From a media release:
When Calls the Heart, the sweeping frontier drama that captured the hearts of loyal viewers in both Canada and the US (aka “Heartiesâ€), returns toSuper Channel, Canada’s only national English pay television network, on Sunday, May 3 at 7 p.m. ET (SC1). The Hallmark Channel Original series is a Canadian co-production filmed on location in British Columbia and based on the bestselling book series by acclaimed Canadian author Janette Oke.
Series stars Lori Loughlin (Full House, 90210), Erin Krakow (Army Wives) and Daniel Lissing (Last Resort) all return for season two and are joined by Jack Wagner (The Bold and the Beautiful) who returns as a series regular. Kristina Wagner (General Hospital) also joins the cast in the third episode of the season.
Season two will follow the residents of Coal Valley, as they navigate matters of the heart during uncertain times in the wake of the mine disaster investigation. As the season begins, young schoolteacher Elizabeth Thatcher (Krakow) and Mountie Jack Thornton (Lissing) are just starting to build on their relationship. But when Elizabeth gets bad news from home, she must return to the wealthy, high-society life she left behind, where her feelings for Jack will be put to the test. The hard-working and kind-hearted citizens of Coal Valley are facing turmoil as they await justice for the coal mining tragedy, just as new romance heats up on the frontier. In Coal Valley, café owner and widow Abigail Stanton (Loughlin) nervously awaits the trial that she hopes will clear her late husband’s name in the fault of the mine explosion that took his life. Emotions run high and long-kept secrets will be revealed as she works with a surprising new prosecutor, and with forensic investigator, Mountie Bill Avery (Wagner), who is hiding something from his past that could jeopardize their own romantic future.
The series is produced by Canadians Vicki Sotheran and Greg Malcolm, and executive produced by Brad Krevoy, Brian Bird, Michael Landon Jr., Michael Shepard, and Eric Jarboe. Second Season writers include Tony Blake (co-showrunner), Robin Bernheim (co-showrunner), Neal Dobrofsky, Tippi Dobrofsky, Andrea Stevens, and Derek Thompson. Directors are Emmy-nominee Neill Fearnley (also co-executive producer), Michael Rohl, and Martin Wood.
I am so happy that When Calls the Heart is going to air on CBC this summer. As a longtime fan of Janette Oake’s books, it’s long bugged me that it aired on Superchannel, a premium tv set of channels I won’t ever pay extra to get (satellite bills are way too high as it is). I’ve been seeing plenty of ads on CBC, especially during Heartland, which has much of the same type of audience.