For two close friends who are practically related and both make their livings starring in happily-ever-after rom-coms, it seems only fitting that Andrew Walker and Tyler Hynes’ latest Hallmark Channel premieres, which they each executive-produced, practically tied in the ratings and lifted the network’s overall ratings two weekends in a row. What a perfect ending for their back-to-back passion projects.
Hynes, who is cousins with Walker’s wife Cassandra, developed and starred in “I’ll Be Seeing You,” which premiered on April 25. A week later, on May 2, Walker’s “Kentucky Roses” premiered as he celebrated at Churchill Downs, the iconic venue at the center of the movie. Both guys heavily promoted their labors of love — so how many viewers tuned in?
‘I’ll Be Seeing You’ & ‘Kentucky Roses’ Were the Top Entertainment Cable Programs on Their Respective Saturdays
HallmarkAccording to Nielsen ratings data provided by Hallmark Media, Walker and Hynes’ movies were the most-watched cable entertainment programs on back-to-back Saturdays among Total Viewers, Households, Women 18+ and Persons 18+.
“I’ll Be Seeing You,” starring Hynes, Christine Ebersole, and Stacey Farber, took viewers on a sentimental road trip as Ebersole’s character searched for a long-lost love from decades before. According to Nielsen data provided by Hallmark Media, 1.8 million Total Unduplicated Viewers tuned in.
“Kentucky Roses,” a love story starring Walker and Odette Annable that was set in two time periods and created in partnership with Churchill Downs, drew 1.7 million Total Unduplicated Viewers. That was enough to make Hallmark the second “most-watched network in Weekend Primetime among Women 18+” that weekend.
Interestingly, “Kentucky Roses” brought in more viewers in the all-important Women 18+ category than “I’ll Be Seeing You,” making Walker’s movie the #5 most-watched movie of 2026 across all entertainment cable channels, and placing “I’ll Be Seeing You” in the #10 spot — both impressive showings.
Walker and Hynes each told EntertainmentNow that no matter how their movies performed in the ratings, the true reward was how fulfilled they were by the process of developing, producing and starring in their passion projects.
Paul Campbell’s New Hallmark Channel Movie Premieres on May 9
It’s likely no coincidence that Hynes’ and Walker’s movies will be followed up by the premiere of Paul Campbell’s latest rom-com on May 9, “All’s Fair in Love & Mahjong,” with a star-studded cast that also includes Hallmark fan-favorites Fiona Gubelmann, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe, and Melissa Peterman.
Campbell is the third member of the “Three Wise Men” trio, alongside Hynes and Walker. They’re not only close friends but stars of a beloved Christmas trilogy of Hallmark movies that premiered in 2022, 2024, and 2025.
The three buddies have celebrated each other’s new movies on social media for the last three weeks, including Campbell’s hilarious promotion of “I’ll Be Seeing You,” with a video in which he put on the same heart-shaped sunglasses Hynes’ character buys in the movie.
“All’s Fair in Love & Mahjong” premieres on May 9 at 8 p.m. Eastern time. “I’ll Be Seeing You” and “Kentucky Roses” are both available to stream via Hallmark+.
