<P> When Calls the Heart is a Canadian - American television drama series, inspired by Janette Oke's book of the same name from her Canadian West series, and developed by Michael Landon Jr . The series began airing on the Hallmark Channel in the United States on January 11, 2014, and on April 16, 2014 on Super Channel in Canada . </P> <P> The series originally debuted as a two - hour television movie pilot in October 2013, starring Maggie Grace as young teacher Elizabeth Thatcher and Stephen Amell as North West Mounted Police officer Wynn Delaney . In the television series Erin Krakow is cast as her niece, whose name is also Elizabeth Thatcher (played by Poppy Drayton in the movie), and Daniel Lissing plays a Mountie named Jack Thornton, with Lori Loughlin reprising her role as coal mine widow Abigail Stanton . </P> <P> On April 24, 2017, Krakow announced via the Hallmark Channel website that the show would return for a fifth season, which premiered with a two - hour Christmas special broadcast as part of Hallmark's Countdown to Christmas event and resumed in February 2018, ending in April . On March 21, 2018, Hallmark renewed the series for a sixth season . </P> <P> When Calls the Heart tells the story of Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), a young teacher accustomed to her high - society life . She receives her first classroom assignment in Coal Valley, a small coal - mining town in Western Canada which is located just south of Robb, Alberta . There, life is simple--but often fraught with challenges . Elizabeth charms most everyone in Coal Valley, except Royal North West Mounted Police Constable Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing). He believes Thatcher's wealthy father has doomed the lawman's career by insisting he be assigned in town to protect the shipping magnate's daughter . The town of Coal Valley was renamed Hope Valley in Episode 2, Season 2 after the coal mine was closed . </P>

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