When it comes to the Hallmark Signature Mysteries, some of them come out of the gate sprinting full speed ahead with innumerable advantages that the idea of the series NOT becoming a hit is such a remote possibility that the notion of failure and there not being more installments doesn’t even cross my mind. Without a doubt, Mystery 101 was one of those series that was destined to be at the pinnacle of my favorites list even before it premiered earlier this year. Most of you are well aware of my zealous admiration for Kristoffer Polaha, and I adored Jill Wagner from the moment her form graced the Hallmark screen. But who is responsible for penning these incredible mysteries and crafting the protagonists in such a way that the audiences are able to fall in love with every facet of their personalities and stories? I am honored to introduce my readers to the supremely gifted John Christian Plummer (whose interview with the Bubbly Sesh dropped a few days ago). I reached out to him earlier this year, and then I never got back to him. (Yeah, this time I admit that I dropped the ball!) In anticipation of tonight’s (September 22nd) new Mystery 101, I am honored to share our recent interview with all of my readers.
RH: It is so nice to chat with you, John. In fact, I don’t think I would have known about you had it not been for Mystery 101.
JCP: Oh, really? Well, thank you, Ruth, for reaching out.
I apologize for not getting back to you quickly! Things have been pretty busy this year, but I have enjoyed every one of your Mystery 101 movies.
This is perfect timing anyway with the fourth movie coming out this Sunday {September 22}.
Oh, I am very well aware of that fact! I have interviewed both Kris and Jill as well as some of the supporting cast members. And now I get to interview you. I was so excited when this series popped up! My mom and I are huge mystery fans after all.
That’s just great, Ruth, I’m so glad you are enjoying them.
So how did you get started as a writer?
Well, the short version is that I think I always was a writer. I was always telling stories, even from my childhood. Out in the garage, I was putting on puppet shows and creating haunted houses with my brother and our friends. As far as being a formal writer, though, I had a theater company. I was a director and actor with a Shakespeare Company, and we were commissioned to do an original play based on the short plays of Moliere. That was a part of the commission, but it had to be an original piece. So I ended up writing it because there was truly no one else to do it, so the default option was me. I really enjoyed it so much that I ended up doing another one with my company, and that’s when I realized, “Oh my gosh, this is what I really love!” I mean, I still enjoy directing theater very much, and I still do that a few times a year. But writing is really what I do now.
You are not the first screenwriter I’ve talked to who has done and continues to do theater. I think it makes sense.
Right. It’s a logical transition.
I did look through your other credits, and I have to admit that I have not seen any of your other works besides Mystery 101.
Yeah, that’s not a surprise.
Because I’m not familiar with your other works, is there something else you’d like to highlight that came before Mystery 101?
Granite Falls
There was a series I did with BYU TV called Granite Flats. We did three seasons of the show, and it was licensed by Netflix. It actually ran on Netflix for three years. It’s not there anymore, but you can find it on the BYU TV platform. It was a training class for me. It’s really a fantastic show. It’s a Cold War spy drama. Christopher Lloyd was in it along with many other recognizable names. It was a really tremendous show, and I am grateful I got to be a part of that. Before that, a lot of my resume was doing very off-the-wall comedy stuff. I wrote for a lot of shows that lasted one season. I wrote for a lot of sketch comedy, especially, as well as panel shows and stuff like that. It’s all good stuff; I’m proud of everything I’ve worked on.
Absolutely. Thanks for letting me know about Granite Flats because it sounds like something I’d like to look up.
It’s a really good show. It’s only eight episodes per season, so there’s a total of twenty-four episodes. And like Hallmark, you can watch it with your family. It’s during the Cold War, but it’s a small town, so there’s not an excess of violence. It’s a terrific character show, and it’s a lot about faith. It deals with the forces that seek to divide us and the forces that seek to unite us. There’s a struggle between those two forces, and that is exemplified by the Cold War. But that same struggle is a part of the heart of every human being.
