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Signed, Sealed, Delivered (TV series)

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This article is about the TV series. For other uses, see Signed Sealed Delivered.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Promotional poster
Genre
Created byMartha Williamson
Starring
ComposersHal Beckett (Pilot)
James Jandrisch
Country of origin
  • United States
  • Canada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10 + 13 TV films
Production
Executive producers
  • Martha Williamson
  • Joel S. Rice
  • Scott Smith
  • Michael Prupas
ProducerHarvey Kahn
Production locationVancouver, British Columbia, Canada
CinematographyAdam Sliwinski
Tyler Walzak
Running time76 minutes (pilot & movies); 42 minutes (series)
Production companyMoon Water Productions
Original release
NetworkHallmark Channel
ReleaseApril 20 (2014-04-20) –
June 22, 2014 (2014-06-22)
NetworkHallmark Movies & Mysteries
ReleaseSeptember 14, 2014 (2014-09-14)–Present

Signed, Sealed, Delivered (original title: Dead Letters[1]), also known as Lost Letter Mysteries,[2] is a drama/romantic comedy television series that aired on the Hallmark Channel in 2014 from April 20 through June 22.[3] Created by Touched by an Angel's Martha Williamson, Signed, Sealed, Delivered focuses on four dedicated United States Postal Service employees who work in the dead letter office. They take it upon themselves to track down intended recipients of undeliverable mail.[3] Similarly to her previous program, the show promotes Williamson's Christian beliefs as the characters struggle with their faith, or lack of it, as one character is agnostic, while relying on divine intervention to accomplish their task.[4] It is set in Denver, Colorado but filmed mostly in the Vancouver area. On October 12, 2013, a two-hour pilot movie aired on Hallmark and was a ratings success. It was the number-one television movie on its airdate and the number-two movie for that week.[5] The movie was watched by 1.72 million viewers.[6] Following one season of the TV series, Hallmark announced Signed, Sealed, Delivered would transition to a series of television films on its Hallmark Mystery channel.[7]

Cast

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Main

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Recurring

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  • Zak Santiago as Ramon Rodriguez, a man of many talents who became a friend of the Postables. (2 episodes & 7 films)
  • Jill Morrison as colleague Hazel. (5 movies)
  • Gregory Harrison as Joe O'Toole, Oliver's step-father who raised him. (7 films)
  • Emilie Ullerup as Dale Travers, a police officer friend of Oliver's. (4 films)

Guest stars

[edit]

Critical reception

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Variety's Brian Lowry commented that it was "so old fashioned and hokey that it just might work."[8] David Hinckley of New York Daily News gave it 3 stars out of 5 in 2014 and said that while all the characters were terribly likable, they spoke as if they were reading from Hallmark greeting cards.[9]

Signed, Sealed, Delivered scored 58 out of 100 on Metacritic based on five "mixed or average" reviews.[10]

Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
0"Second Chances (Pilot)"Scott SmithMartha WilliamsonOctober 12, 2013 (2013-10-12)#100-1201.72[6]

Oliver still believes stamped and mailed letters are important to human communication. The humdrum jobs of his dead letter mail experts Rita and Norman change when a technophile named Shane gets mistakenly transferred into their office.

