Toronto, Canada – (The Hollywood Times) – 7-11-2024 — The return of The POstables in a new postal mystery is another reason to be excited about Hallmark this summer.
The 14th installment of the beloved movie franchise brings back Shane (Kristin Booth), Oliver (Eric Mabius), Rita (Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe), and Norman (Geoff Gustafson), in Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters, premiering Friday, July 12., 9 pm ET/PT on the Hallmark Mystery Channel. Rhiannon Fish also stars in the new movie, as well as a few new guest stars.
From executive producer and creator Martha Williamson (Touched by an Angel), Oliver, Shane, Rita, and Norman’s latest case requires them to try to piece together the clues that will lead them to the intended recipients of a trio of dead letters, which has a surprising, personal impact that hits close to home.
Meanwhile, with the honeymoon phase now fading, Oliver and Shane grapple with finding their footing as a married couple – and thankfully, Norman has a cousin who can help them find their way.
In addition, Rita and Norman have happily taken in Charley and her adorable baby daughter. Still, Rita feels Norman’s enthusiasm for tending to the baby’s needs is standing in the way of their progress in starting a family of their own.
Booth grew up in Kinkora, near the Shakespeare festival town of Stratford, Ontario, and made her professional acting debut when she was 12, playing an orphan in a summer stock production of Annie.
Her 27-year TV and film career has continued to impress her co-stars, directors, and fans. Booth’s first starring role in a movie came with the 2003 heist film Foolproof in which she performed opposite Ryan Reynolds. In 2008 she made a breakthrough with two performances, in This Beautiful City, and a comic turn as part of an ensemble cast for which she was given the Gene Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In 2014, she first appeared in the Hallmark original movie series Signed, Sealed, Delivered as Shane McInerney, a techie postal employee. The latest movie in the popular fan-favorite rejoins the original cast for the 14th installment, which is filled with love, romance, and new and longtime family ties, mixed with a bit of mystery and intrigue.
During a recent Q and A interview from Toronto, Booth was eager to share the many reasons why she loves the movie franchise and the latest installment.
Kristin Booth: First and foremost, what I love about this franchise it never ceases to surprise and amaze me. It has been going on for 11 years and is such a close-knit family now that we can be separated for three years and not working together and come back and it takes less than 20 minutes of doing the first table read to step into the shoes of these characters and inhabit this world.
To what do you attribute this?
Kristin: The strength of Martha’s writing and how this show has impacted our lovely and devoted fans. The movies have gone through phases where there hasn’t been a movie for a while and the fans have never given up and our fan base keeps growing. The stories speak to so many people. It offers a beacon of light in what can be a challenging world. It makes people feel they can go home again. That’s how we feel about it and that is transferred to an audience.
How did Oliver and Shane’s conflicting quirks and habits amid their love and romance resonate with you?
Kristin: So, do you love someone despite or because of the challenges they bring to your life? Often when there is a deep love, the things we fell in love with first end up driving us crazy later on. As any couple knows the challenge or goal is to find a common ground where you both love the person and those who could be the greatest challenges and the things you work on together. It’s about figuring out how to navigate the challenges of a very loving relationship when you do nitty gritty things.
What do you appreciate about the new movie?
Kristin: What I love about this new movie is that it takes place pretty much after the last one ended. So, the fans won’t feel like they missed anything, which is a big challenge after a three-year gap. So, they come back from the honeymoon, and we watch them begin to navigate married life. It is a full-blown relationship that has been developing very slowly for many years. The story is really exciting with three letter mysteries they are solving, who belongs to which letter and why. I love what Martha has been able to create with our four main POstable characters.
Without spoiling anything, how many babies were employed on the set?
Kristin: One amazingly calm and sweet baby.
I feel like letter writing is a dying art. How do you feel about letters? Do you still write them or are they more of a dinosaur?
Kristin: I believe that Oliver has been called that. Letter writing is such a beautiful way to communicate. I love that thrill of opening my mailbox and finding something there. I don’t feel it is translated into the digital world. It is a keepsake you can keep forever.
How do you personally relate to receiving letters?
Kristin: I cherish my grandma’s letters, when I was at camp and university, and even today when I pick one up it brings me back to that time of my life. It is difficult to recreate this feeling in an email or a text. It is challenging to get today’s young people to return an email let alone a letter. My 12-year-old daughter uses text. I would love to find a way for a little more balance where we moved to a little more letter writing without completely moving away from our digital expression because it would be something more personal.
Talk about your tremendous rapport and chemistry with Eric and your other co-stars.
Kristin: Eric is an incredible actor; it’s always a treat to work with people who are so skilled at what they do. We have been working together for so long that we have a shorthand. It’s easy to pick up where we left off. It’s a testament to how well we know our characters and one another as actors. Martha writes them with such love and care. The core characters are the same as they were when the series began. We have a lot of history. So, all of those things combined made it so accessible for the actors
Tell me about spending time in the historic house that Oliver loves so much.
Kristin: For Shane to have sold her home and move in with Oliver is a massive change and adjustment for both of them. In the past, we saw a glimpse of Oliver in his home when he hosted Norman’s bachelor party. Audiences will see how he adjusts to Shane moving into his space and taking over because she is such a big presence.
What is going on behind the scenes of making these movies?
Kristin: Eric always brings a playlist to the trailer during hair and makeup. Krystal is eating sugary snacks. I am trying to keep cool because we were in Vancouver for nearly two months in April and May and I like to keep cool. Jeff is always making us laugh. We had a different first assistant director who loved practical jokes.
Why should my readers watch the new movie?
Kristin: First of all, the cornerstone of Hallmark is to provide family entertainment. Rest assured this is for the entire family. Fans of the movies will not be disappointed, growing as characters, but with new characters who come into the show with each letter mystery. There is comfort signed sealed delivered brings to its audience, going to cry and laugh, and a few nail-biting moments, as well. This offers comfortable, very well-rounded entertainment.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters, premieres on Friday, July 12, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Mystery
