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‘When Calls the Heart’ producers say show is ‘on a creative hiatus’

Change is in the air on When Calls the Heart.

There was a lot of uncertainty in the wake of former When Calls the Heart star Lori Loughlin’s arrest in the college admissions scandal last week.

Viewers feared what the fallout could be for the beloved and very popular television show. A series of tweets from Hallmark Channel and When Calls the Heart producer Brian Bird began to trickle in answering some questions and leaving others open.

First came the announcement that Hallmark Channel would no longer be working with Loughlin on projects for any of the Crown Media Family Network channels. That also includes her popular role in the Garage Sale Mysteries series on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.

Then came the disappointing news that When Calls the Heart was being pulled from Sunday’s lineup on March 17.  Questions began swirling regarding the status of season 6, which has already been filmed. Season 6 premiered on Sunday, February 24 with the first 3 episodes having been aired thus far. Next up would be the highly anticipated introduction of the new Mountie assigned to Hope Valley.

Alas, viewers will now have to wait on that. But for how long? Fans feared the frontier family drama could be canceled altogether.

Producer Brian Bird felt the concern of the viewers and delivered a statement from the show’s producers on March 16, which put some of those fears to rest. You can read the full statement in the tweet below.

While the timeline for the return of the series is uncertain, fans are assured that When Calls the Heart “has not been canceled”. Bird shared that the show is “on a creative hiatus” during which some modifications will be made to the season 6 episodes not yet aired.

Of course, viewers are wondering what type of changes may be in process. There is no confirmation at this time if Loughlin’s role might be recast, written out of the show, or some other scenario. Fans fear that another main character death could be devastating for the viewers in the wake of the loss sustained in season 5.

Bird expressed gratitude to the “Hearties” (as the fandom is called) for their ongoing support and dedication.  You can keep up with updates for When Calls the Heart using hashtags #WCTH and #Hearties.

Meanwhile, you can revisit the first three episodes of season 6 via our recaps here on Fan Fest News. Also available is an interview with new character Lucas Bouchard played by actor Chris McNally.

Take heart “Hearties”! There are plans for more When Calls the Heart.