Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Ushers In a New Brand of Storytelling Via Mahogany and "Unthinkably Good Things"

Indeed, sisterhood hasn't looked this good since Waiting to Exhale. The film finds Allison (Karen Pittman) at a crossroads in her life and career. In need of some moral support, she invites her best friends Reesa (Erica Ash) and Melina (Joyful Drake) to join her on a trip to Italy. The three women have always had an open and honest relationship, but when it becomes evident deep secrets are being harbored, and not shared like they once would have been, they have to rediscover the importance of the honesty that formed the foundation of their friendship. (Ash, Pittman and Drake are pictured at top, left to right.)

Diverse storytelling is something Hallmark Media has strived for in recent years. However, doing so under the umbrella of a successful brand, exclusively through a Black lens by filmmakers of color, marks a turning point for the company in both programming and inclusion. The importance of this is not lost on the film's cast.

"I think it was a huge responsibility, but also a huge honor," Ash recently said while promoting the film. "For something this big, this weighted, so necessary, and having taken such a long time to implement … [to be among] the people who are chosen to start it … I mean that's huge! What an honor to say that we trust you with this baby that we've been gestating for decades, and you're the ones to kick it off. I was really humbled by that."

"To be a part of launching this brand was so special and so sweet," added Drake. "I'm one of four girls, so I'm very close with my sisters, and my girlfriends. To do a movie with these ladies and have them become like my new girlfriends and family … It was just something that I can't even really put into words."

"I would say from the network side we couldn't have asked for a better cast," added Toni Judkins, Senior Vice President of Programming at Mahogany. "We couldn't have asked for a better collection of women to represent our varied experiences as African American women. The richness, the boldness and of course the sisterhood and community. When we finally had a script that we were happy with, we sat down and said, 'Who are these people? Who is Allison? Who is Melina? Who is Reesa?' All these ladies were at the top of our list. As a content creator that has often gone out to make a film, you don't [always] get exactly what you want. This was something different. I think we got exactly what we asked for and more with this cast."

"From the jump, it was important for us to introduce something new that represented us and how we move, how we flow, how we talk, how we laugh -- but still make sure that we honored the brand that has been around and very successful for so many years," concurred Terri J. Vaughn, the film's director. "Toni had a lot to do with that, making sure as we were going forward and shooting that we stayed true to what the brand was. We needed to stay authentic, and all the actors were definitely focused on telling an authentic story about a friendship between these three women." (Vaughn is pictured above, far left, with Ash, Pittman, executive producer Korin D. Williams, Toni Judkins, Drake and executive producer Monique Nash.)

"What was important was to fuse essential elements of the Hallmark brand with the Mahogany brand," Judkins noted. "If anything, I would like to say the ease you will witness was kind of rooted in the pillars of what Mahogany is. These women have these experiences and even though at points there [is] tension, you could tell that they weren't always being completely honest with one another. But the foundation of a friendship, and a relationship, through sisterhood that is unshakeable, creates an environment where there could be such ease. That really is reflective of the pillars of, not only Hallmark, but specifically the Mahogany brand."

While the importance of Mahogany's launch, and a project like Unthinkably Good Things, can't be emphasized enough, the actors entrusted to tell the film's story want everyone to know they also had fun while doing so. "Filming in Italy was amazing," Drake beamed. "Especially coming out of quarantine, to get to go to Italy and actually work. We got to see different parts of Italy that I haven't seen before. As a traveler, that was exciting."

"[Italy] was amazing and beautiful," added Pittman (above). "And the sheep were great! I think so much of being in Rome, and being in this movie, was about the beauty of the Roman countryside and the pastoral sense of wine and culture, and I thought it really added a lot to the story.

"One of the great parts about this story is the importance of not just friendship, but in the African American community we call it sisterhood," she added in closing. "It's more than just being friends. It's more than just caring about each other. It's feeling connected and being family with each other. I think it's a perfect story for this time of life, and for these women."

Unthinkably Good Things, presented by Mahogany, will be telecast Sunday, August 28 at 9 p.m. on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, with additional showings on Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Drama.

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