Newsletter S3 V2 (Issue 10)                                                                                      March 15, 2016

Message from your #Heartie Admins

Dear #Hearties,

As you read this, we are a little beyond the half-way mark of Season 3. Daylight Savings Time has just propelled us into days that are lighter earlier and later. Spring is about to be sprung. Easter is hopping on its way. 'Tis the season of renewal and the Hope Valley of Season 3 seems to be ticking all the boxes and tickling the fancies and funny bones of #Hearties far and wide. Thank you all for your support, dedication and renewed spirit of eFANgelism. With anticipation for the rest of S3 and with faith in more beyond it, we remain your....

 

Allyson Lapp, Debi Watson-Bailey, Marisa Loffredo Corser, Susan Michael Cooper,  and Camille Eide  (Facebook Admins) Sheri Lynn DiGiovanna (Webmaster & eNews Editor) and  Nikki Oakley Getman (Website Admin)

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When Calls The Heart Executive Producer

Brian Bird Answers Heartie's Burning Questions, Including "Why Season 3 Changed So Much"

Sally Treanor, Douglas, AZ:  Do the actors have a lot of input when it comes to how their characters should/would behave?  If so, does their input have value or ever change a scene?

Brian Bird: Sally, before any script goes into production, it has gone through a rigorous “notes” process and multiple rewrites. What that means is that all of the stakeholders in When Calls the Heart including the network executives, writers, producers,and the various production departments all have an opportunity to offer their thoughts and notes and have them addressed in the final episodes. That process absolutely includes our fine actors. Sometimes, what makes sense to the rest of us on the page, doesn’t quite gel with an actor’s understanding of his or her character. Our cast-members have to do a ton of homework on each of the scripts, internalizing their respective journeys in the episode and memorizing their dialogue because it is their job to take those words off the page and put them “up on their feet.”  If some line of dialogue doesn’t come out of their mouths like butter, there is usually a problem with the words. As writers, we always feel that our words are innocent until proven guilty. But once a note or a cast-member proves them guilty, the words have to go to prison and we find new words that make sense to everyone.  For the most part we rarely have to sentence our words to prison: but when we do, we are happy to do it.


Nicole Peltier Wheeler, Salem, OR:  How are positions on the crew hired?  Are there various crews for different locations and/or days?  Are most of them locals to Vancouver or are there those from other countries like some of the actors?

Brian Bird: Nicole, sometimes we bring some key crew members from the U.S. to work on the show, but for the most part our crew members are citizens of British Columbia or some of the other Canadian provinces. The reason for this is that filming in B.C. is very favorable for our series financially, but only if we are primarily using local crew. The incentive program, which is dependent on using local cast and crew, and the favorable exchange rate between the U.S. and Canadian currencies, are what actually make When Calls the Heart possible.  As you can imagine, filming a “period piece” is a very expensive undertaking because we have to provide everything, from wardrobe to sets to props that are all authentic to the time period we are creating for the show.  Contemporary shows, for instance, can invite all their extras to show up in their own modern clothing and vehicles. We have to provide full wardrobe, hair and hats, along with vintage vehicles, wagons, horses, etc. That is all incredibly expensive. But beyond the cost-savings of working in Vancouver, the crew we have worked with on all three seasons of the show have been some of the best practitioners of their respective crafts we have ever worked with. Vancouver also boasts the deepest crew pool outside of Hollywood we have ever experienced. That is the big reason why there are 40 or more productions going on all the time in the Vancouver area.


Carol Harsacky, Dayton, OH:  Do the cast and crew that don’t live in the Vancouver area go home on weekends?

Brian Bird:  Yes, our local cast and crew go home not just on the weekends, but every single night.  Our Langley, B.C. location at Jamestown Movie Ranch (home of “Hope Valley”) is located about 40 minutes away from downtown Vancouver.  I love the fact that our hard-working local cast and crew get to be with their families at night rather than separated for long stretches of time. It’s a different matter for the handful of us Americans who travel to work on the show. During the first season most of the US citizens were in Vancouver for about five months with only a few breaks at home or during the Christmas break.  However, during Seasons 2 and 3, with the exception of Daniel Lissing and Erin Krakow who are in Vancouver the lion’s share of the time during the production season, most of the rest of the U.S.-based participants get a little more time at home.


