"Viewers = advertising revenue" — Fans think that 'When Calls the Heart' producers are dragging all the viewers for profit
When Calls the Heart season 12 finale premiered on March 23, 2025. Based on Janette Oke's eponymous book, the show premiered in 2014. It follows the story of a teacher named Elizabeth Thatcher, who is navigating her relationship with Mountie Nathan Grant while also balancing new challenges.
Hallmark Channel announced the renewal of the show for season 13, set to be dropped in 2026, via an Instagram post last month. While When Calls the Heart has the irrevocable support of its fans, some pointed out that the show's narrative is being somewhat dragged for the producers' profit. For instance, one fan wrote:
"The show makes money, and they draw out long-awaited storylines in order to keep viewers tuning in. Viewers = advertising revenue."
Some other fans responded with similar sentiments about When Calls the Heart.
"I still very much enjoy it. But I’m also not oblivious to the fact this show is part of a business called Hallmark," another user wrote.
"That’s true. I think they corrected the love story after S9 because ratings were crashing & they realized they had picked an actor that could not carry the show as the main lead. It was limiting their story possibilities & resources to have to work so hard to simplify his scenes," another user mused.
Fans continued to respond with similar comments.
"If you sort through all the ratings BS, there is a bit of evidence that the audience retention dips (very slightly) when 'Elizabeth' is in a settled relationship. So HM does have some viewership trends to back their decision not to marry her off," another user added.
"#wcth is a sold product and we consumers, in the end, all work to pay their bills," a user added.
"I think WCTH is a bit more like Heartland in that they will continue to go on until the profit isn't there anymore," another fan said.
When Calls the Heart season 12 ended on a cliffhanger as Elizabeth reluctantly decided to leave Hope Valley to ensure that her son Jack could receive better treatment for his diabetes diagnosis. Nathan and his daughter, Allie, also left for Cape Fullerton with no plans of returning for the time being. So, fans will have to wait for season 13 to find out whether or not they will return to Hope Valley.
Kevin McGarry and Erin Krakow insisted on a notable change in When Calls the Heart season 12 episode 7
Kevin McGarry and Erin Krakow have long made it clear that they care for their respective characters, Nathan and Elizabeth, on When Calls the Heart. So, when they noticed that a change in one plot element in episode 7 of season 12 could improve Nathan and Elizabeth's love story, they insisted on doing it.
In a post-episode interview on The Edify Show dated February 18, 2025, McGarry revealed that the song that Nathan and Elizabeth sing in episode 7 was not originally in the script. He said:
"For Me and My Gal was the original one, and then Erin and I talked… it was too fast. We wanted one that was a bit slower. And we wanted one that was kind of more to Nathan and Elizabeth’s story, so we switched it to You Made Me Love You."
He continued:
"They fought this for a long time, and it was already in the stars, so we thought that was a more appropriate song, so we said, 'Hey, we’re going to sing this one instead.' And they let us!"
McGarry and Krakow believed You Made Me Love You was more in tune with Nathan and Elizabeth's love story. Additionally, since this track was released in 1913, it is more authentic to the show's timeline.
When Calls the Heart is available to stream on Hallmark+.