Note: Aired as a two-hour television film.
1"Time to Start Livin'"Scott SmithMartha WilliamsonApril 20, 2014 (2014-04-20)#10011.70[11]
Oliver wants to investigate a letter from ten-year-old boy alerting his grandmother he is running away after being inexplicably separated from her. Meanwhile, Shane, Rita and Norman prepare for new supervisor, Theresa Capodiamonte (Valerie Harper), a winner of the prestigious Dark of Night award, who challenges them to take greater risks with their deliveries. They discover that the boy's life is in danger, and they become determined to find the intended recipient of his letter. Theresa also realizes she has an unfulfilled lifelong dream.
2"To Whom It May Concern"Scott SmithMartha WilliamsonApril 27, 2014 (2014-04-27)#10021.44[12]
A mangled letter describes a young woman's search for a soldier who saved her life and helped her escape Afghanistan during the War in Afghanistan. The Army officer is untraceable by normal means and the team must find him, even if he does not want to be found. Their search reveals a number of war heroes who not only return to less than a hero's welcome, but are also homeless. Attempts to deliver an orphan's letter to a war hero changes his life while Theresa's pursuit of her dreams inspires the team.
3"Soulmates"Kevin FairDawn DeKeyserMay 4, 2014 (2014-05-04)#10031.69[13]
The team discovers an undeliverable love letter, and their investigation initially exposes more questions than answers. Their new supervisor Cora Brandt (Della Reese) also arrives with stricter policies and procedures. The letter contains a passionate plea from ranch owner Sam to his childhood sweetheart. However, a domino effect could occur for its recipient and the people in her life. After an unexpected twist, clues among the team's co-workers bring a resolution to the case.
4"The Masterpiece"Kevin FairJeff Eckerle and Marilyn OsbornMay 11, 2014 (2014-05-11)#10041.30[14]
Norman retrieves a package jamming the office mail chute. A letter attached to it is written by a man named Danny to his father. Both were sent to Henry Barrett three years ago. The team learns Henry lost his home and business after a bout with cancer, and he now spends his time living and working at a bar. There, they hear from Henry that he has not spoken to Danny since he left for college ten years ago to be an artist rather than take over the family's auto repair business. To learn more about Danny, the team opens the package to find a piece of art. At a gallery, they learn the piece was part of a triptych detailing Danny's life, which has been cut short when he died in a fire. The mailed piece reveals a baby painted on it. Henry is a grandfather and is asked to bring the piece with him when he meets Danny's wife and daughter.
5"The Edge of Forever"Lynne StopkewichKatherine CollinsMay 18, 2014 (2014-05-18)#10051.44[15]
A large box with an urn and a large envelope arrive in the office. The envelope has the name "Maggie" written on it and contains two separately addressed envelopes inside it. One is for Caitlyn Atkinson, the other is for Vanessa Doherty. The urn contains their mother's remains. Since the large envelope was addressed to someone else, the team searches for her. The women recall visiting a cabin with their mother in their younger days. The cabin belonged to their mother's friend, Maggie, who, when found, sends them on an adventure with their mother's ashes. The family was supposed to take a hike on September 11, 2001, when they learned the father died on one of the hijacked planes. The event caused the whole family to become bitter, even with each other. The daughters scatter their mother's remains when the hike was finally completed.
6"The Future Me"Lynne StopkewichKerry Lenhart and John J. SakmarMay 25, 2014 (2014-05-25)#10061.26[16]
A letter, postmarked with a future date, sets off a chain reaction that leads the team on a surprising, emotional journey. As Rita prepares for the Miss Special Delivery pageant while being threatened by Glynis Rucker (Marilu Henner), an intimidating supervisor whose daughter is also competing, Oliver, Shane, and Norman find themselves in the middle of a couple's struggle for acceptance.
