Chesapeake Shores

Chesapeake Shores on Netflix is a Hallmark tv show centred around an Irish-American family, the O'Brien's. With five children, the eldest daughter Abby (Meghan Ory) has just returned from New York to her hometown of Chesapeake Shores, the town her father built when her grandmother falls ill. Successful Abby is trying to juggle a demanding career, a recent divorce and two young daughters but the lovely Chesapeake Shores also comes with its own problems.

With fractured family relationships, a military brother who has just been seriously injured on tour, her sister's inn which is going into foreclosure and an ex-fiance (Trace Riley) who is back on the scene, Abby more than has her hands full. But through the trials and tribulations, the O'Brien's must come together and help each other get through this tricky time and overcome their problems from the past.

Chesapeake Shores is one of those shows that is difficult not to like no matter how much you don't want to. While some have praised it for its more realistic approach to modern family dynamics, it is still impossibly perfect. Everybody is beautiful, everybody is lovely and kind and well-meaning. The scenery, the houses, the clothes and the lifestyles are all Hallmark perfect.

The storylines are relatively shallow by today's standards and any problems are quickly overcome with the expected happy endings. But is that such a bad thing? There are plenty of gritty, dramatic shows out there so sometimes it is quite nice to watch the likes of Chesapeake Shores for a little bit of escapism.

Netflix is currently airing the first five seasons so if you like your tv a little more on the perfectly saccharine side then Chesapeake Shores is for you. Be warned though, you will end up binge watching it and with a cast that includes Meghan Ory, Jesse Metcalfe, Treat Williams and Diane Ladd you won't be disappointed.

How Many Seasons Of Chesapeake Shores Are On Netflix?

Chesapeake Shores is an original tv show for the Hallmark Channel. There are five seasons in total with a new episode of the fifth season dropping weekly in the US on that channel.

Elsewhere, including the UK, Netflix distributes Chesapeake Shores. At the time of writing, there are four full seasons and the fifth is currently being added to weekly, one episode at a time.

The Cast Of Chesapeake Shores

While Chesapeake Shores has a large cast, there are some definite leads. Meghan Ory stars as Abby O'Brien, the eldest sibling in the clan. The show mostly revolves around her and in the first four seasons, her relationship with Trace Riley (Jesse Metcalf). It's very much a will-they-won't-they but eventually, it does come to a conclusion.

Jesse Metcalfe plays Trace Riley in the first four seasons of the show. A budding musician he has struggled to find fame and has returned to the town to get his life back on track.

Treat Williams plays Mick O'Brien the patriarch of the family. In the show, he was married to Megan O'Brien played by Barbara Niven. Her character, as the mother causes some controversy in Season 1 as she returns from having lived in New York for 17 years following her divorce from Mick. But this is Chesapeake Shores so the family tension doesn't last very long.

Laci J Mailey plays Jess O'Brien, the youngest child. She runs a country inn but has run into difficulty. She is also the one most affected by the departure of their mother as a young child.

Emilie Ullerup plays Bree, a writer who is on the verge of a great career. Like her siblings, she too struggles in love and is the one most likely to keep picking the wrong guy.

The O'Brien brothers are Kevin (Brendan Penny) and Connor (Andrew Francis). While their roles aren't as significant, they provide their own storylines in the form of adapting to life outside of the military and becoming a lawyer and all that both of those journeys entail.

Robert Buckley enters the show as a series regular in the fifth season. He plays Evan Kincaid, a billionaire who is developing a hotel with the O'Brien family Construction company.

And lastly, there is the legendary Diane Ladd. Playing Nell, she is Mick's mother and grandmother to the siblings. The anchor of the family it was was her and her husband who developed the town of Chesapeake Shores and despite her age, is still as wise as ever, often dispensing much-needed advice.

How Many Episodes Of Chesapeake Shores Are There?

In total there are 45 episodes of Chesapeake Shores produced by the Hallmark Channel. The Maryland drama airs in the US on a Sunday and then drops on Netflix UK on a Monday.

Season 1 has nine episodes, season 2 has 10, season 3 has 10 and season 4 was the shortest with just 6. That was largely due to the fact that Meghan Ory was heavily pregnant while filming. In 2021 Season 5 resumed normal filming and also has 10 episodes.