‘When Calls the Heart’: Hallmark Channel Reveals Premiere Date for Can’t-Miss Season 13
Hallmark Channel has an early Christmas present for When Calls the Heart fans. The 13th season of the heartwarming period drama will premiere in early 2026.
‘When Calls the Heart’ Season 13 premieres January 4
When Calls the Heart Season 13 premieres Sunday, January 4 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, the network announced on Thursday. Episodes will stream the next day on Hallmark+.
There are a few things to look forward to in the upcoming season of the feel-good drama, including special guest appearances from both Melissa Gilbert and Brooke Shields.
“Guess who’s coming back to Hope Valley?” Gilbert said in a video shared on YouTube.
“It’s me! I’m so happy to be returning to When Calls the Heart,” Shields chimed in.
Gilbert is back as Georgie McGill, a forensic investigator and old friend from Bill Avery’s (Jack Wagner) past. Shields is reprising her role as Charlotte Thornton, the mother of Elizabeth Thornton’s (Erin Krakow) late husband Jack Thornton. She last appeared in season 3 of the show.
“You don’t want to miss the all-new season,” Krakow promised.
Kevin McGarry teases an event that ‘shatters’ Hope Valley in the 2026 season of ‘When Calls the Heart’
When Calls the Heart Season 12 ended on a dramatic note, as Elizabeth had to abruptly leave Hope Valley when her young son Jack (Hyland Goodrich) needed emergency treatment for his diabetes. Mountie Nathan Grant (Kevin McGarry) and his daughter Allie (Jaeda Lily Miller) were by her side as she traveled to Cape Fullerton (where Jack’s mother lives) so that Little Jack could get his insulin.
During a panel on Hallmark’s Christmas Cruise earlier in November, McGarry teased what was ahead for Nathan and the other characters in the upcoming episodes. Fans should brace themselves, he warned.
“There’s an event that happens at the beginning of season 13 that kind of shatters Hope Valley and the surrounding area and sets off a journey for every character that’ll run the entire season,” he said (via People).
”We ended season 12 with Nathan and Elizabeth and Little Jack and Allie all leaving Hope Valley, so we have to bring them back into town,” he added.
Meanwhile, Wagner has hinted that there could be a bit of romance in Bill’s future after he and Georgie shared a kiss at the end of season 12.
“They have a backstory and a history, and I kissed her in the final episode last year,” he told People. “So that sprung a whole well of romance for my character.”
Finally, season 13 will be a big one for Elizabeth as she learns to parent a child with a chronic illness, writer Joy Gregory said on the Heart to Hearties podcast earlier this year.
“There’s opportunities for real growth of her character through adversity,” Gregory said. “But also of course through love and sharing her burden with Nathan. I’m excited to lean into watching their relationship mature together. And that’s going to be through good times and challenges.”
Past seasons of When Calls the Heart are streaming on Hallmark+.
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