Mae Whitman (Good Girls, Parenthood) reunites on screen with two-time Oscar®, Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominee Mary McDonnell (The Fall of the House of Usher, Battlestar Galactica) and Jane Seymour (Harry Wild; Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman) makes her return to Hallmark Channel in The Twelve Dates of Christmas, a six-episode limited holiday series adapted from the popular novel of the same name by Jenni Bayliss making its world premiere on the network during Countdown to Christmas, streaming next day on Hallmark+. Julian Morris (The Morning Show, Pretty Little Liars), Toby Sandeman (Running Point, The Game) and Nathaniel Parker (Midsomer Murders) also star. Production on the limited holiday series has begun in and around Dublin, Ireland. Earlier this year exterior scenes were shot in iconic London locations to capture the magic and beauty of the city at Christmastime.
Talented Saville Row textile pattern designer Kate (Whitman) lives in the quaint village of Blexford, England, next door to her father Mac (Parker), who is long-divorced from Kate’s mother Delilah (McDonnell), a globe-trotting American always on an adventure. When not at work, Kate looks after Mac, who’s recovering from a motorbike accident and is inclined to spend his days sitting in his recliner. Unbeknownst to Kate, her best friend Laura (Lucy Eaton, Murder Maps, Staged) signs her up for The 12 Dates of Christmas – a holiday-themed matchmaking program in the days leading up to the holiday featuring carefully curated, yuletide dating experiences, in an attempt to get Kate out of her rut. Lovingly coerced by Laura and longtime best friend Callum (Morris), a reluctant Kate ultimately gets into the spirit of the program and is caught off guard when she meets someone (Sandeman) who reinvigorates her zest for life.
But when Delilah unexpectedly shows up on her doorstep – literally – Kate and Mac’s life and holiday season get upended. Meanwhile, Mac may be embarking on his own romance with local Evelyn (Seymour), a widow who slowly helps him step outside the confines of his house and open his heart. As Kate wends her way through the 12 dates, she takes a circuitous route to romance while also making some important discoveries about herself.