When Calls The Heart
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''When Calls the Heart'' is an American television drama series, inspired by
Janette Oke Janette Oke (née Steeves; born February 18, 1935) (pronounced "oak") is a Canadian author of inspirational fiction. Her books are often set in a pioneer era and centered on female protagonists. Her first novel, ''Love Comes Softly'', was publi ...
's book of the same name from her ''Canadian West series'', and developed by Michael Landon Jr. The series began airing on the
Hallmark Channel The Hallmark Channel is an American television channel owned by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., which in turn is owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc. The channel's programming is primarily targeted at families, and features a mix of television movies and ...
in the United States on January 11, 2014, and, in Canada, on April 16, 2014, on Super Channel. The series originated from a two-hour television movie pilot in October 2013, starring
Maggie Grace Margaret Grace Denig (born ) is an American actress and model. She is known for playing Shannon Rutherford on the ABC television series ''Lost'' (2004–2006; 2010), Kim Mills in the '' Taken'' trilogy (2008–2014), Irina in ''The Twilight Sa ...
as young teacher Elizabeth Thatcher and
Stephen Amell Stephen Adam Amell (born May 8, 1981) is a Canadian actor. He came to prominence for playing the lead role of Oliver Queen on The CW superhero series ''Arrow'' (2012–2020). Amell also appeared in subsequent Arrowverse franchise media, along wi ...
as
Royal North-West Mounted Police The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) was a Canadian para-military police force, established in 1873, to maintain order in the new Canadian North-West Territories (NWT) following the 1870 transfer of Rupert’s Land and North-Western Territor ...
officer Wynn Delaney. In the television series Erin Krakow plays the lead role alongside an
ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that is composed of multiple principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast to ...
. On March 21, 2018, Hallmark renewed the series for a sixth season. The season premiered with a two-hour Christmas special that was broadcast as part of Hallmark's ''Countdown to Christmas'' event, and was to continue for a 10-episode run starting in February 2019. However, due to the
2019 college admissions bribery scandal In 2019, a scandal arose over a criminal conspiracy to influence undergraduate admissions decisions at several top American universities. The investigation into the conspiracy was code named Operation Varsity Blues. The investigation and rela ...
involving Loughlin and her subsequent removal from all Hallmark properties, the season was put on a "retooling"
hiatus Hiatus may refer to: *Hiatus (anatomy), a natural fissure in a structure *Hiatus (stratigraphy), a discontinuity in the age of strata in stratigraphy *''Hiatus'', a genus of picture-winged flies with sole member species ''Hiatus fulvipes'' *Globa ...
and resumed in May to conclude in June, with Loughlin's scenes edited out. On May 9, 2021, Hallmark Channel announced via a video from Krakow that the series would return for a ninth season, which aired from March 6 to May 22, 2022.


Plot

''When Calls the Heart'' tells the story of Elizabeth Thatcher ( Erin Krakow), a young teacher accustomed to her high-society life. She receives her first classroom assignment in Coal Valley, a small coal-mining town in
Western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada ...
which is located just south of
Robb, Alberta Robb is a hamlet in west-central Alberta, Canada within Yellowhead County that is recognized as a designated place by Statistics Canada. It is located on Highway 47, approximately southwest of Edson. It has an elevation of . It was named a ...
. There, life is simple, but often fraught with challenges. Elizabeth charms most everyone in Coal Valley, except
Royal North-West Mounted Police The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) was a Canadian para-military police force, established in 1873, to maintain order in the new Canadian North-West Territories (NWT) following the 1870 transfer of Rupert’s Land and North-Western Territor ...
Constable Jack Thornton (
Daniel Lissing Daniel Aaron Lissing (born 4 October 1981) is an Australian actor. He played Conrad De Groot in ''Crownies'' in 2011. The following year, he appeared in American military drama '' Last Resort''. From January 2014 to April 2018, Lissing starred ...
). He believes Thatcher's wealthy father has doomed the lawman's career by insisting he be assigned in town to protect the shipping magnate's daughter. Wishing to thrive in this 1910 coal town, Elizabeth must learn the ways of the Canadian frontier. Abigail Stanton's (
Lori Loughlin Lori Anne Loughlin (; born July 28, 1964) is an American actress. From 1988 to 1995, she played Rebecca Donaldson Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom ''Full House'', and reprised the role for its Netflix sequel '' Fuller House'' (2016–2018). Loughlin ...
) husband (the foreman of the mine), her only son, and 45 other miners, were killed in an explosion, due to the mining-company site manager's irresponsible management and lack of due care in his management of the mine. The newly widowed women find their faith tested when they must go to work in the mine to keep a roof over their heads, food on the table, and help pay the wage for the town's teacher. The town of Coal Valley was renamed Hope Valley in first episode of the second season after the coal mine was closed.


