‘Paris Is Always a Good Idea’: Lacey Chabert & Team Preview Hallmark+’s Globetrotting Series

Move over, Gretchen Wieners. Lacey Chabert is making French happen! And standing on the historic Pont Louis-Philippe stone bridge over the Seine at dusk in a knockout red dress, just yards from Notre Dame Cathedral, she’s also making it look easy in Paris Is Always a Good Idea.

“It’s so amazing here,” raves the Mean Girls icon and unofficial Hallmark queen between takes of her new romantic comedy, soaking in the joie de vibes. “Everything feels magical.”

Based on Jenn McKinlay’s bestselling 2020 novel, Hallmark+‘s gorgeous six-episode adaptation casts Chabert as Chelsea Martin, a nonprofit fundraising expert who gets a priceless lesson in love while revisiting three ex-flames she met on an abbreviated post-college trek across Europe years earlier.

“She left the trip because her mom became sick,” says Chabert, whose still-grieving Chelsea is shaken into action by the engagement of her now-widowed dad Glenn (Henry Czerny of the Mission: Impossible films) and his new girlfriend Sherrie (Chesapeake Shores‘ Barbara Niven).

“It’s very hard for Chelsea to accept that he could move on and that maybe you can have more than one great love in your life,” adds silver fox Czerny, making his Hallmark debut. “Is it possible?”

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That answer and more come as Chelsea’s sister Annabelle (The Witcher‘s Rebecca Hanssen) and Glenn join her effort to fulfill the late Mrs. Martin’s wish that she “go back [to Europe] and see if there’s any unfinished matters of the heart,” continues Chabert. Armed with a video itinerary left by mom, Chelsea tracks down the ones that got away — Sebastian (Julien Samani) in Paris, Colin (Stephen Hagan) in Ireland and Marcos (Alejandro Albarracín) in Spain — and winds up reconnecting with herself.

“She doesn’t only revisit the relationships and the guys, but also who she was in those moments,” says Chabert, also an executive producer on the show. “It causes her to reflect on who she is now and where she possibly wants to go.”

Along the way, the most charming complication arises when Chelsea’s irksome coworker Jason Knightly (Scott Michael Foster) is sent to help her land a big donor in Paris. Of course, there’s more than meets the eye with this über-charming chap, whom the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend alum describes as “a good dude” with a sweet backstory and a swoon-worthy swagger.

“He’s got a fun little ‘flanter’ — which is flirty banter — type relationship with Chelsea,” laughs the undeniably appealing actor, hinting that their early sparring gets the sparks simmering throughout Chelsea’s journey.

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“Sometimes the best relationship will start with a fun rivalry. It’s not always just all romance,” he states. “What makes it strong is having a little bit of found respect for each other.”

Having some world-famous surroundings helps too. Thankfully, Hallmark’s massive production recruited a mostly international crew adept at handling locales filled with tourists.

“We didn’t want to inconvenience or shut down anything, but we do want to see all the beautiful areas,” explains showrunner and exec producer Lauren Muir of the logistical challenges. In addition to the aforementioned scene between Chabert and Foster on the Instagram-ready bridge, Muir coordinated a bulk of filming all over Paris amid a steady flow of pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists, including a pivotal moment on one of the most-visited landmarks on the planet.

“When I read the script, and we had this whole scene on the Eiffel Tower, I was like, ‘OK, so that’s going to be green screen, right?’” admits Foster. “And they were like, ‘No, we’re on the Eiffel Tower.’ I couldn’t believe it!”

“The hardest part is the hours, because obviously we have to go after they’re closed,” offers Muir. “I still can’t believe [we got] to do it. The biggest surprise in this process was how often I kept waiting for someone to say, ‘Well, obviously we’re going to have to move that scene,’ and yet here we are.”

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And then they were gone. After wrapping in the City of Love, Chabert and Co. jetted off to a lengthy shoot in Spain (which does double duty as Ireland) to continue what she promises will be more than your typical rom-com.

“It’s not only a great sweeping love story; it’s also a very emotional story about overcoming grief,” says the actress, who lost her own sister four years ago. “It doesn’t dwell on it. It’s actually uplifting. But sometimes you have to go through some pain to really get to the other side.”

And who knows, there may even be a Knightly in shining armor waiting there. “There are twists and turns,” Muir previews. “This is a romance-forward show, and I think there will be a very clear love story that you’re rooting for.”

A Paris match? We l’amour to hear that.

Paris Is Always a Good Idea, Series Premiere, Thursday, July 30, Hallmark+