''Murder 101'' is the name of a series of four made-for-television

mystery film A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, i ...

s aired on the

Hallmark Channel The Hallmark Channel is an American television channel owned by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., which in turn is owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc. The channel's programming is primarily targeted at families, and features a mix of television movies a ...

between 2006 and 2008, and now appearing regularly on the

Hallmark Movie Channel Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (formerly known as Hallmark Movie Channel, and also known as HMM) is an American digital cable and satellite television channel owned by Crown Media Holdings. The channel was spun off from sister network Hallmark Chan ...

. They starred

Dick Van Dyke Richard Wayne Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, entertainer and comedian. His award-winning career has spanned seven decades in film, television, and stage. Van Dyke began his career as an entertainer on radio and telev ...

and his son Barry Van Dyke. While on the Hallmark Channel, it was broadcast in rotation with the movie series '' McBride'', '' Mystery Woman'', and '' Jane Doe'', under the

umbrella title An umbrella title is a formal or informal name connecting a number of individual items with a common theme. It is most often used in lieu of listing the separate components or providing a convenient "label" for a collection of disciplines. Uses of ...

'' Hallmark Channel Mystery Movie'' wheel series. In the UK, these movies are aired, on a rotation basis, in the afternoon drama slot on Channel 5.

Films in the series

1. ''Murder 101'' (pilot) – Mike and Jonathan try to prove an undercover reporter's innocence when she is accused of murdering her boss. Directed by Christian I. Nyby, written by

Dean Hargrove Dean Hargrove (born July 27, 1938 in Iola, Kansas) is an American television producer, writer, and director. His background includes graduating the St. John's Military School, Wichita State University, and attending the UCLA Film School as a gr ...

, and produced by Kyle A. Clark and James Wilberger. (First aired January 7, 2006) 2. ''Murder 101: College Can Be Murder'' – Jonathan Maxwell investigates the murder of a prominent college professor and discovers that the man had quite a few enemies. Directed by

John Putch John Putch (born July 27, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his recurring role as Bob Morton on the 1970s sitcom '' One Day at a Time'' and as Sean Brody in the film '' Jaws 3-D''. Life and career Putch was born in ...

, written by Michael Gleason, and produced by Kyle A. Clark and James Wilberger. (First aired January 29, 2007) 3. ''Murder 101: If Wishes Were Horses'' – When a horse goes missing before an important race, Maxwell decides to look into the incident in order to see what happened. Directed by David S. Cass Sr., written by Bridget Terry, and produced by Brian Gordon and Erik Olson. (First aired August 9, 2007) 4. ''Murder 101: The Locked Room Mystery'' – Dr. Maxwell and Bryant try to solve the mystery of the murder of a New Age spiritualist. Directed by David S. Cass Sr., written by Walter Klenhard, and produced by Erik Heiberg and James Wilberger. (First aired January 14, 2008)

Characters

Dr. Jonathan Maxwell (

) - A criminology professor who helps solve crimes, usually because they happen directly in front of him. He takes care of the more analytical part of the crime-solving. Mike Bryant ( Barry Van Dyke) - A former cop who has become a Private Detective after being blackballed from the precinct. His father was close friends with Maxwell, and Bryant sees him as a father-figure. He participates in more of the action and chase scenes of the mystery solving. (Barry is the real-life son of Dick Van Dyke.) Ben Manners (

Shane Van Dyke Shane Van Dyke (born August 28, 1979) is an American actor, screenwriter, film director, television writer, and film producer. He is the son of Barry Van Dyke and grandson of Dick Van Dyke. Early life Van Dyke was born in Los Angeles, Californ ...

) - First appearing in the movie "College Can Be Murder" (2007) and subsequently in "Locked Room Mystery" (2008), Ben is Mike Bryant's nephew who is studying to be a lawyer at the same college as Maxwell. However, after seeing his uncle at work, he is looking to become a Private Investigator. He brings more technological aspects to the sleuthing. (Shane is the real-life grandson of Dick Van Dyke and son of Barry Van Dyke.)

Guest stars

Wes Van Dyke - He played students Craig and Zack in two of the movies. (Wes Van Dyke is the son of Barry Van Dyke and grandson of Dick Van Dyke.) Carey Van Dyke - He appeared as Solar, a suspect in "Locked Room Mystery". (Carey Van Dyke is the son of Barry Van Dyke and grandson of Dick Van Dyke.)

Kimberly Quinn Kimberly Quinn (formerly Fortier; ''née'' Solomon; born 1961) is an American journalist, commentator and magazine publisher and writer; latterly the publisher of British conservative news magazine ''The Spectator''. Early life A native of ...

- She appeared in the movie "College Can Be Murder" as Kelly Fogelle. She also appeared in the TV Series ''

Diagnosis Murder ''Diagnosis: Murder'' is an American action-comedy-mystery-medical crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son Steve, a homicide detective played by Van Dyk ...

'' with Barry Van Dyke and Dick Van Dyke. Challen Cates - She appeared in the movie "College Can Be Murder" as Alana. She also appeared in the TV Series ''Diagnosis Murder'' with Barry Van Dyke and Dick Van Dyke.

Home media

On May 16, 2017 Millcreek Entertainment released the ''Murder 101'' Collection featured the 3rd & 4th movies ''Murder 101: If Wishes Were Horses'' and ''Murder 101: The Locked Room Mystery''.

References

External links

* * * * *
''Murder 101''
at the

''Murder 101: College Can Be Murder''
at the

''Murder 101: If Wishes Were Horses''
at the

''Murder 101: The Locked Room Mystery''
at the

{{John Putch 2000s crime drama films 2000s thriller films American crime drama films American film series Hallmark Channel Mystery Wheel Hallmark Channel original films Larry Levinson Productions American drama television films 2000s American films