The new Hallmark show The Way Home premiered on Sunday amid a lot of fanfare from the network. The multigenerational drama stars Andie MacDowell in her first role for Hallmark since she headlined the show Cedar Cove (2013-2015).
New Hallmark show
In the series, Kat Landry (played by Chyler Leigh) is living in Minneapolis with her husband and her rebellious teenage daughter, Alice (played by Sadie Laflamme-Snow). She receives a letter from her mother, Del (played by Andie MacDowell) urging her to return to her small hometown of Port Haven, New Brunswick.
Though Kat is reluctant to respond — she hasn’t spoken to her mother in years — a series of events push her to accept the invitation. First, she loses her job and then she and her husband decide to split. (He is already seeing someone else.) She then drags a reluctant Alice to Port Haven to meet her grandmother for the first time.
The mystery starts almost as soon as they arrive home. Del insists she never sent a letter. When Alice finds out she can’t return to Minneapolis because her father’s girlfriend has moved in with him, she runs off into the woods. She is looking into a pond when she falls in.She is pulled out by a teenage version of her mother, who takes her home and introduces her to her family.
Six key takeaways:
1. This isn’t your typical Hallmark fare
Hallmark has made a name for itself by producing predictable rom-coms with happy endings. It’s a popular formula for a reason — audiences respond well to it.
The Way Home certainly has some of those feel-good moments, but it is, at its heart, a mystery. The pilot episode raises so many questions it will be hard for viewers to figure out the ending ahead of time.
Some fans even said as much on social media.
“Enjoyed first episode — this is one Hallmark show that I cannot guess the ending!!!” wrote a fan on Hallmark’s Facebook page.
2. The show puts a spin on the traditional multigenerational trope
The fact that Del and Kat haven’t spoken in 20 years automatically makes the series intriguing. Sure, everyone has spats with their parents, but few have gone that long without at least having an occasional chat on the phone.
The fact that Kat is at odds with both her mother and her daughter makes her a sympathetic focal point. Alice’s adventures (yeah, the name had to be deliberate) add a fascinating dimension to the story. Seriously, who wouldn’t want to see what their mom was like as a teenager?
3. Hallmark hasn’t abandoned its love of magic and witches
Though the show isn’t a feel-good rom-com, it does bear a striking resemblance to another Hallmark series: Good Witch. The movies and 7-season TV show also featured a mysterious beauty living in a small town, family secrets, and magic.
The Way Home’s opening scene takes place in 1812. A young woman is being chased by a mob accusing her of witchcraft. She jumps into a pond and disappears.
The fact that Alice is able to time travel by falling into the pond makes it clear that magic will play a big part in the show. That the series was filmed in the same area as the Hallmark show Good Witch, has some fans claiming that the network is recycling old themes.
4. Heather Conkie and Alexandra Clarke need to work together more often
The series was written by mother and daughter Heather Conkie and Alexandra Clarke. The pair, who wrote the script for the Disney Channel movie Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars, have also collaborated on the award-winning series Heartland.
They apply a light touch to The Way Home, which could easily devolve into melodrama with everything going on.
They also know how to spin a mystery. The first episode ended on a cliffhanger. Though Alice is alive and well in the 1990s, her mother thinks she has run away and has no idea where to find her. Meanwhile, Alice gets a glimpse of what her mother’s family used to be like until a defining moment changed their lives forever.
5. Sadie Laflamme-Snow is one to watch
A relative newcomer to Hollywood, Laflamme-Snow is nonetheless a skilled artist who turns in a winning performance as Alice.
Laflamme-Snow has a difficult job portraying Alice, who keeps acting out and making life difficult for her parents. Thanks to good writing and Laflamme-Snow’s capabilities, viewers are able to have sympathy for the character and follow her on her journey.
6. The pilot episode left fans divided
Some Hallmarkies made it clear they weren’t interested in the show from the beginning.
“I watched HGTV instead,” wrote one Hallmark fan on the network’s Facebook page.
Others are all in and can’t wait to see more.
“After seeing a bajillion commercials for this I was certain it wouldn’t be as good as it looked. But…it was better! I loved it!” wrote one viewer.
The next episode of The Way Home will air on Hallmark Channel on Sunday, January 22 at 9/8c.
Spotlight on the new Hallmark show The Way Home
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.
Hallmark believes its new TV series The Way Home will be a fan favorite
Hallmark’s new TV series, The Way Home, will premiere in January, and the network already believes it has landed on a story that will resonate with fans.
