When Calls The Heart - General Discussion

[SusanwatchingTV]

6 minutes ago, yourdreamer said:

Brooke does do the Flower Shop Mysteries on Hallmark Movies & Mysterid already. 

But there hasn't been a new episode of those in years.

[scenicbyway]

I wonder if the network would’ve acted so quickly if WCTH wasn’t currently airing.

[lookeyloo]

Hallmark did cut her loose.  I was just reading an article.

[bybrandy]

43 minutes ago, langford peel said:

I seriously doubt that anyone donates money to a university without knowing that their kids will get in one way or another.

Oh, there have definitely been cases where people have made million plus donations to schools and their child has not been accepted.   

[bybrandy]

59 minutes ago, langford peel said:

I just hate that they are blowing up one of my favorite shows.

They are casting the first stone in their glass houses. Good luck with that.

I'm pretty sure Lori cast the first stone to end her career and the career of her insta star daughter when she made those bribes.

I said a couple of days ago when this broke that they'd have to get out of the Lori  Loughlin business because the target demo is white middle class suburban women whose kids aren't getting that spot that Lori bought for her daughter.   

Paying your kids way into college by donating a building is legal.  Buying your kids into private school and SAT tutors so they have the ability to get into school on their own is legal.  Getting up at 5 am every morning for years so your kid can be on the local crew team so that they have a way to get seen by the kinds of schools that do crew team recruiting?   Totally legal and totally things that middle class white people have been doing to game the system forever.  All things all of these people could have and maybe even were doing as well.

But paying somebody to take your kids SATs or paying somebody to pretend like your kid was doing an incredibly demanding sport so that they can have a recruitment spot isn't legal.   And I do kind of get how the massively entitled rich but not rich enough thin that it is unfair that their kids have to study or train like the plebean upper middle class but what they did was illegal and they know it was illegal.  It was unethical and they knew it was unethical and just because everybody (not true) does it (and not even everybody who can afford it) doesn't make it less illegal or unethical.   

Lori and Felicity and the dozens of other parents who weren't famous enough for anybody to care about who were also arrested shouldn't go to prison and won't because rich white people don't go to prison.  But things like Olivia Jane losing her Sephora deal and Lori Laughlin losing her Halmark deal are very, very, very much the kind of consequences that they should face.   

And I say this as somebody who isn't particularly invested in their hypothetical kids going to elite colleges because I don't think it matters that much in the long run, but if I was invested in that way my kid would be taking squash lessons as a toddler.   

[Guest]

Disagree with each other respectfully, please. No one is here to post receipts for their opinions.

Also, I know the whole case is quite a hot topic now, so let's keep the conversation more focused on Lori's participation in the crime and, more importantly, the show itself.  Feel free to PM me with any questions. Thanks!

[taragel]

Just saw this recent update on Variety about what they're doing: 

https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/hallmark-channel-cuts-ties-with-lori-loughlin-1203163751/

“We are no longer airing the episode on March 17, but we are not cancelling the show,” a representative for Crown Media, Hallmark’s parent company, told Variety. “The show is one of our best performers in the Sunday night slot, and were are exploring all sorts of creative options moving forward.”

So they'll either recast the character of Abigail or perhaps they'll take a short hiatus and kill her offscreen, then bring in a new older female lead to serve the same general maternal figure function.

Edited March 15, 2019 by taragel

[free2think]

10 minutes ago, taragel said:

Just saw this recent update on Variety about what they're doing: 

https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/hallmark-channel-cuts-ties-with-lori-loughlin-1203163751/

“We are no longer airing the episode on March 17, but we are not cancelling the show,” a representative for Crown Media, Hallmark’s parent company, told Variety. “The show is one of our best performers in the Sunday night slot, and were are exploring all sorts of creative options moving forward.”

I don't see how they can do this. Lori has been the Executive Producer for a long time, every time someone watches any old episode with were Lori was EP she will get $$$. It's one of the perks they give actors to keep them motivated and active in the show. I don't see how they can do this without just canceling the show, but money talks and Hallmark will make a buck.

I just wish Jack would come back and the focus could be back on J & E , the baby and all the trials and joys they experience as they make a life for their little family in Hope Valley. 

[Stuffy]

They should just air this season and go from there. She’s so prominent that editing her out or refilming her scenes seems ridiculous. They’d have to redo most of the season, and Hallmark seems too cheap to do that. 

After this season, I would prefer Abigail to move away versus killing off the character or recasting for purely selfish reasons. That reason is so she can take Cody with her. Give the kid another role in a different series if you must. I can’t stand the Cody character. 

