Eric Mabius Talks About Signed, Sealed, Delivered on Hallmark Channel
Category: Television and Streaming
The Hallmark Channel series Signed, Sealed, Delivered is capturing viewers because of the storylines, the characters, and the positive messages it portrays. The series focuses on a group of employees at the dead letter office where they take letters that have not found their way to their intended recipients, research and follow leads, and ultimately deliver the letter or package to the person for which it was intended. Eric Mabius, formerly of Ugly Betty fame, now stars as Oliver, the head of the office.
“They sent me the script when I was taking off for China,” Mabius recently told some journalists. “I was working on a film in China and I read it on the airplane. And I remember watching Touched By an Angel when I was younger, and obviously being moved by it and remembering it as something that the whole family could sit down and watch.” Mabius likens his new series to Touched By an Angel in that there are always positive messages and hope in every episode. Signed, Sealed, Delivered is a series that the entire family can watch.
“I don’t know if it’s because not that many interesting films are being made, so it’s spilling over into TV, but I found most shows unwatchable nowadays, short of a few comedy things,” Mabius commented. “And I don’t know if that’s because I’ve changed or because I have two children – I have two boys at home – or what. But there was something that really spoke to me about the show.” He especially likes the way the storylines are written and how the show addresses issues “without an audience feeling preached to.”
Each episode has an element of truth. “We know we’re putting something good out in the world, but portraying something that really happened to someone makes us feel like we’re on to something that’s more authentic or we become more impassioned by what we’re portraying.”
His character of Oliver has been a longtime Post Office employee. Eric explained his character and the storyline. “He had been working for the Post Office for many, many years. He could work in any office at any level he wanted to. His pay grade is incredibly high, but he chooses to stay there, and he chooses to assemble his world the way he has, and he chooses his employees the way he has for a specific reason.” He has a special ability to bring the right people together to create the right ensemble to do the job they are tasked to do, which is following leads and getting the letters to their destinations. Along the way the stories that unfold are interesting, emotional, and hopeful.
This series has appeal to young and old alike. As Mabius explains, “A person from every walk of life at any age, male/female, young/old, there’s something for everyone in the episodes. And there’s a universal theme of hope that I think everyone is really attracted to.”
With all the reality shows on TV and so much violence invading our homes via all the ways media is used these days, Eric Mabius is happy to be part of a show that is positive instead of negative. As he puts it, “If you’re putting a negative message out there, with reality shows, people trying to base their lives upon superficiality or gathering money or fighting with one another, kids grow up thinking that’s okay. And it’s not okay, especially as a parent.”
The actor goes on to say, “I was raised by a certain amount of television. Like for instance, I use MASH because I think it’s one of the best examples. I feel like there is a type — a part of Hawkeye’s character in me that is part of my psyche. The anti-hero, the guy who no matter what the results would be, he always tried to do the right thing. And that’s the kind of television I think we need. I’m very passionate about it, especially because I have two young boys.”
Eric Mabius particularly enjoys the collaboration between the series and Hallmark channel, which he sees as a perfect fit. Signed, Sealed, Delivered airs Sundays on Hallmark Channel and is a show for family viewing entertainment.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.
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