(Photo by: Kailey Schwerman/Crown Media)
Amy, Travis, and Graham have solved their last mysteries. The Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel has cancelled its series of Mystery 101 TV movies after seven installments, leaving a cliffhanger unresolved.
Created by Robin Bernheim and Lee Goldberg, the Mystery 101 movies star Jill Wagner, Kristoffer Polaha, and Robin Thomas. Preston Vanderslice, Derek Green, and Sarah Dugdale have had recurring roles.
In the story, Amy Winslow (Wagner) is a college English literature professor specializing in crime fiction. She works at Elmstead College in Garrison, Washington, a small coastal town. She ends up consulting for Travis Burke (Polaha), a big city police detective who’s just moved to the area. Amy’s father, Graham (Thomas), is the author of a series of popular detective novels and ends up lending a hand.
The first movie, titled simply Mystery 101, debuted in January 2019, and three more films followed that same year. Another aired in 2020, and two more were released in 2021. In the seventh movie, Amy professes her love to Travis. The film ends with an 11-month time jump in which Travis arrives at a crime scene and learns that Amy’s fiancé has been murdered.
The fate of the movie series has been up in the air since then. In April 2022, Wagner addressed viewer concerns about the show’s absence. In a video, she shared:
Listen, so I wanted to hop on here and address something. Well, there’s been a lot of chatter online, and there’s also been a lot of people DM-ing me, asking me what the deal is, and asking me why I left Mystery 101.
And, I wasn’t going to say anything, but I just want you guys to know that I love Mystery 101. I love the people that I worked for and with. I think it has nothing to do with my desire to do another one. Or anybody’s desire to do another one except for the big boy, Hallmark. I think that they are probably going in another direction. And, I don’t know. I’m not privy to that information.
A year later, we have an answer. The Mystery 101 series of movies has been cancelled. The bad news was shared on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Facebook page:
We loved making “Mystery 101” and we’re so glad you enjoyed sleuthing along with us. We want to let you know that our talented sleuths have solved the last mystery and are off the case. In the coming weeks and months there are exciting new mysteries on the way that we know you’ll love!
Polaha and Wagner shared their thoughts on the cancellation via social media. On Twitter, Polaha shared:
Well kids, looks like the cat’s out of the bag. #Mystery101 has solved its last mystery. You are the most incredibly supportive fans ever! We LOVE you!
@JillWagner @robinthomas101 & I had the most amazing time entertaining you by bringing Travis, Amy, & Graham to life.
But… 😉
The End . @polahaha thank you for being such a good friend and partner in this amazing ride . I’m proud of what we created buddy . @robinthomasactor you made being your daughter easy . Thank you for lending your talents to our show . To @prestonvanderslice , the best robin to my Batman ! To all the crews over the years … the show was built on your backs ! Thank you !!! And to the fans ….. just so you know in my mind, Amy and Travis get married and go on a super long honeymoon to Fiji.!! 😉 thank you all for being so supportive and loving the show like you did ! Stay tuned for the next chapter with me, lots of fun things coming your way ….. and you know I always love a good mystery 😏 #Mystery101
Polaha added:
We will always have Garrison. #mystery101 Thanks for the memories to all you wonderful fans and thank you @jillwagner @robinthomasactor @poperandy @sprowsie and @hallmarkmovie for one hellova ride.
Well kids, looks like the cat’s out of the bag. #Mystery101 has solved its last mystery.
You are the most incredibly supportive fans ever! We LOVE you! @JillWagner @robinthomas101 & I had the most amazing time entertaining you by bringing Travis, Amy, & Graham to life.
But…😉 pic.twitter.com/eCDI4GH0ty
— Kristoffer Polaha (@KrisPolaha) April 24, 2023
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On Twitter, co-creator Goldberg wrote, “Looks like MYSTERY 101, the series I co-created with
@showrunnerRobin, has come to an end. We weren’t involved in the series after the pilot, so we were as a surprised & disappointed as the fans by the cliffhanger tag in the final movie.”
What do you think? Have you enjoyed the Mystery 101 movies? Are you disappointed there won’t be an eighth installment on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries? Do you hope the characters can return someday?
Out of ALL the mystery shows, this was by far the best one. The writing was excellent and the chemistry between the two main characters was fantastic. The dad, the TA, the new partner (even though she was only in the final two episodes). I hope Hallmark Mysteries brings Tyler Hynes into the fold as a detective. His charm, timing, and facial expressions will bring gold to any series. Besides he’s getting a little long in the tooth to keep playing the love interest to all these ingenues their introducing. It’s starting to get a bit creepy.
Have always liked Jill and Robin..Travis..was new but grew to really like the intetaction. Cannot say I have enjoyed all the Hallmark productions but my friends and I did enjoy this. Perhaps Candice will add this to her channel!! Hope..hope
I miss Mystery 101. Whomever made this decision at Hallmark needs to re-examine it. The actors had great on screen acting, good scripts, nice twists, and SHAME on Hallmark for teasing with more of a story, then yanking the movie series. Disappointing!
I totally agree with all previous remarks about Hallmark cancelling one of the most popular mystery shows without at least giving fans closure on their story. Obviously the dollar is more important than giving what fans want. There are a few other shows cancelled that left us hanging. Very bad way of doing buisness.
I’m so disappointed!! I loved the chemistry between Amy and Travis, and it’s really not fair to leave loyal fans hanging.
At least do one more episode to wrap up the cliffhanger…please?!
This was my favorite series. Why cancel the good ones???
Don’t understand why Hallmark canceled Mystery 101. Why would I want to watch a marathon when I know the depressing ending Hallmark is making very unpopular moves
I loved this series: Mystery 101. There needs to be another one that ends the cliffhanger and ends happy. That is what we have all come to expect from Hallmark.
Thank you.
What a bunch of crap!!! Don’t understand Hallmark, they cancelled all the fan favs… Just don’t understand… Instead they make stuff for the original lovey dovey chnl, regular Hallmark chnl. I wish another network would take over all the murder mysteries Hallmark has cancelled…
Yes, Friends and Family..Candice
Has a great channe…she would be perfect!!!!
I so enjoyed this series, the relationships were portrayed beautifully, after the final episode I kept waiting for the next. I understood Ms. Wagner wanting to be with her new baby and other parts coming up for everyone. But I was very disappointed and felt let down that Hallmark didn’t have the concern for faithful followers to at least have one more episode to tie up loose ends.
This is crap! Hallmark should do 1 more installment to close up the story. I have so many questions. How could you do this to us????? Loyal fans to hallmark and murder 101 deserve an ending worthy of a finale!
It was nice but the ending was terrible I ordered the movies in amazon thinking the end was them together then was another end with a bad end give the dvds to a friend can believe what you guys are doing only the aurora tenagarden went in till the end
Mystery 101 was THE BEST – acting, writing, content. Mystery Jane won’t even come close to Candace Cameron Bure Teagarden mysteries! I don’t watch Hallmark WOKE – moved to GAC. This is the demise of Hallmark- no longer family oriented programming! Sad to see – but good riddance!
I can’t believe Hallmark would cancel Mystery 101, leaving the fans with that cliffhanger ending. Very disappointed in Hallmark.