Edited March 15, 2019 by Stuffy

[Red30]

4 hours ago, langford peel said:

Then they could bring someone else to run the cafe. Who would you suggest?

I don't know who would have the acting chops to pull it off but if you want look-a-likes Paige Turco, Keri Russell, or even Christie Brinkley would come close. Thing is, I don't know if they have the clean image that Hallmark would want.

[Red30]

23 minutes ago, Stuffy said:

They should just air this season and go from there. She’s so prominent that editing her out

They should take into consideration WCTH fans have already waited close to a year to see season 6. They have filmed eight episodes so far I think. So they should air those episodes and recast her character. Who knows, maybe after all negative attention has died died down, they may bring her back in two or three years--if the series is still on. 

I just want to say that I'm sorry Lori got herself into this mess. I don't relish kicking people when they are down.  Maybe she will learn from this thing and become a better person. But yeah, she's got to face her consequences. Sorry for the impending fate of the show too...it really was a good show in the beginning.

Edited March 15, 2019 by Red30

[free2think]

This what Lori said about working with Hallmark:

“They definitely have a formula and you do have to follow the formula. And if you don’t, they rein you back in and say, ‘You have to follow. This is our format, this is what we do,’” Loughlin said in an interview last year with The Associated Press about the Christmas movies.

She said the rigidity chafes a bit but called the result “heartwarming,” adding, “You go to bed and you don’t have any bad dreams.”

She had to know what would happen if she was caught and exactly what Hallmark would do. 

However when WCTH killed Jack, bad dreams are all that is left of this show. 

[Red30]

43 minutes ago, free2think said:

I just wish Jack would come back and the focus could be back on J & E , the baby and all the trials and joys they experience as they make a life for their little family in Hope Valley.

That is about the only thing that can save this show right now.  Losing two prominent actors from the show just ain't gonna work.

[Red30]

6 minutes ago, free2think said:

when WCTH killed Jack, bad dreams are all that is left of this show. 

My sentiments exactly!

[Red30]

4 hours ago, langford peel said:

I think this indictment is a big publicity stunt that they through out there to cover up something else they don't want us to see. Misdirection by the FBI and the Justice Department. These crimes certainly didn't warrant a pre-dawn raid and arrest of Felicity Huffman with flak vests and machine guns. There is something else going on here.

I was sort of wondering along these lines too. Although she was dead wrong for what she did, why did they specifically decide to make an example of her?

[langford peel]

There are a bunch of actresses who would be great to replace the Abigail role. I hope the look outside the box and cast someone who could surprise us.

There a lot of actresses who made controversial films but come to appreciate Hallmark’s family friendly vibe and most of all their money.

A washed up movie actress would be cool. Just the way they cast Andie Mac-dowel in a Hallmark series.

Whats Catherine Zeta Jones doing these days?

[Angeleyes]

57 minutes ago, Red30 said:

I was sort of wondering along these lines too. Although she was dead wrong for what she did, why did they specifically decide to make an example of her?

Usually the police will do this when they are trying to preserve evidence like emails, photos, other documents, etc. In this case, the authorities have said other arrests may be made later so they want to know if other people were involved with the 50 people they have already arrested. They will use any evidence found to discover other parties involved in the scheme as well as to bolster the case against those arrested  

This scheme was more than a bribe. It involved a fake charity, which is a crime. These people were able to deduct these payments to Singer off their taxes! They defrauded the SAT/ACT by getting a doctor to write that their child medically needed extra time then used Singer’s own proctor to take the test and change the answers. They faked photos of their kids participating in sports  teams that they were never a part of. 

As for the show, I think they should go ahead and broadcast the 8 episodes they have filmed then take a break and come back with Abigail written out. They could move to be closer to the kids’ aunt or something. 

[bybrandy]

31 minutes ago, langford peel said:

Whats Catherine Zeta Jones doing these days?

No!   She is the actress I irrationally hate.   :).

Oh, if this doesn't get that annoying little Cody off this show I will be even more irritated by this whole mess.   

Absolute tongue in cheek selection but it will not at all surprise me at all if this is how it goes down....   Abigail's niece comes to town to take over the cafe...   Candace Cameron Bure.   

[Pickles]

3 minutes ago, bybrandy said:

No!   She is the actress I irrationally hate.   :).

Oh, if this doesn't get that annoying little Cody off this show I will be even more irritated by this whole mess.   

Absolute tongue in cheek selection but it will not at all surprise me at all if this is how it goes down....   Abigail's niece comes to town to take over the cafe...   Candace Cameron Bure.   