7"Something Good"Scott SmithDean BataliJune 1, 2014 (2014-06-01)#10071.27[17]
A CD is found in the small bin of items that fell out of unsealed packages. The team listens to it and hears a single studio recording of someone's love song. Norman's cousin, Serge, who has a mental music memory recognizes the woman singing as Linda Hawkins from a local rock band. The male singer is not known. Linda tells the team the singer was very talented, and she hoped he would mail the song to her agent. She gives them the studio's address. Studio manager Jennifer Becker remembers the singer, Billy, with a last name that was difficult to pronounce. She adds he worked there in exchange for time recording. He also owned a vintage motorcycle. Billy Antonopoulos was involved in a motorcycle accident that impaired his memory. Shane believes Jennifer was for whom the song was written. She takes her to see Billy, whom she thought had moved on. She returns his guitar, and, as he slowly plays it, the song returns to him and he sings it for her. Meanwhile, Shane meets her old friend, Rebecca Starkwell (Valerie Bertinelli), the head of Special Projects from the Washington, D.C. post office who is in Denver to help with "awareness, goodwill and an increased reliance on the work of the post office."
8"Dark of Night"Scott SmithMartha WilliamsonJune 8, 2014 (2014-06-08)#10081.61[18]
A letter found in a stolen Bible makes its way to the Dead Letter Office ten years after it was written. It contains a dark secret that was written the same night the sender died. The letter reveals that Melissa, wife of D.A. Michael Wheeler, was raped the night before their wedding and Abby, their daughter, is the product of said rape. After the letter is delivered without complication, Wheeler, distraught, plans to kill the rapist, Carl Brackner, at a court hearing. Upon learning of his plans, Shane and Oliver take the information to Rebecca Starkwell who decides to reorganize the Dead Letter Office into a special task force reporting directly to her at Special Projects, giving the entire D.L.O. a promotion and Rita creates a nickname for their group - The Postables. To stop Wheeler from killing Brackner, Oliver, Shane, Norman and Rita confront Wheeler at the court hearing and reveal that his daughter needs a kidney from Brackner to survive her injuries from the original accident that killed her mother. Brackner, upon learning of Abby and her plight, donates the kidney and the Dead Letter Office receives not only the Distinguished Service Award from their branch, but the highest postal honor, The Dark of Night Award.
9"The Treasure Box"Mike RohlMartha WilliamsonJune 15, 2014 (2014-06-15)#10091.47[19]
While Norman helps Rita prepare for the Miss Special Delivery pageant, Oliver and Shane head to a bank vault with a safe deposit key found in a puzzle box. They are told by vault manager Jason that the box's contents are about to be auctioned off. An alarm sounds while the three check out the box, the vault seals, and the bank clears out. Thinking they have only 13 hours of air, Jason finds the key needed to help open the box. Inside are letters from "January '08", wrapped in a ribbon. They document a long-distance love affair between Jonathan and Katherine, which ultimately reveal she has a rare case of pneumonia. Once free from the vault, Oliver and Shane locate "Jonathan", only to discover that he is the writer's great-grandson, Jonathan Walker IV. The letters were passed down through generations and contain the secret to true love. Back at the pageant, when Rita can't recall all the ways mail can be delivered, Oliver, at Shane's request, prays, and Rita remembers a comment Norman made the night before about mail delivery to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and wins.
10"A Hope and a Future"Mike RohlBrandi HarkonenJune 22, 2014 (2014-06-22)#10101.52[20]
While the team attempts to reunite a mother with her twin sons that never knew each other, Norman learns about a grandmother (Carol Burnett) he never knew he had. Also, Shane helps Oliver make a decision about contacting his estranged wife.

