When Calls the Heart is an American television drama series inspired by Janette Oke's book When Calls the Heart from her Canadian West Series, and developed by Michael Landon, Jr. The series began airing on the Hallmark Channel on January 11, 2014.
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 Royal Canadian Mountie Wynn Delaney. In the television series Erin Krakow is cast as her niece, whose name is also Elizabeth Thatcher, and Daniel Lissing plays a Royal Canadian Mountie named Jack Thornton, with Lori Loughlin reprising her role as coal mine widow Abigail Stanton. The series has been renewed for a second season.