Ugh, I hope Candace is not joining this show. 

[Red30]

1 hour ago, Angeleyes said:

This scheme was more than a bribe. It involved a fake charity, which is a crime. These people were able to deduct these payments to Singer off their taxes! They defrauded the SAT/ACT by getting a doctor to write that their child medically needed extra time then used Singer’s own proctor to take the test and change the answers. They faked photos of their kids participating in sports  teams that they were never a part of. 

This certainly broke things down for me. I didn't know that there were all those violations involved. Thanks!

[Oly]

I had already bailed on the show with Jack and I have read comments that it has turned into the Abigail show but a neighbor of my mom's who's daughter worked in fashion is soCal 20 years ago told us  how difficult  Lori was and I chose to ignore it as I remember her as a teen on "Edge of Night" with Preacher and so I just figured it was a personality conflict ---I loved "Garage Sale Mysteries" and am sorry about this whole mess but still---UGH---can't imagine the show now without her and they already lost Jack---only redeeming characters being Lee and Rosemary but I am already not watching---what a mess---LOL on the Candace Cameron Bure remarks

[Ms Lark]

9 hours ago, free2think said:

This what Lori said about working with Hallmark:

“They definitely have a formula and you do have to follow the formula. And if you don’t, they rein you back in and say, ‘You have to follow. This is our format, this is what we do,’” Loughlin said in an interview last year with The Associated Press about the Christmas movies.

She said the rigidity chafes a bit but called the result “heartwarming,” adding, “You go to bed and you don’t have any bad dreams.”

She had to know what would happen if she was caught and exactly what Hallmark would do. 

Sounds like Hallmark's Morals Clause is a real doozy. For those who are interested, Forbes published an article a year ago that explains how Morals Clauses actually work:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/schuylermoore/2018/03/12/morality-clauses-in-hollywood/#4924398049a5

[Was-MArsenault]

13 hours ago, Pickles said:

Oh, I don't see Patricia Richardson on this show. 

I was saying that Patricia could replace Lori because she's been in Hallmark stuff before.

[Angeleyes]

For anyone who wants to read the full PDF affidavit from the case:

https://www.justice.gov/file/1142876/download

[llewis823]

14 hours ago, langford peel said:

I think they should bring back Brooke Shields as Jack's mom and cast a older French Actress as the new owner of the cafe. I bet there are some movie stars that would want some of that Hallmark money.

Julia Ormond would be a great French actress for the owner of the cafe. And I like Brooke Shields coming back as Jack's mom too. Hallmark already announced that WCTH will not be seen this Sunday. Hope they don't just kill it altogether. 

[Pickles]

2 hours ago, MikaelaArsenault said:

I was saying that Patricia could replace Lori because she's been in Hallmark stuff before.

Oh, I know. I somehow can't picture Patricia on this show. But, who knows. 🙂

1 hour ago, llewis823 said:

Julia Ormond would be a great French actress for the owner of the cafe. And I like Brooke Shields coming back as Jack's mom too. Hallmark already announced that WCTH will not be seen this Sunday. Hope they don't just kill it altogether. 

They issued a statement saying it is one of their highest rated shows and it will not be cancelled. They are looking at "creative" ways to move forward. 

[Was-MArsenault]

1 minute ago, Pickles said:

Oh, I know. I somehow can't picture Patricia on this show. But, who knows. 🙂

It was just a thought I had.

[ShelleySue]

I think that if she played another part it wouldn't have been so necessary for her to be fired.  But she plays the perfect Abigail Stanton.  Her character has come back from losing her husband and son to running her own business and being the mayor.  She has done it all without stabbing anyone in the back or any hit of scandal.  Her priority is what's good for Hope Valley.  Who can watch Abigail preach about love, goodness and fairness without thinking about what Lori allegedly did?  The character is tainted.

[free2think]

2 hours ago, ShelleySue said:

Who can watch Abigail preach about love, goodness and fairness without thinking about what Lori allegedly did?  The character is tainted.

Exactly! Hallmark and Lori actually took this Abigail persona and made it seem like it represented the actual actress. This was intentional, this is how Hallmark rolls. I would think as an actor it would be so confining and it's no wonder Dan (if he really wanted out and was not actually fired by Lori) wanted out. He wants to be able to play any character and not be presented in his real life like he really is Duddly Do-Right.

Should have left the show with J&E and their life and struggles with the town as a backdrop. If they did not allow Lori to take over we would not be in this situation.

Edited March 15, 2019 by free2think

[hielandfoodie]

I love this show and look forward to watching it. I hope Hallmark continues to produce it!

