When Hope Calls
The series is about how family is not just blood ties, but those you choose to protect, and that even in 1916 on the edge of civilization, hope can be found when there are sisters of the spirit nearby.
Hallmark Movies Now launched "When Hope Calls" in the summer of 2019 — a spin-off of the hit "When Calls the Heart," set in the northwestern town of Brookfield in 1916. The premiere on August 30 introduces viewers to sisters Lillian and Grace, separated in childhood and reunited in adulthood, who open an orphanage and try to find their place on the border between ranch traditions and the ambitions of a growing town.
The series operates on Hallmark's warm nostalgia: there are no conflicts with weapons, but conflicts between honesty and compromise, between duty and heart. The tone is melodramatic with elements of a western: cowboys, Canadian Mounties, orphaned children, and the fight for justice. The format of 20 episodes (2 seasons) shows how two women create a family from those whom society has rejected.
If you watched "When Calls the Heart" and loved the atmosphere of the Canadian frontier, or "Anne of Green Gables" for its orphan stories — this series will offer similar comfort. For comparison with other "orthodox" dramas, watch "The Waltons" or "Little House on the Prairie."
2 seasons (10 + 8 episodes + Christmas specials).
Not necessary, but it helps to understand the context and crossover characters.
Constable Mountie (Ryan-James Hatanaka), Lillian's romantic interest.
Yes, ideal "clean" content for watching with children and grandparents, age restriction 10+.
No, the series is completed, but there are related Christmas movies.