“It’s Christmas on heat.”
How it took until 2020 for a reality dating series centered around the most wonderful time of the year is beyond us. But HBO Max’s 12 Dates of Christmas filled that void, focusing on three singles—Chad Savage, a 28-year-old straight man; Faith Fernandez, a 25-year-old straight woman; and Garrett Marcantel, a 29-year-old gay man—trying to find someone to bring home for the holidays. Oh, and they are doing it while living in a gorgeous castle and going on seasonally-appropriate dates straight out of a Hallmark Channel movie.
Like whipped cream and chocolate shavings on your cocoa, 12 Dates of Christmas felt a little over-the-top and decadent, which is exactly what showrunner Sam Dean was going for when creating the whimsical world.
“We’re not the most serious show in the world,” Dean explained to E! News. “We wanted to wink and nod to the audience and to not take ourselves or the experience so seriously because there is a sense of ridiculousness about it. There’s so much Christmas.”