‘When Calls the Heart’ Spin-off Sets Spring Premiere Date for Sophomore Season

It’s been over three years since this When Calls the Heart spin-off last aired, and much to fans’ disappointment, no news of when it would return was announced within that stretch, causing many to lose hope. That’s about to change as today, Wednesday, January 22, TVLine has confirmed that When Hope Calls has set its Season 2 premiere date for Sunday, April 6, at Great American Family. The installment features eight episodes, with its premiere scheduled to stream on Pure Flix three days earlier, on Thursday, April 3.

You may recall that When Hope Calls last aired two Christmas episodes in December 2021 on Great American Family, moving from Hallmark, where it debuted in 2019 with ten episodes. Also, in the Season 1 finale, Grace (Jocelyn Hudon) departed for London, and when the series returned in 2021, Hudon did not return. Meanwhile, Lillian (Morgan Kohan) revealed that her sister had settled in the U.K., and her Season 1 love interest Chuck (Greg Hovanessian) also left town.

In the upcoming episodes, Kohan (Lillian), Ryan-James Hatanaka (Gabriel), Wendy Crewson (Tess), and Hanneke Talbot (Maggie) will reprise their roles and be joined by a couple of new stars. However, Marshall Williams and Neil Crone, who recurred in Season 1 of When Hope Calls as handyman Sam and hotel manager Ronnie, respectively, are not mentioned in Season 2’s cast list. Neither is Lori Loughlin, who reprised her When Calls the Heart role as Abigail Stanton in 2021’s Christmas episodes.

‘When Hope Calls’ Season 2 Expands Cast List

Speaking of the new stars, the second season of When Hope Calls has added three names to its cast list, namely: Cindy Busby, who has been cast as Nora; Christopher Russell as a new mountie, Michael; and Nick Bateman as Wyatt. Furthermore, Great American Family has declared that the opening episodes of the season will “pay homage to the romance” between Lillian and Gabriel while “new characters are introduced that are seminal to the orphanage and children, the sprawling farms and ranch lands, and to the town of Brookfield.”

In the same vein, Trevor Donovan (90210) will appear in two episodes as Constable Jim Reynolds, “an experienced Mountie based in Clearwater,” according to the network, which further describes the character as: “A strapping man, proficient in horse riding and physical pursuits, Reynolds is known for his strong presence and skills in the field.” He’ll first appear in Episode 3, when “Michael (Russell) and Nora (Busby) arrive to pick up a child under his care.” Afterward, a second episode will see “Reynolds capture cattle rustlers preying on Brookfield ranches.”

When Hope Calls Season 2 arrives on Sunday, April 6. Stay tuned to Collider for more information about the new chapter.