‘When Calls the Heart’ Season 12 Premiere Date Revealed, and It’s Sooner Than We Expected

4 days ago

<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/hallmark-channel”>Hallmark Channel</a> is headed back to Hope Valley. The network has announced a premiere date for <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/when-calls-the-heart-cast-work-season-12.html/”>When Calls the Heart Season 12</a>, and it’s sooner than we expected.

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-when-calls-the-heart-season-12-premieres-in-january-2025″>‘When Calls the Heart’ Season 12 premieres in January 2025</h2>

When Calls the Heart Season 12 will premiere on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Hallmark made the announcement on Nov. 9, during the airing of series star <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/erin-krakow-santa-tell-me-new-hallmark-christmas-movie-daniel-lissing-special.html/”>Erin Krakow’s new Christmas movie, Santa Tell Me</a>.

The When Calls the Heart cast recently finished filming on the upcoming season in Canada.

“That’s a wrap on Season 12 of @wcth_tv! We are so grateful and proud and exhausted! Can’t wait to share this special season with all of you!” Krakow wrote on <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/DCIkbbYp5l2/?hl=en” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Instagram</a> shortly before the premiere date was announced.

The January premiere date for When Calls the Heart Season 12 is something of a surprise. Recent seasons of the show have begun airing in March, July, and April, while seasons 3-8 premiered in late February. Most fans did not expect the show to return until spring 2025.

The <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/when-calls-the-heart-season-11-finale.html/”>When Calls the Heart Season 11 finale</a> aired in June 2024. The season ended with Mei (Amanda Wong) and Hickam (Ben Rosenbaum) saying “I do” and newly-official couple Elizabeth (Krakow) and Nathan (Kevin McGarry) on the verge of receiving some news about her late husband Jack.

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-when-calls-the-heart-teases-melissa-gilbert-s-new-role”>‘When Calls the Heart’ teases Melissa Gilbert’s new role </h2>

<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-2″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Melissa-Gilbert.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Smiling Melissa Gilbert poses for a photo on a film festival red carpet” class=”wp-image-3739607″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Melissa Gilbert | VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>

<div class=”related-article related-article–simple”>
Related

<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/when-calls-the-heart-showrunner-shuts-down-speculation-about-jacks-return-in-season-12.html/”>
‘When Calls the Heart’ Showrunner Shuts Down Speculation About Jack’s Return in Season 12 </a>

</div>
A first-look teaser for the next season of When Calls the Heart hints at what’s ahead for Elizabeth, Nathan, and the other residents of Hope Valley. Nathan and Elizabeth seem to still be going strong (despite the cliffhanger at the end of season 11), and Rosemary (Pascale Hutton) and Lee’s (Kavan Smith) daughter Goldie is now an adorable toddler.

The brief clip also introduces a <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/when-calls-the-heart-just-cemented-its-little-house-on-the-prairie-connection-with-this-surprise-casting.html/”>new character played by Melissa Gilbert</a>. The Little House on the Prairie alum will portray Georgie McGill, who apparently has some kind of history with Bill Avery (Jack Wagner), based on his warm greeting when she appears in Nathan’s office.

Gilbert’s casting came about thanks to her iconic role as Laura Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie. That show <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/little-house-on-the-prairie-michael-landon-said-reporters-tried-degrade.html/?swcfpc=1″>starred Michael Landon</a> as Laura’s father, Charles “Pa” Ingalls. Landon’s son, Michael Landon Jr., is a co-creator of When Calls the Heart. When Gilbert and Landon Jr. reconnected at the Little House on the Prairie 50th Anniversary Cast Reunion and Festival earlier in 2023, they hatched the plan for her to guest star on the Hallmark series.

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-elizabeth-and-nathan-face-challenges-in-season-12-showrunner-says”>Elizabeth and Nathan face ‘challenges’ in season 12, showrunner says </h2>

In addition to introducing Gilbert’s character, When Calls the Heart Season 12 will also explore Elizabeth and Nathan’s deepening relationship. As they move past the honeymoon period, the new couple will face “hurdles and challenging situations,” showrunner Lindsay Sturman told <a href=”https://www.tvguide.com/news/when-calls-the-heart-season-11-finale-cliffhanger-elizabeth-and-nathan/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>TV Guide</a> after the season 11 finale.

“They found each other and now it’s about, how do you face challenges together going forward — life throws you challenges, but watching those challenges pull them together as they face the future together,” she said.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s former fiancé Lucas (Chris McNally) will be on his own journey. He’ll be torn between his desire to throw himself into his governor role in Capital City and his connection to Hope Valley, which creates a “push-pull into season 12,” Sturman said.

“The themes of Season 12 will focus on romance as we follow Elizabeth and Nathan’s relationship that has been years in the making,” Sturman added. “There are also a few major milestones that happen in season 12: Little Jack would be starting school and some of our main students are graduating. Telling stories about these big moments let us touch on themes of facing the future, overcoming fears, and following your true path to happiness, which is, of course, Elizabeth’s story — following her heart.”

For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to <a href=”https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWmTM34h0-P7FcCwuA6h6sw/videos” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel</a>.