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By Movieguide® Staff
HEARTLAND has quietly become one of Canada’s most enduring television exports, and after nearly two decades on the air, its cast and crew still marvel at the ride.
As Shaun Johnston, who plays Grandpa Jack Bartlett, put it in a CBC oral history of the show: “HEARTLAND is one of those projects that captures lightning in a bottle. The right people together, at the right time, for the right reason.”
The family drama premiered on CBC in October 2007, following the Fleming-Bartlett clan on a horse ranch in the fictional Alberta town of Hudson. Nineteen seasons later, HEARTLAND stands as the longest-running one-hour scripted drama in Canadian television history, and it still draws Movieguide® readers for its clean, faith-friendly take on family life. Here are 15 behind-the-scenes facts about the beloved series, straight from the people who lived them.
1. A former investment banker pitched the show to CBC.
Michael Weinberg, HEARTLAND’s creator and executive producer, had zero TV experience when he pitched the show.
“The only thing I really knew about television was that there didn’t seem to be any shows you could watch with your kids and not be embarrassed,” he told CBC.
2. The setting moved from Virginia to Alberta for a reason.
Showrunner and writer Heather Conkie relocated the story north to expand its horse world.
“That gave us a much bigger equestrian world to draw upon — not only showjumping, but rodeo, trick riding, polo, cross country races,” she told CBC.
3. Amber Marshall’s audition tape almost didn’t play.
Marshall, who plays Amy Fleming, sent in a barely watchable VHS tape. Weinberg recalled her opening line.
“‘My agent told me to tell you I have my own horse.’ I loved her audition and hired her immediately,” he told CBC.
4. Grandpa Jack almost wasn’t Grandpa Jack.
Johnston originally auditioned for Tim Fleming, a role written for a man in his forties.
“I’m a 46 year old actor. They can’t be serious!” Johnston recalled telling his agent, per CBC.
5. Ty Borden was supposed to smoke.
Related: HEARTLAND Star Thinks This is the Secret to Show’s Success
Graham Wardle, who played Ty for 14 seasons, bought cigarettes to prep for his audition, since the character was scripted as a smoker.
“Since I don’t smoke, I gave away the pack to Beau Mirchoff, who was in the waiting room,” Wardle told CBC.
6. Lou’s wedding dress became Michelle Morgan’s real one.
Morgan, who plays Lou Fleming, picked a lace gown from a bridal magazine before filming Lou’s wedding.
“When I walked into my dress fitting, it was the exact dress they had chosen for Lou to wear,” Morgan told CBC.
7. Alisha Newton grew up on the ranch, literally.
Newton, who plays Georgie Fleming Morris, joined the cast at age 10 and calls the set a second family.
“The energy on the set of HEARTLAND is so different from any other set I’ve been on,” she told CBC.
8. Spartan’s horse has never had another job.
Marshall’s real-life bond with Stormy, the Quarter Horse who plays Spartan, has grown across more than a decade of filming.
“Stormy and I understand one another. He trusts me and I trust him,” she told CBC.
9. HEARTLAND broke a Canadian TV record in 2014.
Its 125th episode made it the longest-running one-hour drama in Canadian television history, edging out STREET LEGAL. Director Steve Sciani worked on both shows.
“I just have a tremendous amount of pride having done both of these long-running iconic Canadian series,” he told CBC News.
10. Episodes are shot two at a time, out of order.
Marshall told the “Hallmarkies Podcast” that the crew films two scripts as one shoot, grouped by location instead of story order.
“We take scripts one and two and put them together like they’re a two-hour movie,” she said, per Showbiz Cheat Sheet.
11. HEARTLAND reached more than 100 countries.
“It gave me a platform, connected me with a worldwide audience in over 100 countries,” Wardle wrote on his Substack, Time Has Come.
12. Ty’s death was tied to Wardle’s own life, not just the plot.
Wardle said leaving the role in Season 14 was ultimately about protecting his own well-being.
“I felt called to share my journey, to speak about the sacredness of life,” he wrote.
13. Guitar sessions became a set tradition.
Between takes, Johnston often plays guitar while castmates join in.
“Sometimes Amber Marshall would join in singing,” Wardle recalled on Time Has Come.
14. The twins who play Lyndy called Wardle “Papa.”
Ruby and Emmanuella Spencer, who have shared the role of Lyndy Borden since infancy, grew close to Wardle before his exit.
“We called Graham Papa,” Ruby Spencer told TV Insider.
15. Movieguide® has followed HEARTLAND’s wholesome streak for years.
The series once earned a nomination for Movieguide®’s own Faith & Freedom® TV Award for its episode “Dare to Dream.”
“There’s something in the show that appeals to all those age groups…we work hard at doing that,” Conkie told Movieguide®.
Read Next: HEARTLAND: Episode 19.1
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