Family Movie Night
Sponsored made-for-TV films with product placements and backdoor pilots.
Family Movie Night was an umbrella series of made-for-TV films owned and sponsored by Procter & Gamble and Walmart, which inserted product placements within the movies. The films were produced by Flyover Studios, P&G Productions, and Telenext Media Inc., and aired via time buys. They were developed as backdoor pilots, though none went to series.
Quick Facts
- Country
- United States
- Seasons
- 2
- Episodes
- 9
- Runtime
- 2 hours
- Company
- P&G Productions
- Flyover Studios
- Telenext Media Inc. (some)
- Network
- NBC; Fox (2 films)
- First aired
- 16 April 2010
- Last aired
- 2 December 2011
Facts from the source article.
Background
Procter & Gamble had long been involved in original content, including creating and producing the soap opera genre through P&G Productions as part of early sponsored TV. In the late 1990s, P&G and Walmart were launch members of the Association of National Advertisers' Alliance for Family Entertainment, which promoted family-friendly programs like the WB's Gilmore Girls. The alliance identified families with children under 18 as the largest underserved potential viewing audience, with fewer than a quarter satisfied with existing family entertainment.
History
Walmart launched its Family Moments campaign to promote additional whole family entertainment choices. By early 2010, P&G and Walmart agreed to a joint marketing program for a series of commercial made-for-TV movies produced by P&G Productions, with NBC as the network. Originally planned as three or four films, the first three performed respectably, including Secrets of the Mountain winning its night. In December 2010, the Family Night Partners decided to continue the series by purchasing time on Fox instead. None of the three films spawned a series. After five pilot-films, P&G and Walmart announced four more new films for the remainder of 2011.
Films
Truth Be Told aired on Fox on Saturday, headlined by Candace Cameron Bure and David James Elliott, with a musical performance by Danny Gokey and a cameo by NFL star Kurt Warner. Field of Vision, originally titled Magic Eye, starred Tony Oller as Tyler McFarland, a high school football captain who must decide whether to report two teammates for bullying a new student, Cory; Tyler's little sister finds a magical camera tied to Cory's past. The script was by Wesley Bishop, directed by Gregg Champion, with David A. Rosemont, Brian Wells, and Jeff Grant as executive producers; Alex was played by Chris Tavarez. Dear Annie was casting as of December 2010, with production to begin in January 2011 in New Mexico, about a relationship counselor and her old friend, a recent widower, who fakes being married to curry favors from a media mogul.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes of Family Movie Night are there?
Family Movie Night has 9 episodes across 2 seasons.
When did Family Movie Night first air?
Family Movie Night first aired on 16 April 2010.
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