When Calls the Heart is a Western romantic drama television series inspired by Janette Oke's book of the same name from her Canadian West series and created by Michael Landon Jr. and Brian Bird. The series began airing on the Hallmark Channel in the United States on January 11, 2014, and on Super Channel in Canada on April 16, 2014. As of 2026, the show has aired 13 seasons and five specials.
The show follows Erin Krakow as Elizabeth Thatcher, a young teacher who moves to a small coal-mining town. In 2019, during the airing of season six, the show went on a hiatus following actress Lori Loughlin's involvement in the Varsity Blues scandal. The season resumed with Loughlin's scenes edited out. Loughlin is set to return to the show in 2027 for season 14.
Premise Set in 1910, the story follows Elizabeth Thatcher (Krakow), a young teacher accustomed to her high-society life, who moves to Coal Valley, a small coal-mining town in Western Canada which is located just south of Robb, Alberta. Thatcher meets and falls in love with Royal Canadian Mounted Police Constable Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing). Thatcher works to help the children of the town, and befriends many of the townsfolk including Abigail Stanton (Lori Loughlin), who recently lost her son and husband in a recent mine explosion. The town was renamed Hope Valley in the second season following the closing of the coal mine.
Episodes
Cast and characters
Main Erin Krakow as Elizabeth Thatcher Thornton: a passionate young teacher from city life. She found herself in Hope Valley, a small community on the Canadian frontier in need of a teacher, 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, Jack dies; shortly after the funeral, she finds out that she is pregnant. Elizabeth meets businessman Lucas Bouchard a year after Jack's death. 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. Their engagement is however broken off by Elizabeth in the Season 10 finale, because Elizabeth didn't wish to move to the capital with Lucas. Daniel Lissing as Jack Thornton (seasons 1–5): a Mountie 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 as Abigail Stanton (seasons 1–6; guest season 13; 14): a Hope 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 initially written off the show, halfway through season 6, following Loughlin's involvement in the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal, through the idea that Abigail had travelled "back east" to take care of her sick mother. Loughlin is set to reprise the role in season 14. Chelah Horsdal as Cat Montgomery (season 1): a woman of strong faith who teaches Sunday school after the church is destroyed. She is Gabe, Miles and Emily's mother. Martin Cummins as Henry Gowen: a businessman who managed the late Hope 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. Jack Wagner as Bill Avery (guest season 1; main season 2–present): a quiet but skilled man who acts as the town's sheriff and becomes the town's judge. Pascale Hutton as Rosemary LeVeaux Coulter (guest season 1; main season 2–present): 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 as Leland Coulter (season 2–present): a kind, laid-back, patient man, who opens a sawmill in Hope Valley. He marries Rosemary. Andrea Brooks as Faith Carter (recurring seasons 2–5 & 7; main seasons 6, 8–present): a nurse (and later doctor) 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 seasons 4–5; main seasons 6–8): a doctor who works in Hope Valley and falls in love with Faith. He later leaves Hope Valley to join a large hospital. Eva Bourne as Clara Stanton Flynn (recurring seasons 2–5; main seasons 6–8): Abigail's daughter-in-law who worked at the Cafe and marries Jesse Flynn. Aren Buchholz as Jesse Flynn (recurring seasons 3–5; main seasons 6–8): a former outlaw, who lived in Hope Valley. He marries Clara. Chris McNally as Lucas Bouchard (season 6–present): a businessman who previously owned 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. He later is elected Governor and Elizabeth breaks the engagement off. Kevin McGarry as Nathan Grant (season 6–present): who 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. After breaking off her engagement to Lucas at the end of Season 10, however, Elizabeth and Nathan both begin to discover they have feelings for one another. In the penultimate episode of Season 11, Elizabeth reveals that she is in love with Nathan, and Nathan confesses that he never stopped loving Elizabeth. The two share a kiss and begin a courtship. Viv Leacock as Joseph Canfield (recurring season 8; main season 9–present): a delivery driver who moves to Hope Valley and becomes the new pastor.
