Alison Sweeney Talks 30th Hallmark Movie ‘This Time Every Year,’ Future of Hannah Swensen Mysteries (Exclusive)

This time every year will premiere on Hallmark Mystery on Thursday, October 24th, and marks Alison Sweeney’s 30th birthday^the film for the network.

“I was shocked,” Sweeney admits of the milestone. “I had no idea and then I started counting them and realized it was true. It seems crazy. I remember my first Hallmark movie so clearly (Second Chances in 2013) with Greg Vaughan (who played his twin brother Eric Brady in Days of our lives) and how much fun we had. I remember thinking it was a really cool opportunity and I was really excited. Now here I am, 30 films later, and it still feels so challenging, so rewarding, so new each time. I love that.”

The actress says viewers should expect the unexpected from her new film. “This isn’t your typical Christmas movie,” notes Sweeney. “We’re tackling some complicated issues that a lot of people deal with around the holidays. We wanted it to be fun, funny, charming and romantic, but also touch on some of the more serious aspects of family dynamics.”

Brand Channel

Sweeney reports that it took a while for the pieces of the project to come together. “I have been working and developing this script for over three years,” she says. “What first attracted me to the premise was the idea that it was a couple who were happily married and had a kid and were living life and then something went wrong and they had to figure out how to get past it. And then everything accelerates and amplifies around the holidays and puts the spotlight on the issues.”

Although the plot doesn’t seem like a normal holiday, Hallmark was open to the change. “We’ve been talking about wanting to do something that’s outside of your traditional wheelhouse, to broaden your reach and include other stories,” explains Sweeney. “And that’s what everyone told me when we were making this movie: ‘I feel like this is my story,’ ‘This is my family,’ ‘I know someone who’s been through this.’ It’s super relatable and relatable to a lot of people for a lot of reasons, and I think there’s a character in this movie for everyone. So Hallmark was very excited, and what mattered was how to navigate the narrative of the story within what we see as the trust that Hallmark has built with its audience, that it’s the kind of movie that you can watch with your kids and your grandparents. . . We wanted to tell a deeper story, but still honor what people want from a Christmas movie, which is fun, romance and Christmas.”

Crystal Lowe, Hallmark Media’s Inaugural Contestant Leave your mark Women’s Directing Program, worked with Sweeney to bring her vision to life. “I have to give Crystal credit,” praises Sweeney. “Ashley Williams had worked with her, and I called Ashley to ask her what she thought about me bringing Crystal in and she said, ‘You’ll thank me; you will be so happy. Crystal was amazing and had really good, strong ideas.” (One was a unique opening credits sequence where Sweeney placed an Easter egg to Days fans. “There’s a little message for them,” she winks.)

Sweeney has a new co-star in the film: Niall Matter, who plays Kevin, the husband of her character, Lauren. “He’s brilliant,” Sweeney enthuses. “He’s such a cool, talented guy. He was a lot of fun to work with, a team player. He contributed a lot and was great.”

Brand Channel

As with many of her films, Sweeney is not only the star but also an executive producer. “Someone asked me recently, ‘How did you get into executive producing?’ and I was saying it’s because I can’t deal with the little things that people miss,” she reveals with a laugh. “I need to be at every meeting. There is no problem too small or minimal that I worry about. I think all of this matters. The audience sees all of this, so I want to be a part of making sure every element of every film I’m in is the best it can be.”

This time every year will kick off Hallmark Mystery’s Miracles of Christmas programming event and set the stage for two months of holiday offerings. “I’m honored,” says Sweeney. “I think it’s great and I love that this movie, with the tone it carries, can really welcome people into the holidays and get them excited about Christmas.”

The film marks Sweeney’s second film this month – the latest Hannah Swensen mystery, A pinch of deceptionaired in early October. She is optimistic about the future of the franchise. “There are 29 books in the series, so there are still many Hannah mysteries to be discovered,” she points out. “I’m really delighted with how the relationship between Chad (Victor Webster) and Hannah is evolving. Victor is a great guy to work with and you’ll have to wait and see what happens next with Chad and Hannah.”

This time every yearThursday, October 24th, 8pm