Christmas-Obsessed Jewish Writer Samantha Herman Talks New Hallmark Film ‘Christmas Island’
18.11.2023 - 17:49
/ deadline.com
Writer Samantha Herman can’t get enough of the holiday season and being in love with love—so naturally, she writes Christmas movies for the Hallmark Channel.
Viewers can now view her eleventh project for the network titled Christmas Island, both set and shot in Canada. The TV movie follows Kate Gabriel (Rachel Skarsten), a commercial pilot looking forward to spending her holiday break flying the Sharpe family on a luxurious vacation to Switzerland. During the flight, a snowstorm forces her to land at a small airport in Maritimes, Canada.
Although hesitant to divert the plane, Oliver Macleod (Andrew Walker), the pragmatic Air Traffic Control Officer, guides them to the nearby (and very real) Christmas Island, their safest option. Fate does its thing bringing Kate and Oliver closer together as they help the Sharpe family make the best of things by partaking in some local holiday traditions. Spoiler Alert: It’s probably a love connection.
Herman spoke to Deadline about her love of holiday films and how they inspire her, writing strong female characters and what’s ahead. She noted that before we hopped on Zoom, she was planning her upcoming Hanukkah celebration while watching World Record Christmas, another 2023 Christmas movie offer on Hallmark Channel. Yes, she’s a real super fan.
DEADLINE: You’ve written multiple Christmas films for Hallmark, which is interesting because you’re Jewish. What inspired you?
SAMANTHA HERMAN: Yeah, I’ve done 8 Hallmark Christmas movies and the other three are non-seasonal. I’ve also done a CBS Christmas movie. I don’t know…why it is, the dual ironies. There’s the whole Holiday Hebrew thing, which is being Jewish and somehow becoming a Christmas expert, and being single and somehow