There’s no question that viewers of Hallmark Channel enjoy watching the network’s films and TV series. That has certainly extended to “Paris Is Always a Good Idea,” the new Hallmark+ series starring Lacey Chabert.
However, Chabert is admitting that while she appreciates fans watching her projects, she can find it awkward when watching them herself.
Chabert and co-stars Barbara Niven and Scott Michael Foster appeared on a recent panel hosted by the Television Critics Association, where they discussed their feelings about watching themselves onscreen.
‘Our Own Worst Critics’
Hallmark“I’m so shy the first time I watch something,” Chabert said, admitting she tends to become self-critical when watching herself.
“Like my critic is so loud in my own head,” she confirmed.
Her co-stars conceded that they felt similarly. “We’re our own worst critics always,” said Foster, with Niven agreeing. “Yeah, absolutely,” Niven shared, equating an actor watching their own performance to an NFL athlete watching video of a football game.
Added Chabert: “And you always see the flaws and I should have, I would have, I could have.”
Watching As An Audience
However, Chabert also explained that the good news is that the passage of time eventually gives her the distance to watch as an audience member, without becoming so critical.
“Eventually once all that goes away and you can let that go and just watch it as an audience, that’s always so much fun,” Chabert added. “Because then you can appreciate everybody’s work.”
According to Chabert, the real test of how well a project works is what her daughter thinks about it.
“And I mean, and I watch it with my daughter. She’s nine years old and she doesn’t hold back,” Chabert explained.
“She’s the best test audience. She really offers a strong opinion. And usually she’s pretty right,” she added. “But it’s so fun for us to see, too, the parts that we might not have been there when they were being filmed.”
‘Paris Is Always a Good Idea’
Of course, Chabert and her co-stars were on hand to discuss their new series, which is set and shot in the City of Light.
“Career-driven nonprofit executive Chelsea Martin (Chabert) travels to Paris with her confident rival-turned-ally, Jason Knightly (Foster) to secure a major donation but a heartfelt message from her late mother — and a loving push from her sister Annabelle (Rebecca Hanssen) – sends her on an unexpected journey to reconnect with the three great loves she once left behind,” reads the synopsis for “Paris Is Always a Good Idea.”
“From the rolling hills of Ireland to the magic of Paris and the sun-kissed vineyards of Spain, Chelsea retraces old footsteps and discovers that sometimes moving forward means first looking back,” the synopsis concludes.
A Unique Opportunity
As Chabert explained, branching out from Hallmark movies to expanding a character in a limited series had been a gift for her.
“Just being a part of the network and the streaming Hallmark+, it means so much to me because we get to tell stories that represent our audience and are uplifting and hopeful and really honor and celebrate a sense of community in so many ways,” the said.
“And those really reflect my personal values,” she added. “And so it’s an honor to be a part of. And now to do a limited series, you know, after so many movies, has been such a joy because it gave us six episodes where we had the time to really delve into the story. And this is a layered story. It’s a, you know, epic romance. We get to travel to beautiful countries. It’s a family story. It’s a story about healing. And also really having the courage to open one’s heart and move forward. So I had such a beautiful experience here with my wonderful castmates having a chance to create this.”