“We know the compelling, heartfelt journey of the Landry women and the series will draw in viewers and is sure to become a new fan favorite,” said Laurie Ferneau, senior vice president of development at Hallmark Media.
The Way Home is the first new Hallmark has introduced since 2016, when it premiered the family drama Chesapeake Shores. The series will star Andie MacDowell, who previously headlined Hallmark’s TV series Cedar Cove.
New TV series
In The Way Home, MacDowell will star as Del Landry, the matriarch of the Landry family and a pillar of the community in her small Canadian farming town. According to a synopsis from the network:
“She and her daughter Kat have been estranged from each other following tragic events that left their family forever changed and prompted Kat to move away. When Kat unexpectedly returns many years later with her teenage daughter whom Del has never met, the three generations of women embark on an enlightening journey to find their way back to each other and learn important lessons about their family’s past.”
The series is being written by the mother-daughter team Heather Conkie and Alexandra Clarke. The pair, who wrote the script for the Disney Channel movie Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars, have also collaborated on the award-winning series Heartland.
Canceled shows
In recent years, Hallmark canceled all but one of its TV shows, much to the disappointment of fans. In July 2021, the network announced the show Good Witch would finish at the end of Season 7. Shortly before filming began on Season 6 of Chesapeake Shores, Hallmark announced it would be the show’s last. The network also canceled its lifestyle program Home and Family.
Fans have already said on social media that they are reluctant to commit to a new Hallmark show because they are afraid it will be canceled.
When Hallmark released a video trailer of the new show, which will also star Chyler Leigh and Sadie Laflamme-Snow, some fans wrote they wouldn’t watch it.
“Every time we get interested in and devoted to a series it gets canceled,” wrote one fan in the Facebook comments section.
“No more series for me,” wrote another. “I just start watching then they cancel them.”
But Hallmark is hoping other viewers will take to the family drama.
“The Way Home is a passion project and I am beyond happy to see this special series brought to life here at Hallmark, and so beautifully,” said Lisa Hamilton-Daly, executive vice president of programming at Hallmark Media.
The Way Home will premiere on Hallmark Channel on Sunday, January 15 at 8/7c.
A trailer for Hallmark’s new TV show The Way Home raises questions among fans
Hallmark’s new TV show The Way Home is set to debut in January and already fans have some questions. The network released a trailer for the series, which will star Andie MacDowell and Chyler Leigh. When it posted the clip to social media, fans immediately responded.
“Every time we get interested in and devoted to a series it gets canceled,” wrote one fan in the comments section.
“No more series for me,” wrote another. “I just start watching then they cancel them.”
Other fans commented on how similar the show seemed to other Hallmark series.
“A mysterious and beautiful woman with magical powers? Sounds like Good Witch to me,” wrote another.
Hallmark’s new TV show
The Way Home follows the lives of three generations of women – Kat Landry (Leigh), her 15-year-old daughter Alice (Sadie Laflamme-Snow) and Kat’s mother, Del (MacDowell). More than 20 years prior, tragic events prompted Kat to move away from her small, Canadian farm town of Port Haven. She and her mother became estranged for reasons Kat has never shared with her daughter.
With Kat’s marriage coming to an end and having just been laid off from her job, she decides to return home after receiving an unexpected letter from Del urging her to come back. Although Alice is not happy with the decision, Kat and her daughter arrive at her family’s farm, though the reunion isn’t what Kat had envisioned. As the three generations of women slowly work on finding their footing as a family, they embark on an enlightening – and surprising – journey none of them could have imagined.
Though Hallmark has been vague with many details, the network shared that time travel is a big part of the story.
“What if you could see your family before it was broken?” says the narrator in the trailer Hallmark released. “What if the only way forward is to go back?”
The series is being written by the mother-daughter team Heather Conkie and Alexandra Clarke. The pair, who wrote the script for the Disney Channel movie Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars, have also collaborated on the award-winning series Heartland.
MacDowell’s return to Hallmark
From 2013 to 2015, MacDowell starred as Judge Olivia Lockhart on the Hallmark series Cedar Cove. 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.
Hallmark canceled the series after three seasons. In the past two years, Hallmark has canceled two other series. Good Witch ended after seven seasons. Chesapeake Shores finished after six. Fans have been trying to get both series back on the air.
“I’m so disappointed the great series we had were canceled,” wrote a fan on Facebook. “I wish another channel would pick them up the actors didn’t want their series to end.”
“Sounds interesting, looking forward to it. Please give it a chance before canceling,” wrote a fan.
The Way Home will premiere on Hallmark Channel on Sunday, January 15 at 9/8c.