'When Hope Calls', the 'When Calls the Heart' Spinoff, Premiere Date Set

The When Calls the Heart spinoff has an official premiere date. When Hope Calls, an offshoot of the Hallmark Channel's popular drama series, will premiere on Friday, Aug. 30 on the network's streaming service, Hallmark Movies Now. Subsequent episodes will air every Friday through Oct. 25.

Viewers will watch the story of sisters Lillian (Morgan Kohan) and Grace (Jocelyn Hudon) who open an orphanage in the 1916 Western town of Brookfield. Caught between the tradition of cattle ranchers and the ambitions of a growing town, they strive to find romance and happiness while overcoming the challenges of helping the children in their care. Throughout their journey, they discover community, acceptance and love as they create the family they always longed to have.

Fans of When Calls the Heart will remember when Kohan and Hudon first appeared as their characters in the franchise's 2018 holiday movie, The Great Christmas Blessing.

Joining the duo are R.J. Hatanaka as Gabriel, the Brookfield Mountie who catches Lillian's eye; Greg Hovanessian as Chuck, the ranch hand after Grace's heart; and Wendy Crewson as Tess, Chuck's mother and up until recent events, a longtime family friend of Lillian's.

"When Hope Calls embodies the same heartfelt themes of community, family and faith that have resonated so strongly with When Calls the Heart fans over the past six years. This is another series that viewers are sure to treasure," Michelle Vicary, Executive Vice President of Programming and Network Publicity at Crown Media Family Networks, told Entertainment Tonight. "The series rounds out the experience we are offering loyal viewers in 2019. Along with our linear networks, publishing and podcast platforms, our SVOD service is another way to enjoy the original content our brand is known for."

Meanwhile, When Calls the Heart was renewed for a seventh season back in April without Lori Loughlin, who was fired from the series and network after being named in the sweeping academic admissions scandal earlier this year.

Loughlin's character, Abigail, was written out of the series earlier this year when Erin Krakow's character, Elizabeth Thatcher Thornton, said Abigail left Hope Valley for the East Coast to help her ill mother. Loughlin did not appear in the episode.