler signs up for the town's annual barbecue competition. There's a grand prize of $25,000 if anyone beats the guest celebrity chef who is in town to help a buddy publicize the event.
Surprise! Tyler's old high school sweetheart, Corey Turner (Blucas), turns out to be the celebrity New York-based chef/author.
The couple haven't seen each other in 15 years, but this is Hallmark Channel and as the publicity says, "Old feelings resurface as they spend time together. It could be the heat of competition, but sparks have really been flying between these two."
Ah, but then Tyler convinces herself that she has no time for romantic distractions when there's a competition to win. Then come the obligatory complications and roadblocks and it looks as if things might not work out after all.
Will these two former lovebirds rekindle the flame? Will they end up happily ever after or once again go their separate ways?
I won't spoil it, but you might guess the ending.
In a Hallmark interview, Reeser says, "One of the things that's so sweet about this movie is it shows you there's always a second chance for love. Life goes on. Is there anything better than a summer romance?"
• Jersey Shore: Family Vacation carouses back for a second season from 7 to 9 p.m. today on MTV. This puerility is just about 180 degrees from a Hallmark movie. Do not gather the kiddies.
Family Vacation stars the same narcissistic Jersey Shore crew that inexplicably became pop-culture sensations over six seasons (2009-2012) and have now been resurrected by MTV for more GTL (gym, tanning, laundry) so everybody can make some more money.
In tonight's episode, the gang parties first in Las Vegas, then heads back to New Jersey for a weekend in Atlantic City and "some fun on the shore."
The series stars Deena Nicole Cortese, Paul "Pauly D" Delvecchio, Jenni "JWoww" Farley, Vinny Guadagnino, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, and Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino.
Opinion: These folks are getting too old for this silliness. It isn't cute anymore.
• Scaled, a new series about building custom reptile terrariums, premieres at 8 p.m. Friday on Animal Planet. The show stars shop owner Greg West, his wife and creative designer, Elaine, and their team at Cornel's World in Calgary, Canada.
Think of the series as Tanked, but with dart frogs, basilisk lizards, geckos, chameleons, iguanas, monkey-tailed skinks and snakes instead of fish.
Be sure to look for Kevin, the three-legged bearded dragon and shop mascot.
• Treasure Quest: Snake Island returns for Season 4 at 8 p.m. Friday on Discovery Channel. The episode, "Death Road to Fortune," finds our intrepid treasure hunters chasing a $2 billion fortune by crossing the Andes Mountains via the infamous "Death Road." They encounter a landslide, but I assume they don't die.
• Planet Earth: Mission Galapagos airs at 8 p.m. Saturday on BBC America. The nature series follows a team of scientists as they seek to answer unexplained scientific and geological mysteries that will help protect the Galapagos islands and their inhabitants.
• Poldark reminder. For those who keep frantically emailing, Poldark has not -- not -- been canceled. Season 4 debuts at 8 p.m. Sept. 30 on Masterpiece and AETN. Spread the word and stop the panic.
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email: [email protected]
Weekend on 08/23/2018