Get the Latest Scoop on 'When Hope Calls' Season 2 on Great American Family!
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Back in 2019, When Hope Calls, a spinoff of Hallmark Channel's uber-popular When Calls the Heart original series premiered on Hallmark Movies Now, the network's streaming service. The fate of the show and a possible second season sat in limbo for more than a year before Great American Family, an upstart network led by former Hallmark Channel CEO Bill Abbott officially picked up Season 2.
Season 2 kicked off with a 2-part Christmas special called When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas back in December 2021, but since then fans of the show, known as Hopefuls, have been waiting for the rest of Season 2. So when will Hopefuls get to see the town of Brookfield again?
Here's what we know so far about Season 2 of When Hope Calls.
What is When Hope Calls?
When Hope Calls follows the lives of two sisters, Lillian (Morgan Kohan) and Grace (Jocelyn Hudon), who are reunited as adults after they were separated as children when their parents tragically died. Both went into orphanages, but only Lillian was adopted. When Lillian finds her sister after years of searching, the two move back to Lillian's adopted family's home in Brookfield to start their own orphanage.
Is When Hope Calls based on other material?
When Hope Calls is a spinoff series of When Calls the Heart, the popular period drama that airs on Hallmark Channel. When Calls the Heart is currently in its tenth season and has already been greenlit for Season 11. The original series is based on books by Janette Oke about a teacher who takes a position in a small Canadian town and eventually falls in love with the town's Mountie.
Season 11 of When Calls the Heart was scheduled to start filming in July, but the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes have affected current production schedules.
Related: Everything We Know About When Calls the Heart Season 10
When does production begin on the new season of When Hope Calls?
That's still up in the air. The remainder of When Hope Calls Season 2 has yet to begin production. There are currently no dates in the books, but check back here for updates!
Where can I watch Season 2 of When Hope Calls?
The new season of When Hope Calls will premiere in the U.S. on Great American Family.
What is the release date for Season 2 of When Hope Calls?
Season 2 of When Hope Calls premiered with a two-episode holiday special on Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021 on Great American Family. No date has been announced for the rest of Season 2.
How can I watch Season 1 of When Hope Calls?
You can stream all 12 episodes of Season 1 of When Hope Calls on Hallmark Movies Now, Hallmark Channel's subscription streaming service. You can also rent/purchase episodes on iTunes, Amazon or other online services.
You can also purchase Season 1 on DVD at Amazon, Wal-Mart and similar sites.
What happens in Season 2 of When Hope Calls?
We don't know yet what will happen in the new season of When Hope Calls but we do know that the two-part season premiere brought back some familiar faces. In the two-hour premiere, When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, the town of Brookfield amps up its holiday charm as it vies to be named Harper's Bazaar magazine's No. 1 Country Christmas Town. As they try to put on the facade of a joyous Christmas community for the magazine's photojournalist, things are not so festive behind the scenes. In the midst of it all, a familiar face comes to town. Abigail (Lori Loughlin) and her son Cody (Carter Ryan) arrive in Brookfield to bring a troubled boy to Lillian's orphanage.
Later, as the photojournalist is finishing up his time in Brookfield, Lillian and the orphans, along with Gabriel (Ryan-James Hatanaka) are running out of options to restore the troubled boy's hope for better times. Just when all seems lost, a secret Santa appears to make the holidays a lot happier.
Meanwhile, Abigail has a profound conversation with a dear friend from the past. While it wasn't the #Henrigail moment this fan was hoping for, there has been mention of ongoing communication between Henry Gowen (Martin Cummins) and Abigail (including a visit from Henry) on both When Calls the Heart and When Hope Calls.
Related: Everything We Know About Lori Loughlin's Return to Acting
Watch Lori Loughlin's return to When Hope Calls
Meet the cast of When Hope Calls
While we expect Kohan and Hatanaka will return for the remainder of Season 2, it's unclear if other characters from the first season will be back. There were hints of a possible romance between general store owner Joe Moody and nurse Maggie Parsons (#Pardy) in the first season of the show. While we don't see Grace (Hudon) or Chuck (Greg Hovanessian) in the Christmas special (#Chace), we do learn that Chuck followed Grace to England where they married and decided to open an orphanage in London.
