What happens when a career-driven woman’s late mother sends her on a mission to revisit three past relationships? That’s the premise of Hallmark+’s new limited series Paris Is Always a Good Idea, starring Lacey Chabert as Chelsea Martin and Scott Michael Foster as her complicated colleague Jason Knightly.
Chabert says the show’s central “what if” premise is what drew her in immediately. “I love a what-if story,” she said. “What if I had turned left instead of right? Like, it offers up such a fun perspective. And while doing so, she realizes the love of her life may be standing right in front of her.”
The series is adapted from a bestselling novel, and Chabert - who read the book before signing on - praised the writers’ work translating it to screen. “It made me laugh, it made me want to turn the page,” she said. “So it was a joy to bring to life.”
Foster, who plays Knightly, describes his character’s dynamic with Chelsea as one that slowly shifts from friction to something more. “Their relationship’s a little bit tenuous,” he explained. “They butt heads a little bit - a little bit of a rivalry at the office - but then, over time, they realize that they’ve got quite a bit more in common.”
Production took the cast through Paris and San Sebastián, Spain - which stood in for both Ireland and Southern Spain. Foster called the shoot a surreal experience from start to finish. “It was like a pinch-me moment the whole time we were there,” he said.
For Chabert, the show represents something bigger than a romantic adventure. “That guaranteed uplifting happy ending is something I’m really proud to be a part of because I feel like it adds just a little bit of goodness back into the world,” she said. “And I think we need that now more than ever.”
Foster hopes audiences feel transported. “I want people to come away and say, ‘Wow, that was exhilarating just to watch that show,’ and feel like I was able to go on a journey myself afterwards,” he said.
New episodes of Paris Is Always a Good Idea drop every Thursday through August 27th on Hallmark+.