[yourdreamer]

20 hours ago, SusanwatchingTV said:

But there hasn't been a new episode of those in years.

I just started watching them like 2 weeks ago so I thought they were new. Just got that channel! Thanks for info 🙂 

[SusanwatchingTV]

28 minutes ago, yourdreamer said:

I just started watching them like 2 weeks ago so I thought they were new. Just got that channel! Thanks for info 🙂 

Yeah, I enjoyed them, and was wanting more because of the romance not being fulfilled.

All three episodes were played in 2016.

Back on topic: It appears that Brooke has been working on a lot of other things for other networks since then, so I'm doubting she'll ever be back on WCTH.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000222/?ref_=nv_sr_2

I'm really hoping they find someone else in the Hallmark stable of actresses who can step into Abigail's shoes, though.

[scenicbyway]

The problem the network is facing is that the entire season has been filmed already.  They wrapped back in December.  There is no way to recast the role without refilming the rest of the season which isn’t going to happen.  They don’t start filming the new season till August.

I think if this had happened in May they could’ve easily written her off the show along with Cody for the next season. Maybe she left for a life with Pastor Frank or something.  

The problem is, the season just started and she’s a prominent part of every episode.  I’m sure advertisers don’t want to be associated with her either and that’s why they’ve pulled the plug...for now.

I wonder if they might push the premiere of Good Witch up to fill the space and then burn off the rest of the episodes in the summer.

[SusanwatchingTV]

21 minutes ago, scenicbyway said:

The problem the network is facing is that the entire season has been filmed already.  They wrapped back in December.  There is no way to recast the role without refilming the rest of the season which isn’t going to happen.  They don’t start filming the new season till August.

I think if this had happened in May they could’ve easily written her off the show along with Cody for the next season. Maybe she left for a life with Pastor Frank or something.  

The problem is, the season just started and she’s a prominent part of every episode.  I’m sure advertisers don’t want to be associated with her either and that’s why they’ve pulled the plug...for now.

I wonder if they might push the premiere of Good Witch up to fill the space and then burn off the rest of the episodes in the summer.

Yeah, I didn't realize it had wrapped, but I was just reading that she was currently filming a new Garage Sale Mystery when she had to turn herself in to authorities.  You're right that it would make re-casting nearly impossible. 

One other thing I read is that she has to turn in her passport, so that would make filming in Canada impossible.  That's another good reason for Hallmark to have to to let her go. She just can't physically be there to fulfill her contract.

I was just on Hallmark's website and see that they've pulled everything about the show today. It does't even show up on the list of shows available. They've pulled both it and Meet the Peets from the Sunday night lineup for this week and put in one of the old movies.

I'm really curious about how they'll handle this going forward.  I wonder if they just scrap the rest of this season and start fresh next year. It seems a real shame for all of the other actors who did nothing wrong, especially the new guy who hasn't even had his first appearance yet.

[free2think]

I'm sorry but I'm having a hard time being sorry that Hallmark pulled the plug on this show due to Lori's felonious behavior. 

This show should have ended at the wedding. Happy ending for all. Then a spin-off if they wanted to continue the brand. Or even WCTH movies with different actors playing J&E which continue the lives of the Thornton family.

I'm angry by what Hallmark and Co. did to this show but I never wanted it to go down like this. 

Why is everyone so OK with recasting Abigail but not Jack in the Twitter-sphere? 

Wow, just wow. Seem like bad karma this season.

[langford peel]

22 minutes ago, SusanwatchingTV said:

I'm really curious about how they'll handle this going forward.  I wonder if they just scrap the rest of this season and start fresh next year. It seems a real shame for all of the other actors who did nothing wrong, especially the new guy who hasn't even had his first appearance yet.

I find it hard to believe that they will throw away all of those episodes and all of that money. I think they might look at some of the episodes and maybe  cut out some of Abigail's screen time if it is not crucial to the story.

Think about it. Halllmark is not going to disappear Lori Loughlin like some third world dictatorship. That means they could never rerun WCTH or any of her movies. They would have to take it down from Netflicks and other streaming services. They are never going to throw all that money away. 

They are just waiting for the first wave of disgust to blow over. Give it two weeks to a month. They are just not going to throw all that money away.

[SusanwatchingTV]

1 hour ago, free2think said:

Why is everyone so OK with recasting Abigail but not Jack in the Twitter-sphere? 

I don't know about everyone else, but I would have been okay with a recast of Jack. I also would have been fine with them ending the show with them getting married. I think they slow played their romance into the ground. I was so ready for them to just be married and have a life, already.

