As Hallmark expands its footprint into unscripted programming, the idea for the network’s first reality series came from none other than Hallmark leading man Jonathan Bennett.
Bennett, who was a contestant on “Celebrity Big Brother” and “Dancing With the Stars” and served as a judge on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” mixed his love for reality and being a Hallmark leading man with “Finding Mr. Christmas,” a competition series that invites Hallmark hopefuls to showcase their talents for the chance to be cast in a Hallmark holiday movie.
“All of my friends who are actors want to be in business with the Hallmark pop culture of it all — Every actor wants to be on the Hallmark Channel, or they’re lying,” Bennett, who also hosts “Finding Mr. Christmas,” told TheWrap. “I thought, what if we let the audience in on the process of finding the next Hallmark Christmas movie star — what if we pull back the veil and let them see the process?”
“Finding Mr. Christmas” brings together 10 male actors to live in a decked-out holiday themed cabin — a page Bennett took from “Big Brother” — who compete in both acting and holiday spirit challenges every week, from decorating a holiday sweater to describe their personal journey to acting opposite a Hallmark movie regular. The challenges, which determine which contestant will be eliminated, were inspired by those found in “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” which Bennett calls “his favorite show in the world,” as well as “America’s Next Top Model” — only “Hallmarkified.”
When Bennett pitched the idea for the show — which would be followed by the debut of a holiday movie starring the winner of “Finding Mr. Christmas” — to Hallmark, he noted one of the executives said, “Why haven’t we been doing this?” to which he responded, “Exactly, why haven’t we been doing this?”
“I’ve been in over 10 Hallmark movies. I know what it takes to be a Hallmark leading man,” Bennett said of his pitch to Hallmark. “I know all the qualities we need; I know all the insight — to take that information that I have and combine it with my reality show competition experience … this will work, and I promise it’ll be successful.”
The show became an “instant no-brainer” for the network, according to Bennett, who was also the obvious choice to host the series after hosting plenty of reality competition series over the past 10 years. As Bennett took on hosting duties for “Finding Mr. Christmas,” he also achieved a goal from his annual vision board: to be the RuPaul of his own show.
Bennett also recruited Hallmark favorite Melissa Peterman to be the lead judge on “Finding Mr. Christmas” after her name immediately came to mind for Bennett. “She disarms everyone she talks to because she’s so likable and has such a gregarious personality that to know her is to be disarmed and to love her,” Bennett said. “I wanted someone that would make the guys feel very comfortable doing these challenges, because we’re asking them to do things they’ve never done before and be vulnerable and stretch and grow.”
In line with Hallmark’s heartwarming programming, “Finding Mr. Christmas” is devoid of the cutthroat nature seen in most reality TV shows, with Bennett even noting the contestants would “organically” help pull each other up if they were slacking in a challenge, which is not typical in most competition series.
“We found reality TV with heart, even though it’s a show where men compete,” Bennett said. “10 men walked in competitors, but they left a family, and that’s the thing that people are going to take away from Season 1 — that we found a way … to have grown men compete against each other while still rooting for each other and lifting each other up.”
Bennett added that the show provided a safe place for the men to be open and vulnerable about their feelings and struggles, which prompted more connection among the contestants as they found common ground in their journeys.
“I told them from Day 1 — I don’t shine if you don’t shine — It is the thing that has gotten me through Hollywood and gotten me to the success that I have,” Bennett said. “No matter how good I’m doing, unless my co star or my friends are doing as good as me, then I’m not doing as well. You have to always turn around and grab the hand of the person behind you and hold them up — that’s what I’ve sworn by my whole life, and that’s what these guys did on the show.”
In addition to hosting “Finding Mr. Christmas,” Bennett stars in Hallmark’s “The Groomsmen” movie trilogy, which gives audiences a peek into male friendships as three best friends celebrate their weddings. “I thought there was an interesting story to be told there with … a squad of guys that are best friends [and] how they support each other through life and they call each other out on their crap,” Bennett said, adding that the friends keep each other honest by teasing each other.
With Bennett at the forefront of two of Hallmark’s major shifts into unscripted and male-centric programming, the actor expressed his gratitude for the network letting him try new things and get “comfortable in the uncomfortable.”
“I’m proud to be the first same-sex kiss in a Christmas movie. I’m proud to have produced … and starred in the first same-sex-led Christmas rom-com. I’m proud to have created the first gay same-sex wedding in a Hallmark movie with ‘The Groomsmen’ and the first [Hallmark] unscripted series” Bennett said. “I like to do a lot of firsts — I always look for where stories aren’t being told, and try to find ways to tell stories there. I’m just lucky and grateful that Hallmark lets me do it. When I have these crazy ideas, nine times out of 10, they’ll say ‘yes.’”
New episodes of “Finding Mr. Christmas” stream Thursdays on Hallmark+.
