Crews returning to Parksville Qualicum Beach to film in the spring

Chesapeake Shores crews filming for season two on Second Avenue in Qualicum Beach in 2017. On Saturday (Jan. 13), the Hallmark Channel original series was approved for a third season. — NEWS file photo

The Hallmark Channel’s most-watched original TV show will be returning to Parksville Qualicum Beach to film its third season.

On Saturday (Jan. 13), Chesapeake Shores was given the green light for a third season at the Crown Media Family Networks’ TV Critics Association winter press tour.

#Chessies @HallmarkChannel greenlights the third season of its hit series “Chesapeake Shores”, which continues to be one it’s most watched original series. #TCA18 — Hallmark Channel (@hallmarkchannel) January 14, 2018

Parts of the first two seasons were filmed in Parksville Qualicum Beach, with sections of Second Avenue in Qualicum Beach proving a popular filming location.

Matt Drake, Chesapeake Shores producer, said crews are really excited to get picked up for a third season.

“We’re excited to come back and give fans more of the show that they clearly love. We’re excited to sort of explore new storylines, as well as tie up some of the loose ends,” Drake said in a phone interview from Los Angeles.

Drake said he, along with executive producer Dan Paulson, is looking forward to come back to Parksville Qualicum Beach to continue working with previously built relationships as well as building new ones.

“Qualicum Beach is our Chesapeake Shores main street, or downtown, so we’ll certainly be shooting there and obviously all of the recurring locations that we’ve established already on the show. We’ll also be looking at new ones as well,” Drake said.

Drake said on the crew side, Chesapeake Shores crews are excited to take advantage of the Vancouver Island North Film Commission and North Island College’s TV and movie industry courses.

“I think that will be a really good way for us to get some new faces into the industry,” he said.

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Chesapeake Shores is based on the novel series of the same name by bestselling author Sherryl Woods. The show stars Meghan Ory, Jesse Metcalfe, Treat Williams, Dianne Ladd and Barbara Niven.

The multi-generational family drama “Chesapeake Shores” follows Abby O’Brien (Ory), a high-powered career woman, divorcee and mother to twin daughters, as she adjusts to life back in her hometown of Chesapeake Shores.

“Viewers have fallen in love with the heartfelt and compelling storylines as each character navigates the complexities of life, love and choices,” said Michelle Vicary, executive vice-president of programming and network publicity for Crown Media Family Networks.

“We look forward to continuing and further exploring the multi-generational family journeys that people of all ages can enjoy and relate to, which makes ‘Chesapeake Shores’ a fitting series for our brand and the quality, family entertainment we provide.”

Filming for the 10-episode third season is expected to start later this year, and the program is scheduled for a summer 2018 premiere.

Drake said there are no official dates for filming yet, but it should follow a similar schedule to last year’s filming which began around mid-April, 2017.

“The timeline for us is somewhat weather dependent. We just want to make sure that we get all that sun and good weather, and sometimes April can be a little dicey.”

Chesapeake Shores airs on the Hallmark Channel in the U.S., but on the W Network in Canada, with the season generally premiering a few weeks later than in the States. Hallmark Channel has stated the show is one its most-watched original series.

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