(Hallmark)

In Summer 2019, it was announced that Hallmark had ordered a new Signed, Sealed, Delivered movie to be released in 2020. The year is nearly over and that hasn’t happened. Has the movie been cancelled or just delayed? Here’s a timeline.

Created by Martha Williamson, Signed, Sealed, Delivered revolves around four postal workers — Oliver O’Toole (Eric Mabius), Shane McInerney (Kristin Booth), Rita Haywith-Dorman (Crystal Lowe), and Norman Xavier Dorman (Geoff Gustafson). The foursome act as detectives and track down the intended recipients of often long-overdue undeliverable mail. Their missions take them into unpredictable stories where redirected letters and packages can save lives, solve crimes, reunite old loves, and change futures. The mail arrives late but somehow, it’s on time.

The Signed, Sealed, Delivered story began in October 2013 as a backdoor pilot movie on Hallmark and did well enough to get the go-ahead for a weekly TV series. That lasted for 10 episodes, airing from April until June in 2014.  Rather than renew it for a second season, Hallmark opted to move Signed, Sealed, Delivered to sister channel Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and has kept it going as a series of movies. To date, there have been 10 movies with the most recent airing in July 2018.

Hallmark announced plans for an 11th movie to be released sometime in 2020 on the new Hallmark Drama channel. Plot details weren’t revealed but, in September, Williamson shared that she’d just sent the script to Hallmark.

Just sent the next Signed, Sealed, Delivered script to Hallmark! We’ll keep you POsted!! #POstables #hallmarkmovie #SpecialPOstablesDelivery pic.twitter.com/m6wZkzq8Op

— Martha Williamson (@MarthaMoonWater) September 24, 2019

In early March 2020, Mabius noted that “It’s been far too long since we got the band together. We’ve been looking forward to this one for awhile now.” He teased that “Um. Don’t mean to speak too soon… A little bird may have indicated that we’ll be in production on a new #SSD by June-July at the latest. But don’t quote me, until we’re rolling cameras.” The series is shot in Vancouver and utilizes both American and Canadian talent.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic caused television production across the globe to be shut down. In May, Booth offered, “We #POstables are itching to get back to shooting the next movie which will premiere later this year on @HallmarkDrama. As soon as it is safe to do so, we will be shooting! Until then we all have to #trustthetiming #SSD”. Mabius said, “Just have to get this virus to cooperate and then get some more movies ordered…keep telling @hallmarkchannel that you would like more. They’ll eventually listen.”

In June, responding to a fan who said that the existing movies were helping her through “bleak days of anxiety”, Mabius wrote, “Well, that’s quite a compliment. Providing comfort and distraction, at any time, is certainly high praise. We are ready to get to work on more installments of escapism as soon as it’s safe to do so..! X”

In a summer interview, Mabius told the Hallmarkies Podcast, “I’m so excited to read the next script. I’m just dying to. Martha is very excited about what she’s come up with. I think she’s holding back on showing us the script until we’re closer to shooting.” He continued, “I spoke to the producers a couple of weeks ago and it looks like [filming in] late-October, is my guess. They have really strict protocols in place for opening back up production in Canada. Kevin Fair, who directs most of our movies, is a dear friend of mine and he’s directing another Hallmark movie right now. They’ve been forced to cast a lot of these Hallmark movies with exclusively Canadian actors because then they don’t have to go through the process. [Bringing American actors into Canada] involves strict two-week quarantine for the first two weeks you’re there and then, you’re not allowed, other than going to work, to leave your house the entire shoot. If you do, you can get fined like $1,000,000. … and they do check up on you, from what I understand.”

By September, composer James Jandrisch and Booth were itching to get back to work.

It’s definitely time to get the gang back together! @MarthaMoonWater @RealCrystalLowe @geoffgustafson @Eric_Mabius @TheRealGregoryH @yesmarkvalley #POstables 💌 https://t.co/xEdKkx6gKR

— Kristin Booth (@kristintbooth) September 8, 2020

In October, the cast and crew still hadn’t returned to work and some viewers had become increasingly concerned that the movie plans had been cancelled. In a tweet, Mabius made it clear that the delay was only due to the ongoing pandemic and safety concerns.

And that’s all there is to say about that. No other insidious reasoning. All of the other speculation and rumor is simply, just that. https://t.co/MZ1WsVfTl3

— Eric_Mabius (@Eric_Mabius) October 23, 2020

Yesterday, Booth sent a message to the show’s fans and indicated that a new movie is still coming.

Happy Thanksgiving 2 all the #POstables living in the US. Wishing U a wonderful socially distanced, mask-wearing, hand-washing weekend. ThankU to all of U who continue to watch & support Signed,Sealed, Delivered! Can’t wait to shoot more soon! @hallmarkmovie @HallmarkDrama 💌

— Kristin Booth (@kristintbooth) November 28, 2020

So, while the cast and crew have clearly wanted to make a new movie, it just hasn’t been possible due to COVID-19. A new movie won’t air before the end of 2020 but, unless we hear differently, a new adventure for the POstables is still in the works and will be filmed as soon as it can be done safely for all involved.

What do you think? Do you enjoy the Signed, Sealed, Delivered adventures on the Hallmark channels? Are you going to watch the newest POstables movie whenever it airs?