Episodes


Cast and characters


Main

* Erin Krakow as Elizabeth Thatcher Thornton: Elizabeth Thatcher is a passionate young teacher from city life. She found herself in Coal Valley, a small community on the Canadian frontier in need of a
teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
, and quickly discovers it is not an easy place to live, lacking the creature comforts and luxuries of her privileged life with her family. After marrying Jack, she loses him; shortly after the funeral, she finds out that she is expecting. Elizabeth meets businessman Lucas Bouchard a year after Jack's passing. They form a friendship based on their similar interests and strong intellectual connection. Lucas immediately falls in love with Elizabeth, but Elizabeth is still grieving Jack. The two eventually start dating, but he lets her go when he senses unresolved tension between Elizabeth and Nathan. This enables Elizabeth to recognize that her feelings for Nathan are her feelings for Jack that she has projected onto him. She realizes that she is in love with Lucas and they begin a courtship. Lucas proposes to Elizabeth in the Season 9 finale and she happily accepts. *
Daniel Lissing Daniel Aaron Lissing (born 4 October 1981) is an Australian actor. He played Conrad De Groot in ''Crownies'' in 2011. The following year, he appeared in American military drama '' Last Resort''. From January 2014 to April 2018, Lissing starred ...
as Jack Thornton (seasons 1–5): Jack Thornton is a
Mountie The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal and national police service of Canada. As poli ...
and a man of stout character and integrity. He often finds himself protecting and saving people. Upon his first meeting of Elizabeth, Jack developed an instant dislike and it appeared she irritated him. However, as like Elizabeth, he grew to like her and eventually falls in love with her over time. He "dies" off-screen in a Mountie training camp in Season 5. *
Lori Loughlin Lori Anne Loughlin (; born July 28, 1964) is an American actress. From 1988 to 1995, she played Rebecca Donaldson Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom ''Full House'', and reprised the role for its Netflix sequel '' Fuller House'' (2016–2018). Loughlin ...
as Abigail Stanton (seasons 1–6): Abigail Stanton is a Coal Valley woman whose husband and son died in the mining accident. She is a very kind woman, and she stands strongly for the things she believes in. She is one of the first women to welcome Elizabeth and the two women quickly become friends. Abigail's character was written off the show, halfway through season 6, after Loughlin's involvement in the
2019 college admissions bribery scandal In 2019, a scandal arose over a criminal conspiracy to influence undergraduate admissions decisions at several top American universities. The investigation into the conspiracy was code named Operation Varsity Blues. The investigation and rela ...
, through the idea that Abigail had travelled "back east" to take care of her sick mother. * Jack Wagner as Bill Avery: Bill Avery is a quiet but skilled man who acts as the town's sheriff and becomes the town's judge. *
Martin Cummins Martin Cummins (born November 28, 1969) is a Canadian actor known for his role as Ames White in '' Dark Angel'' and as Nick Boyle in '' Poltergeist: The Legacy''. Life and career Cummins went to Seaquam Secondary School in the town of North Del ...
