[2] The series originated from a two-hour television movie pilot in October 2013, starring Poppy Drayton as young teacher Elizabeth Thatcher and Stephen Amell as North-West Mounted Police officer Wynn Delaney.

[8] When Calls the Heart tells the story of Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), a young teacher accustomed to her high-society life.

She receives her first classroom assignment in Coal Valley, a small coal-mining town in Western Canada which is located just south of Robb, Alberta.

[9] Elizabeth charms most everyone in Coal Valley, except North-West Mounted Police Constable Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing).

He believes Thatcher's wealthy father has doomed the lawman's career by insisting he be assigned in town to protect the shipping magnate's daughter.

The newly widowed women find their faith tested when they must go to work in the mine to keep a roof over their heads, food on the table, and help pay the wage for the town's teacher.

[36][37] On March 14, 2019, Hallmark announced it had dropped Loughlin from future company projects due to her role in the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal.

[39][40] On April 26, 2020, Hallmark Channel announced via a video from Krakow that the series would return for an eighth season, which aired from February 21 to May 9, 2021.

A spin-off of the show, When Hope Calls, was announced at Hallmark's Television Critics Association summer press tour on July 26, 2018.