Mysteries are also at the heart of the show. Each season has a big mystery and a lot of smaller mysteries. It features these kid detectives, which is really fun. But there is also quite a bit of adult stuff in it too. It really focuses a lot of MKUltra, the secret CIA mind control program that is now finally in the news. There’s a book that has come out called Poisoner In Chief that is about that.
The kids that were a part of it were terrific too. Sometimes it’s unusual to see good kid actors.
That’s great to know since Hallmark prides itself on using good kid actors too. But I know exactly what you mean. At times, good kid actors can be a challenge to find.
My son was on the show, and of the four kids on the show, he’s the only one still acting. In fact, he’s doing really well. He’s a part of a series coming out soon called Looking For Alaska. It drops on Hulu October 18th. It’s based on the John Green novel–the same John Green who wrote The Fault In Our Stars.
That’s why you posted about that series! Now, I understand. I will keep my eyes open for that series and for your son, Charlie Plummer.
I’ve seen the whole series, and it’s an amazing show. It’s truly extraordinary.
How did the opportunity to write for Hallmark come about?
One of the executives at Hallmark who is a producer on Mystery 101–Marybeth Sprows–she and I had known each other for a while. For several years, when she was with another company, she had read one of my spec scripts, and she invited me in to talk to them. The meeting went well. I had talked to them about a play I had written, and they were very interested in it. It was called Rendition In Damascus. That one was inspired by the Apostle Paul, but it was a modern-day story about the CIA and terrorism. She and I stayed in touch, and we ended up developing a project together, which we tried to get set up somewhere, and we didn’t succeed. Then she left that company, and she was freelance. Then we started developing another project together that we’re still working on. But in the meantime, she went to Hallmark. When she had been there a few months, she called me and asked me if I’d be interested in reading this script that she felt definitely needed to be reworked. She had inherited this project that was called Mystery U.
Yep, I remember when it was called that! That’s how I first knew it.
Photo: Jill Wagner, Kristoffer Polaha Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ricardo Hubbs
Well, I agreed and read it, and I knew that it definitely needed a rewrite. So she asked if I’d like to do the rewrite, and I was like, “Sure, I’d love to do it. I love working with you, and I love mystery.” So she said, “Here’s the thing. ” This was a Wednesday night. I had already told her some of my issues with the script and what I’d want to do with it if I took it over. She really liked all my ideas. She said, “Can you get it to me by Monday?” {Laughs} She said, “We start pre-production on Monday.” I said, “Okay.” And I did get it to her by Sunday night. That was pretty crazy. That’s the fastest I’ve ever written. It was basically twenty-five pages or a bit more every day. Now, it was pretty good, but we tweaked it a little more from there, and that’s how I got involved. Oh, and I also asked if we could please change the title. Mystery U is just not a good title. But Mystery 101 is much better because you know immediately what it’s about. It’s gone really well, and obviously, we’ve done three more since that first one.
Now everything makes sense. I remember that original title, and I agree Mystery 101 is much better. Lots of my friends were auditioning for it, but when Kris and Jill came on board, I was so excited!
We were really fortunate to get them. That was a hundred percent Marybeth and Emily, two of the producers of the series. They had worked with Kris and Jill on another film. They knew that Jill and Kris had such great chemistry, and they thought these two were right for these roles.
I couldn’t agree more! Having seen the third one this past weekend…I mean, I have loved them from the beginning. Well, even before the movies aired, I knew I was going to love them. Ideally, you want each movie in the series to get better and better. And I think the third one of any mystery series is very important. In my opinion, I believe that the series has found its groove and rhythm now, and I just love it! And in this third one, there were so many great comedy moments in it too. I don’t always figure out the mysteries. In fact, I didn’t figure out the first two, but I figured out the third one because of who was cast in the movie. But until the pieces fell together at the end, I didn’t know why that person did it.
