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Hope Valley: 1874 Debuts on Hallmark+ With Franchise Ties and a New Theme by Bethany Joy Lenz

Cast members say the prequel unfolds before the town receives the Coal Valley name, promising on-screen answers to continuity questions.

Overview

  • The series premiered March 21 exclusively on Hallmark+, with new episodes scheduled to stream each Thursday beginning March 26.
  • Set decades before When Calls the Heart, the story follows widowed Rebecca Clarke and her 11-year-old daughter on the Western Canadian frontier after a breakdown forces Rebecca to accept help from rancher Tom Moore.
  • Benjamin Ayres and Bethany Joy Lenz lead a central slow-burn romance shaped by past complications and Rebecca’s plan to open a boarding house, which creates friction with Tom.
  • Producers and cast tease deliberate links to the flagship series, including Easter eggs, familiar names, and early versions of key locations for long-time fans.
  • Lenz wrote and performed the opening theme, “Hope in the Valley,” which debuts in the credits, and a full version is set for release soon; filming took place near Vancouver through cold, rainy months that the cast described as tough.