Jen Lilley says her Hallmark film, A Little Daytime Drama, pays "homage to soaps"

This weekend's Hallmark film A Little Daytime Drama isn't just about soaps; it honors them, too, says lead star Jen Lilley (ex-Theresa Donovan, Days of our Lives).

Soaps and Hallmark go together like peanut butter and jelly, mostly due to the stars that connect them better than a loaf of Wonder bread ever could. And this weekend will see the mother of all soapy Hallmark sandwiches when several popular daytime stars come together in A Little Daytime Drama, a film that follows a fictional soap opera.

As Soap Central reported earlier this summer, the feel-good romance film (previously titled Love in the Afternoon) centers around Days of our Lives alum Jen Lilley (ex-Theresa Donovan) as Maggie, a head writer for the doomed daytime drama Forever is a Long, Long Time. In order to save the soapy series from cancellation, Maggie must convince fan-favorite actor and her real-life ex-boyfriend, Darin -- played by General Hospital alum Ryan Paevey (ex-Nathan West) -- to return to the show. Will she succeed, and if so, will sparks between the once-happy pair be reignited?

Soap alum Linda Dano (ex-Vivian Alamain, DAYS; ex-Rae Cummings, All My Children/One Life to Live/General Hospital/Port Charles; ex-Felicia Gallant, Another World) also appears in the film as Alice, the producer and creator of Forever is a Long, Long Time, who wants to retire and hopes to pass the baton to Maggie -- if the soap can be salvaged.

In an interview with Monsters and Critics, Lilley said she is thrilled to be merging her soap opera past with her TV film present.

"I was so excited for this one because it is the perfect blend for my audience between soap operas and Hallmark. I can't even imagine what their reaction is going to be. So, I was obviously drawn to the fact that you're seeing a soap opera on Hallmark," she says, adding, "To have a project that combines both audiences is really exciting for me. I honestly think this will be one of the highest-rated films Hallmark has ever had since we're combining both loyal audiences in one fell swoop."

Lilley adds that A Little Daytime Drama is definitely a love letter to the genre that made her famous, and she encourages soap fans to tune in when the movie airs on Hallmark this Saturday, August 21, at 9PM ET/PT.

"I think if they have any appreciation for soap operas or Hallmark, they're not going to want to miss this one," she teases. "This movie is really romantic but it's also extremely funny and it plays homage to soaps. While at the same time it has a bit of a Soap Dish deal; so, it's just kind of fun for everybody."

For more from Jen Lilley about A Little Daytime Drama and her Hallmark career, read her full Monsters and Critics interview here.

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