Behind the Scenes of ‘Paris is Always a Good Idea’

If you’re a fan of romantic adventure, check out Hallmark+’s latest series, Paris is Always a Good Idea, which was filmed in the City of Love. Based on the bestselling book by Jenn McKinlay, the series follows a young woman named Chelsea (Lacey Chabert), looking back at her past loves.    

Executive producer Carrie Stein adored her time on location in Paris.  

“Filming in Paris was a dream come true!” Stein told BonjourParis in an exclusive interview. “To be able to walk to set, past the Louvre and down various beautiful streets, popping in for a cafe now and then – going to work doesn’t get any better than that.” 

Describing the experience as feeling “completely authentic,” Stein said: 

“When a story takes place in a fantastic city like Paris and we can spend two weeks in the heart of the city, it impacts everything about our shoot. The cast is excited and does their best work, the wardrobe has a very classy feel because we were working with a Paris-based designer, and most of all, the locations have that wonderful Parisian feel.” 

And then, of course, every evening when the work was complete, Stein and her crew could enjoy all of the fabulous restaurants on offer in Paris!  

“The cast went to many of the great museums, several took a day trip to see Versailles (I did as well!) and the refurbished Notre Dame on their days off. We had many fun dinners together and mostly just walked through the streets of Paris, enjoying the charm of the city. To be making a romance series in the most romantic city in the world was incredible.” 

She continued: “Who doesn’t want to spend time in Paris?! It’s a city that has everything – amazing food, beautiful parks, the most incredible bridges overlooking the Seine, the best cafes lining some of the most beautiful boulevards and also tiny cafes on small street corners in unique artsy neighborhoods, amazing shopping, the best espresso and pain au chocolat and also the French music is just so romantic. We tried to include as much in our show as possible and I just love listening to it. So yes – the title of our show, which is the title of the book, is so apropos to the city itself.”   

It’s no wonder Stein felt a deep connection with the script and the characters. 

“Personally, I love strong relationship dramas as well as romance. I also love stories that have real emotional depth. Paris is Always A Good Idea has all of that in spades. There’s a strong sister relationship at the center of our series and Chelsea and Annabelle (played by Annabelle Hanssen) rely on each other in different, but important ways.”  

Stein related to the siblings dynamic because she has three sisters who are her dearest friends. “I connected on that level; I speak to them every day about all of the important things in life.” 

When the audience first meets Chelsea in episode one, she is challenged by her mother, in an audio message, to reconnect with the three men she fell in love with, to see if one of them might be the one who got away.   

“I love the entry point of our story,” Stein acknowledged. “Who amongst us has never wondered about an old flame… So we’re rooting for Chelsea every step of the way, as she goes first to Ireland, then Paris and finally to the vineyards of Spain to see what she might be missing. Each of these men are incredible and we wonder what she is feeling and what she might do.” 

The biggest challenge Stein and her crew encountered happened prior to the Paris scenes. 

“Getting permits to shoot in Paris is very difficult because there are always a few dozen series and films wanting to shoot there,” she explained. “The city has certain places they will allow a crew to shoot and other places that are off limits. Luckily for us, we were able to shoot in all of the locations that were important for the series.” 

Another challenge was the weather report, because for the entirety of their time in Paris, the forecast was for rain!  

“But it never rained while we were shooting, which was incredible. So each day we planned a cover set in case of rain, but never needed to use it, except on our final day on location at the Eiffel Tower.”  

Viewers will delight in seeing the iconic landmark onscreen. For Stein, it was an especially magical experience, since she was shooting inside the Tower.  

“I’ve certainly seen the Eiffel Tower on all of my trips to Paris, but I’ve never seen it this close up. And I’ve never been inside, which I was able to do on the night we shot there. We were all super excited.” 

On their last night of shooting in Paris, Stein and her crew rented out the Eiffel Tower from 11 pm until 6 am, which is when all of the workers show up for the next day of work.  

“So we had very limited time for all that we needed to accomplish. And to add to the challenge, it was pouring rain, which didn’t help! We were shooting a summer scene on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower and unfortunately, it was freezing outside. It’s a huge moment in the story.” 

As the crew was setting up the shot, the cast and the producers were waiting inside the restaurant on the first floor, to stay warm.  

“There was a very nice woman making us all tea and coffee. All of a sudden, we looked outside and it was snowing! A full on snow storm in March at the Eiffel Tower! We all started filming it with our iPhones as it was so surreal. And all we could think about was that Lacey was meant to be outside shortly, in a sleeveless dress, on a romantic summer evening.” 

But even with all the weather snafus, the night was incredible, she enthused. “It felt so alive and the work we did was fantastic. We were buzzing with enthusiasm.” 

To mark that memorable experience, Stein gave the cast and crew a snow globe featuring the Eiffel Tower inside, and fittingly, the words, “Paris is Always a Good Idea.” 

Stein enjoys all of France and would be thrilled to visit again soon.  

“I love Burgundy for the amazing wine and because it’s beautiful. The Dordogne region is one of my favorite areas for its charm and beauty and winding roads. I could easily live in Provence. I love all the tiny hill towns and I also love the city of Aix. I could walk through those towns or sit on a patio, overlooking the sea or hills for hours on end.  I’ve spent a lot of time in Cannes, which is a fantastic beach area and I love walking around Nice. I have yet to visit Northern France, which I’m keen to do.”

Stein hopes viewers are motivated to be courageous in their lives and take a chance at love, whatever form that might take. 

“There are very different kinds of love, depending on where we are in our lives. The key is to be open to new adventures and listen to your heart! I also hope viewers will be inspired to step outside their comfort zone – perhaps take a trip, knowing that an adventure is almost always guaranteed to enrich one’s life.” 

Watch episodes of “Paris is Always a Good Idea” exclusively on Hallmark+.