When Hope Calls is the series spin-off of fan favorite When Calls the Heart on Hallmark Channel. When Hope Calls is the story of two sisters who were left at an orphanage when they were young girls. The girls were eventually split up and they spent their formative years trying to find each other. Once they were back together, they did not want other children to have the same traumatic experience, so they opened an orphanage in the frontier town of Brookfield. The town of Brookfield is presumably not too far from Hope Valley where When Calls the Heart takes place, which gives the opportunity for some character cross over. At the end of season 1 of When Hope Calls, we left off with Mounties Nathan (Kevin McGarry from When Calls the Heart) and Gabe (RJ Hatanaka) hatching a plan with the help of Tess (Wendy Crewson) to capture criminal, Mike Sinclair (Curtis Caravaggio). Grace (Jocelyn Hudon) was setting off on a cross Atlantic journey to take orphan Helen (Riley O’Donnell) to be with her grandfather in London. On the morning of Grace’s departure, Chuck (Greg Hovanessian) leaves the cattle drive he’s working to ride all night to get back to tell Grace she matters to him before she leaves.
Much to the dismay of many fans, this series was not renewed by The Hallmark Channel after its debut season, but do not despair as the recently rebranded GAC Family channel has picked up the series and will air a two-part movie titled When Hope Calls: Christmas that is set to air on Saturday, December 18 at 8pm ET.
This two-part Christmas special will feature Lori Loughlin who starred in When Calls the Heart for 6 seasons. Loughlin will reprise her role as Abigail Stanton in the special, but we have not heard if her character will become a regular on the series.
Daniel Lissing, who played Mountie Jack Thornton on When Calls the Heart will make a cameo appearance in these specials. Jack’s character was killed off in an accident just weeks after his marriage to Elizabeth Thatcher, played by Erin Krakow, so we believe his appearance will be a flashback of some sort, but perhaps it will give a little much needed closure to all the fans still mourning his untimely death.
Jocelyn Hudon who plays Grace in When Hope Calls will not be returning this season due to other obligations, but we are holding out hope for her return in season 3.
We could not be more excited that When Hope Calls will be getting a second chance and that fans of When Calls the Heart and those who have never seen either series will soon become devotees!
Don’t miss When Hope Calls: Christmas on Saturday, December 18 at 8pm ET.
