Hallmark Channel will honor the late Betty White with a special lineup this weekend

In a tribute to actress Betty White, the Hallmark Channel will air 40 hours of shows and a movie starring the actress, who passed away on December 31.

The “Honoring Betty White” lineup will begin at midnight on January 17. Episodes of The Golden Girls that focused on her character, Rose Nylund, will air non-stop until 8/7c Monday evening when the network will show the 2011 film White made for the network, The Lost Valentine. The Golden Girls marathon will pick up as soon as the film finishes and continue until 5/4c on Tuesday morning.

The actress died at her Los Angeles home just two weeks shy of her 100th birthday. Though rumors circulated that she was killed by a COVID booster shot, her doctor said the star died from natural causes.

According to her friend Vicki Lawrence, the last word she said before she died was “Allen.” Her husband, Allen Ludden, passed away in 1981 at the age of 63 from cancer.

Known for her work in television comedies, White starred in several hit sitcoms, including The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mama’s Family, Hot in Cleveland, and The Golden Girls. She was also a dedicated animal rights activist.

Rose Nylund-a-thon

The Golden Girls marathon will feature episodes that focus on White’s character, Rose Nylund, the kindhearted Minnesota native who had lots of stories from her hometown of St. Olaf.

According to a release from the network, “The marathon includes specially selected episodes of The Golden Girls that highlight Rose’s surprising competitive streak; visits by her St. Olaf relatives; funny career moments from the grief center and assisting consumer reporter Enrique Mas; along with plenty of romance, including boyfriends Dr. Jonathan Newman, Mister Terrific and of course, Miles Webber.”

The Lost Valentine

Based on the novel of the same name by James Michael Pratt, The Lost Valentine tells the story of a cynical television reporter (played by Jennifer Love Hewitt) who is assigned to cover a Valentine’s Day story at LA’s Union Train Station. Her subject is the elderly Caroline Thomas (played by Betty White), who returns to the station every year on Valentine’s Day — also her wedding anniversary — because of a promise she made to her husband, who she hasn’t seen since 1944.

Caroline explains that she said good-bye to her husband at the station on the day he was shipped off for deployment in the Pacific theater during World War II. Before he boarded the train, he promised to meet her at the station in precisely one year.

Though he was eventually declared Missing in Action, Caroline still returns faithfully to the station every year to await his return.

Honoring Betty White will begin on Monday, January 17 at midnight on Hallmark Channel. The Lost Valentine will air at 8/7c that evening, followed by more episodes of The Golden Girls.