Hope Valley: 1874, the new prequel series to the beloved When Calls the Heart, will premiere Saturday, March 21 exclusively on Hallmark+, with a new episode premiering every Thursday beginning March 26!
This prequel series to When Calls the Heart will take viewers back in time to follow the early settlers of the community that will one day become the beloved frontier town of Hope Valley.
Showcasing themes of perseverance and romance, Hope Valley: 1874 explores the journey of a mother as she discovers a new chapter in her life as she helps forge what starts out as collection of isolated settlers into a small close-knit community during the rugged and hopeful Pioneer Era.
December 12, 2025
The When Calls the Heart universe is expanding with the new series Hope Valley: 1874, which begins production next week in Vancouver, BC and will premiere in March 2026 exclusively on Hallmark+. Starring Bethany Joy Lenz (A Biltmore Christmas), Benjamin Ayres (The Santa Class) and Jill Hennessy (City on a Hill), the eight-episode series takes place in 1874 and 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. Also starring in the series are Roan Curtis (Firefly Lane) as Hattie’s daughter, Olivia, and Lachlan Quarmby (Providence Falls) as Constable Alexander Vaughn, one of the first members of the newly created Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The series will feature the adventurous ranchers, gold prospectors and early pioneers who worked together to navigate and embrace the changes of a new era and ultimately build a small, close-knit community in the rugged and hopeful pioneer era.