Episode 2 of Hallmark’s limited series “Twelve Dates ‘Til Christmas” airs on December 12, and fans are ready to check it out. Mae Whitman stars as Kate, who hesitantly agrees to try a matchmaking program titled the “12 Dates of Christmas.” The Hallmark series is based on the romance novel “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” written by Jenny Bayliss, and she recently shared her thoughts on Hallmark’s casting.
Mae Whitman As Kate Is the Perfect Casting Choice, Says Jenny Bayliss
According to People, Bayless wrote the 2020 book “The Twelve Dates of Christmas” under the name Jenny Bayliss. During her chat with People, Bayliss shared her impressions of several the “Twelve Dates ‘Til Christmas” cast members.
She raved over Jane Seymour, who plays Evelyn. “Jane Seymour is definitely Evelyn,” she noted.
Lucy Eaton portrays Laura, and Bayliss explained, “When I was writing Laura, I obviously didn’t have Lucy in my head, but now it turns out that I did, if you know what I mean.”
She added, “As soon as I saw [Eaton], I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s Laura.'”
As tickled as Bayliss was about the casting of Eaton and Seymour, it was choosing Whitman as Kate that really wowed Bayliss.
Bayliss told People, “Mae is better than I could ever have hoped for because she’s so girl next door, and she so owns Kate’s character, and she’s obviously fabulous.”
The author also told the media outlet that despite changes between the book and the series, which is common with these types of projects, in this case, “it feels very natural.”
“It feels like if I was writing it now, this is how I would write it,” Bayless explained.
Jenny Bayliss Was ‘Overwhelmed & Elated’ to Work With Hallmark
In an Instagram post shared by Bayliss on December 5, the author opened up about being approached by screenwriter Erin Rodman about potentially adapting the book for the screen. Rodman and Bayliss worked on the concept for a few years, and then Hallmark came into the picture. Bayliss gushed, “Good gracious me, HALLMARK!!”
She admitted she was “overwhelmed and elated,” and even more so once Hallmark suggested the book become a series for the network. Filming was “Pure magic!!” Bayliss shared. She also noted that the cast was “all kind and joyous humans in real life.”
The series finale of Hallmark’s short run of “Twelve Dates ‘Til Christmas” airs on December 19.
So far, Hallmark fans seem to be enjoying “Twelve Dates ‘Til Christmas.”
One Instagram user shared, “Saw episode 1! Enjoyed it! Can’t wait to see the rest.”
Another raved, “Omg I knew this was a novel!! I love the way the plot is moving.”
Someone else gushed, “Absolutely loving the series. I have my DVR set so I don’t miss anything, and I will definitely read the book!”
