Hearties have a really special 2026. Firstly, When Calls The Heart Season 13 premiered at the beginning of the year.
In addition, just last month, Hallmark announced a WCTH prequel called Hope Valley: 1874. This new series will premiere sometime in March. Best of all, starring in this spinoff prequel are some network fan favorites, including Bethany Joy Lenz, Benjamin Ayres, and Jill Hennessy. Since then, Chelsea Hobbs and Lachlan Quarmby, the heartthrob from Providence Falls, have been added to the cast. This promises to be a first-rate series!
However, there was one specific detail missing. In both the series announcements from industry publications like Deadline and the official Hallmark Media Press Release, the new spinoff series would premiere in March 2026. Furthermore, it was going to stream “exclusively on Hallmark+.”
But there was no mention of when it would air on the Hallmark Channel.
However, Hallmark fans and creators didn’t seem to notice this omission.
Since the December 18th announcement, there have not been any updates. Therefore, it seemed time to get the scoop on this pesky detail.
When will Hallmark air the When Calls The Heart spinoff on linear?
New ‘When Calls The Heart’ Spinoff Exclusive to Hallmark+
For about a month now, the new When Calls The Heart spinoff Hope Valley: 1874 has been in production in Vancouver, BC, Canada. There have been a couple of social media posts about this spinoff.
Most importantly, Hallmark Media has announced that this new prequel series will premiere exclusively on Hallmark+ in March. But what about linear? When can Hearties expect to watch the series on cable, on the Hallmark Channel?
I asked the folks at Hallmark Media this very question. This was the response:
When we announced the series we noted that this is exclusively for Hallmark+.
There was no mention of Hope Valley: 1874 premiering on the Hallmark Channel. There was no further clarifications or guesstimates.
Hallmark+ is the only place Hearties can watch Hope Valley: 1874 starring Bethany Joy Lenz and Benjamin Ayres.
Could There Be A Relaunch Of Hallmark+?
The news that Hallmark+ will be the exclusive home of the new When Calls The Heart prequel spinoff series, Hope Valley: 1874, is pretty big.
In my early January, 14 Hallmark Channel Predictions for 2026 article, I predicted that this new series prequel was going to relaunch the rebranding of Hallmark+.
This was based on the press release, which indicated that Hope Valley: 1874 was only going to air on the streaming channel, this spinoff was going to lead the relaunch of the rebranded Hallmark+. Now with this recent confirmation, this relaunch seems even more probable.
However, Hallmark Media has not made an announcement yet. But, this all makes sense.
Furthermore, in 2025, Hallmark did not have one movie reach two million viewers. Cable is fading fast. That means the network needs to make streaming work.
Now it appears they seem to be hedging their bets on Hearties. This is a loyal fanbase that could certainly make their streaming channel a success. They have tried this before. Can they make it work this time?
Last year, Hallmark Media tried to premiere The Way Home Season 3 on Hallmark+. Fans balked, and the multi-generational, time-travel, pond jumping series was canceled right before the Hope Valley: 1874 announcement. The network may have planned on this series becoming the solution for their streaming woes.
Now, it looks like they are going with Plan B. The network certainly needs a strong and loyal fan base as the cornerstone of their Hallmark Plus subscribers.
But, that is not all. Sleuthers have been waiting for new mysteries. And it seems that the network has been holding back on premiering mysteries. Could the movies they filmed in 2025, including Murder At The Masquerade: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, be part of a relaunch? That also seems possible.
Again, Hallmark has not said a single thing about mysteries. However, after a strong 2024 filled with great mysteries and the support of then EVP of Programming Lisa Hamilton Daly, it seemed that Hallmark Mystery movies were going to get stronger.
However, her job was eliminated in early 2025. Furthermore, the Hallmark Mystery Channel stopped being the place where mysteries are premiered. They air mysteries, but the Hallmark Channel has been the place they premiere. When the network did not bring back Miracles of Christmas, it seemed clear that this is going to be a dead channel that only airs repeats, like Hallmark Family.
With a cornucopia of mysteries already filmed, and a potential relaunch of the rebrand of Hallmark+ in March, could Hallmark make the streaming channel the official home of mysteries? It seems possible. Sleuthers just have to wait for the official word.
In general, Hallmark makes March announcements at the end of January or early February. That is in about two weeks. Viewers should know what their plans are for the linear channels and any changes happening at Hallmark+.
The new When Calls The Heart spinoff Hope Valley: 1874 premieres sometime in March, on Hallmark+.
5 responses to “There Is Only One Way Hearties Can Watch Hallmark’s ‘When Calls The Heart’ Prequel ‘Hope Valley: 1874’”
[…] There are a few pieces of information on When Calls The Heart and the prequel spinoff, Hope Valley: 1874. […]
I don’t like when things are premeired on Hallmark Plus. I pay way to much for TV and cannot add another plan.
[…] is the second movie in the series that stars two big When Calls The Heart fan-favorites, Pascale Hutton and Kavan Smith. Both Hearties and Sleuthers have been anticipating […]
[…] Saturday night, Hallmark shared the First Look Hope Valley: 1874 video and premiere date. Firstly, the series will premiere on Saturday, March 21, on Hallmark+. […]
[…] of Jen Lilley in a royal movie with Dan Jeannotte, and finally, the romcom that Janel Parrish and When Calls The Heart star Chris McNally have been rumored to be working […]