Melissa Gilbert Confirms ‘When Calls the Heart’ Season 13 Return

When Calls the Heart is coming back for season 13, and so is a character who made her debut in the show’s 12th season. 

Melissa Gilbert will appear in ‘When Calls the Heart’ Season 13 

Melissa Gilbert rose to fame playing Laura Ingalls on the Western family drama Little House on the Prairie. So it seemed inevitable that she’d eventually pop up on Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart, another show about life on the frontier, especially considering that Michael Landon Jr., the son of her Little House co-star Michael Landon, is one of the show’s producers. 

When Calls the Heart Season 12 introduced Gilbert’s Georgie McGill, an forensic investigator who has a history with Bill Avery (Jack Wagner). Though Georgie only appeared in two episodes, her chemistry with Bill was obvious, and the two eventually shared a kiss. 

Now, it sounds like we’ll likely see more of Bill and Georgie’s romance. In the June 3 episode of the Hey Dude … The 90s Called podcast, Gilbert confirmed that she’ll appear in When Calls the Heart Season 13.  

“When I go to Vancouver to the set and I walk in and it’s this old town, I feel like, there I am,” Gilbert said, referencing her time on Little House on the Prairie. “It’s a strange and wonderful feeling, and I’m very excited to go back. I’ll be back and forth to Vancouver a bit more I think this year.”

Jack Wagner is eager for Bill to show off his romantic side 

Wagner is eager to see how Bill and Georgie’s relationship develops in season 13. For The Bold and The Beautiful and General Hospital alum, it’s a chance to show off a side of his character that hasn’t yet been explored in depth on When Calls the Heart.  

“They brought Melissa Gilbert on the show last year, and I kissed her at the end of our one episode, and that kind of created a little romance for Bill,” he told TV Insider. “And Melissa’s coming back this year, so they’re going to keep this going, which I think is terrific. She’s great. I haven’t been playing that at all on When Calls the Heart, so for me, it’s like plugging into Jack Wagner from the ’80s or ’90s. I realized that’s why I’m having so much fun. It’s like, ‘Wow, I’m dusting off my old charming romance guy. Let’s dust this guy off.’”

As for what else to expect from season 13, Wagner says he’s as eager as the show’s loyal fans to see Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) and Nathan (Kevin McGarry) return to Hope Valley with Little Jack (Hyland Goodrich). The couple had to leave town in the season 12 finale so that Elizabeth’s son could receive treatment for his diabetes. 

Wagner also teased a “significant crisis” that would affect all residents of Hope Valley.

“There’s going to be an event that happens, and I’ll just tease you a little bit, that’s going to be life-changing for everyone, and it’s reminiscent of what’s happened in L.A. recently,” he said. “So that’s going to be the disaster and obstacle that we face this year as a community in Hope Valley, and it starts rather quickly.

When Calls the Heart is streaming on Hallmark+. Season 13 will premiere sometime in 2026.

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