Toronto’s Chesler Perlmutter Productions has been in the television movie game for more than 20 years, producing everything from thrillers (1993’s Model By Day) to fantasies (2010’s Red: Werewolf Hunter) and most recently holiday fare.

Its latest, 2016’s Sound of Christmas (pictured) – about the romance between a piano teacher and the widowed father of her pupils – was a ratings smash for U.S. channel Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Its Dec. 11 premiere pulled in 1.5 million total viewers, pushing the network to the third spot in its timeslot.

While the market for holiday MOWs is in no danger of cooling off – they fill a gap in the schedule when conventional networks largely air repeats, says Chesler Perlmutter co-chairman Lewis Chesler – the demand for TV movies of all genres is increasing.

As North American audiences tune in to MOWs, the Canadian industry, in turn, has seen an uptick in production. In 2016, 266 TV specials and movies of the week filmed in Toronto, more than double 2015’s 124. While limited-run TV series, such as CBC’s Alias Grace and CTV’s Cardinal help account for that bump, TV movies are certainly playing their part.

But why in the so-called “golden age of TV,” when it’s commonplace to see big-name movie stars looking to the small screen for plum roles, and broadcasters spending blockbuster budgets on limited-run series, are audiences flocking to lower-budget, more-predictable MOWs?

Hallmark Channel in the U.S. for example, which is operated by Crown Media Family Networks, is a major buyer of TV movies. The channel increased its original programming slate in 2017 to include 60 movies, up from 52 in 2016 and just 38 in 2015. Sister channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, meanwhile, will air 30 new original movies this year, up from 26 in 2016 and 17 in 2015. When Mysteries launched in 2010, it aired just two original MOWs.

“I think people want to be entertained in a way that makes them feel good,” says Michelle Vicary, Crown Media Family Networks EVP of programming and network publicity.

It’s no secret that HBO, AMC and even Netflix’s darker, boundary-pushing hits of late have had an influence on primetime TV. Broadcasters are increasingly commissioning edgy, short-order series to compete for viewers attention – think Global’s Mary Kills People. Even The CW’s Riverdale, the modern-day take on the wholesome Archie comics, demands viewers tune in weekly (on Netflix in Canada) to find out which unsavoury local killed the town rich kid. Amidst these can’t-miss-an-episode story arcs, one-offs can also fill a void for viewers looking for uncomplicated entertainment.

Michael Prupas, president and CEO of Montreal’s Muse Entertainment, which produced 12 MOWs in 2016, says another part of the appeal of these films is they don’t feature objectionable content and can be enjoyed by the entire family. “They hit the comfort zone for people who want to turn on the TV and not worry about their five-year-old daughter walking into the room,” he says.

While there are always segments of the population looking for family friendly fare, there are other, more deeply rooted issues pushing audiences to TV movies.

Diane Pacom, a professor of sociological and anthropological studies at the University of Ottawa, says audiences are drawn to movies like Sound of Christmas because they address everyday, human challenges.

“[TV movies] deal with the tremendous challenges of humanity, but at the subjective level: my [relationship], my kids, my home, my job,” she says.

While society as a whole deals with war, environmental destruction and economic uncertainty, individuals have their own personal worries to deal with. TV movies – with their predictable and sometimes formulaic nature – reassure us that these challenges can be overcome, she says.

At the end of TV movies, audiences are always rewarded with a resolution. “Even if it’s not always a happy ending, there is a problem and the problem is solved,” she says. “It’s hopeful.”

This article originally appeared in the Summer 2017 issue of Playback