The co-creator of Hallmark’s hit series When Calls the Heart told fans that “good conversations” are happening about Lori Loughlin returning to the show. “Our attitude always has been, as the producing team around the writing team around When Calls the Heart, that what better place for second chances than Hope Valley?” Bird said in […]
Hallmark responds to rumors about Lori Loughlin returning to popular TV series
A representative for Hallmark Media has responded to the rumors that actress Lori Loughlin will be returning to the TV series When Calls the Heart. Fans have been asking whether she would be back ever since the Season 10 finale of the show aired in October. In that episode, titled Starry Nights, Henry Gowen (Martin […]
Pascale Hutton gave Hearties a treat when she posted a throwback photo of former castmate Lori Loughlin on When Calls the Heart.
The black-and-white pic, which she posted on her Instagram account, shows Hutton, Loughlin, and actress Erin Krakow posing outside a restaurant.
“If you’re missing #WCTH tonight — here is my gift to you!” Hutton wrote in the caption.
Fans responded with enthusiasm.
“I hope they bring Abigail back! WCTH is not quite the same without her!” one fan wrote.
“Love seeing you all 3 back together ❤️🙌 bring Abigail back please 😍,” wrote another.
Will Loughlin be back?
Lori Loughlin played Abigail Stanton on the Hallmark Channel series When Calls the Heart for six years. Her character, who lost her husband and son in a mining accident, acted as a mentor to Erin Krakow’s Elizabeth.
The cast and crew were in the middle of shooting the show’s sixth season when news of Loughlin’s involvement in a college admissions bribery scandal surfaced. Production halted while writers and producers decided what to do. They eventually wrote Loughlin off the show.
Some fans approved of the move. Others were upset and wanted her back. In a June 2021 interview, Brian Bird, the co-creator of the series, said he was open to having Loughlin on the series again.
“If anyone should return to Hope Valley, it should be Abigail,” he said.
Appearance on When Hope Calls
Loughlin surprised fans when she made an appearance on When Calls the Heart’s spinoff series When Hope Calls. During the show’s 2021 Christmas special, Loughlin reprised her role as Abigail for two episodes. When fans asked Hallmark if Loughlin would be back on When Calls the Heart, the network was quick to respond.
“Hallmark Channel has not cast Lori Loughlin in any current projects, including When Calls the Heart, nor do we have any plans to cast her in the future. She was cast by GAC Family, a wholly separate cable network not affiliated with Hallmark Channel or Crown Media Family Networks,” read a statement from the network.
At this point, it is unclear if When Calls the Heart will be back for another season. Hallmark has already canceled three of its series. Good Witch aired for the last time in July 2021. Home and Family had its final episode in August 2021. And Chesapeake Shores is currently in production for its sixth and final season.
Fans have made it clear that they want more When Calls the Heart.
“Season 10! Season 10! Season 10!” one wrote on the show’s Facebook page. “#WCTHS10! #Hearties10 #Hearties (more like, 20 more seasons!!)”
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Danica McKellar: Lori Loughlin didn’t deserve prison time
According to Danica McKellar, Lori Loughlin didn’t deserve prison time for her role in an infamous college admissions scam. The actress made the statement in response to a question about her fellow Hallmark star at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles.
“She’s a wonderful person, she always has been, and it would be challenging to find a person who hasn’t made a mistake in their life,” McKellar told a reporter. “She served her time. I’m not going to speak to whether or not she deserved that. Personally, I don’t think so — but she served the time.”
Loughlin was sentenced to two months in prison for her role in the scandal. She and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, pleaded guilty to fraud charges after they paid so-called “fixers” to help their daughters gain admittance to the University of Southern California. They were among 50 parents charged in what officials called Operation Varsity Blues.
Loughlin completed her prison sentence in December of 2020. She completed 100 hours of community service. According to reports from US Weekly, Loughlin also paid $500,000 to put two students through college.
When Calls the Heart
When news of the admissions scandal broke, Loughlin was starring Hallmark Channel’s longest-running original series When Calls the Heart. The show took a month-long hiatus as writers and producers decided what to do with her character, Abigail Stanton. They chose to write her off the show.
But Loughlin returned to television in December of 2021. Her When Calls the Heart character made an appearance on the show’s spinoff series, When Hope Calls.
Hallmark produced the first season of When Hope Calls. It was picked up by a new network, GAC Family, for Season 2. Loughlin appeared as Abigail Stanton in a Christmas special for the series.
Danica McKellar: Lori Loughlin didn’t deserve prison time
McKellar spoke about Loughlin in response to a question about her own involvement with GAC Family. The network started programming in September 2021. It is run by former Crown Media CEO Bill Abbott.
In October, McKellar signed an exclusive multi-picture deal with the network.
During her appearance on the red carpet at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles, McKellar spoke of her work with GAC Family and Hallmark.
”I’ve done 16 movies for the Hallmark Channel, and I loved my time there,” she said. “In this network, I get a much more hands-on role with executive producing, and it’s really exciting to sign this multi-picture deal with them and be creating movies.”
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