EDGE Interview: Ten Hopefuls. One Sleigh Ride to Stardom - Jonathan Bennett and Melissa Peterman Unwrap the Real Heart of Hallmark

Hallmark’s first-ever reality competition series, “Finding Mr. Christmas,” now in its second season, will follow 10 promising Hallmark hunks who live together and compete against one another for the lead role in an upcoming original holiday movie. From festive physical challenges to emotional acting scenes, co-creator, executive producer, and host Jonathan Bennett will be Finding Mr. Christmas in this eight-episode competition series filled with heart.

Now, with the sleigh bells ringing and the cameras rolling, host Jonathan Bennett and lead judge Melissa Peterman sat down with us to unwrap what makes this season even more magical—and more competitive.

EDGE: What surprised you most about the contestants this season compared to Season 1?

MP: I was a little worried because they had seen the first season. You worry that people will come in and try to manipulate it, or they think we will give them what they think they want. I won't lie; I was a little nervous. I was surprised and delighted that we got 10 more genuinely good guys, who, even if they thought they knew what they were getting into, we quickly stripped away those thoughts, and then they had to be real and vulnerable. 

JB: And we threw more twists in. The challenges and twists were bigger. All these things that they thought they knew what they're getting into, and then we would say, “But there's a twist, and they're like, What is the twist now? That is a sentence they loved to hear from us. It is all about keeping them on their toes. 

MP: Even if they tried to prepare, it wouldn’t help. I can watch Survivor, but don't put me on an island. 

EDGE: Jonathan, how has your own experience as a Hallmark leading man influenced your approach to mentoring the contestants?

JB: Here's a mentor, perfect example - I just shot a movie named A Keller Christmas Vacation, and in the movie, Brandon Routh, who played Superman, plays my brother, Cal, and Eden Sher, who played Sue in Malcolm in the Middle, plays our sister. We are in Vienna at an ice-skating rink at the Christmas market, and the director, Maclain Nelson, comes up to us and says, “We have 30 minutes to get all three of you in ice skates and skating down the icy river under the Vienna Chapel, and we have to do it in one take.” We put on the skates and jumped onto the ice without rehearsal, and just went for it. That's how the first challenge of the first episode of Finding Mr. Christmas was born. We put them on skis and send them down a hill with no rehearsal. Some people might say, “Is that fair?” It doesn't matter if it's fair or not; it's real. Sometimes that’s how it happens in a Hallmark movie. 

EDGE: Melissa, how do you balance constructive criticism with encouragement in such a feel-good competition?

JB: Very well, she does. 

MP:  Thank you. I truly think it's not as hard as it seems, because I know exactly how they feel. Ultimately, they're auditioning every day. I go to auditions, and I get rejected or eliminated all the time. So I just think it's easy to talk to them and say, ' You know what? Today wasn't your day, but tomorrow might be your day.’ It's not as hard as it seems because we want it to be a competition show that doesn't feel like that; we're trying to show everybody in their best light. We're not out to say, “Guess what? We voted. You can never act again.” The message is this wasn't your day. You're great. Here's what I can tell you: tomorrow might be your day. It's not an elimination to me; it's preparing them for the next audition. 

EDGE: Hallmark has made strides in LGBTQ representation—how do you see this show contributing to that progress?

JB: I'm proud to be one of the people who opened the door for these stories to be told on the network. This season of Finding Mr. Christmas features contestants who are gay and competing for a chance, just like everyone else. We level the playing field, and they have just as much of an opportunity to be the next leading man as the straight guys that are competing, and I think that's a huge deal. The playing field is even, and that's all we ever want as a community. May the best man win. 

EDGE: What do you think makes someone truly “Hallmark leading man” material?

JB: You have to be kind, funny, charming, you have to have a good sense of wit, and you have to have a huge heart. Those are the five things we grade when selecting the guys for the show and when filming it. I like to call them the five points of the Hallmark Crown. What we're looking for are the things you can't explain. You want to have that thing that makes you sit forward in your chair when you see them on screen, that makes you say, “Oh my God, I just love watching him talk.” They might not be the best actor, but we're not looking for the best actor; we're looking for the best Hallmark leading man. The guy who has the 'it' factor that makes him shine above everyone else, and who is a good person both on and off camera. They have to practice what they preach, just like Melissa, Lacey Chabert, Wes Brown, and all the people who are part of the Hallmark universe. 

MP: I always like to look for someone I want to hang out with on set all day. We spend a lot of time here, and you don't want to hang out with someone who isn't nice. 

EDGE: Favorite holiday memory, childhood or adult, that you would love to turn into a Hallmark holiday movie?

MP: Oh my gosh, that's such a good question. My sister had been married for a couple of years, and she said she wouldn't be coming home for the holiday, which we always spend together. Secretly, she told me they're going to fly home and surprise our parents. I knew that we'd all be downstairs opening presents around the tree, and since we were in Minnesota, there was snow, and it was cold. Again, I'm the only one who knows. My sister and her husband were wearing little reindeer headbands and walking through the snow-covered tundra of Minnesota to surprise Dad at the back patio. As they're approaching, while barely making it through, my father screams, and I've never heard him scream like that. He was so overjoyed that he fell over the ottoman while trying to get to the door, and my mom was screaming. It was my favorite holiday surprise, and I can't believe we actually pulled it off.  I  am not sure if it'd be a whole movie, but it would make a great scene in one. 

JB: I got a pet rock as a kid, and I think that's really funny. My dad gave it to me as a Christmas gift joke, but I loved it. I would name my movie, ‘A Pet Rock Christmas.’ There's something to that that could be really funny. 

EDGE: How do you hope Finding Mr. Christmas influences the broader reality TV landscape?

JB: You can have high stakes, competition, heartbreak, and all the things that come with what we think of as reality. You can have all that and still be kind. For us, that's the big difference. You don't need to throw drinks in people's faces or tip-over tables for it to be an entertaining show. You can still have high stakes and all the elements needed to keep the viewer engaged, and our ratings prove it. Take a look at our ratings, our people, and our retention rate. It is almost 100% because people love watching the show, and we do so with kindness.

MP: I agree. As someone who loves reality TV and competition. This show feels like everyone is rooting for each other. I think we all need to learn to root for each other, whether we're competing against them or not. And just in that sort of big picture thing, it's nice to see people who are genuinely rooting for somebody to succeed.

Finding Mr. Christmas season 2 premieres on October 27th on the Hallmark Channel.