as Henry Gowen: Henry Gowen is a businessman who owned the late Coal Valley mining company and was arrested for stealing town funds. With the help of Abigail, he is given a second chance and starts his own oil business in the town. *
Pascale Hutton Pascale Hutton (born June 14, 1979) is a Canadian actress. She was born in Creston, British Columbia. Hutton attended the conservatory acting program at the University of Alberta in Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadia ...
as Rosemary LeVeaux Coulter: Rosemary is a flamboyant, enthusiastic actress from New York. She was briefly engaged to Jack Thornton, but called it off due to their differences. She decides to stay in town, eventually falling in love with the sawmill owner, Lee Coulter. *
Kavan Smith Kavan Joel Smith (born May 6, 1970) is a Canadian actor known for playing Major Evan Lorne in ''Stargate Atlantis'' and ''Stargate SG-1'', as Agent Jed Garrity in ''The 4400'', and as Leland Coulter in ''When Calls the Heart''. Early life and c ...
as Leland Coulter (season 2–present): Lee Coulter is a kind, laid-back, patient man, who opens a sawmill in Hope Valley. He marries Rosemary. * Chris McNally as Lucas Bouchard (season 6–present): Lucas Bouchard is a businessman who owns the Queen of Hearts saloon and Gowen Petroleum. He donates a building to Elizabeth so that she can open a public library for the town. Lucas and Elizabeth begin dating in Season 8 before briefly breaking up over misunderstandings. They reunite in the Season 8 finale and begin an official courtship after sharing their first kiss. Lucas and Elizabeth proclaim their love for each other and he proposes to her in the Season 9 finale, which she happily accepts. *
Andrea Brooks Andrea K. Brooks (born March 3, 1989) is a Canadian actress and model best known for portraying Faith Carter on the Hallmark series ''When Calls the Heart'' and Eve Teschmacher in The CW series ''Supergirl''. Early life Born in Brantford, Ont ...
as Faith Carter (recurring seasons 2–5 & 7; main seasons 6, 8-present): Faith Carter is a nurse who visits from Elizabeth's home city to come work in Hope Valley. She falls in love with Carson. * Paul Greene as Carson Shepherd (recurring season 4–5; main season 6-8): Carson Shepherd is a doctor who works in Hope Valley and falls in love with Faith. *Kevin McGarry as Nathan Grant (season 6–present): Nathan Grant comes to Hope Valley with his niece, Allie. Nathan develops feelings for Elizabeth but is unable to ask her out. He proclaims his love for her in Season 8, but she rushes away in shock. It is eventually revealed that Nathan came to Hope Valley to protect Elizabeth and her son as he feels guilty that Jack died while he took his place for the training assignment. In the Season 8 finale, Elizabeth informs Nathan that she is not in love with him but will always care for him as a friend. *Eva Bourne as Clara Stanton Flynn (recurring season 2–5; main season 6–8): Clara Stanton is Abigail's daughter-in-law who works at the Cafe and marries Jesse Flynn. *Aren Buchholz as Jesse Flynn (recurring season 3–5; main season 6–8): Jesse is a former outlaw, who now lives in Hope Valley. He marries Clara. *Viv Leacock as Joseph Canfield (recurring season 8; main season 9): A delivery driver who moves to Hope Valley and becomes the new pastor.


