Back in December 2021, Great American Family dropped the 2-part When Hope Calls holiday special, When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, which was supposed to serve as the official kickoff for the show’s second season as it moved from Hallmark Channel to Great American Family. The special welcomed fans back to Brookfield two years after the show’s first season wrapped on Hallmark and left fans filled with hope for more adventures in Brookfield.
Instead, it was crickets after the When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas two-part special aired which had left many fans wondering if the show had been quietly canceled. Fortunately, that is not the case as When Hope Calls is finally coming back, and the show is coming back sooner than you might expect!
Filming on season 2 began this September with Great American Family eyeing a January 2025 premiere date, with the show then set to stream on Pure Flix. The new 8-episode season will open with the show paying homage to the romance between Morgan and Gabriel as “new characters are introduced that are seminal to the orphanage and children, the sprawling farms and ranch lands, and to the town of Brookfield.”
Joining the cast in season 2 are Nick Batmen as Wyatt, Cindy Busby as Nora, and Christopher Russell as Brookfield’s new mountie, Michael. Also back for season 2 are Morgan Kohan as Lillian Walsh, Ryan-James Hatanaka as Mountie Gabriel, Wendy Crewson as Tess Stewart, and Hanneke Talbot as Maggie Parsons.
Sadly, fans will not be seeing Jocelyn Hudon returning as Grace Bennett or Greg Hovanessian back as Dr. Chuck Stewart. The pair did not return for the When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas special which explained that Grace had left for London and Chuck left with her and the two wed and opened an orphanage in London together.
Interestingly, it’s not been confirmed whether Marshall Williams or Neil Crane will return in their respective roles as handyman Sam and hotel manager Ronnie in the upcoming season. It’s also unclear whether Lori Loughlin will be back as Abigail Stanton, a role she originated on When Calls the Heart and reprised in When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas – years after she was written off the show due to her involvement in the college admissions scandal.
We should get a better idea of who else might be returning for season 2 as we get closer to the show’s return in January, so stay tuned for updates!