Two sisters, separated as children, grow up and open an orphanage in a small western Canadian town. That was the whole premise of When Hope Calls when it arrived in 2019, and the show is back in front of viewers: Netflix began streaming seasons 1 and 2 in September 2026, and the series has been renewed for a fourth season that will air in spring 2027.
The sisters are Lillian Walsh, played by Morgan Kohan, and Grace Bennett, played by Jocelyn Hudon. Lillian was seven and Grace five when they were split up. The town is Brookfield, in the late 1910s and early 1920s. Ryan-James Hatanaka plays Mountie Gabriel Kinslow, who has a romantic interest in Lillian, while Chuck, a rancher turned veterinarian played by Greg Hovanessian, is the object of Grace’s flirtations, much to the dismay of his mother, Tess (Wendy Crewson).
A spin-off with a long family tree
When Hope Calls spun out of Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart, which is based on Janette Oke’s Canadian West books. It premiered on August 30, 2019 as the first original series on Hallmark Movies Now, then aired on the Hallmark Channel from early 2020. Filming takes place in Powassan, Ontario.
Season 1 ran 10 episodes plus two hour-long Christmas specials. Its synopsis describes a family drama centred on the town’s orphanage and a hopeful, faith-filled community on the cusp of change. Then the cast moved on. Lillian, Grace, Gabriel and Chuck eventually leave town, and in season 2 the focus shifts to Lillian’s aunt Nora (Cindy Busby), a lawyer who takes over as caretaker at the orphanage. Constable Michael Fletcher (Christopher Russell) arrives to replace Gabriel and begins a romance with Nora.
A new home
The series changed networks along the way. Season 2 moved to Great American Family and premiered on December 18, 2021, with Lori Loughlin returning to television in the opening special. It was her first acting job since her arrest in the Varsity Blues scandal. Eight episodes of a later season were announced for January 2025, and the continuation of season 2 reached Pure Flix on April 3, 2025.
Season 3 aired from April 1 to May 6, 2026, and the fourth-season renewal followed shortly after the finale.
Sources
- When Hope Calls – Wikipedia
- “When the Heart Calls”' Spinoff “When Hope Calls” Sets Winter Premiere Date at Great American Family