Recurring

*
Charlotte Hegele Charlotte Hegele is a Canadian actress best known for her role as Kate Andrews on the Canadian television drama series ''Bomb Girls''. Life and career Charlotte Hegele is an Ontarian who was born in Toronto and spent most of her childhood in ...
as Julie Thatcher: Elizabeth's younger sister who longs for romance and adventure (seasons 1–2, 5–6) *
Erica Carroll Erica Carroll is a Canadian actress. On TV, she has played Dottie Ramsey on ''When Calls the Heart'', angel Hannah on '' Supernatural'' in seasons 9 and 10, the character Mrs. Rivera on the series '' Almost Human'', Inza Nelson in '' Smallville ...
as Dottie Ramsey: A curious woman who is interested in everything happening in town (seasons 1–5) *Loretta Walsh as Florence Blakeley Yost: A Hope Valley resident who is known to gossip. She later marries Ned Yost. (seasons 1–present) *Johannah Newmarch as Molly Sullivan: A Hope Valley resident who is the mother of Rosaleen. She worked for Bill as an office cleaner. She later becomes the receptionist and Carson's assistant at the infirmary. (seasons 1–present) *
Hrothgar Mathews Hrothgar Mathews (born January 27, 1964) is a Canadian actor known for his performance as Gill St. George in the 1999 television film ''Milgaard.'' Career He has also played the recurring roles of Mark Fellows in '' Tom Stone'', Det. Charlie Klot ...
as Ned Yost: The owner and proprietor of the town's Mercantile. He has a daughter named Katie. He later marries Florence Blakeley. (season 1–present) *Ben Rosenbaum as Mike Hickam: A resident of Hope Valley who's worked at the mercantile, Lee's sawmill, and Gowen Petroleum. (Season 1-present) *
Chelah Horsdal Chelah Horsdal (born June 19, 1973) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her regular roles in the television series ''Hell on Wheels'', ''When Calls the Heart'', and ''The Man in the High Castle'', recurring roles on ''Stargate SG-1'', '' Lev ...
as Cat Montgomery: A woman of strong faith who teaches Sunday school after the church is destroyed (season 1) *
Laura Bertram Laura Maureen Bertram (born 5 September 1978Laura Bertram's bio
at www.northernstars.ca/
as Mary Dunbar-Graves: A woman who is left to care for her young son, Caleb, after her husband is killed in the mining accident. She later remarries a coal miner, Dewitt Graves in Season 2. (seasons 1–3) *
Steve Bacic Steve Bacic ( ; hr, Bačić ) is a Canadian actor. He is known for playing the characters Gaheris and Telemachus Rhade on the Sci-Fi series ''Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda''. After guest starring in seasons 1-3 as both characters, he joined the c ...
as Charles Spurlock (seasons 1): A Pinkerton agent who worked for Henry Gowen. * Mark Humphrey as Frank Hogan (seasons 2–5): Former outlaw turned pastor who puts down roots in Hope Valley. *Max Lloyd-Jones as Tom Thornton (seasons 2, 5): Jack's rebellious younger brother who enjoys flirting with Julie *
Garwin Sanford Garwin Sanford (born 14 March 1955) is a Canadian film and television actor known for his roles on ''Stargate SG-1'' and ''Stargate Atlantis''. Career Sanford's most notable roles are Narim in ''Stargate SG-1'' and Simon Wallace in ''Stargate ...
as William Thatcher (seasons 2, 5): Elizabeth's father who does not approve of her life in Coal Valley *
Lynda Boyd Lynda Boyd (born January 28, 1965) is a Canadian actress, singer, dancer, musician, and writer. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the films '' Final Destination 2'' (2003), '' An Unfinished Life'' (2005), ''She's the Man'' (2006), and ' ...
as Grace Thatcher (season 2): Elizabeth's mother who falls ill *
Marcus Rosner Marcus Rosner (born August 10, 1989) is a Canadian actor. He has appeared in a wide variety of television and film projects since 2012. Some of his more notable roles include appearances in the TV Shows Unreal, Arrow, Supernatural, and Once Upo ...
as Charles Kensington (season 2): An old childhood friend of Elizabeth's who works for her father and has unreturned romantic feelings for her *
Kristina Wagner Kristina Wagner (born Kristina Kay Crump; October 30, 1962) is an American actress. She is sometimes credited by the name Kristina Malandro. She is best known for her role as Felicia Jones on the ABC soap opera '' General Hospital''. She also ...
as Nora Avery (seasons 2–3): Bill's former wife who became distant after her young son died. *Ava Grace Cooper as Opal Weiss: A young student of Elizabeth's. She often carries a teddy bear named Brownie with her. (seasons 3–present) *Christian Michael Cooper as Timmy Lawson: A young aspiring musician who is a student of Elizabeth's. (seasons 3–present) *Genea Charpentier as Laura Campbell: A young Hope Valley resident who was a student of Elizabeth's. After aging out of school in Season 6, she begins working for Elizabeth as Little Jack's nanny. (seasons 3–present) *Carter Ryan Evancic as Cody Stanton (seasons 3–6): A young orphan who was adopted by Abigail along with his older sister, Becky. He was written off the show along with Abigail due to the
college scandal ''College Scandal'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Elliott Nugent and written by Frank Partos, Charles Brackett and Marguerite Roberts. The film stars Arline Judge, Kent Taylor, Wendy Barrie, William Frawley, Benny Baker, William Ben ...
. * Spencer Drever as Cyrus Rivera (season 4) * Jeremy Guilbaut as Ray Wyatt (season 4) *Kayla Wallace as Fiona Miller (season 6–present) *Jaeda Lily Miller as Allie Grant (season 6–present): Nathan Grant's niece. She is thrilled when her uncle legally adopts her. * Clayton James as Kevin Townsend (season 5–7) *Natasha Burnett as Minnie Canfield (season 8–present): Joseph's wife. She enjoys cooking and later starts working at the café.


