It's time to go back to Hope Valley! Hallmark Channel has begun production on season 9 of When Calls the Heart in Canada on Wednesday. The new season will consist of 12 episodes and will premiere at a later date.
“We couldn’t be more excited to begin shooting season 9 of When Calls the Heart," star and executive producer Erin Krakow said in a statement. “It’s a wonderful feeling being back on set with the amazing cast and crew. There are a lot more stories to tell this season and thanks to the talented writing staff, there will be more drama, adventure and romance and we can’t wait for our fans to see what Hope Valley has in store.”
When Calls the Heart remains Hallmark's most-watched original series. Its eighth season averaged 3.3 million viewers.
Krakow teased going back to work on Tuesday with a screenshot of her early morning call time, captioning the Instagram post with a sleeping emoji and the corresponding #Hearties hashtag.
In the season 8 finale, Krakow's Elizabeth finally made a romantic choice between her two suitors, saloon owner Lucas and Mountie Nathan, choosing the former.
“I'm very happy and I'm very sad, it’s the truth, people!” Krakow told ET in May of Elizabeth's decision. “I hope that I'm validating what probably many of the hearties are feeling, which is very mixed feelings. We have been blessed with Kevin and Chris, who have done such an incredible job bringing these characters to life, and it's impossible not to, as a viewer, fall in love with the characters they've created, it's just impossible not to. So I'm really excited about this next chapter for Elizabeth, getting to see her happy and free and in love.”
Chris McNally, who plays Lucas, said he believes "Lucas is ecstatic! He did his best to show [Elizabeth] how he felt and tried to be patient and took his time. Obviously there were hiccups along the way, but I think he said [in season 6 or 7], ‘I'll wait as long as I have to for the woman of my dreams.’ Something in that neighborhood. So I think he's mostly just relieved and excited for the future.”
For more on When Calls the Heart, watch below.
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