Recurring Charlotte Hegele as Julie Thatcher (recurring seasons 1–2 & 5; guest seasons 6, 10): Elizabeth's younger sister who longs for romance and adventure Erica Carroll as Dottie Ramsey (seasons 1–5): The widow of former town mayor Silas Ramsey, and a curious woman who is interested in everything happening in town. Loretta Walsh as Florence Blakeley Yost (season 1–present): A Hope Valley resident who is known to gossip. She later marries Ned Yost. Johannah Newmarch as Molly Sullivan (season 1–present): 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 and Faith's assistant at the infirmary. Hrothgar Mathews as Ned Yost (season 1–present): The owner and proprietor of the town's Mercantile. He has a daughter named Katie. He later marries Florence Blakeley. Ben Rosenbaum as Mike Hickam (season 1–present): A resident of Hope Valley who's worked at the mercantile, Lee's sawmill, Gowen Petroleum, and the Queen of Hearts. Laura Bertram as Mary Dunbar-Graves (seasons 1–3): 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. Steve Bacic as Charles Spurlock (season 1): A Pinkerton agent who worked for Henry Gowen. Gracyn Shinyei as Emily Montgomery (season 1–present): A student of Elizabeth's and Cat's daughter Mitchell Kummen as Gabe Montgomery (seasons 1–2): a student of Elizabeth's who is Emily's older brother 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 (season 2; guest seasons 5 & 11): Jack's rebellious younger brother who enjoys flirting with Julie Garwin Sanford as William Thatcher (season 2; guest season 5): Elizabeth's father who does not approve of her life in Hope Valley Lynda Boyd as Grace Thatcher (season 2): Elizabeth's mother who falls ill Marcus Rosner 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 as Nora Avery (seasons 2–3): Bill's former wife who became distant after her young son died. Ava Grace Cooper as Opal Weise: 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 (seasons 3–9): 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. 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. Spencer Drever as Cyrus Rivera (season 4) Jeremy Guilbaut as Ray Wyatt (season 4) Niall Matter as Shane Cantrell (season 4): A young man who comes to Hope Valley to help build the railroad. He had a son in Elizabeth's class. He and his son leave Hope Valley because his son had an eye condition. Jocelyn Hudon as Grace Bennett (season 6), a young woman who opened an orphanage in nearby Brookfield with her sister, Lilian. Kayla Wallace as Fiona Miller (recurring seasons 6–10; guest seasons 11 & 13): Originally a Telephone operator from San Francisco. Opens up her own barbershop in Hope Valley and later leaves Hope Valley to join the Suffragettes. 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 (seasons 5–7): The local blacksmith in town. Natasha Burnett as Minnie Canfield (season 8–present): Joseph's wife. She enjoys cooking and later starts working at the café. Amanda Wong as Mei Sou (season 9–present): Tried to outrun her ex-husband and took refuge in the town. She is later hired to work as a pharmacist and at The Yost's new business. Stefanie von Pfetten as Madeleine Saint John (season 10): A woman who comes to Hope Valley as a tourist along with her son Jamie. Samantha Ferris as Maisie Hickam (season 11): The mayor of Benson Hills and Mike Hickam's older sister. Billy Christos Jr. as Toby Kovalenko (season 10–present)
Notable guest stars James Brolin as Circuit Judge Jedidiah Black (season 1): A judge who comes to Hope Valley to prosecute Henry Gowen. Karin Konoval as Aunt Agatha Thatcher (seasons 2, 10): Elizabeth's aunt and her fathers sister. Anne Marie DeLuise as Carolyn Connors (season 3): Cody and Becky's estranged aunt Brooke Shields as Charlotte Thornton (season 3, 13): Jack's mother Josie Bissett as AJ Foster (seasons 4–5): An outlaw that Bill had run-ins with Cindy Busby as Marlise Bennett (season 4): Carson's former sister-in-law Michael Hogan as Archie Grant (season 7): Nathan's father