The Chicken Sisters, Ep 1

It’s Girls Gone Hallmark’s first Hallmark+ review! Megan and Wendy are sharing their thoughts on the new series The Chicken Sisters, based on the best-selling novel by KJ Dell’Antonia. Is this show merely about rival chicken restaurants, or does it offer more? They also discuss standout characters, veteran actors, and Megan’s insights into how the series diverges from the book.







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About The Chicken Sisters, Episode 1 - (Hallmark+, 2024)




Annie Mebane wrote this episode 1 of The Chicken Sisters. Annie is also an EP on the show. Annie’s previous writing credits include Bad Monkey and Shrinking, both on Apple TV+ as well as The Goldbergs, Community and Happy Endings. 



Jimmy Gatewood directed this episode. Jimmy has directed 27 projects including Girls5eva, Survival of the Thickest, Ghosts, The Big Leap and The Babysitters Club.



The Chicken Sisters was adapted from NY Times Bestseller and Reese’s Book Club Selection The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell’Antonia



Margo Martindale voices the narrator. Margo has 131 acting credits with six Emmy nominations and three Emmy wins! Listeners might recognize her from her role on The Americans and Justified as well as the recent Peacock series Mrs. Davis where she plays Mother Superior



Lea Thompson plays Nancy. Lea has 112 acting credits including, of course, Back to the Future and her role on Caroline in the City.  This is her second Hallmark project, having appeared in Next Stop, Christmas. She was also on a CW series in 2023, The Spencer Sisters, where she and her daughter play private detectives



Wendie Malick plays Augusta, or “Gus.” For readers of the book, this is the character previously known as Barbara. Wendie has deep resume of 197 acting credits that include 149 episdoes of Just Shoot Me, 125 episodes of Hot in Cleveland, the Netflix series The Ranch, and Young Sheldon.  As far as we can tell this is her first appearance on Hallmark



Schuyler Fisk plays Amanda. Schuyler has 28 acting credits including a role in the 2002 movie Orange County, co-starring Colin Hanks. She also appeared on the CW series Hart of Dixie.



Genevieve Angelson plays Mae. Genevieve has 27 acting credits which include recurring roles on The Afterparty, New Amsterdam, and The Handmaid’s Tale. 



Cassandra Sawtelle plays Frankie. Cassandra has 32 acting credits. She has previously appeared in one Hallmark project - Tipline Mysteries: Dial 1 for Murder.



Kelsey Mawema plays Lindsey, Sabrina’s daughter. Kelsey has 26 acting credits and also appeared in one previous Hallmark project - Sealed with a List. Her other credits include Life with the Walter Boys, Totally Killer, the Babysitters Club, and all three movies of the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before series. 



Rukiya Bernard plays Sabrina. Rukiya has 83 acting credits, which include her role as Hannah in all four Christmas in Evergreen movies. She also appeared in 11 episodes of Yellowjackets.




Watch the Trailer for The Chicken Sisters







Our Thoughts on The Chicken Sisters



Here's a detailed rundown of everything we discussed in the latest podcast episode of Girls Gone Hallmark. If you’re not already a listener, we invite you to join us and dive into the world of Hallmark with us!



What We Liked



Excellent Character Development:








Wendy Malick as Gus: We were blown away by Wendie Malick's portrayal of Gus. Her character is intimidating, with a nasty streak, making her both fascinating and a little scary. This multi-layered character has us intrigued to learn more about her backstory and w...