If you’ve watched us for a while, you know that we’ve made some very fun parodies about Hallmark holiday movies. It’s always a high-powered executive who comes back to their quaint hometown, falls in love, and starts a new chapter. Some people may call these movies cheesy or predictable. But for me, watching them is like cozying up with a weighted blanket. No matter what the plot is, I know there will be love and happiness in the end. It’s very comforting.
Over the last couple of years, Hallmark has done a good job at giving their movies more depth and humor. Watching Hallmark movies used to be something you did in secret. Now, people are proud to say they love them—me included! A huge reason for their success lies in a talented writer who has written 26 Hallmark movies. Enter Julie Sherman Wolfe.
A Breakneck Pace
Earlier in November, we played a bunch of Hallmark movie games on the podcast episode, Christmas Will Fix It. We had so much fun that we asked: Should we interview an actual writer for Hallmark? We’re so happy Julie agreed. Julie Sherman Wolfe is an award-winning writer and producer. She has written 26 movies for Hallmark, including her most recentHoliday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, where she combined her love of football and romantic storytelling. (Our whole family watched it and even the boys liked it!)
Penn and I often marvel at the breakneck speed in which these movies are written, filmed, and edited. “We do write at a very fast pace,” explained Julie. “I think my sitcom history made it a lot easier.” Julie wrote and story edited for television shows on The Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, and NBC before landing at Hallmark. At the time of our recording, she was working on 3 movies at the same time in different stages of development. Which (according to her) is nothing compared to when she had to write 2 movies at the same time. We are in awe of her work ethic.
A Working Mom with ADHD
One of the most fascinating revelations in speaking with Julie is that she has ADHD. (I’m telling you, all the best ones always do.) While her ADHD helps her hyperfocus on big deadlines, she admits it does come with guilt. As a Mom, she said she knows she’s not the type of parent who is making incredible dinners or keeping the laundry folded. Women have such a harder time with ADHD when they are also a mother. While I love my husband and he is a wonderful parent, I can tell you he’s never had any guilt over the dinners he’s not making.
We ended the show with Julie hosting a Hallmark movie game for us to play, where we came up with some zany plots for her next flick and had a lot of laughs. Listen to the interview and tell us what Hallmark movie is your favorite. If you haven’t seen Holiday Touchdown, put it on your list and follow Julie on Instagram.