Whitney Yarbrough, San Joaquin Valley, CA:  What is the latest at night you have ever been on the set?  How does jack pin a corsage on a dress with one hand as smooth as butter?  How easy or hard is it for Dan to switch his accent off and on?  How do you fall forward in a canoe and not tip it?  Do you have to practice much on the romantic scenes or do you just let it come natural?

Brian Bird:  Okay, Whitney, a many splendored question.  First, each of the our three seasons, there have been at least a few production days that have gone longer than our customary 12-hour work days. The final day of production in Season 1 went 18 hours. We finished up in the wee hours of the following day. On your corsage question, I could say that Daniel is an expert at one-handed corsage installation, but the truth is, he was able to do that through movie magic. In other words, editing and camera angles made that possible. As for Dan’s Australian accent, he is adept at switching back and forth between himself and Mountie Jack. On occasion, when we are working extremely long hours, an Aussie version of a word will slip off his tongue, but again we can fix that in post- production.  Not tipping a canoe is easy. We have a hidden crewmember in the water just outside the frame of the camera holding the boat stable. Finally, do our actors have to practice their romantic scenes? The answer is yes, but not any more than practicing all their other scenes.  Actors have deep respect for one another and have to learn to trust one another, especially in romantic moments. Sometimes that requires a little “homework” but not like they are studying for final exams.


Stacey Blessing Mathews, Warren, OH:  Does Hallmark have the say for the final cut of the episodes and why was Season 2 so different from Season 1 and 3?

Brian Bird:  Stacey, this is one of the questions we get most often. The answer to your first part is that all networks go through an approval process with all of their TV series. That doesn’t mean that they dictate every detail, but they are responsible for the largest part of the cost of making the episodes, so that gives them a right to have important opinions in the process.  In terms of the difference between the seasons, it was a collective decision between the network and the producers to experiment in Season 2 by spending a large amount of time exploring Elizabeth’s background and family.  Every TV series I’ve ever worked on goes through a process of trying to find its voice, and our hopes for Season 2 were to expand our story-telling “footprint” so that we could give ourselves a lot of new characters and story possibilities for the future. At the same time, we heard from a lot of Hearties that they did not enjoy When Calls the Heart as much in Season 2 as they did in Season 1. To their credit, the Hallmark Channel heard that message and asked us to go back to more of the original story blueprint, so that is why Season 3 is striking some Hearties as more like Season 1. At the same time, Hallmark decided to move all of their 1-hour dramas to Sunday nights, which is the most competitive night on television. The fact that our audience has followed us from Saturday nights and that we haven’t been forgotten in all of that competition is a very good sign. We appreciate the Hearties sticking with us through all of our experimentation, and if they can keep up their great work of sharing their love of the show with all of their friends and family, the future looks very bright.  


Evelyn Meyer, St. Louis, MO:  Is there any way the Hearties can support the actors and crew of WCTH in a way we aren't already doing?  Is there something we shouldn't be doing or should do less of or more of?

Brian Bird:  Evelyn, that is very sweet of you to ask, but honestly, I am amazed every day at all of the unique ways Hearties are supporting this show, of which more and more members of the media are taking note. Hearties are becoming a recognized and potent fan following for all of their activities: from supporting other Hearties emerging in such foreign countries as Canada, The U.K, Germany, Australia and Asia, to the weekly Hearties Parties happening in multiple places around the country, to thousands of Valentines cards that were sent, to paying their own way to the Hearties Family Reunion, to the online prayer chains they have started, to the live Tweet fests that seem to be setting social media records ever week.

