The Southern connection in Hallmark’s Catch of the Day is screenwriter Katie Lee Biegel, who grew up in West Virginia. The movie itself is set in Montauk, Long Island—not the South—and its story draws on Biegel’s interest in preserving small businesses in coastal vacation towns.
What is the Southern connection?
Biegel’s West Virginia roots are the unexpected Southern link. Hallmark’s biography says she grew up in West Virginia and now lives in the Hamptons and New York City. The movie’s coastal setting is Montauk, at the eastern end of Long Island, so the Southern connection comes from the writer rather than the story’s location.
Biegel co-wrote Catch of the Day, making it her screenwriting debut. She told Southern Living that she cares about the small-town character of Long Island’s East End and the survival of its local businesses.
What is Catch of the Day about?
Hallmark’s official synopsis follows Sophie, who is on the verge of becoming a New York executive chef when she returns home to help her family’s struggling restaurant. There, she reconnects with Cam, an old crush who makes her reconsider what she wants.
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Southern Living’s feature adds that Sophie returns to Montauk after her father’s death to help her sister run the family restaurant. Cam is managing his family’s small business. Emilie Ullerup plays Sophie, Michael Rady plays Cam, and Hallmark lists Biegel among the film’s stars.
How Biegel developed the story and its food
Biegel’s idea grew from reading about millennials returning home to take over family businesses. She connected that trend to a restaurant in a vacation town, where seasonal pressures and local identity make the survival of a small business especially meaningful. She took a screenwriting course at NYU and developed the screenplay with Hallmark veteran writer Andrea Canning.
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She also helped shape the film’s food details. The Southern Living interview reports that Biegel spoke with friends who work in New York restaurant kitchens and researched ingredients and food styling. The cioppino and spaghetti with clams shown in the movie are her recipes; the feature does not say that either recipe appears in her cookbook.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When did it premiere, and where can you watch it?
Hallmark’s movie lineup lists the premiere as Saturday, August 30, 2025, at 8/7c. Hallmark’s movie page says Catch of the Day is streaming on Hallmark+. Streaming availability can change and may vary by territory, so check the service for your location.
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- Format: Box set, Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
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