Could WHEN CALLS THE HEART Survive Without Erin Krakow?
By Movieguide® Contributor
Brian Bird, co-creator and executive producer of WHEN CALLS THE HEART, revealed if he thinks the show could continue if Erin Krakow ever decided to leave for another project.
“I do,” Bird told Soaps.com. “Not that I would ever want to have to do that, or that any of us would ever want to have to do that. We do think [Erin] is the absolute source of everything on WHEN CALLS THE HEART and we love her.”
“We hope we don’t wear her out and tire her of this whole thing,” he continued. “She could be there forever as far as I’m concerned.”
While Krakow has been the heart and soul of the show for the last ten years, Bird believes that the fans ultimately love the community they have built on the show, which is why it could survive the departure of any character.
“The biggest star of the show is the community,” he said. “People have fallen in love with the community and then they have these focal points with specific characters that they’re deeply in love with. And I do believe the show could continue if we had to by morphing, if necessary.”
A great example of this was after Season 5 when Daniel Lissing decided to move on from the show to pursue a different avenue for his acting career.
“Daniel Lissing wanted to move on after Season 5, and for us, it was hard, but it was a ‘God bless you, Dan. We want you to thrive. We want you to pursue all the dreams of your heart,’” Bird explained.
Even though the killing of any character, let alone a popular one, is abnormal for a Hallmark drama, the show has continued to succeed since his departure. Before Lissing left, however, the showrunners were not entirely sure how the fanbase would react.
“I was probably a little nervous about what that meant for the show,” Krakow told “Deck the Hallmark” podcast in 2021. “I care deeply about WHEN CALLS THE HEART and all of the people whose livelihoods are wrapped up in it. So I’m sure there were moments where I wondered, ‘What does this mean for all of those people? Are we still going to have jobs? If Hallmark lets us continue with this show, will we continue to have the success that we’ve found without [Lissing]?’ Luckily we have been able to stay on the air and the ‘Hearties’ still seem very invested.”
WHEN CALLS THE HEART returns to the Hallmark channel on April 7 for season 11.
Movieguide® previously reported:
WHEN CALLS THE HEART co-creator Brian Bird recently discussed the impact the show has on viewers and why he’s not afraid to tell stories that don’t always make the audience feel good.
“We think that it’s a good force in the world that this show is here,” Bird said during an interview with the Daily Planet. “In a culture [and] a world with so few shows that do what this show does, it would be horrible not to have it.”
He continued, “I love what we’ve done with the show. I love what the show is. We’re not perfect, but I think we’re pretty good at it. It truly is a show that had to struggle to survive, and the origin story of this show [is] harrowing…it was never really supposed to be here, but it is. The fact that there is now this massive community of people that call themselves Hearties and ten seasons plus of the show — for me, it’s like a big miracle, and I don’t take that for granted.”
Bird also talked about not being afraid to take risks with the stories they tell on WHEN CALLS THE HEART, especially if it’s something the fans might not want to see.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
