“When the Heart Calls”' Spinoff “When Hope Calls” Sets Winter Premiere Date at Great American Family

'When Hope Calls', a spinoff of 'When Calls the Heart,' has begun production on its second season, slated for a winter release date

When Hope Calls is back for season 2!

Great American Family announced the return of the When Calls the Heart spinoff series on Thursday, Sept. 19. Set to premiere in January 2025 as filming begins, When Hope Calls will star Cindy Busby as Nora, Christopher Russell as Mountie Michael, Nick Bateman as Wyatt, Morgan Kohan as Lillian Walsh, RJ Hatanaka as Mountie Gabriel, Wendy Crewson as Tess Steward and Henneke Talbot as Maggie Parsons.

“We were fortunate early on to understand that Janette Oke’s faith-filled characters had such rich origins that building entertainment universes from this world would present themselves over and over,” said Bill Abbott, President and CEO of Great American Media, in a press release.

Related: When Calls the Heart Renewed at Hallmark for Season 12: 'Cannot Wait for Hope Valley's Next Chapter'

The show is an offshoot of Oke’s When Calls the Heart book series, which follows beloved sisters Lillian Walsh (Kohan) and Grace Bennett (Jocelyn Hudon). When Hope Calls, which had 10 episodes in season 1 and two hour-long Christmas specials, features the same characters, now in the town of Brookfield in 1916.

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According to the synopsis, the former Hallmark series is “a family drama centered on the town’s orphanage and its residents who meet tremendous challenges while creating a hopeful, faith-filled community on the cusp of change in the frontier town while nurturing the children in their care.”

Season 2 features eight episodes, slightly fewer than the previous season, opening with an “homage” to Lillian and Mountie Gabriel’s romance.

Related: When Calls the Heart's Mamie Laverock's Mom Says Fall Was Not 'Intended': 'The Story Will Be Told'

Additionally, “new characters are introduced that are seminal to the orphanage and children, the sprawling farms and ranchlands, and to the town of Brookfield who welcome a new Constable from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Mountie Michael,” per the synopsis.

When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas initially gained traction for being Lori Loughlin’s return to television following her indictment in the 2019 college admissions scandal (the actress and her husband Mossimo Giannulli paid $500,000 to falsify documents to ensure their daughters' acceptance into the University of Southern California).

Loughlin returned as Abigail Stanton in 2021. At the time, her daughter, influencer Olivia Jade Giannulli, supported her mom by promoting the episode on Instagram.

"If you have GAC, be sure to check out this wonderful woman's performance tonight," Olivia, 22, wrote above an image of her mom stepping out of a horse-drawn carriage in a preview of the special. "Yaaaaa baby SHE BACK ON THE BIG SCREEN for all u hearties."

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