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Mae Whitman stars as a textile pattern designer looking for love in Hallmark's Twelve Dates 'Til Christmas

She tells PEOPLE why the role felt like a "Hollywood fairy tale" for her — and reminded her of what Lauren Graham experienced on Gilmore Girls

The first two episodes of Twelve Dates 'Til Christmas premiere Friday, Dec. 5, at 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark

Mae Whitman is happy to be taking a page out of her best friend Lauren Graham 's book.

Whitman, 37, stars as Saville Row textile pattern designer Kate, who finds herself taking part in a local matchmaking program in the small English town she lives in, thanks to her best friend, in Hallmark's Twelve Dates 'Til Christmas .

She tells PEOPLE that starring in the series — which was adapted from Jenni Bayliss' 2020 nove

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