Hallmark Channel’s ‘When Calls the Heart’ has ‘Hearties’

A soundbite. It was all I was looking for — words that would resonate, tell a behind-the-scenes story. But as we drove onto the film set, the dreary clouds hanging above the Old West-style buildings only deepened the gloom in my heart.

Far from home after a drive to Langley, British Columbia — one marked with icy roads and snow — I was still reeling from a life turned upside down. In December, cancer had stepped into the scene changing our family’s script.

“Go ahead and go — you need to go,” my husband, Bill, had said, hoping to encourage me shortly after his release from the cancer surgeon’s care; a follow-up appointment six months down the road.

Still, the stress of being so far away in Canada for this freelance project just six weeks later — one I’d committed to months ago — weighed heavily. My “story” had certainly changed since interviewing the Hallmark Channel’s When Calls the Heart TV cast a year previously, but I planned to keep my fragmented chapter hidden.

It was my role to encourage the actors to talk comfortably in front of the camera, providing an inside “peek” at what goes on behind the camera during filming for the series — the friendships, the challenges, the fun. Some of the taped interview that would be selected — known as soundbites — would later appear in vignettes included in program DVD’s, once the show broadcast on television.

Strong as I intended to be, a few tears fell when actor Daniel Lissing (Canadian Mountie Jack Thornton) gave me a heartfelt hug, remembering I was a longtime breast cancer survivor. And my emotions stirred as I learned from Erin Krakow (schoolteacher Elizabeth Thatcher) the hardships soon to descend on Hope Valley; the make-believe but so true-to-life place where 1910 town folks had already overcome adversity. The continuing story of community, faith and love was always a cliffhanger.

But as I sloughed through the chilly, muddy fields and streets, Edify Media producer Tiffany Wallach capturing behind-the-scenes footage in between the actors’ interviews, little did I realize what would ultimately lift my heart.

On Friday night at a When Calls the Heart Hearties Fan Club event, I listened to women from across the nation and beyond share on-camera why others, including families, should watch the TV series. Though their time on camera was short, it gave me a glimpse into their stories. Some told how finding the show had made a difference in their lives.

Sarah Elliott, a schoolteacher who had come all the way from Shanghai, China, for the event recalled how she found When Calls the Heart while in the states on a family emergency. She had randomly picked up the DVD from a previous season because a favorite author, Janette Oke, had written the book by the same title.

“There was something about the show that just reached out and grabbed me,” Sarah said on camera, a look of joy on her face as she remembered the experience. “And then Elizabeth Thatcher is teaching — and she’s moved away from her home and dealing with a new place — and it’s like, this is me 100 years ago!”

Another Heartie told how she had immediately identified with several of the characters on the show who had experienced loss, like widow Abigail Stanton (Lori Loughlin) whose husband and son had died in a coal mine disaster in Season One. Through the drama-based production, this viewer who was grieving in her own life, discovered the Hearties. Once she connected with the loyal fan base, now 30,000 strong, numerous women reached out to her. Suddenly, she had an extended community on Facebook and Twitter that cared enough to stay in touch, some even offering to support her in prayer. No longer did she feel she was traveling a painful journey alone.

“What an amazing group,” I thought as one by one the women approached the camera. It would be less than 24 hours before I learned firsthand just how caring the Hearties genuinely were at a moment’s notice.

Early the next day while buckets of rain poured from the darkened skies, we set up production gear on-location in a temporary white tent big enough to seat almost 200 Hearties. As the day stretched, Tiffany followed the Hearties to another venue while I stayed with the tripod and audio equipment.

Nearby, the craft services food truck beckoned the Hearties and crew for lunch. I searched my pockets for a granola bar, knowing I couldn’t leave our gear unattended. Then without warning, what felt like a heaven-sent angel approached me with a smile.

“I’m Julie,” the lovely young woman said, reaching out her hand in greeting. “Can I bring you some lunch, maybe hot soup and a salad?” I hastily declined, knowing she would have to stand in line, the weather wet and cold. “It’s no trouble at all,” Julie said, returning later with all she had promised, and more.

This was only one of many kindnesses from the Hearties that warmed my body and soul.

Bobbi offered a signature umbrella to keep as I was about to dash into the rain. Jody invited me to warm up by the one remaining space heater after the empty tent had cooled. Laura shared a snack, my breath frosty in the late afternoon air.

In those moments, my heart felt lighter, my world brighter.

I had come looking for a soundbite, but along the way I found the Hearties — a behind-the-scenes story about a community that follows a tried and true script: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

This story was originally published February 20, 2016 at 4:52 PM with the headline "Hallmark Channel’s ‘When Calls the Heart’ has ‘Hearties’."