Notable guest stars

*
James Brolin James Brolin (, born Craig Kenneth Bruderlin; July 18, 1940) is an American actor. Brolin has won two Golden Globes and an Emmy. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 27, 1998. He is the father of actor Josh Brolin. He ...
as Circuit Judge Jedidiah Black (season 1) * Brooke Shields as Charlotte Thornton (season 3) *
Josie Bissett Jolyn Christine Heutmaker (born October 5, 1970), known professionally as Josie Bissett, is an American actress. She is known for her role as Jane Mancini on the television series '' Melrose Place'' (1992–1999), and for her television film app ...
as AJ Foster (seasons 4–5) *
Niall Matter Niall Matter ( ; born October 20, 1980) is a Canadian-American actor. Following recovery from a serious accident sustained while working on an oil rig, Matter chose to pursue a full-time acting career. He received his first significant break in ...
as Shane Cantrell (season 4) * Michael Hogan as Archie Grant (season 7) *
Teryl Rothery Teryl Rothery is a Canadian actress of stage, television, and film. She is best known for portraying Janet Fraiser in the TV series ''Stargate SG-1''. She co-starred as Grace Sherman in ''Cedar Cove (TV series), Cedar Cove'', and has had major ...
as Helen Bouchard (season 8)


Production

The series, originally planned to be filmed in
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
, is filmed south of
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
,
British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, on a farm surrounded by vineyards. The fictional frontier town of Coal Valley (later Hope Valley) was erected in late 2013. Some of the set trimmings and a stage coach came from the ''Hell on Wheels'' set. The Thatcher home is the University Women's Club of Vancouver. The series was renewed for a second season, which aired from April 25 to June 13, 2015. Hallmark Channel announced in July 2015 that the series had been renewed for a third season, which aired from February 21 to April 10, 2016, with a sneak peek airing during the 2015 Christmas season. In mid-2016, it was announced that Season 4 would premiere on the Hallmark Channel Christmas Day with a two-hour special. On April 11, 2016, Lissing and Krakow announced via the series'
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
page that Hallmark Channel had renewed the series for a fourth season, which aired from February 19 to April 23, 2017. On April 24, 2017, series star Erin Krakow announced via the Hallmark Channel website that the show would return for a fifth season, which premiered in February 2018 and ended in April. Filming for season five began in Vancouver on August 22, 2017, and ended on December 21, 2017. On March 14. 2019, Hallmark announced it had dropped Loughlin from future company projects due to her role in the
2019 college admissions bribery scandal In 2019, a scandal arose over a criminal conspiracy to influence undergraduate admissions decisions at several top American universities. The investigation into the conspiracy was code named Operation Varsity Blues. The investigation and rela ...
. On April 10, 2019, it was announced that season six would resume on May 5, 2019, with Loughlin's scenes edited out. On April 13, 2019, the series was renewed for a seventh season which aired February 23 to April 26, 2020. On April 26, 2020, Hallmark Channel announced via a video from Krakow that the series would return for an eighth season, which aired from February 21 to May 9, 2021. On June 17, 2022, the series was renewed for a tenth season.


Broadcast

The first season of the series was subsequently picked up by
CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...
for rebroadcast as a summer series in 2015."CBC-TV stacks fall and winter lineups with British, Aussie fare"
. 680 News, May 28, 2015.
The network has since aired all six seasons. The series became available internationally on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
in August 2017, but was taken off in early 2021. Seasons 7-9 were added to
Peacock Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...
in November 2022.


Spin-off

A spin-off of the show, ''
When Hope Calls ''When Hope Calls'' is an American drama television series. The series is a spin-off of Hallmark Channel's ''When Calls the Heart'', which is based on the ''Canadian West'' book series by Janette Oke. It premiered on August 30, 2019 as the inau ...
'', was announced at Hallmark's Television Critics Association summer press tour on July 26, 2018. The series debuted on August 30, 2019, as the initial offering of the
Hallmark Movies Now Hallmark Movies Now (formerly called Feeln and originally SpiritClips) is an on-demand streaming video service that offers family-friendly movies, documentaries and short films. The company was founded in 2007 by Academy Award-winning producer ...
streaming service. The second season airs on
Great American Family Great American Family is an American cable television network. Owned by Great American Media, it broadcasts family-oriented general entertainment programming, including television series and Television film, made-for-TV movies. It was originall ...
.


References


External links


Official website
* {{Hallmark Channel 2010s American drama television series 2010s American romance television series 2010s Canadian drama television series 2020s American drama television series 2020s American romance television series 2020s Canadian drama television series 2014 American television series debuts 2014 Canadian television series debuts Canadian romance television series CBC Television original programming English-language television shows Hallmark Channel original programming Period family drama television series Super Channel (Canadian TV channel) original programming Television shows based on Canadian novels Television shows filmed in Vancouver Television series set in the 1910s Television shows set in Alberta 2010s Western (genre) television series Canadian Western (genre) television series