When it came to Hallmark Channel press day, I was very nervous to talk to Sarah Drew and Peter Mooney. I mean, I do get nervous when I haven’t ever spoken to someone before. I know that I am blessed to be able to talk to celebrities – but I do have to admit that sometimes it feels like that first day of school where you’re thinking you’ll never make a friend. Only instead of making friends it’s hope that you get a good moment in and make an impression.
It took ten seconds for them to make an impression on me.
My computer reloaded while I was scrolling through TikTok and all of the sudden I heard a noise, looked up and the two were shimming on the screen. Laughter was abundant and I had to admit this was something new for me. A shimmy welcome? I was thankful.
“We were just responding to your zoom in. That’s what was happening.” Sarah said. “Your iPad or whatever you’re on right now, it was like zoom.”
I suddenly regretted not wearing makeup, but moved past that and in my sarcasm said “Well, it recognizes greatness. What can I say?”
Sarah laughed, “Obviously.”
These two made my morning, and suddenly the awkwardness faded into wanting to just laugh and take it all in. I’d spent a lot of time reading Reddit to prepare myself for this and I was no where near being able to communicate with authority all the things that were said on there. Everyone had opinions, but no one person could really define what makes Mistletoe Murders so popular and a can’t miss for Hallmark fans.
I kinda thought Sarah would be the first to answer, but we both looked at Peter and he said, “I think for me, it is the mashing of the genres. It is combining these two sort of, you know, unlikely bedfellows and smushing them together to make this kind of weird alchemy. You know, having the living inside the Christmas genre, the fact that the show is taking place in a small town during the holiday season, so many things that would be familiar to viewers, but then also that there are… two people trying to solve these mysteries that just keep coming at them all through Christmas.”
Sarah added, “And you’ve got the love story that’s simmering all the way through, which is what all of the Hallmark fans love about the Christmas movies, combined with this brain teaser, twisty-turny mystery situation. And at the end, everything’s okay.”
Peter agreed with her and then she added, “Except at the cliffhangers, because we gotta get you coming back for more.”
I had to give credit where credit was due, “You guys are really good at a cliffhanger. I’m just going to say that.”
Sarah said, “That’s Ken. That’s Ken Kibris. He’s amazing. He writes us pretty incredible stuff.”
The thing that I can for sure say is that these two get it. They get the people that watch their show. They understand Hallmark. They understand their fandom.
But best of all these two get each other and that is part of what makes this show special. You can’t fake chemistry – no matter how much you try.
See the full interview below –
