Alison Sweeney has become one of the most beloved actresses on Hallmark, starring in dozens of charming TV movies over the past decade-plus, from romances to the Countdown to Christmas to on-location getaways to places like Barcelona. Then, of course, there’s the popular Hannah Swensen Mystery films. With the 14th movie about the baker-turned-amateur sleuth set to premiere on the 2026 TV schedule this weekend, I had to ask Sweeney how long she thinks this series will last.
Of all the genres Alison Sweeney has done for Hallmark, mysteries are her favorite. I guess that’s pretty obvious when you consider Best Served Cold: A Hannah Swensen Mystery — premiering on the Hallmark schedule this Saturday — is her 14th book-to-screen adaptation of Joanne Fluke’s novels. If you think that sounds like a lot, Sweeney would agree with you, as she told me:
Isn't it crazy? I mean, in some ways I can't believe it. Like, you say the number but that just sounds [like] too much. But each one has been fun and separate and special and unique in their own ways, so I've just been having a great — a GREAT — time.
There are around 30 books in Joanne Fluke’s series, so as it stands, Alison Sweeney is close to halfway through them in Hallmark adaptations. She told CinemaBlend she’s read almost all of the cozy mystery novels “cover-to-cover,” but does she see herself trying to complete the series on screen?
Oh my gosh, well, that's up to the fans. However many they want to watch. We love doing them. They’re so much fun. I have such a great time with the cast and the stories, and so hopefully we get to keep making a lot more.
That would be a huge undertaking (and a ridiculous number of dead bodies for Hannah to encounter), but also a really amazing accomplishment. I’m sure the viewers wouldn’t have any complaints, either; they obviously love the movies, too, if Alison Sweeney has been able to make it this far into the books! It’s become a big part of what the actress does at Hallmark, and she’s even begun executive producing and writing some of the Hannah Swensen scripts.
That is the case for Best Served Cold, which sees Hannah trying to help Chad (Victor Webster) on a forgery case in which a key suspect winds up dead and the lead prosecutor goes missing. Anyone who’s been enjoying the slow burn of Hannah and Chad’s relationship will want to tune into this “legal beagle” (as Alison Sweeney called it) offering in the series.
Best Served Cold: A Hannah Swensen Mystery premieres at 8 p.m. ET Saturday, May 16, on Hallmark Channel. It will be available to stream on Hallmark+ the next day. Hallmark’s streaming service is also where you can find Sweeney’s other 2026 releases — Romance at Hope Ranch (which co-stars Gabriel Hogan, another Hannah Swensen regular) and Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery.