Preston Vanderslice, Sarah Dugdale, Kristoffer Polaha, Jill Wagner, Kareem Malcolm Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Kailey Schwerman
I know that sometimes you get habituated to the way these are written. I’ll see people post on social media, “Well, I know it’s got to be this person because they’re the least likely.” And for me, that’s a great challenge to try to break those tropes and change things.
You know, I’ve been watching Hallmark mysteries from the beginning, and while I’ve always loved them, this year, Hallmark has raised the bar on their mysteries. While I love this one because of who is cast in it, I wouldn’t be as passionate about it if the writing was lacking.
That is completely true. Even the best actors really can’t save a bad script. But I will tell you that you’re not alone in your love for the series. The ratings were the best ever for this third Mystery 101.
That is just the best news! And like I told Kris, he and Jill have no choice but to play these roles for the next twenty years! I mean, of course, I was somewhat joking, but that’s how I felt after seeing this third movie.
I’m so glad to hear that, Ruth.
Now, John, I know it can be difficult to tease mystery movies, but is there anything you can tell us about this fourth movie that will premiere on Sunday (September 22nd)?
Jill Wagner Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Kailey Schwerman
Yes, there are a couple of great things I can tell you about this one that don’t give too much away. It’s called Mystery 101: Dead Talk, sort of a play on words with TED talk. Amy is doing this thing called a teachable talk, which is like a TED talk. As a result, it’s the first one of the four that hasn’t been set in Garrison. Actually, she goes to Seattle, away from the small town where they live. Most of it is set in Seattle, which is fun, and you can kind of tell that from the trailer that it definitely has more of a city vibe to it. So we take both of them–well, all three of them with Graham–out of their element, and I think that’s a really good test of their characters and their relationships.
The other thing that tests their relationship is that the person who invited Amy to the Teachable Talk is her own, once-upon-a-time-pretty-serious ex-boyfriend. Then Travis, while they’re in Chicago, encounters someone who he had a previous relationship. Not a girlfriend, but I don’t want to give away more than that. So Amy and Travis are both dealing with their past and their past powerful relationships in the present. I think this makes it a really different installment.
And, you know, other than that, I think there’s lost of twists and turns and surprises along the way.
Kristoffer Polaha, Robin Thomas, Jill Wagner Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Kailey Schwerman
All this sounds great! We don’t know that much about Amy’s and Travis’ past, and it’s always nice to know a little more about their past so we can understand more who they are as a person. I know I’ll be watching for sure, and as soon as my mom gets out of the hospital, she’ll be watching too. And I’m sure if the ratings are strong, we can look forward to more in the series?
Actually, we’re working on one, so I do believe there will be more Mystery 101 coming in the future. I know that the network is really happy with it. And really, the goal was to really try to increase the caliber of the show. Something that they found with focus groups is that the audiences are getting smarter. They’re becoming more sophisticated. Therefore, we have to get more sophisticated and stay ahead.
Kristoffer Polaha Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Kailey Schwerman
Obviously, when it comes to a show like Mystery 101, there’s more darkness allowed. You’re not at a cupcake convention. All of the episodes up to this point have started in darkness at night, and I think that’s a significant thing. Now, there is a lot of humor and light to it too, but it’s always about the balance for me. I think when I look back at some of the older Hallmark mysteries, there is so much brightness in those. I think something that was a real issue for me right from the get-go with the first one was to make sure that Amy and Travis had banter. They needed to be smart, fast, quick-witted, and funny. In the tradition of Nick and Nora Charles from The Thin Man movies or Tommy and Tuppence Beresford–Agatha Christie’s partners in crime–you want these characters to be fast and quick. I think that is something that maybe wasn’t as much in play in some of the earlier Hallmark mystery films.
Kristoffer Polaha, Jill Wagner Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Kailey Schwerman
I know exactly what you’re saying. I have noticed the lack of banter in the older Hallmark mysteries, but it certainly seems that Hallmark is understanding what the viewers are expecting in these interactions.
