Christmas Microdrama Built Around Bob Evans Meals Lands November 14
A holiday romance made for phones arrives on November 14. Christmas at Maple Hollow Inn, launched by Pixie USA, is a microdrama, meaning a short-form drama shot vertically and watched in small pieces on a phone.
The series runs 20 episodes with a combined running time of 38 minutes, according to Deadline. That works out to under two minutes an episode. Pixie USA is led by chief executive Jonas Barnes.
The show stars Analisa Southworth Wall and Thomas King. Wall's credits include Picture Perfect Sister-in-Law and Mother Warrior Unleashed. King has worked on television series including Tyler Perry's The Oval and County Rescue.
Blake Studwell directs, and Michael Sokol produces. Studwell has previously directed vertical romances Baby, Just Say Yes! and Falling for My Mafia Bodyguard. The series was filmed in Marietta, Georgia.
Bob Evans is a partner in the project, and its food sits at the centre of the plot. The story features Bob Evans mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese meals. It is the company's first scripted production for the holiday season.
The episodes will be distributed on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. The series is also one of the first microdramas to use Meta's new Series tool. That tool lets select creators group vertical videos made for Reels into episodes on Facebook and Instagram. Meta says the feature launches in certain markets on November 16, two days after the show's debut.
Barnes has produced in this format before. He created The Golden Pear Affair, a microdrama made with Procter & Gamble, Native, P&G Studios and Dentsu Entertainment. Earlier in his career, he worked at Neal H. Moritz's Original Film.
For viewers, the practical details are simple. Episodes start on November 14 and can be found on the four platforms named above. Anyone looking for a quick holiday watch can start with the first episode on their phone, then keep going through the 20 installments.