Made-for-TV films

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas"Kevin FairStory : Brandi Harkonen, Kerry Lenhart and John J. Sakmar
Teleplay : Martha Williamson		November 23, 2014 (2014-11-23)#111-1200.755[22]
An emotional holiday story in which the Postables work overtime to help a struggling family find hope on Christmas Eve. Guest stars include Marion Ross and Rob Estes.[21]
2"Signed, Sealed, Delivered: From Paris with Love"Kevin FairStory : Martha Williamson and Brandi Harkonen
Teleplay : Martha Williamson		June 6, 2015 (2015-06-06)#112-1200.830[23]
The Postables deliver divorce papers to a happy couple, as well as Oliver's estranged wife, Holly (Poppy Montgomery), returning from Paris.[7]
3"Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Truth Be Told"Kevin FairStory : Martha Williamson and Brandi Harkonen
Teleplay : Martha Williamson		September 13, 2015 (2015-09-13)#113-1200.806[24]
The Postables deliver a soldier's letter from Afghanistan to her daughter, while Oliver's estranged father, Joe (Gregory Harrison), brings him surprising news.
4"Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Impossible Dream"Kevin FairStory : Martha Williamson and Brandi Harkonen
Teleplay : Martha Williamson		October 4, 2015 (2015-10-04)#114-1200.798[25]
The Postables travel to Washington, D.C., to bring a letter from an American prisoner of war before a Senate Hearing Committee. Also, Rita competes in the Miss Special Delivery Contest.
5"Signed, Sealed, Delivered: From the Heart"Lynne StopkewichStory : Martha Williamson and Brandi Harkonen
Teleplay : Martha Williamson		February 21, 2016 (2016-02-21)#115-1200.807[26]
6"Signed, Sealed, Delivered: One in a Million"Kevin FairStory : Martha Williamson and Brandi Harkonen
Teleplay : Martha Williamson		July 24, 2016 (2016-07-24)#116-1201.021[27]
7"Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Lost Without You"Kevin FairStory : Martha Williamson and Brandi Harkonen
Teleplay : Martha Williamson		September 25, 2016 (2016-09-25)#117-1200.996[28]
8"Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Higher Ground"Kevin FairStory : Martha Williamson and Brandi Harkonen
Teleplay : Martha Williamson		February 19, 2017 (2017-02-19)#118-1201.114[29]
9"Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Home Again"Kevin FairMartha WilliamsonSeptember 24, 2017 (2017-09-24)#119-1201.245[30]
Norman also meets Rita's parents, Bill (Barry Bostwick) and Sunny (Colleen Camp), while Oliver and Shane go steady.
10"Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Road Less Travelled"Kevin FairBrandi HarkonenFebruary 11, 2018 (2018-02-11)#120-1201.155[31]
Meanwhile, both couples face troubles trying to communicate with their respective partners.
11"Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Altar"Kevin FairMartha WilliamsonJuly 15, 2018 (2018-07-15)#121-1201.455[32]
12"Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Vows We Have Made"Linda-Lisa HayterMartha WilliamsonOctober 17, 2021 (2021-10-17)[34]#122-1201.371[35]
Shane and Oliver's wedding day is approaching, while Rita and Norman plan to start a family, and the team helps a boy suffering from leukemia reunite with a friend.[33]
13"Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters"Linda-Lisa HayterMartha Williamson & Brandi Harkonen[36]July 12, 2024 (2024-07-12)[37]TBAN/A
14"Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back"TBDMartha Williamson & Brandi Harkonen[38]2025 (2025)TBATBD

Characters

[edit]
  • A dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film.
Character Title
Signed, Sealed, Delivered The Series For Christmas From Paris With Love Truth Be Told The Impossible Dream From The Heart One In A Million Lost Without You Higher Ground Home Again The Road Less Traveled To The Altar The Vows We Have Made A Tale of Three Letters
Oliver O'Toole Eric Mabius
Shane McInerney Kristin Booth
Rita Haywith Crystal Lowe
Norman Dorman Geoff Gustafson
Ramon Rodriquez Zak Santiago Zak Santiago Zak Santiago Zak Santiago Zak Santiago
Serge Chris Gauthier Chris Gauthier
Ardis Paine Carol Burnett Carol Burnett
Joe O'Toole Gregory Harrison Gregory Harrison Gregory Harrison
Hazel Jill Morrison Jill Morrison Jill Morrison
Steve Marek Mark Valley Mark Valley
Dale Travers Emilie Ullerup Emilie Ullerup
Gabe Keb' Mo' Keb' Mo'
Bill Haywith Barry Bostwick Barry Bostwick
Charley Rhiannon Fish

