Hallmark Lori Loughlin on "When Calls the Heart"
Rumors have been circulating on social media that Lori Loughlin might be returning to “When Calls the Heart” as Abigail ever since the season 10 finale aired on October 15. Hallmark Media has finally broken its silence about where it stands on the question.
Hallmark Media Said It’s Not in Talks With Loughlin
Season 10 of “When Calls the Heart” ended with a cliffhanger that clearly pointed to the possibility of Loughlin’s return to the series. Henry (portrayed by Martin Cummins) spent much of the finale discussing Loughlin’s character, Abigail, and how much she meant to him. He spoke of how he thought about Abigail every time he looked at her cafe. Then when the episode ended, a scene showed Henry showing up at a house with a mailbox labeled “Stanton” (Abigail’s last name), knocking, and someone answering the door.
When the scene aired, Bird tweeted: “#Hearties, did any of you see this surprise door-knock coming?”
#Hearties, did any of you see this surprise door-knock coming?
Abigail was a main character on “When Calls the Heart” in the show’s first six seasons, until 2019, when Loughlin was implicated in the University of Southern California admissions scandal. Hallmark removed her projects from its networks and even re-edited some episodes of “When Calls the Heart” to remove her before they aired.
People reported on October 31 that Hallmark Media seemed to refute co-creator Brian Bird’s claims that there were “good conversations happening” about a potential reunion.
Hallmark Media replied to People, simply stating, “Hallmark Media is not in talks with Lori Loughlin about reprising her role as Abigail on ‘When Calls the Heart.'”
Since “When Calls the Heart” is wrapping up its filming for season 11, according to Bird, it appears that she won’t be part of the next season, based on Hallmark’s statement.
Hallmark’s response was reminiscent to a response its official Twitter account made back in 2021, when Bird was bringing Loughlin back to the network Great American Family for a Christmas special of the “When Calls the Heart” spinoff, “When Hope Calls.”
Hallmark wrote at the time: “Hallmark Channel has not cast Lori Loughlin in any current projects, 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.”
Someone replied, “@Hallmark you don’t practice what you preach? Forgiveness and redemption. Kind of disheartening from a fan of hallmark.”
Hallmark answered, “We appreciate you reaching out to Hallmark. We are very sorry to hear you are disappointed. We will share your comments with the leadership at the Hallmark Channel. Thank you for contacting us.”
Bird Has Recently Said He Wants Loughlin Back on the Show
Bird has historically been vocal about wanting to bring Loughlin back on the show. After the season 10 finale aired, he renewed his calls to bring Abigail back.
“Hope Valley is a town of second chances,” he said about 47 minutes into an interview with JLJ Media. “This is where art and life kind of commingle. … It is an ongoing conversation. I can’t promise anything; I can’t spoil anything right now. But all I can say is for Hearties who follow me from the beginning, you know what my views are on second chances so … I have a lot of hope.”
He said the same thing in an interview after the finale with “Heart to Hearties,” around the 6:40 mark.
“What I can say is that there are good conversations happening,” Bird shared. “We can’t guarantee anything, but there are good conversations happening around this topic.”
Bird was clear, however, that he couldn’t promise anything, adding: “Our attitude always has been … What better place for second chances than Hope Valley? And so in theory, it’s in theory, it should work, right? But again, can’t fully promise it, but we’re working on it.”
However, as Hallmark Media stated above, it has not had any discussions with Loughlin about a potential return. They have, however, returned her “Garage Sale Mysteries” series to Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, occasionally airing reruns.
Loughlin, meanwhile, has been filming movies in Canada with Great American Family. Her most recent movie is a Christmas-themed film that will be airing this season on Great American Family, Variety reported.