When Calls the Heart is the Hallmark Channel’s most-watched show of all time, and after 13 seasons, it is still going strong. So strong, it is getting a prequel on Hallmark+ today.
Hope Valley: 1874 stars Bethany Joy Lenz, Benjamin Ayres, Jill Hennessy, Roan Curtis, and Lachlan Quarmby.
Newly widowed, Rebecca Clarke (Lenz) left Chicago with her 11-year-old daughter, Sarah (Mila Morgan), to open a boarding house in Hope Valley.
The town needs one because there are plenty of pioneers who are flocking there to find gold. The locals don’t want them there, so they don’t want the boarding house.
Since it is 1874, Rebecca did not see what the building looked like before she bought it. That is a bad thing because it is in complete decay. She gave up everything for it, so what is she going to do?
Tom Moore (Ayres) is a local rancher, and he hates the pioneers more than everyone else there. He does not want them there and is doing everything he can to stop them. But they are fighting back, and that is leading to a lot of conflicts between those who live there and those who are new to the area.
Constable Alexander Vaughn (Quarmby) has been assigned to Hope Valley and will try to maintain order between the two groups. He has the law on his side, but is that enough?
Then there is Hattie Quinn (Hennessy) and her daughter, Olivia (Curtis), who together run the valley’s trading post. They are the bridge between the two sides. They are pioneers who have settled there.
The mother and daughter have also welcomed Rebecca to their town, and they will make a good trio. Will Tom make them a quartet? Rebecca and Tom have a connection, but their differences are coming between them. Something I am sure will change as the show goes on.
I have to admit, I have never seen When Calls the Heart, so I can’t compare the two or know how they are connected. Having said that, I really enjoyed Hope Valley.
It is the perfect period piece for us to enjoy. It might take place 150 years ago, but it feels modern. It is also a series that we can enjoy as a family, and we need more of that.
So if you have been debating whether to subscribe to Hallmark+, this is your reason to do so.
Lacey Chabert is the Hallmark Channel’s darling, and they have been giving her quite an adventure this year. First, they sent her to the Happiest Place on Earth to film the Christmas movie, Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True. And today, Hallmark+ announced that she is taking a trip to Europe to star in a six-episode limited series, Paris Is Always a Good Idea.
Career-driven nonprofit executive Chelsea Martin (Chabert) travels to Paris with her confident rival-turned-ally, Jason Knightly (Scott Michael Foster) to secure a major donation but a heartfelt message from her late mother – and a loving push from her sister Annabelle (Rebecca Hanssen) – sends her on an unexpected journey to reconnect with the three great loves she once left behind.
From the rolling hills of Ireland to the magic of Paris and the sun-kissed vineyards of Spain, Chelsea retraces old footsteps and discovers that sometimes moving forward means first looking back. The telemovie is filming on location in Paris and Spain.
“We can’t wait for viewers to come along on Chelsea’s journey of self-discovery, healing and – of course – unforgettable romance,” began Michelle Vicary, Head of Programming, Hallmark Media. “We know Lacey will bring a warmth and authenticity that will draw viewers into Chelsea’s world as she goes down this exciting path that ultimately leads her to the love she didn’t know she was looking for.”
The Romantic Drama, which is based on the novel by Jenn McKinlay, is expected to air later this year on the streamer.
Fans still cannot get enough of When Calls the Heart, so Hallmark is giving the period drama a prequel, Hope Valley: 1974.
Set in 1874, the series explores the earliest days of the frontier settlement that later became Hope Valley, chronicling the courage, resilience and relationships that laid the foundation for the close-knit town viewers have come to love. Lenz portrays Rebecca Clarke, who travels from her home city of Chicago to the Western Canadian frontier with her 11-year-old-daughter Sarah (Mila Morgan, The Holiday Sitter). But when her wagon breaks down, and she realizes the boardinghouse is not as advertised, Rebecca has no choice but to accept help from local rancher and confirmed bachelor, Tom Moore (Ayres). Despite her best intentions to remain unattached, Bella can’t help but slowly fall for Tom and develop a friendship with tenacious pioneer woman Hattie Quinn (Hennessy). Hattie’s daughter Olivia (Curtis) helps run their trading post and catches the eye of Constable Alexander Vaughn (Quarmby), much to the dismay of Clayton (Goodacre), who harbors feelings for her.
The series stars Bethany Joy Lenz (A Biltmore Christmas), Benjamin Ayres (The Santa Class), Jill Hennessy (City on a Hill), Roan Curtis (Firefly Lane) and Lachlan Quarmby (Providence Falls).
Hope Valley: 1874 premieres on Saturday, March 21, on Hallmark+. After the first episode, it moves to Thursdays for the rest of its season.
When Calls the Heart was just picked up for a 14th season because it is still a top ratings getter.
Because of that, Hallmark Channel ordered the prequel, Hope Valley 1874, and now we know who will be starring in it. Bethany Joy Lenz, Benjamin Ayres, and Jill Hennessy will lead the eight-episode period drama set in 1874, which explores the early days of the settlement that later becomes Hope Valley.
Lenz portrays Rebecca Clarke, who travels from her home city of Chicago to the Western Canadian frontier with her 11-year-old daughter. But when her wagon breaks down, she has no choice but to accept help from local rancher and confirmed bachelor, Tom Moore (Ayres). Despite Rebecca’s best intentions to remain unattached, the future she dreams of for her and her daughter, along with the people she meets in this fledgling town – including the guarded Tom and tenacious pioneer woman Hattie Quinn (Hennessy) – ultimately compel her to put down roots and make a fresh start.
Hey, Lacey Chabert, now that you have had another successful Christmas season of holiday movies on the Hallmark Channel, what are you going to do? She is going to Disney World!
The actress announced that next Christmas season, she will star in Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True, which will be filmed at Disney World. That is the first time the two have collaborated on a movie.
“The history between Hallmark and Disney dates back decades, when a shared Kansas City connection and friendship between Hallmark’s founder, J.C. Hall, and Walt Disney himself led to our first-ever licensed products, including the very first greeting card featuring Mickey Mouse,” said Darren Abbott, Chief Brand Officer, Hallmark. “We’re thrilled to expand our partnership beyond the products we create together and onto the screen with this heartwarming and joyful Christmas movie that embodies the very best of both brands.”
The telemovie follows Lindsey (Chabert) and her extended family head to Walt Disney World to spend a magical Christmas together. But the dream of a jolly holiday gets quickly dashed when Lindsey discovers her room is next door to Philip (Travis Van Winkle), a disastrous first date she recently had, who’s also there on a family trip. As Lindsey and Philip’s paths cross throughout their stay, the frost starts to thaw as they learn they’re not so different from each other after all. Thanks to some Walt Disney World magic, the holiday wish Lindsey made in Cinderella Fountain just might turn their rivalry into romance.
Chabert and Van Winkle will be joined at the Happiest Place on Earth by Richard Kind, Christy Carlson Romano, Bryce Durfee, Taegen Burns, Asher Alexander, and Patrick Renna.
This will be just one of the many films that will be part of Countdown to Christmas. But I have a feeling it will also be the most memorable one in 2026.