References

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  1. ^ "Martha Williamson Begins a Highly Anticipated Return to Television with "Dead Letters," (Working Title) a Hallmark Channel Original Movie of the Week and Potential New Primetime Series". The Futon Critic. July 2, 2013. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  2. ^ "Lost Letters Mysteries (aka Signed, Sealed, Delivered) (20 x one hour, HD)". Betafilm. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Hallmark Channel's Highly Anticipated New Original Series from the Creative Force Behind "Touched by an Angel" Martha Williamson, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," Will Have Its World Premiere Sunday, April 20th". The Futon Critic. February 19, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  4. ^ "Signed, Sealed, Delivered". CALLED Magazine. CALLED, Inc. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  5. ^ "Hallmark Channel's Scripted Series, "Cedar Cove", Closes Out Its First Season with 2.2 HH RTG". The Futon Critic from Hallmark press release. October 15, 2013. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Saturday's Cable Ratings & Broadcast Finals: ALCS, NASCAR & College Football Top Charts". The Futon Critic. October 15, 2013. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  7. ^ a b Poppy Montgomery to Guest Star In 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered From Paris, With Love' Sunday, June 14 on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
  8. ^ "TV Review: 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered'". variety.com. 10 October 2013.
  9. ^ "'Signed, Sealed, Delivered,' TV review". nydailynews.com. 19 April 2014.
  10. ^ "Signed, Sealed, Delivered : Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  11. ^ Levin, Gary (April 22, 2014). "Nielsen ratings: 'Scandal' finale up from previous year". USA Today. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  12. ^ Douglas Pucci [@sonofthebronx] (April 30, 2014). "1.44M viewers RT @carstenter Do you have ratings for last Sunday's (04/27) episode of Signed, Sealed, Delivered?" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  13. ^ "Sunday, May 04, 2014". Multichannel News. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  14. ^ Douglas Pucci [@sonofthebronx] (May 14, 2014). "1.303M viewers RT @carstenter Do you have ratings for last Sunday's (05/11) episode of Signed, Sealed, Delivered?" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  15. ^ Douglas Pucci [@sonofthebronx] (May 21, 2014). "1.437M viewers RT @carstenter Do you have ratings for last Sunday's (05/18) episode of Signed, Sealed, Delivered?" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  16. ^ Douglas Pucci [@sonofthebronx] (May 30, 2014). "1.264M total viewers, only 195k adults 18-49 RT @carstenter Do you have ratings for Sunday's (05/25) episode of Signed, Sealed, Delivered?" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  17. ^ Douglas Pucci [@sonofthebronx] (June 4, 2014). "1.273M viewers RT @carstenter Do you have ratings for Sunday's (06/01) episode of Signed, Sealed, Delivered?" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  18. ^ "The Heat Returns For ABC! - Sunday, June 8, 2014". Multichannel News. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  19. ^ "Who Won Sunday Night's Primetime Slugfest? - Sunday, June 15, 2014". Multichannel News. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  20. ^ Douglas Pucci [@sonofthebronx] (June 25, 2014). "@carstenter Signed Sealed Delivered 6/22 1.516M viewers" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  21. ^ Signed, Sealed, Delivered Christmas
  22. ^ Pucci, Douglas (December 1, 2014). "Sunday Final Nationals: NBC Wins Competitive Night". TV Media Insights. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  23. ^ Pucci, Douglas (June 9, 2015). "Saturday Final Nationals: 147th Belmont Stakes Fuels NHL Stanley Cup Final Game 2 on NBC". TV Media Insights. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  24. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (September 15, 2015). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 100 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 9.13.2015". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on September 17, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  25. ^ Pucci, Douglas (October 7, 2015). "Sunday Final Nationals: CBS Dramas Down Big from Their Prior Season Premieres". TV Media Insights. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  26. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (February 23, 2016). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 2.21.2016". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on February 23, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  27. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (July 26, 2016). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 7.24.2016". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on July 27, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  28. ^ Pucci, Douglas (September 27, 2016). "Sunday Final Nationals: Lackluster Returns for Various Season Premieres on ABC and Fox". The Programming Insider. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
  29. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (February 21, 2017). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 2.19.2017". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  30. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (September 26, 2017). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 9.24.2017". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on September 26, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  31. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (February 13, 2018). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 2.11.2018". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on February 13, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  32. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (July 17, 2018). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 7.15.2018". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  33. ^ "Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Vows We Have Made" (PDF). Crown Media Holdings. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  34. ^ Wang, K.L Connie (August 9, 2021). "Here's Everything We Know About the Newest Signed, Sealed, Delivered Movie, Including the Premiere Date". Parade. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  35. ^ "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Sunday 10.17.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals &Network Finals UPDATED | Showbuzz Daily". Showbuzzdaily.com.
  36. ^ "POstables, Rejoice! 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered' Returns and We Have All the Details!". 13 April 2024.
  37. ^ "Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters". Archived from the original on June 5, 2024.
  38. ^ "POstables, Rejoice! 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered' Returns and We Have All the Details!". 13 April 2024.
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