You’ve heard of the Hatfields and McCoys; now it’s time to pick sides in another heated family feud. This one’s purely fictional but every bit as juicy — maybe even more so, since it’s all over… fried chicken. Yep, in the new Hallmark+ series The Chicken Sisters, a TV adaptation of the bestselling novel of the same name by KJ Dell’Antonia, two poultry-slinging matriarchs (and longtime rivals) square off over the chance to win $100,000 competing on the reality show Ultimate Kitchen Clash.
The food-centered feud between chicken restaurants Mimi’s and Frannie’s threatens to boil over when the reality show production arrives in the small town of Merinac, Kansas. On one side, you’ve got Gus (Wendie Malick), who gets a hand from her TV host daughter Mae (Genevieve Angelson), who comes home unexpectedly just as the competition crew rolls into town. Then, on the other side, you’ve got the far less spicy duo of Nancy (Lea Thompson) and her daughter-in-law Amanda (Schuyler Fisk), who are trying to keep Frannie’s afloat with grace, manners, and a few modern updates.
But Amanda just so happens to be Gus’ other daughter, who grew up in the shadow of Mae and felt like she never really had the approval of their mom. So, yeah, things get complicated quickly! Scary Mommy caught up with #TeamFrannie’s Thompson and Fisk (who’s Sissy Spacek’s daughter in real life) just ahead of the show’s premiere, and they shared a little insight about their characters’ found family, the cast’s text thread, and more.
Scary Mommy: I find Nancy and Amanda’s dynamic really sweet, because I love this idea of found family. What was it like building your bond?
Schuyler Fisk: I love her so much. I was so grateful that I got to do this with her because I felt so supported. I know I learned so much from her. It was really fun to explore these characters because I think at the heart of it, they have so much in common, just what their lives are and the things that they have to grapple with. So, they connect in a really special way, and I definitely felt that in real life with Lea.
I remember when I first met her, we were going to the table read. I was so nervous to meet everyone, and table reads just make me nervous. But Lea was just such a lovely, warm friend from the start for me.
Lea Thompson: Aw, that’s so nice. Yeah, I really appreciate it when I don’t have to act. Schuyler made it easy for me not to have to act like I loved her because she’s such a great person and such an amazing, accomplished artist and actress. I had so much respect going in, because I love her music and I loved her acting.
It’s a scary tightrope when you’re acting. When you first meet someone, and you’re really looking into their eyes and hoping that you like what you see coming back at you. I don’t know how to explain it, but that’s how it is for me. The fun we had making this, the joy and the love and the camaraderie we had, I think you’ve got to feel it when you’re watching it.
SM: I feel like there’s something inherently fun and weirdly wholesome about a good generation’s old family feud. Was there any friendly pranking going on behind the scenes?
SF: I don’t remember any pranking on set, but we were just, all of us, total goofballs. It was really a lighthearted, lovely set. Were there pranks?
LT: I feel like all the pranks were me not remembering my lines! I was supposed to say, ‘Dang ding dongs,’ and I couldn’t say it. So, the four of us actresses, the stars, we have a group chat called Ding Dang Dongs because I couldn’t remember it. But we all were there supporting each other on those long days when you’re having a little bit of trouble.
SM: Your character uses a lot of Southern expressions. Were there any you were surprised to learn or that stuck with you?
LT: I think the fan favorite amongst the cast was, ‘Don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining.’ I’ve never heard that one. I grew up in a small town in Minnesota, and even though it’s not the South, people still use these things. My grandma and my dad used a lot of these kind of things. ‘Malarkey’ and that kind of stuff was all part of the way people talked, and I just loved that.
That’s one of the things I really loved about the character and the show. I think that Southern people, in general, have more of a love of language in a way. You know what I mean? The languidness of the way you speak and the vowels — it’s just much more lovely than other parts of America that are not as in love with English.
SF: I was interested to find out that — because Lea does say a ton of little Southern sayings — some of them are real Southern sayings, and some of them they made up. But who would know? They all sound real to me! I think that’s a good little ‘Is it real or is it made up?’
LT: I made up a couple. (laughs)
SF: Did you? I like the one that was like, ‘You can’t put your boots in the oven and call them biscuits,’ or something. That was a good one.
SM: Now I have to watch and try to figure out which ones Lea made up and which ones are real. Schuyler, Lea mentioned your music. Any chance that we’ll get to hear some of your killer voice on the series?
SF: We’ll see.
LT: I think the very first day, I was like, ‘We need Schuyler’s music. She’s a great songwriter and a great singer.’
SF: You guys are making my cheeks hurt. Genevieve and I have been talking about recording something together… It’s very exciting. We’ll see.
SM: A driving force in this series is obviously the town of Merinac, which has a very distinctive sense of place, and places like that in real life fittingly tend to be called ‘Hallmark towns.’ Have either of you ever fallen in love with somewhere that feels like that?
SF: Oh yeah, a lot of places, and I always comment, ‘This looks like I’m in a Hallmark movie. It’s like the cutest little town.’ A couple come to mind, but certainly where we filmed in Vancouver — this little town that we called Merinac — really had those vibes.
LT: I was just in Ocean Beach in Long Island, and it was a lot like that. And the small town where I grew up, Rochester, Minnesota, was a lot like that.
That’s what I really love about this show because I feel like we’re all yearning for community after COVID and all the divisiveness going on. This show is about community. It’s about found family and real family having differences but figuring out a way to come together, because we all really share one thing — we want to have a good life. We want our kids to grow up in a healthy, wonderful way, and we want love. And that’s what I feel like the show is saying and showing.
The first episode of The Chicken Sisters is streaming now on Hallmark+, with new episodes dropping every Thursday starting on Sept. 12, 2024.
This interview has been edited lightly for length and clarity.
