When Hope Calls is the 2019 spinoff to When Calls the Heart, a Hallmark Channel series based on Janette Oke's novels. Set in 1915 centers upon two twenty-something sisters, Grace Bennett and Lillian Walsh (Jocelyn Hudon and Morgan Kohan), who were orphaned as young girls and recently reunited. The two run an orphanage in the tiny ranching community of Brookfield, Alberta, in the home of Lillian's now deceased adoptive parents. The sisters face struggles in trying to find suitable families for their charges while caring for their daily needs.
RJ Hatanaka stars as Mountie Gabriel Kinslow, a romantic interest for Lillian, while Greg Hovanessian is Chuck Stewart, a local veterinarian. His mother Tess (Wendy Crewson) is a widow running one of the area's largest ranches. She disapproves of both his refusal to take over the ranch and his interest in Grace. Other main characters are Sam Tremblay (Marshall Williams), gold prospector/drifter turned orphanage handyman; Maggie Parsons (Hanneke Talbot), a nurse recently arrived from England; storekeeper Joe Moody (Jefferson Brown); and Ronnie Stewart (Neil Crone), a luckless hotel owner who is Chuck's uncle and Tess' brother-in-law.
When Hope Calls provides examples of:
- Christmas Episode: When GAC Family purchased the show from Hallmark in 2021, there was a two-part holiday episode, "A Country Christmas". Guest stars included Lori Loughlin and Daniel Lissing from When Calls the Heart.
- Convicted by Public Opinion: When the orphanage first opens, many local residents believe the orphans are juvenile delinquents, given away by their own parents (a common belief in the early 20th century). When fire destroys the store and doctor's office in the premiere episode, two of the boys are automatically thought guilty of arson simply because they were nearby.
- Don't Split Us Up: After the death of their parents, 7-year-old Lillian and 5-year-old Grace were sent to different orphanages, with Lillian being adopted and Grace not. They didn't see one another again for nearly twenty years.
- Dream Sequence: In the 2021 Christmas special, Abigail is walking down the town's main street when she bumps into Constable Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing), her deceased friend from When Calls the Heart. Although she wakes and finds herself in bed a few moments later, the conversation between her and Jack leaves her unsure - was it really just a dream or did she speak with a ghost?
- The Drifter: When Sam first comes into town, no one even knows what he really looks like, as he's sporting a huge, wild beard. After he shaves, both Lillian and Grace are seen as stunned to see a handsome young man revealed.
- Evil Orphanage Lady: Averted. As both Lillian and Grace know what it's like to lose their parents at a young age and go to an orphanage, they are extremely compassionate and do whatever they can to make their children's lives easier.
- Fair Cop: Constable Gabriel Kinslow is kind to the viewer's eyes, as is his friend Constable Nathan Grant (Kevin Mc Garry of When Calls the Heart, making several guest appearances).
- Fiery Redhead: Averted with Lillian, who is about as calm as they come.
- Forbidden Friendship: Despite his mother's objections, Chuck is immediately taken by Grace. He urges her to join him for lunch, for a picnic - anywhere they can get to know one another better and spend time together.
- Free-Range Children: Considering this is a tiny community in the early 20th century, it's not too surprising that all the kids wander at will.
- Happily Adopted: After her parents' death when she was seven, Lillian is adopted by the Walshes, a wealthy childless couple who adore her.
- Horseback Heroism: Considering there are Mounties everywhere, is this a surprise?
- Kindly Vet: Chuck for sure
- Local Hangout: The Royal Broofield, hotel and restaurant, is essentially the only space in town where people can gather and meet.
- The Lost Lenore: Joe's wife Lisette died some years ago in a wagon accident, and he finds it difficult to move on - especially considering the guilt he feels at having been the driver.
- One-Steve Limit: Considering this show is set in the early 20th century, when names were usually simple and often biblical, it seems a little unusual that there are no two people in town with the same name.
- Only Shop in Town: Joe's general store often serves as as the backdrop for townies' interactions and various plot progressions.
- Open Heart Dentistry: In the pilot episode, when residents are injured putting out a fire and the doctor is out of commission, local veterinarian Chuck tends to them.
- Orphanage of Love: Thanks to their own childhood experiences, Lillian and Grace do their best to treat the children in their care like their own.
- Saving the Orphanage: When a government inspector comes to visit the orphanage, everything seems to go wrong, and both the sisters and the children worry they will be forced to shut down.
