Fans of Taylor Sheridan and Westerns as a whole have no shortage of TV shows to watch. Currently airing, for example, is the fourth season of Mayor of Kingstown and the second season of Landman, with the third season of Tulsa King recently coming to an end. But while Westerns might be left and right these days, Hallmark is betting on the genre for their new upcoming series, Hope Valley: 1874.
The series, which will serve as a prequel to one of Hallmark’s best TV shows to date, When Calls the Heart, will be reminiscent of Sheridan’s beloved prequel series 1923 and 1883. In it, the show will explore how a town came to be, and the political, social and religious disputes that took place in order to establish Hope Valley in the first place.
What Is ‘Hope Valley: 1874’ About?
Hope Valley: 1874 follows Bethany Joy Lenz as Rebecca Clarke, a dedicated mother to her 11-year-old daughter who travels from Chicago to the Western Canadian frontier. But when her wagon gives out from under her, she’s forced to seek help from the local rancher and bachelor, Tom Moore (Benjamin Ayres). Rebecca insists on staying detached from Tom and focusing on the future for her and her daughter, but as the season goes along, she finds she can’t help but fall for him.
As she develops a connection with Tom, and many of the townspeople, like the tenacious pioneer woman Hattie Quinn (Jill Hennessy), Rebecca and her daughter begin to put down roots and make a fresh start. Also starring in the series are Roan Curtis (Firefly Lane) as Hattie’s daughter, Olivia, and Lachlan Quarmby (Providence Falls) as Constable Alexander Vaughn, one of the first members of the newly created Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The series, created by Alfonso H. Moreno, will premiere on March 21, 2026, exclusively on Hallmark+.
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‘Hope Valley’ Will Expand on a Beloved Franchise
With still a few days until the release, it’s safe to say Hope Valley: 1874 will be a treat to longtime Hallmark fans. After all, not only will the upcoming series be a prequel to the 13-seasons-and-counting series When Calls the Heart, but it will be a part of Hallmark’s frontier universe, which also includes the 2019 spinoff 2-season series, When Hope Calls. Together, these three shows build the timeline of Hope Valley and show how the community living in it developed over time, and how life and its many hardships changed from the late 19th century into the 20th.
While When Calls the Heart follows teacher Elizabeth Thornton (Erin Krakow) and the residents of the coal-mining town as it evolves into a thriving frontier community, When Hope Calls expands that world in the early 1900s. This time the series centers on sisters Lillian (Morgan Kohan) and Grace (Jocelyn Hudon), who run an orphanage in the nearby town of Brookfield and occasionally intersect with characters from Hope Valley. Therefore, Hope Valley: 1874 will be the earliest chapter in Hope Valley’s history, one that explores the early days of the town itself and how the values that define the community in When Calls the Heart first took shape.
With that said, whether you’re a fan of When Calls the Heart or Taylor Sheridan’s 1923, Hallmark’s upcoming series Hope Valley: 1874 could be the show for you. With a town’s origin at its center, and a budding romance at its heart, the series will certainly show a new side to the network, and hopefully become another beloved series to the Hallmark fanbase.
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