Morgan Kohan (Lillian Walsh)
Lillian is the eldest of the two sisters and was adopted by a Brookfield family.
Kohan has had guest-starring roles on Batwoman, The Bold Type and Star Trek: Discovery. She has also starred in Love on Harbor Island and A Whirlwind Wedding.
Fun fact: Kohan's favorite musical is Waitress.
Related: Morgan Kohan Reveals the Hidden Talent She Doesn’t Have!
Ryan-James Hatanaka (Gabriel Kinslow)
The town's constable, Gabriel Kinslow was previously injured in the line of duty and he's sweet on Lillian.
Hatanaka also starred on The CW's Riverdale as Detective Abe Tamura and as Dr. Evan Wallace on NBC's Nurses.
Fun fact: In his younger years, Hatanaka was a ball boy for the Toronto Blue Jays!
Related: Ryan-James Hatanaka Talks When Hope Calls
Wendy Crewson (Tess Stewart)
Tess owns the biggest ranch in town, a business she built with her late husband. She believes Lillian's adoptive father caused the accident that killed her husband and their relationship has been strained ever since.
Crewson has had a four-decade-long career acting in television and film. Her recent roles include recurring spots on Titans, Frankie Drake Mysteries and Good Sam.
Jefferson Brown (Joe Moody)
Joe is a widow and the owner of the town's general store. A fire burned down his original store and the town banded together to help renovate another space so he wouldn't have to leave town.
Brown has guest-starred on SurrealEstate, Hudson & Rex and Spinning Out.
Hanneke Talbot (Maggie Parsons)
A world traveler, Maggie hails from England and begins to work as a nurse when she finds herself in Brookfield.
Born in the Netherlands, the British-Canadian Talbot has guest-starred on Star Trek: Discovery, iZombie, Supernatural and Titans.
Marshall Williams (Sam Tremblay)
Sam is a prospector who takes on the odd job or two to make some cash. He is hired by the orphanage to make some repairs prior to an inspection.
Williams is best known for his turn as Spencer Porter on Glee. He can be seen in Hallmark Channel's Love Strikes Twice, Amazing Winter Romance and Follow Me to Daisy Hills.
Neil Crone (Ronnie Stewart)
Ronnie owns the local hotel in Brookfield and always seems to have some get-rich-quick scheme up his sleeve. He's the brother-in-law to Tess.
Crone, a voice and character actor, has over 160 credits to his name. He is the voice of Gordon on Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go! series, Mayor Montagu on Corn & Peg and Ashton on Luna Petunia.
Elizabeth Saunders (Eleanor Winters)
Eleanor is the caretaker at the orphanage and a longtime family friend of Lillian's.
Saunders has had guest spots on SurrealEstate, Clarice and Frankie Drake Mysteries.
Kim Roberts (Pearl Mayfair)
Pearl runs the local cafe in town.
Roberts has appeared on The Good Doctor, Workin' Moms, and Diggstown. She voices the character of Mayor Goodway on PAW Patrol.
Lori Loughlin (Abigail Stanton)
After a two-and-a-half year hiatus, Loughlin returned to acting once she dealt with the consequences of her involvement in the College Admissions scandal. She has starred in several movies for Great American Family including Fall into Winter and the upcoming Blessings of Christmas.
Related: Get a First Look at Lori Loughlin in a New Great American Family movie, Blessings of Christmas
Carter Ryan (Cody)
Abigail shows up in Brookfield with her son, Cody, and original actor, Carter Ryan Evancic (who now goes by just “Carter Ryan”), reprised his role.
Who's not returning for Season 2 of When Hope Calls?
Jocelyn Hudon (Grace Bennett)
Grace was reunited with her sister, Lillian, after a long search and the two opened up an orphanage in Brookfield. At the end of Season 1, Grace accompanies one of the orphans to England so that the child can be reunited with her grandfather. In reality, scheduling conflict was the main reason Hudon was not able to return for the Christmas special. The absence of her character and Chuck Stewart was explained in the special with the two deciding to stay in England and open an orphanage.
