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Season Premiere
January 5 2025
From the Production Journal of Michael Landon Jr. and Brian Bird, Executive Producers and Creators of "When Calls the Heart"

As I report to the set this morning for Episode 7, which we’re calling "Second Chances," and take in the world of Coal Valley that we are creating for this show, I can’t help but think this is the kind of show my father would have loved. I grew up having a famous Dad, but my best memories of childhood are not all the trappings of his success, but sitting next to him on the sofa with the rest of my family… watching TV. That’s right. We were just one of tens of millions of families watching TV together. That’s why I think he would be so proud of "When Calls the Heart," because it would have been a show like "Bonanza" or "Little House" we would have all watched together. And this town of Coal Valley if we were a family in 1910 we would have wanted to live in. These characters Janette Oke has helped us create truly care about each other. This is a town that would pull together in a time of crisis, like a good family would. So as we push into filming the second half of the season, it makes me smile that I’m carrying on the legacy of family programming Michael Landon began. Yes, it’s old fashioned to make this show in a world where meth deals and vampires are TV heroes, but I’m okay with that. Our cynical culture needs to get back to a few old-fashioned themes like redemption, forgiveness, sacrifice, courage and being good neighbors. I hope when these shows air, our viewers will feel the same way and do what Coal Valley citizens would do… share the good news with their friends and neighbors that there is some gold in these hills.

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