HAVE YOU HEARD?

The Holiday Season: A detailed look at Nancy Meyers’s Christmas classic

Published on January 2, 2023

Have You Heard? is where the Pod Bible team meet the people behind the podcasts you may not have heard of yet…

The Holiday Season is a documentary podcast that takes a detailed look at director Nancy Meyers’s 2006 Christmas classic, The Holiday. Written and produced by Sam Clements and Louise Owen from 90 Minutes or Less Film Fest, and with music by Martin Austwick, it returns each Christmas with episodes that dive deep into the facts and fictions of the film.

Last year saw some special episodes to celebrate the 15th anniversary of a film that has become a cult classic. If you haven’t listened yet, be sure to check out the interview from leading man Jude Law (Graham) and an episode dedicated to Director Nancy Meyers, featuring answers from Meyers herself.

We caught up with Sam to ask about his particular love of The Holiday, and making The Holiday Season.

We usually ask if you have a dream guest, but you had an email interview Nancy Myers herself last year, and Jude Law! But is there anyone you’ve been trying to pin down but haven’t managed?

It was a thrill to speak to Jude Law and Nancy Meyers, I’d love to invite the rest of the main cast on the show (Cameron Diaz, Jack Black and Kate Winslet) But my dream guest would be composer Hans Zimmer, whose work I adore and is a long time Nancy Meyers collaborator.

Sam Clement in the pub Jude Law and Cameron Diaz filmed in in Shere, Surrey.

You have a couple of podcasts about films – what is it about The Holiday that made you devote a podcast to it?

I genuinely adore the film. I’ve been in love with it since 2006 when I first watched it at the cinema.

I think romantic comedies and Christmas films are often seen as “light weight” subjects by the film journalism, and maybe aren’t taken as seriously as other types of movies. With The Holiday Season I wanted to celebrate the work that goes into BOTH of these genres, through the lens of The Holiday.

Do you re-watch the movie every year before recording?

I never stop thinking about The Holiday! I watch it in full a couple of times each year but also watch a lot of clips, interviews, behind the scenes things as we make the show, so feel like I know it quite well.

Why podcasting? What is it about the format that appeals to you?

I like that me and my wife Louise (who edits the show) can make a fairly expansive document on The Holiday, from our living room, without too much additional resource. Podcasting can be such an expressive medium and it’s uniquely placed to make a bond with the audience.

We’re making this based on our love of the film, and not for a commission or a job, and podcasting is probably the only medium we can make something of professional quality, using our experience of the format with tools we already have in the house.

What’s you’re favourite fun-fact about The Holiday that you’ve learned from making The Holiday Season?

So many! But I think I love the stories around dressing the village of Shere for its winter scenes in the height of summer. The crew sent all residents Christmas trees and decorations to put up in their houses in case their windows were in shot!

Which episode of your podcast means the most to you?

It’s the most thorough and time consuming podcast I make but I do love that it’s given me a good reason to speak to people involved in the film. It was a dream come to true to talk to Nancy Meyers – and hear that she’s listened to the episodes – but I also love our interview with Jude Law. I’ll have to tie between the director and actor shows!

Anything else that you’d like to tell our readers?

Whether you’re obsessed with The Holiday, or have a passing interest in Christmas films, this is the show for you! We’ve made 8 or so episodes so far – and we have a new episode coming out for New Years Eve this year, so now’s a good time to catch up ahead of our latest ep!