#Chesapeake Shores Scores a New Leading Man! Who Is Taking Jesse Metcalfe’s Place?

“#Chesapeake Shores Scores a New Leading Man! Who Is Taking Jesse Metcalfe’s Place?”

Chesapeake Shores is filling the void left by the exit of Jesse Metcalfe.

Deadline is reporting that the beloved Hallmark original series has added Robert Buckley as a series regular.

He joins a cast that already includes Meghan Ory, Treat Williams, Diane Ladd, Barbara Niven, Laci J. Mailey, Emilie Ullerup, Brendan Penny, and Andrew Francis.

What’s more, the series is getting a new showrunner in Pheof Sutton.

“We are thrilled to bring back Chesapeake Shores for a long-awaited fifth season with Phoef Sutton’s brilliant voice leading this new chapter for the O’Brien family,” said Michelle Vicary, EVP Programming.

“As for Robert Buckley joining the cast, he has been part of the Hallmark family for years, most recently he starred in and produced The Christmas House, and I know that the show’s fans will thoroughly embrace him in this new role.”

“Throughout my career, I’ve sought out shows with truly character-driven storytelling, where the drama or the humor comes from everyday moments,” said Sutton.

“I’ve been a longtime fan of Chesapeake Shores for that reason. The O’Briens are a television family you look forward to spending time with and a huge part of that is the chemistry of its talented cast. I’m looking forward to working with them and, together, producing an exciting new season for viewers to enjoy.”

What’s more, the long-delayed fifth season will receive its premiere Sunday, August 15.

Metcalf’s exit came as a big surprise to fans when it was announced late last month.

“A new season of Hallmark Channel’s highly popular scripted series, Chesapeake Shores, is returning this summer. Jesse Metcalfe, who plays Trace Riley, has decided to leave the show. His character’s storyline will wrap up early in Season Five,” Hallmark Channel said in a statement to the outlet.

“Jesse is a valued member of the Crown Media family; we look forward to continuing to work with him on projects, including original movies on Hallmark Channel, as well as his Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ movie series, Martha’s Vineyard Mysteries, the next installment of which premieres on May 16.”

“In addition, we are currently in development on another movie in the series.”

The good news is that Metcalf reported to set to film his final scenes on the show in recent weeks, meaning that there will be an on-screen goodbye.

Chesapeake Shores was last on the air in September 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic scuppered plans to shoot the series last year.