This past weekend, Hallmark made its pop culture programming debut at New York Comic Con with The Way Home, its new series about three generations of women who find themselves reunited after 20 years apart.
Set in the Canadian farm town of Port Haven, on the surface the series is standard fare for the network: a female-fronted drama about strong-willed women who work to uncover truths, mend broken relationships and reclaim lost time. What’s less traditional is its literal time travel element, which sees Kat Landry (Chyler Leigh) team with her teen daughter, Alice (Sadie Laflamme-Snow), after they discover the ability to move between the past and present.
It ultimately gives them power to unearth details around their family’s early tragedies, including life-changing events that prompted Kat to leave home and her mother, Del (Andie MacDowell), two decades earlier.
It’s a series Lisa Hamilton Daly, executive vp programming at Hallmark Media, tells The Hollywood Reporter was a passion project and “an elevated, compelling story” for the network that found a massive following of both existing and new viewers amid its Season 1 run this past spring.
“The Way Home showcases the depth and breadth of Hallmark programming’s power to draw viewers on a thought-provoking, emotional level,” she explains. “We believe it will resonate deeply with the ComicCon audiences and take the show’s already burgeoning fandom to new heights.”
Hallmark at NYCC seems like an unlikely match, but the company has been in the business of pop culture, specifically collectibles, for nearly a century — 90 years to be exact, says Meredith McCormick, vp global licensing and business development at Hallmark. When it specifically comes to the company’s appearance at two of the world’s biggest fan conventions, San Diego Comic-Con and NYCC, that began in 2008 and 2011, respectively.
“We wanted to meet the fans where they were, comic cons,” says McCormick of the company’s decision to enter the event market. “Hallmark continues to grow and expand our product offerings in the licensed space. Attending the comic cons allows us to connect with consumers and showcase new, innovative products, including sneak peeks for the next year.”
That catalog of collectibles runs deep, with merchandise from expected big IP — Disney’s princesses, Marvel, Star Wars, Peanuts, DC Comics, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones — as well as cult fandoms, like Rick & Morty, Steven Universe, Friends, Gilmore Girls, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and more.
“It is a true intersection of art and science,” McCormick explains of how the team decides which properties to tap into. “We look at our previous collections, what is currently trending in the marketplace, and connect with our licensing partners on their priorities. Our creative staff and artists then take the concepts and bring the products to life. It is important that we have a product line that is diverse with a wide range of content, so there is something for everyone.”
But a presence on the exhibitor floor and sneak peeks at the company’s new products for the upcoming year is a very different move than a genre programming panel that connects talent directly with fans.
And yet, despite this being their first foray into the space, Hallmark isn’t such a stranger to fandom. Shows like When Calls the Heart and Good Witch, have amassed passionate followings, even if they don’t seem like a fit for a pop culture and comic convention.
“We have enormous fandom at Hallmark Media and that continues to grow exponentially year after year. Our fans want to immerse themselves in the world of Hallmark movies and series and experience the Hallmark Channel lifestyle,” says Daly. “Whether they want to decorate their homes to feel like a Hallmark Christmas movie, step into the world of our beloved series, or simply bring warmth, joy, and connection into their lives in big and small ways, we’re tapping into creating those opportunities for them like never before.”
That’s already taken shape with the Hallmark Channel Christmas Cruise. Set for November 2024, the cruise will offer fans the opportunity to celebrate the holiday season with the network’s stars. The first sailing sold out within hours and resulted in more than 70,000 pre-sale signups, according to Hamilton. Due to demand, another sailing was offered and sold out within a day.
“Our guests are already meeting through Facebook groups to plan what they are packing and connect over their shared love for Hallmark,” Hamilton says. “This immense desire for people to indulge in the brand is everywhere.”
That kind of swift fan rallying mirrors the chaotic dash to acquire tickets to comic cons on both coasts, and may have been some of the best evidence that having a presence at a fan-driven experience NYCC was a logical next step for connecting with and exciting fans over its latest genre series, which is, according to Hamilton, the most-watched entertainment cable program of the year while on air.
“The Way Home is truly so special — it’s a multigenerational family drama with a hint of fantasy and so much heart and self-discovery,” she tells THR. “Our all-star cast is led by Andie Macdowell, Sadie Laflamme-Snow, Evan Williams and Chyler Leigh, who we know is already a big draw at Comic Con for her work on shows like Supergirl. Her fans from that program are incredibly engaged and passionate, and they came out in full force on social media in support of Chyler’s role on The Way Home since the first episode. The entire cast blew us away in bringing this this show to life and played a big role in its success story.”
With The Way Home, Hallmark had an opportunity to illustrate the company’s evolution and expansion, while tapping into its existing dedicated audience following. It’s something the network will continue to do, says Daly.
“We’re excited to continue creating new, meaningful touch points for our audiences,” she tells THR. “We’re always looking for ways to bring the stories behind Hallmark programming to life because the heart, hope, and happiness that people get from watching our movies and shows is present behind the scenes, as well. We hope that opportunities like Comic Con allow us to demonstrate why our content continues to earn the hearts of so many viewers.”