The town of Hope Valley is getting a brand new story that starts decades before the very first episode of When Calls the Heart. Hallmark has created a prequel series called Hope Valley: 1874 that takes viewers back to the very beginning of the beloved frontier settlement.
The eight-episode series is set to premiere on March 21, 2026, exclusively on the Hallmark+ streaming service. The show follows a group of early settlers as they build what would later become the small, close-knit community that When Calls the Heart fans have grown to love over the years.
The Story A Single Mother’s Journey to a New Life
Bethany Joy Lenz stars as Rebecca Clarke, a woman who leaves her home in Chicago to travel to the Western Canadian frontier with her 11-year-old daughter, Sarah, played by Mila Morgan. Rebecca’s journey takes an unexpected turn when her wagon breaks down along the way.
She has no choice but to accept help from a local rancher named Tom Moore, played by Benjamin Ayres. Tom is described as a confirmed bachelor who has been building his life on the land for about three and a half years. What starts as a simple rescue turns into something much bigger for both of them.
“I would describe Rebecca as stubborn and cynical with great mental fortitude,” Lenz told TV Insider. “She’s fiercely protective of her daughter. She’s got a really soft heart, and she’s really generous, but she’s old enough and wise enough to know that gets taken advantage of in the world.”
Despite Rebecca’s plan to remain unattached, the people she meets in the small settlement begin to change her mind. Along with Tom, she forms a connection with Hattie Quinn, a tenacious pioneer woman played by Jill Hennessy. These relationships eventually push her to put down roots and start a fresh chapter.
More Characters and Connections to the Original Series
The cast also includes several other key figures who help shape the early days of Hope Valley. Roan Curtis plays Olivia, Hattie’s daughter, who helps run the family trading post. Lachlan Quarmby takes on the role of Constable Alexander Vaughn, one of the first members of the newly formed Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The show introduces a love triangle involving Olivia, who finds herself caught between Clayton Cooley, a local blacksmith played by Jedidiah Goodacre, and Constable Vaughn. This romantic tension adds another layer to the story of how the community grows and changes.
For fans of the original series, the cast has promised plenty of connections to look for. Ayres explained that while viewers do not need to watch When Calls the Heart to enjoy the prequel, loyal fans will spot “very special Easter eggs” throughout the show.
“I joke that if you want to better understand When Calls the Heart,” Ayres revealed, “you should watch us first to see where it all came from.”
Quarmby added more details about how the two shows connect. He explained that the series shows the area before it even had a name, when it was just a few people settling the land. Viewers will see the beginning of the town’s buildings and, more importantly, the start of the values that define Hope Valley.
“It is the town you know as Hope Valley, but that’s more of the area, the piece of land you know as Hope Valley, before it was Coal Valley. Before it even had a name, it was just a couple of people coming out here and settling in this area,” Quarmby said. “I think that Hearties are going to really enjoy seeing how the place comes to be, and see the town that they know and love right from its genesis, both in terms of buildings being where they are, but also in terms of the morals that this town was built on, community and people helping each other.”
What to Expect from the Pioneer Setting
The show takes place in 1874, which is 36 years before the events of Season 1 of When Calls the Heart. This earlier time period means viewers will see a much rougher, less developed version of the frontier. The series features adventurous ranchers, gold prospectors, and pioneers who worked together to build something from nothing.
Hennessy noted that the show includes hints about what will come later in When Calls the Heart. Locations that fans know from the original series appear in their early form, and viewers will learn the reasons why certain places came to be.
“There are so many little hints about what’s to come in When Calls the Heart,” Hennessy said. “There are little character hints, and locations that figure prominently in When Calls the Heart. You’ll see them in their infancy here, or the reason they came to be in the first place. There are hints sprinkled throughout with love and precision.”
Behind the Scenes Filming in Tough Conditions
The production filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, from late December through mid-March. Unlike When Calls the Heart, which typically shoots in warmer months, the cast and crew had to deal with cold weather, rain, and even snow while filming mostly outside.
Quarmby described the experience as “tough,” noting that certain weather conditions required the team to adapt on the spot. When horses and campfires are involved, he explained, there is only so much rain cover that can work.
Hennessy shared her own experience of filming in the cold. Her character’s wide-brimmed hat became useful for keeping rain off her face and body microphone. She also recalled waiting for scenes in a makeshift green room that did not offer much protection from the elements.
“It was intense at times,” Hennessy told EntertainmentNow. “We’d go from rain to hail to snow, temperatures would go down, and we’d be sitting in this little green room on set waiting for our scene. It was, like, black plastic garbage bags hung on a frame and the wind would come howling in with one little propane heater in the middle. I was shivering, waiting for a scene.”
Curtis joked that while the conditions were real, her character spent more time indoors than others. She noted that no pretending was needed when characters looked cold because the cast was genuinely dealing with the weather.
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Release Details and How to Watch
Hope Valley: 1874 premieres on Saturday, March 21, 2026, on Hallmark+. The streaming service is the exclusive home for the series. After the premiere, new episodes will be available every Thursday starting March 26.
Hallmark+ offers a free trial for new subscribers. The service provides access to original series, romantic movies, and mystery movies, along with all seasons of When Calls the Heart.
The series consists of eight episodes and comes from All Canadian Entertainment production company. Executive producers include Brad Krevoy, Brian Bird, Michael Landon Jr., and several others who have worked on the original When Calls the Heart series.
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