Related: Jocelyn Hudon Reveals Her Secret Celebrity Crush
Greg Hovanessian (Chuck Stewart)
Chuck was the town's veterinarian and the son of local rancher, Tess Stewart (Wendy Crewson). It was love at first sight for him when Grace came to town. He confessed how much he liked her in the first season finale when Grace was headed out of town to chaperone an orphan back to England to reunite her with a lost grandparent.
Hovanessian has had recurring roles on Netflix's Another Life and Hulu's Cardinal. He's also a fitness buff and likes to restore motorcycles.
While it seems unlikely the two will return for Season 2, there may be an opportunity for a guest spot if schedules allow.
Related: What's Greg Hovanessian's Favorite Moment From Season 1 of When Hope Calls?
How did Daniel Lissing's When Calls the Heart character return from the dead for When Hope Calls?
For five seasons, Lissing played Mountie Jack Thornton on When Calls the Heart and won the adoration of fans worldwide as Jack romanced Elizabeth. After making the difficult decision to leave the show, his character was killed off—the newlywed Jack died in a training exercise.
Lissing returned in the Christmas special as Mountie Jack Thornton in a single scene. In a dream Abigail has, she is visited by the Mountie's spirit.
Have any other When Calls the Heart characters appeared on When Hope Calls?
Several! In the first season, Mountie Nathan (Kevin McGarry) and the Coulters (Pascale Hutton, Kavan Smith) visited the sisters in Brookfield. Abigail and her son, Cody, also visit the town in the Christmas special.
Where is When Hope Calls filmed?
The fictional town of Brookfield in season 1 of When Hope Calls was filmed near the town of Powassan, Ontario, Canada—about a three-and-a-half-hour drive north of Toronto. The entire town of Brookfield and all its buildings were built from scratch specifically for the show.
What is the cast of When Hope Calls doing now?
Many of the cast have gone on to other projects until production dates for season 2 are solidified. While Canadian shows with Canadian casts are not affected by the SAG-AFTRA actors' strike, Canadian productions that have SAG-AFTRA cast will likely be affected. Here's what we know about the cast of When Hope Calls.
Morgan Kohan currently leads the cast of Sullivan's Crossing, a series based on books by Robyn Carr (Virgin River, Thunder Point, Grace Valley). The series premiered in the US on The CW and also stars Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill, Write Before Christmas) and Scott Patterson (Gilmore Girls, Saw V)
Ryan-James Hatanaka appeared on the most recent season of Criminal Minds and also starred in the live action version of Fairly OddParents.
Jocelyn Hudon has several projects in the works. She recently starred in Hallmark Channel's Love in the Maldives opposite her real-life husband, Jake Manley. She has also guest starred on The Rookie: Feds and Acapulco.
Greg Hovanessian was a series regular on Walker Independence, a spinoff of The CW's Walker. Hovanessian also guest starred on FBI: International and will likely guest star in the upcoming season or be upped to series regular.
Jefferson Brown recently starred in the new Hallmark Channel series, The Way Home, opposite Andie MacDowell. Brown plays Colton, the deceased husband of MacDowell's character, Del Landry.
Hanneke Talbot most recently appeared in episodes of Accused and Transplant. She previously appeared on episodes of Star Trek: Discovery and Titans.
Marshall Williams starred as Young Pat Patterson on Young Rock, a series that revolved around the formative years of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Williams has also starred in several TV films including Christmas Class Reunion and Scented with Love.
All About the Janette Oke When Hope Calls Book Series
The show also has its own series of books. Written by When Calls the Heart author Janette Oke and her daughter, Laurel Oke Logan, the When Hope Calls book series delves deeper into the sisters’ backstory.
In Unyielding Hope, the first of three books in the series, we learn more about Lillian Walsh (played by Morgan Kohan in the TV series) and her search for her sister, Grace (Jocelyn Hudon), who Lillian had presumed to be dead all these years.
Unyielding Hope is on sale now.
In Sustaining Faith, the second book in the series, an official complaint is lodged against the sisters and their orphanage causing their license to be revoked. You can purchase Sustaining Faith here.
The final book in the series, Unfailing Love, finds the sisters dealing with the aftermath when three children run away from the orphanage. Unfailing Love is available for purchase here.