The second part of your question is easy to answer:  No. I wouldn’t discourage any good idea designed to spread the influence of Hope Valley. Our poor culture needs this show.  Society is sick (not in the disgusting way, but in the unhealthy way).  I believe the hope and good virtues of When Calls the Heart are medicine for what ails us, and the Hearties see themselves as a growing team of medics helping their neighbors get healthy and even saving some lives. If that weren’t true, this show wouldn’t be so addictive to new people who discover it. And Hearties wouldn’t spend their time and energy (and money in some cases) e-fangelizing the world.  They are the best kind of a grass roots army and I believe they are the key to keeping this series on TV for many seasons to come.  And by doing that, they will change the world long after When Calls the Heart is finished.

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Heartie thanks to our Hearties for their great questions for this edition of Q&A with When Calls the Heart Executive Producer Brian Bird.

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Actress Erin Krakow Talks Role Models, Family Friendly TV, and Counting Her Blessings

Actress Erin Krakow Talks Role Models, Family Friendly TV, and Counting Her Blessings

February 16, 2016 by Tony Rossi Since she was five-and-a-half years old, Erin Krakow has been on the road to a successful acting career. That road included graduating from Juilliard, working in theater – both plays and musicals – and eventually television, on the Lifetime series “Army Wives.” But it’s her starring role as school teacher Elizabeth Thatcher on the …

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Who Is Jack’s Mom on ‘When Calls the Heart’? That’s Brooke Shields

Who Is Jack’s Mom on ‘When Calls the Heart’? That’s Brooke Shields

by 2Paragraphs in Culture | February 20, 2016 On the Season 3 premiere of When Calls the Heart, Jack Thornton’s mother Charlotte surprises him with a visit. She’s in town to figure out what’s going on between her son (Daniel Lissing) and school teacher Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow). Charlotte is portrayed by Brooke Shields, who says her character is inspired …

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A chat with Brian Bird: Co-creator of Hallmark Channels “When Calls the Heart”

By Dylyce P.'s The Examiner.com Picture:  Brian Bird at FCWC 2016  © D.P. Clarke   March 3, 2016 5:17 PM MST Picture a void, an empty space yearning to be filled. It cries out over the airways. It begs for relief from the prurient depths of vulgar carnage into which cable television programming has fallen. “When - the heart calls …

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Netflix's Fuller House adds to Lori Loughlin's Current TV Roles

Netflix's Fuller House adds to Lori Loughlin's Current TV Roles

By Ian Spelling New York Times News Service                               Saturday February 20, 2016 5:00 AM (photo: by EIKE SCHROTER  Lori Loughlin and Mark Humphrey in When Calls the Heart) Lori Loughlin is on a roll. She co-stars on When Calls the Heart, the Hallmark Channel series that …

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Hearties Make News!

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"Hearties" Mobilize To Drive Hallmark's Top Rated Show

"Hearties" Mobilize To Drive Hallmark's Top Rated Show

An unlikely community of fans has propelled Hallmark’s family-oriented period drama “When Calls the Heart” to ratings success. Photo courtesy Crown Media. Feb 15, 2016 Rob Salkowitz, CONTRIBUTOR - I write about comics and the business of pop culture. Fan culture is everywhere these days. But when you think about a fan culture with hordes of followers hanging on every turn of …

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Hallmark Channel's "When Calls the Heart" Debuts the Third Episode of Season 3, Garnering a 2.1 Live+3 HH Rating

Hallmark Channel's "When Calls the Heart" Debuts the Third Episode of Season 3, Garnering a 2.1 Live+3 HH Rating

The Hallmark Channel further spins the numbers for Sunday, February 28. HALLMARK CHANNEL'S "WHEN CALLS THE HEART" DEBUTS THE THIRD EPISODE OF SEASON 3, GARNERING A 2.1 LIVE+3 HH RATING The Series' Newest Episode Becomes the Most Social Program in Network History Hallmark Channel's original primetime series, When Calls the Heart, is going strong in its third season with the …