Yes, and you have characters that are smart too. You have smart actors who are playing characters who are smart. She’s a college professor who has her Ph.D. in Literature. She thinks about ideas all the time. Then he’s more street smart. He’s a really savvy cop from Chicago. I think it’s very important that we point out that being smart is essential to their respective jobs. Sometimes I think with the amateur sleuth we might just tend to put them in the right place at the right time. But it can’t be just that. She’s got to be smart too.
In addition to Mystery 101, do you have anything else coming up that you can mention?
Yes, I’m writing an Audible original series. It will be on Audible.com. It’s called C.C. Furst is Dead. It’s about a journalist from Britain who goes to Burkino Faso to cover a story. We describe it as “John LeCarre meets Fleabag.” It’s very funny, and it’s very dark and twisty-turny. It’s a mystery/spy series that’s really fun. I’m working on it with a writing partner, and we’re about halfway through it. And then we’ll produce the audio version of it once the scripts are all written.
And then I’m developing a show for Fuzzy Door, which is Seth MacFarlane’s company. That’s based on a nonfiction book called The Moral Arc by Michael Shermer. We are developing it as a fiction series, and it’s going well. I can’t really say any more about it.
Wow, that is really something. I didn’t even know Audible was doing original series.
with Jacks & Shawl
Yes, they have a big originals department. They just did a big deal with Kate McKinnon, so they have a show with her. They’re really good at booking talent. After Homecoming the Podcast was so successful and turned into Homecoming the Series, I think they decided they needed to do more of this. They make it a point that it is well-produced and doesn’t make it sound like everyone is sitting in a studio or Madison Avenue. Instead, they produce things in the field with a lot of soundscape that is really strong and powerful with great actors attached.
A producer I worked with in the past on a feature that almost got made twice and didn’t…he reached out to my writing partner and me on that project and said, “Hey, Audible is knocking on my door, and would you guys want to partner on this thing?” We pitched them this idea, and we developed it for a little while with them. Then they said, “Okay, get writing.” It’s perfect for people who subscribe to the service because they give you so much more now than just renting one book at a time. It’s sort of like listening to a podcast, but instead of having just one voice, there are lots of voices which make it sound like a show. And of course, the hope would be that if that original series was successful and people liked it, we could actually make it into a series.
Speaking of podcasts, I was just on the Bubbly Sesh the other day. I live in New York, and the episode recently dropped. You can listen to it here.
The Bubbly Sesh are aweseome! So glad you got to be on their show. And thank you for taking the time today, John, I really appreciate it.
My pleasure, Ruth, and thank you and all the Hallmark fans for all the support. I hope everyone enjoys Mystery 101 tonight.
To be quite honest, Mystery 101 is the series I didn’t know I needed in my life, and thanks to Hallmark and John (as well as everyone else involved in front of and behind the camera), I have satisfied a craving for a good, old-fashioned mystery series starring two benevolent, energetic, skilled, and powerhouse actors who have created the ideal, on-screen crime-fighting duo. Had it not been for John’s eagerness to improve that first script he was handed, we may have lost this show before it had begun. I am mesmerized by the high quality of this show’s writing, storyline, acting, cinematography, and so much more, and I genuinely hope to see more of the masterful writing of John in future Hallmark works in the near and distant future.
I sincerely hope that everyone who has access to Hallmark Movies & Mysteries will watch Mystery 101: Dead Talk tonight (September 22nd) and join us in the live-tweeting during the broadcast premiere. While you are utilizing every gray cell within your brain to decipher the mystery and “whodunnit,” please check out John’s links below and consider following him where applicable. I am rather impressed with the extraordinary quality of writing that John has produced this year as evidenced by the success of the Mystery 101 series, and I can hardly wait to continue to support him in every possible way as he delivers brilliant writing fueled by a passion and a yearning for storytelling!
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