The holiday season comes alive in Holidazed, Hallmark+’s new original limited series, which follows six families in The Oaks cul-de-sac as they navigate love, family, and surprises during the most magical time of year. The eight-episode series, premiering on Thursday, November 14, delivers a refreshing take on the holidays by weaving together heartfelt stories that showcase the chaos, joy, and love that make family gatherings so memorable.
(Rob Latour/Shutterstock for Television Critics Association)
With a star-studded ensemble, including Loretta Devine (Grey’s Anatomy), Dennis Haysbert (24), Virginia Madsen (Sideways), John C. McGinley (Scrubs), Lucille Soong (Fresh Off the Boat), Osric Chau (Supernatural), Erin Cahill (Power Rangers Time Force), and many more, Holidazed introduces viewers to a diverse range of characters and family dynamics. Each episode shines a spotlight on a different family, allowing audiences to connect deeply with each household’s unique story, while culminating in a heartwarming finale where all six families come together.
Gina Matthews, the show’s executive producer, director, and writer, explained the challenge of balancing six interconnected stories over eight episodes during a TCA press conference. “There were 37 total actors in the series, so it was really important for us to make sure that every family got their time and that we were able to deeply explore those stories,” Matthews said. “The first episode in the pilot sets up all six families… But every episode, from episode two to episode seven, focuses on one family, from [December] 22nd up until Christmas Eve, and there’s a big surprise at the end.”
The series opens with “The Beginning,” introducing audiences to The Oaks community as families gather to celebrate the start of the holiday season. With each new episode, Holidazed explores diverse family experiences and relationships, allowing viewers to see themselves reflected in the characters. For example, The Lin Family episode, streaming on November 21st, follows Ted Lin (Osric Chau) and his fiancé Marcus (Shawn Ahmed) as they navigate family expectations. When Ted’s grandmother unexpectedly visits, Ted, who has not yet come out to her, finds himself in a bind. The family decides to pass off Marcus as the fiancé of Ted’s sister, Ella (Jasmine Chen), in an attempt to keep Grandma Lin happy. Chau, whose character’s story mirrors his own cultural background, connected with the role on a personal level. “Playing with Lucille… like the grandma character, I have a very similar relationship with my parents, my grandparents in that we don’t really communicate,” he shared.
(Rob Latour/Shutterstock for Television Critics Association)
Lucille Soong embraced her role as the family matriarch with humor and enthusiasm, blending seamlessly into the family dynamic both on and off-screen. “From now on, I’m just grandma,” Soong said, adding that the cast truly felt like a family to her.
The holiday spirit continues in “The Hill Family,” the second episode, part of the two-part premiere, which centers on the rekindled connection between high school friends Josh Hill (Ian Harding) and Nora Jacobs (Erin Cahill). The local sheriff and a recent widow, Nora, supervises Josh’s community service, bringing him into her family life alongside her young son. Through their shared journey, Josh, Nora, and her son Theo begin to form a bond that highlights the warmth and surprises of the holiday season. Cahill, known for her work in ensemble projects, described the experience of being part of a family-centered cast as a dream come true. “To do something that feels like such a family is a dream… I grew up in theater,” she said. “Gina, Grant, and Claudia all created a set where we actually hung out. We actually did things as a family.”
Ian Harding, who stars as Josh Hill, a talented architect re-evaluating the meaning of home, saw his shift from darker, dramatic roles to lighter fare as a welcome change. “You shed the artifice, and you just play the script, and you play the character, and the humor is there, and the heart is there,” Harding explained, adding that the script’s organic humor allowed him to explore a new side of his acting. This balance of humor and sincerity made his role in Holidazed particularly enjoyable, especially within a cast that embodied the warmth of family.
Virginia Madsen, who plays the glamorous and fiercely devoted Connie Manetti-Hanahan, echoed the sentiments of cast bonding, describing the experience as truly family-like both on and off set. “I think we were just all so glad to be there… we were like this big, extended family,” Madsen said, recounting cast dinners and gatherings organized by Gina Matthews that made the set feel like home. “Gina is this amazing chef… It was chaos… eating this amazing food,” Madsen added, explaining how these shared meals mirrored the family chaos seen in the show.
(Rob Latour/Shutterstock for Television Critics Association)
John C. McGinley plays the tough yet soft-hearted Chuck Manetti-Hanahan. His character’s story was both relatable and compelling. “I thought when Gina put on the page of a fading patriarch who's dealing with being irrelevant, and battling against that with adult children and grandchildren… it was a great trap they set up for the arc of that character,” McGinley shared. Reflecting on his experience working in Holidazed, McGinley praised Matthews’ direction, which created a structured environment that allowed him to perform at his best. “When you have a captain of a ship like Gina, who sets the tone for the ensemble and the set, I flourish on those sets,” he said.
The communal spirit of Holidazed was not just a scripted element; it extended into the real-life dynamics of the cast and crew. Gina Matthews explained how they transformed a real cul-de-sac into their set, forming connections with local residents who embraced the production. “What was incredible is the people in this community welcomed us,” Matthews revealed. “We [wanted] to make sure that our footprint at this cul-de-sac was not overwhelming for the people in this cul-de-sac. But what we also did is, before we started filming, we had a party for the cul-de-sac. We got to know all these people who lived there. So when we were shooting in the cul-de-sac, they would come out, and they would literally have food [for us].”
Dennis Haysbert noted how logistical challenges, such as having trailers located far from the set, led to unexpected bonding among the cast. “Our trailers were two miles away… so everybody stayed in the house… We didn’t perform; we were a family,” he said.
(Rob Latour/Shutterstock for Television Critics Association)
Ser'Darius Blain applauded Hallmark’s approach to diversity, emphasizing that Holidazed represents a range of experiences and backgrounds in a genuine way. “It wasn’t about the diversity. It wasn’t about the sexuality. It wasn’t about socioeconomic status… it was circumstances that people or that human beings were going through,” he said.
Noemi Gonzalez, who plays aspiring chef Gaby Camarena, drew upon her own holiday traditions to bring authenticity to her role. “We would go to my grandma's house, and it would noche buena, and then our individual families would have Christmas day… it was wonderful to have that infused in the episode where we wanted to highlight that that typically happens in a Latino household,” Gonzalez said, emphasizing the importance of cultural representation in the show. She praised the collaborative environment on set, noting, “There was a lot of trust from Gina, Claudia, Grant, and within each other, and true craftsmen coming together collaboratively.”
The series captures both the light-hearted and the deeply emotional aspects of family gatherings, with each character contributing to a rich, multifaceted portrayal of holiday life. As Lindy Booth, who plays single mom Lucy Woods, put it: “Like we really did all come together, and any barrier that was discussed was gone day one. It really did turn into like ‘the family.’”
Rachelle Lefevre, who plays Sylvie Woods, Lucy’s adventurous sister, spoke to the genuine connections formed on set that strengthened the realism of her character’s relationships. “Lindy and I play sisters, and we had a scene where we had a real fight and neither of us had to do any acting because we really loved each other by then,” she said, noting how the authentic bonds among the cast added depth to their performances. “We are going into real conflict and the complications of what it means to be a family during the holidays,” Lefevre added.
Holidazed promises to be a holiday experience filled with love, laughter, and heartfelt moments, as each family learns that while things may not always go as planned, the true spirit of the holidays lies in the joy of being together.