Remembering Actress Paula Shaw...

We’ve come to know and love actress Paula Shaw as the lively, spunky grandmother in many Hallmark movies over the years, as well as in the series "Cedar Cove." Her warm, spirited presence always lit up the screen, and she will be deeply missed.

Paula passed away on September 10, 2025, at the age of 84, following a lengthy illness.

Here’s a look back at Paula’s list of Hallmark film appearances:

Hitched for the Holidays
Cedar Cove (TV series)
Destination Wedding
Coming Home for Christmas
Picture a Perfect Christmas
Five Star Christmas
It Was Always You
A Mrs. Miracle Christmas
The Wedding Veil Legacy
Wedding of a Lifetime
Hanukkah on Rye
Round and Round

And you may also know Paula Shaw from a number of TV movies and series, since she's been in the entertainment industry since she was a teenager...

The Bob Newhart Show
Starsky & Hutch
Little House on the Prairie
Barney Miller
Cagney & Lacey
21 Jump Street
The X-Files
Off Season (holiday TV movie)
Just Cause
Home for the Holidays (holiday TV movie)
and many, many more listed on her IMDb page!

I adored Paula in so many of her Hallmark roles...

*In "Picture a Perfect Christmas" with Merritt Patterson and Jon Cor, she shines as the injured grandmother who, in her gentle way, becomes a sweet matchmaker.

*In "Five Star Christmas" with Bethany Joy Lenz and Victor Webster, her lively spirit stands out as the family hilariously pretends to be guests at their own inn.

*In "Coming Home for Christmas" with Danica McKellar, Paula takes on a more uptight grandmother role who eventually softens and warms the heart.

*And in "It Was Always You" with Erin Krakow and Tyler Hynes, she once again shines as the grandmother, sharing her own love story while guiding Erin’s character to follow her heart and seek true love.

Please share which show or movie you most enjoyed with Paula Shaw in comments below.

Sending our love and prayers to her dear family and friends.

God's Blessings, 

Net

images: Hallmark Media

Happy Thanksgiving Week!!! Enjoy a Feast of Christmas Movies while We Count Our Blessings...

On this Thanksgiving week I want to first express how thankful I am to The Lord for being extra close to us this year. 2020 has not been an easy time for the world, but we know our God is always working in mighty ways, even when we cannot see it.

As I sit around my Thanksgiving table this year, along with being extra grateful to be surrounded by my precious family giving thanks to our great and merciful God, I will also be thinking of all of you, yes YOU!, my dear *It's a Wonderful Movie* family and friends. No matter where you are on this Thanksgiving Day - my heart and prayers are also with you! You'll never know how much you are appreciated; I truly value each of your support, love and encouragement all year long. Our common bond of shared values has brought us all together, and I'm so honored by your visits to my blog. However you found your way to It's a Wonderful Movie, I'm certain The Lord brought you here - so we could all be friends... and family!

This Thanksgiving week as you are baking and hopefully able to gather with family and friends, you may want to save a little room for the Hallmark Channel's extra helpings of Christmas movies- for the 7 night Thanksgiving Week Movie Event hosted once again by Candace Cameron Bure! 

I'm sharing highlights of what's airing this week, Monday through Friday, below! (By the way, if you're not full enough, yet, I'll have a new post at the end of this week with all of the weekend Christmas movie premieres, including the new ones with Candace and Lacey Chabert!)

Enjoy the Thanksgiving Week Feast of Christmas Films...

Monday, November 23, 2020:

Heart of the Holidays

Storyline via Hallmark: Career-driven Sam returns to her hometown for the holidays where she comes face-to-face with her high school boyfriend, Noah. Together they rediscover what matters most in life.

Heart of the Holidays premieres

Monday, November 23, 2020 

at 8pm/7c. on the Hallmark Channel

🎄 🌟 🎄 🌟 🎄 🌟 🎄 🌟 🎄

Wednesday, November 25, 2020:

Good Morning Christmas!

Storyline via Hallmark: Two competing TV hosts (Alison Sweeney and Marc Blucas) are sent to a festive small town over Christmas. While pretending to get along for the sake of appearances, they discover that there’s more to each other than they thought.