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Party Like a Heartie

Party Like a Heartie

Do you love to celebrate When Calls the Heart? Show us your #PartyLikeAHeartie photos and you could win a Skype call with stars of When Calls the Heart! To read full article, see http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/when-calls-the-heart/party-like-a-heartie

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'When Calls the Heart,' top family TV, third season continues

'When Calls the Heart,' top family TV, third season continues

March 6, 2016 6:06 PM MST On March 6, International Business News reports that the fourth episode of Season Three tonight of "When Calls the Heart" will present the romance between Abigail Stanton (Lori Loughlin), who is one of the town's many widows from a coal mining accident, and Frank Hogan (Mark Humphrey) a man with a past who has …

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TV series fans spark social media movement

TV series fans spark social media movement

Julie Hillman, Deseret News| February 25, 2016 Hallmark Channel's "When Calls the Heart" first began as a two-hour, made-for-TV adaptation of a series of period novels, but it has since sparked a movement. Since the series first premiered in January 2014, masses of fans have connected over social media and evolved into a marketing force for "When Calls the Heart," …

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Hallmark Channel’s ‘When Calls the Heart’ has ‘Hearties’

Hallmark Channel’s ‘When Calls the Heart’ has ‘Hearties’

By Lucy Luginbill lluginbill@tricityherald.com A soundbite. It was all I was looking for — words that would resonate, tell a behind-the-scenes story. But as we drove onto the film set, the dreary clouds hanging above the Old West-style buildings only deepened the gloom in my heart. Picture caption: “When Calls the Heart” cast member, Daniel Lissing, holds an autographed picture …

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When Calls the Heart’s grassroots groundswell

When Calls the Heart’s grassroots groundswell

Executive producer Michael Shepard on the organic growth of the show's online fan base and keeping supporters engaged. by Julianne Cummins The producers behind the When Calls the Heart didn’t set out to cultivate a strong social following for the romantic period series. To the team’s surprise, however, fans of the show have found each other online, defining themselves as “Hearties” …

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WHEN CALLS THE HEART: Season 3 Returns to Hope Valley in February Premiere on Hallmark Channel!

WHEN CALLS THE HEART: Season 3 Returns to Hope Valley in February Premiere on Hallmark Channel!

(Video) February 12, 2016 by Mechele R. Dillard Hearties, it is that time again: The new season of WHEN CALLS THE HEART is premiering on Hallmark Channel in February, and Elizabeth and Jack will continue to try to find their way down the rocky path of love. This fan-favorite series stars Erin Krakow (Elizabeth Thatcher), Lori Loughlin (Abigail Stanton) and …

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'When Calls the Heart' resumes as top TV series with third season in February

'When Calls the Heart' resumes as top TV series with third season in February

February 15, 2016 On February 15, Forbes reports, " 'Hearties' Mobilize To Drive Hallmark's Top Rated Show." Further, they write of the TV series "When Calls the Heart," that followers are "...One of the most vibrant grass-roots fandoms of recent years – which has driven the object of its affection to the top of the basic cable rating charts – …

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Watch When Calls the Heart videos

Watch When Calls the Heart videos

Enjoy Hallmark's many videos at http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/when-calls-the-heart/videos 

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Hearties Initiatives!

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A visit to Hope Valley

A visit to Hope Valley

By DAN FERGUSON January 19, 2016 · 9:55 AM The rain was pouring down hard upon Hope Valley in Langley Township Saturday morning, soaking the imitation 1910-era mining town and turning the one-lane gravel road that connects the outdoor set to the outside world into a sea of mud. Not that any of that seemed to matter to the more …

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Top TV programs available into 2016

Top TV programs available into 2016

December 20, 2015 On December 30, Western Morning News out of the UK reports that Welsh comedian and presenter Griff Rhys Jones presents a compilation of never-seen-before out-takes from the world of film and TV on "It'll Be Alright on the Night," ITV. This edition's selection includes "fluffs and foul-ups" from British hit shows also seen in the U.S. and …

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Newsletter S3 V2 (Issue 10)                                                                                          March 15, 2016

www.TheHearties.com