Hallmark channel is all set and ready to roll for its latest programme initiative The Guardian. The show commences on 7 July and will air every Sunday at 8 pm.

 In a bid to increase visibility, Hallmark had its first ever public screening in Mumbai last evening. Designed as a litmus test, the channel was trying to gauge feedback about the the show. Marketing manager Hallmark India Murtuza Kagalwala said a multi-media campaign supporting the series would kick off from the first of next month. Details were still being finalised, he said. Kagalwala said that with the show the channel was trying to create mass appeal for the channel within its niche audience. The Guardian is a show that one can watch with the whole family unlike a few of the channels programme initiatives in the past, which targeted either women or kids, he said.

The show stars Simon Baker who earlier this year earned a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of Nick Fallin, the central character of The Guardian. Nick is a corporate lawyer compelled to do community service as the result of a drug conviction. 

Baker made the following remarks: "Nick is very complex in nature. It's appealing to play a character who is constantly being challenged both personally and professionally."

The first two episodes were screened and what was impressive was the down to earth nature of the story. The characters should go down well with the audience as the various conflicting situations confronting them are easy to identify with. The intricacies of the law and court proceedings were well handled without bogging down the storyline.