‘When Calls The Heart' Gets Season 12 Premiere Date On Hallmark

The Hallmark Channel has set the Season 12 premiere date for the popular When Calls the Heart Sunday as Jan. 5 at 9/8c.

News of the release date came in a surprise teaser promo which ran during star Erin Krakow’s Christmas movie on the network, Santa Tell Me, which also features her original series co-star Daniel Lissing.

Back in September, Hallmark announced that Melissa Gilbert (Little House on the Prairie, Sweet Justice, Secrets and Lies) will guest star in a two-episode arc in the role of Georgie McGill, who “shares a surprising past with one special Hope Valley resident.”

In addition to leads Krakow and Kevin McGarry, the beloved, veteran romantic drama series stars Pascale Hutton (Fourth Down and Love), Jack Wagner (Melrose Place), Chris McNally (Holiday Crashers), Kavan Smith (Big Sky River: The Bridal Path) and Viv Leacock (Legend of the Lost Locket).

Beloved as Hallmark's longest-running original series, When Calls the Heart Season 12 will consist of 12 episodes. News of the show’s renewal came amid the release of Season 11, which followed Hope Valley residents as they embarked on the 1920s era. The plot revolved around schoolteacher Elizabeth Thornton (Krakow), who began a fresh start - with new romance, new challenges and new style. She and Mountie Nathan Grant (McGarry) navigated their growing romantic feelings while also leaning on each other for support as they faced parenting obstacles.

Season 11 of the romantic period drama ranks as the most-watched entertainment cable series year-to-date among households, total viewers and women over the age of 18.