Sartaj Singh
Created by Ken Cuperus, ‘Mistletoe Murders’ is a Hallmark mystery show that follows an enigmatic Christmas store owner who begins investigating a series of murders rocking her town. Emily Lane owns Under the Mistletoe, a bright Christmas store that seems to reflect her personality. However, another side of Emily surfaces when her small town is shaken to the core by a string of murders.
The store owner becomes an asset to Detective Sam Wilner as he works the case, her sleuthing skills uncovering dark secrets hidden in the close-knit society. While Sam grows closer to Emily, he can’t help but harbor suspicion regarding her motives and murky past. Based on the 2022 novel series by Ken Cuperus, the series transports us to a quaint town where the narrative unfolds, with the characters often venturing into the dense surrounding forests to follow up on leads.
Where is Mistletoe Murders Filmed?
‘Mistletoe Murders’ was filmed in Toronto and its surrounding areas, which are part of the Greater Toronto Area in the province of Ontario. Principal photography for the series reportedly began on June 3, 2024, and was wrapped for the first season by August 10, 2024. The team seemed to have bonded exceedingly well while shooting and appreciated the time they spent together behind the scenes. “Good lord, this was heaven. Absolute heaven,” wrote lead actress Sarah Drew on Instagram. “I cannot put into words – I mean- I will later- but it will be hard to put into words how magical this show is- these humans- these new forever friends- this family we’ve forged here in Toronto this summer.”
Greater Toronto Area, Ontario
Filming for ‘Mistletoe Murders’ takes place within the Greater Toronto Area, particularly in Pickering, a city east of Toronto in Southern Ontario. The town depicted in ‘Mistletoe Murders’ is actually created using the WFW Studios Backlot located at 3800 Sideline 32 in Pickering. Also known as the ‘Reacher’ backlot, the location was constructed as the main setting for the first season of Amazon Prime’s ‘Reacher.’ The lot features facades of red brick buildings and city streets where the production team decorated the exterior of Emily Lane’s storefront as well as other businesses. The 90-acre backlot has 30 stores and shops, a diner, a central garden, and a town hall building.
Furthermore, it is surrounded by wooded areas, where the team likely shoots the forest sequences for ‘Mistletoe Murders.’ Lead actress Sarah Drew also serves as an executive producer on the show and enjoys her responsibilities behind the scenes. “I love giving notes on the cuts,” said Drew in an interview. “I love giving notes on the script. I love helping the cast. I love being in a leadership position because I know how I want a set to feel and a set to run. And so getting to have the opportunity to do that is so life-giving to me; it feels holistic.” Other Hallmark productions filmed in and around Toronto include ‘The Christmas Charade,’ ‘Twas the Date Before Christmas,’ and ‘The Jane Mysteries: A Deadly Prescription.’
Mistletoe Murders Cast
‘Mistletoe Murders’ stars Sarah Drew as Emily Lane and Peter Mooney as Sam Wilner. Drew is a seasoned actress best known for her performance as Dr. April Kepner in ABC’s long-running medical drama, ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ She can also be seen in ‘Reindeer Games Homecoming’ as Mac Graves, ‘Moms’ Night Out’ as Allyson, and ‘Guiding Emily’ as Emily. You may also recognize her from her work on ‘How She Caught a Killer,’ ‘Branching Out,’ Apple TV+’s ‘Amber Brown,’ ‘One Summer,’ and Freeform’s ‘Cruel Summer.’
Peter Mooney made a name for himself with his work on ‘Falcon Beach’ as Dr. Adrian Keeper, followed by ‘Camelot’ as Kay, and ‘Rookie Blue’ as Nick Collins. He has also taken on the role of Dr. Jeremy Bishop in the medical drama ‘Saving Hope,’ Billy Crawford in ‘Burden of Truth,’ and Sean in Hallmark’s ‘Retreat to You.’ ‘Mistletoe Murders’ also features Sierra Marilyn Riley as Violet, Lara Amersey as June Hubble, Nicole Volossetski as Nicki, Isaac Kragten as Pete, and Arlene Duncan as Vera Van Dorne. Supporting cast members include Tom Cavanagh, Jake Epstein, David Hewlett, Kylee Evans, Jean Yoon, Steven Lund, and Jeremy Durgana as JD — the Christmas DJ.
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