Michelle Morgan brings quality effort to ‘Heartland’

The long-running series “Heartland” revolves around those who live on a farm that is a haven for people and horses. The 17^th season has started on Up Faith & Family and that primary focus remains as sharp as ever.

It is also a haven for families looking for entertainment that can be safely viewed by young and old. “Heartland” stories are full of love, distrust, greed, recovery and loss but never at the expense of the core audience.

Michelle Morgan, who has played Samantha Louise “Lou” Fleming Morris since the series launched in 2007, has been overwhelmed by the positive feedback that “Heartland” has gotten from the fans.

“It has helped people through illnesses. Through hard times. Through breakups,” Morgan says. “It is very much appreciated by families who want to watch a good show that drives them in and has an exciting story that they can watch with the whole family.”

Reaching a 17^th season in a series that includes more than 250 episodes is a milestone few scripted television series reach. Morgan credits “perfect alchemy” for the show’s longevity. That ideal mix for her is a good story engine and great chemistry between the different actors on the set. Toss in the unique setting in southern Alberta, Canada, and the show has what Morgan considers to be the perfect TV mix. Filming locations for Season 17 include Calgary, High River, Millarville and Longview in Alberta, Canada.

She says that while the cast and crew are getting accustomed to breaking records, the most important element of “Heartland” to her is that it is a multi-generational show that anyone in the family can watch and enjoy.

And the fans have been watching in big numbers. “Heartland,” is the longest-running one-hour drama in Canadian television history attracting 18 billion minutes of viewing by fans. And the viewers are around the globe as it is seen in more than 120 countries.

“Heartland” – based on the bestselling series of books by Lauren Brooke – was nominated for the Cogeco Fund Audience Choice Award at the 2023 Canadian Screen Awards.

Hector Campos, senior vice president, content strategy and programming at UP Entertainment, says, “Fans of ‘Heartland’know that UP Faith & Family continues to be the exclusive home of the newest season and the first place to see all episodes of their favorite series here in the U.S. We are also big fans of the series ourselves.”

Morgan’s discussion of “Heartland” keeps circling back to the family-friendly aspect of the show that deals with life, love and legacy. Those elements are dealt with in a very real way.

“It is so much about the family and the traditions,” Morgan says. “But, the legacy of the ‘Heartland’ family is not all peaches and cream either.”

She adds that the family is not perfect and that is a very important part of the series. Morgan laughs and says that her character above all the rest is very flawed, but she knows no one wants to watch a show about a bunch of perfect people.

“We are all flawed. Everybody’s flawed,” Morgan says.

The downside of being part of a television series that has been on the air for such a long time is that many plot threads have been followed. Morgan stresses the goal is to make sure that the stories remain fresh.

She has one goal and that is to make each episode the best episode. To that end, Morgan has even moved behind the camera where she has directed episodes of the series.

This passion for acting runs deep. Morgan is a second generation Canadian of Chilean descent who began acting in high school when she was invited to join the improv team. Her career on camera began at age 15 and along with “Heartland,” Morgan has appeared on “Batwoman,” “Stargate Atlantis” and “The Good Doctor.”

She landed the “Heartland” role the same year she starred in the feature film “Diary of the Dead.”

When time allows, Morgan is a passionate advocate for women’s rights and has volunteered at women’s shelters across Canada for the past 18 years.

“Ever since I graduated theater school and I was bored and looking for something to do other than hang out with my friends, I would volunteer at women’s shelters,” Morgan says. “I just liked to do it.

“As soon as I started getting a platform, it naturally evolved that I started being an ambassador for organizations that support victims of domestic violence. It is something that has given meaning to my life and is important to me.”

UP Faith & Family will add new episodes weekly with a three-week break after episode five. During the hiatus, UP Faith & Family will debut all-new exclusive content for fans. It can be seen on the streaming services Netflix and Hulu.

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