Good Morning Christmas! premieres

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

at 8pm/7c. on the Hallmark Channel

🎄 🌟 🎄 🌟 🎄 🌟 🎄 🌟 🎄

Thursday, November 26, 2020:

Christmas by Starlight

Storyline via Hallmark: Annie (Kimberley Sustad), a lawyer, must help her loved ones this holiday season. Her family’s restaurant, The Starlight Café, is slated for demolition. The heir to the development firm responsible, William (Paul Campbell), makes her an unlikely proposition: he’ll spare the café if Annie spends the week “appearing” as the legal counsel his father is demanding he hire in the wake of some costly mistakes.

Christmas by Starlight premieres 

Thursday, November 26, 2020 

at 8pm/7c. on the Hallmark Channel 

🎄 🌟 🎄 🌟 🎄 🌟 🎄 🌟 🎄

Friday, November 27, 2020:

Five Star Christmas

Storyline via Hallmark: After moving back to her hometown, Lisa (Bethany Joy Lenz) plots with her siblings and grandparents to help her father’s new bed and breakfast get a five-star review from an incognito travel critic (Victor Webster), but ends up falling for him, not knowing he is the real critic.

Five Star Christmas premieres 

Friday, November 27, 2020 

at 8pm/7c. on the Hallmark Channel 

🎄 🌟 🎄 🌟 🎄 🌟 🎄 🌟 🎄

Friday, November 27, 2020:

Dear Christmas

Storyline via Lifetime: Natalie Morgan (Melissa Joan Hart) is an author and host of a popular podcast, Holiday Love, which shares true stories of holiday romance with its listeners. While to the outside world and her listeners everywhere see Natalie is an expert on romance, she's never truly experienced a romance of her own. As Natalie prepares to embark on a promotional tour for her new book, she stops back home to spend Christmas with her family and to celebrate her parent's 50th anniversary where she unexpectedly begins to experience her own holiday romance as sparks ignite with local firefighter, Jack (Jason Priestley).

Dear Christmas premieres

Friday, November 27, 2020

at 8pm/7c. on Lifetime

🎄 🌟 🎄 🌟 🎄 🌟 🎄 🌟 🎄


THANKSGIVING SPECIALS and MORE:

Thursday, November 26, 2020:

The 94th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
(reimagined celebration) on NBC 

The Waltons "The Thanksgiving Story" on INSP

Friday, November 27, 2020:

Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town on ABC

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animation) on NBC 

Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer on The CW 

Frosty the Snowman and Frosty Returns on CBS 

See times airing in the Christmas Schedule! 

🎄 🌟 🎄 🌟 🎄 🌟 🎄 🌟 🎄


As we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, I think this scripture expresses beautifully where we are right now... “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Isn't that powerful? It always touches my spirit. The hardest part is to not pick up our worries, and simply put our trust in Him. I have to remind myself that every day - and to be thankful for ALL things.

My prayer for you dear friends...

Our Heavenly Father, I ask you Lord to be near us today, to gather with us at our Thanksgiving table, to fill us with your perfect peace. I Thank YOU for first loving us and giving Your life on the cross so we can be forgiven of our sins - when we call upon Your Name! May the challenges we've faced this year renew our faith and deepen our devotion and love for You and others. Thank you Lord for all of our blessings! In Jesus Name. Amen.

You may have noticed that I did not include the Tuesday night Thanksgiving week premiere. As a believer in traditional marriage and Biblical values I will not be promoting "A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado" since learning it's subplot will include a same sex couple. I wanted to be certain you all were aware of this as you are watching Christmas movies this week possibly with your families.

If you'd like to check out Movie Reviews for the NEW 2020 Christmas Movies from the *It's a Wonderful Movie* friends & family - see that post *here*!

You can also see my Christmas TV Movie Schedule - *here*, which includes NEW Christmas Movie Premieres and Christmas classics.

Also, please know - I have NOT pre-screened these NEW Christmas movies listed above. If you happen to watch one of the new Christmas movies this week and want to share whether or not it is a family friendly movie, please stop back by and leave a comment. I know everyone here would be grateful to know any information you are willing to share.

I hope you have a wonderful week and enjoy many delightful Christmas movies!

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Much Love & Blessings to You All, Net