The new Hallmark show The Way Home will premiere this weekend. It’s the first new original series to debut on Hallmark since the Chesapeake Shores first aired in 2016.
The Way Home is a multi-generational drama about an estranged mother and daughter who are brought back together under mysterious circumstances and the granddaughter who helps them mend their relationship.
The show stars Andie MacDowell in her first Hallmark role since headlining the network’s show Cedar Cove. Grey’s Anatomy alum Chyler Leigh and newcomer Sadie Laflamme-Snow round out the cast. The show is being executive produced by Heather Conkie and Alexandra Clarke, the mother-daughter team behind the series Heartland.
Basic plot
When the show starts, Kat Landry (played by Chyler Leigh) receives a letter from her mother, Del (played by Andie MacDowell), urging her to come home. The letter comes as a shock as the two haven’t spoken in years. But with her marriage coming to an end and the loss of her job, Kat decides to return to her small hometown of Port Haven, New Brunswick, with her 15-year-old daughter, Alice.
Once home, she realizes that there are mysteries in her past she needs to solve to move forward.
Meet the cast
Andie MacDowell as Del Landry
No stranger to Hallmark audiences, MacDowell played Judge Olivia Lockhart on the Hallmark series Cedar Cove from 2013 to 2015. Based on the books by Debbie Macomber, the show followed the residents of a small town on Puget Sound in Washington State. The ensemble cast also included Sarah Smyth, Dylan Neal, Teryl Rothery, Brennan Elliott, Barbara Niven, Cindy Busby, and Jesse Hutch.
A native of Gaffney, South Carolina, MacDowell worked as a model before being cast in the 1984 movie Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes. Audiences never got to hear her voice in the movie as the producers decided her South Carolina accent was too pronounced and dubbed her lines using Glenn Close.
She had a small role in St. Elmo’s Fire but her breakout role was in Steven Soderbergh’s 1989 film Sex, Lies, and Videotape. MacDowell’s performance was so impressive she was nominated for a Golden Globe. She went on to star in Green Card with Gerard Depardieu, Groundhog Day with Bill Murray, and Four Weddings and a Funeral with Hugh Grant.
Chyler Leigh as Kat Landry
A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Chyler Leigh began modeling as a teenager. Her breakout role was in the 2001 comedy Not Another Teen Movie. In 2007, she joined the cast of the hit series Grey’s Anatomy as Dr. Lexie Grey, the half-sister of Ellen Pompeo’s character, Dr. Meredith Grey. From 2015 to 2021, Leigh appeared in the DC comics superhero series Supergirl.
Leigh has been an outspoken advocate for people affected by mental illness. At the age of 29, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and has used her social media platform to help others struggling with mental health issues.
Soon after Hallmark announced that The Way Home was coming to TV, Leigh shared an Instagram post saying she was excited about the show.
“Took time off to work hard on myself,” she wrote. “It’s not been easy. Letting go of the past can be quick or a lifelong journey. But it’s a journey that is so so worth the climb. My thanks to those who have helped me along the way. I’m standing on a new mountain top and am so excited for what’s on the horizon. @hallmarkchannel #TheWayHome #KatLandry … here we go.”
Sadie Laflamme-Snow as Alice
Newcomer Sadie Laflamme-Snow will portray Alice, a rebellious teen who becomes enthralled by the mystery she finds in her mother’s hometown.
A graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada’s acting program, Laflamme-Snow has appeared in the TV series Game On and the movies Love Triangle Nightmare and Sinister Switch.
Evan Williams as Elliott
Actor Evan Williams will portray the role of Elliott Augustine, Kat’s childhood friend who teaches science at the town’s high school. Though he is not in many of the promotional materials Hallmark has released for the show, Elliott plays a crucial role in helping the Landry women deal with past circumstances.
He also has a major crush on Kat, meaning there’s a potential for romance. (Yay!)
Hallmark audiences might recognize Williams as Corey from the Full House re-boot Fuller House. He also starred in the romantic comedies A Date by Christmas Eve and Christmas Takes Flight.
The Way Home will premiere on Hallmark Channel on Sunday, January 15 at 9/8c.
