Harsh Vardhan
Hallmark is developing a series adaptation of the audiobook ‘Mistletoe Murders’ by Ken Cuperus. The shooting of this forthcoming project is slated to take place in Toronto, Ontario, in June. The show’s cast and crew details are yet to be disclosed.
The plot revolves around Emily Lane, who manages her Christmas-themed store, “Under the Mistletoe,” in the picturesque tourist town of Fletcher’s Grove. Despite her charming exterior, Emily has a penchant for solving mysteries and finds herself drawn to investigating local murders. However, she harbors a secret past unknown to the townsfolk. As Emily plunges deeper into her personal investigations, Detective Constable Sam Wilner, an intelligent and attractive local cop, becomes impressed by her but soon suspects that there’s more to Emily than what is known about her.
Cobie Smulders lent her voice to Emily Lane in Audible’s first-ever Canadian holiday original series. This series of murder mysteries comprises three distinct seasonal tales, each presented in two parts, and is set in the fictional small town of Fletcher’s Grove in Northern Ontario. The town’s name serves as a nod to the legendary writer-detective Jessica Fletcher from ‘Murder She Wrote,’ famously portrayed by Angela Lansbury.
Cuperus is also known in the realm of entertainment for creating Citytv’s police procedural series ‘Hudson & Rex,’ in which Detective Charlie Hudson partners with a German Shepherd named Rex and opts for a silent yet highly effective companion. Additionally, he contributed to children’s programming with episodes of ‘Aunty B’s House.’ His writing portfolio includes projects such as ‘Ruby and the Well,’ ‘The Hardy Boys,’ and ‘Carter.’
Cuperus previously commented on his creation, saying, “I fell in love with ‘Murder She Wrote’ when I was a teenager, and the character of Jessica Fletcher, she just drew me in. I think it’s because, for me, a gentler way of solving crimes. It’s not violent. There’s no gunplay. You kind of associate that with the ’80s’ male detectives. There was always shootouts. With the female detectives, they were always smarter. They always talked their way out of stuff. I have always had a kind of soft spot for female investigators.”
Over the years, several Hallmark productions have been shot in Toronto, including ‘Return to Christmas Creek’ and ‘Take Me Back for Christmas.’
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