1 hour ago, langford peel said:

I find it hard to believe that they will throw away all of those episodes and all of that money. I think they might look at some of the episodes and maybe  cut out some of Abigail's screen time if it is not crucial to the story.

Think about it. Halllmark is not going to disappear Lori Loughlin like some third world dictatorship. That means they could never rerun WCTH or any of her movies. They would have to take it down from Netflicks and other streaming services. They are never going to throw all that money away. 

They are just waiting for the first wave of disgust to blow over. Give it two weeks to a month. They are just not going to throw all that money away.

Yes, it's a lot of money to lose, and no, I don't think they'll actually scrap it, but they've pulled the show, so I'm just speculating what they plan to do.  I've seen other shows recast and go on, and something in the way they made the announcement made me think that's what they'll do.  I could see them re-cut the existing episodes to write out Abigail and re-shoot a few scenes that were critical if they can (but I wonder whether they can get the cast back together to shoot again.)  It'll be interesting to see what happens.

I can see, though, that if they think they'll lose more money from lost advertisers and lost viewers they may figure out a way to recast and get back going as quickly as possible.  I mean, they may feel like if they don't recast now and move forward the show will die while trying to figure it out.

It's also interesting to note that her daughter lost her deal with Sephora and other makeup places are considering dumping her (from what I've read). They all stand to lose money from unsold product and ads that have been shot, but I guess the fallout and association with cheating is just too much, at least for now.

Edited March 15, 2019 by SusanwatchingTV
Edited to fix typo.

[free2think]

43 minutes ago, SusanwatchingTV said:

I think they slow played their romance into the ground. I was so ready for them to just be married and have a life, already.

Agreed!

[SusanwatchingTV]

I just read an interesting article this morning that points out that Hallmark has already edited all the images on the WCTH Facebook page to remove Abigail.  It says they're exploring ways to move forward. I'm fascinated.  It may be a train wreck, but I'm so curious to see how this plays out.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a26836092/did-hallmark-cancel-when-calls-the-heart/

[free2think]

Mr. Bird will make a statement about the future of WCTH;

#Hearties, at 1 p.m. PST, I will be making a statement here on Twitter about @WCTH_TV on behalf of the producing team about the heartbreaking situation this week. No spoons out for this one... just wanted you to be aware so that you can come and see. Thanks.

[free2think]

1 hour ago, free2think said:

Mr. Bird will make a statement about the future of WCTH;

Never mind, nothing new.

[Was-MArsenault]

9 hours ago, SusanwatchingTV said:

I just read an interesting article this morning that points out that Hallmark has already edited all the images on the WCTH Facebook page to remove Abigail.  It says they're exploring ways to move forward. I'm fascinated.  It may be a train wreck, but I'm so curious to see how this plays out.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a26836092/did-hallmark-cancel-when-calls-the-heart/

So they already scrubbed everything.

[taragel]

Bird's statement says they are "retooling the remaining S6 episodes" so that definitely sounds like they'll either cut the episodes around her somehow or recast/refilm.  I imagine either way it will take them a while to regroup and there'll be no new episodes shown for a bit.

The transcript of the court documents is a hell of a read. They very clearly got both Loughlin and her husband confirming via recorded FBI phone call that they lied and bribed to the tune of $500K ($400K to the shady org facillitating this and $100K to a USC athletic director) to get their kids in as crew recruits though they never participated in crew. They even had a showdown with a counselor at her high school who thought it was suspicious, but I guess came around after the husband talked to him/her. Lori inquires via email what they should do to make sure "our little friend" at the high school not expose the scam. Wow.

[Pickles]

9 hours ago, taragel said:

Bird's statement says they are "retooling the remaining S6 episodes" so that definitely sounds like they'll either cut the episodes around her somehow or recast/refilm.  I imagine either way it will take them a while to regroup and there'll be no new episodes shown for a bit.

The transcript of the court documents is a hell of a read. They very clearly got both Loughlin and her husband confirming via recorded FBI phone call that they lied and bribed to the tune of $500K ($400K to the shady org facillitating this and $100K to a USC athletic director) to get their kids in as crew recruits though they never participated in crew. They even had a showdown with a counselor at her high school who thought it was suspicious, but I guess came around after the husband talked to him/her. Lori inquires via email what they should do to make sure "our little friend" at the high school not expose the scam. Wow.

Lori also appeared "arrogant and defiant" in the courtroom, according to the sketch artist. She said Huffman appeared more ashamed. Yes, Lori's husband apparently had some big shouting match with the hs counselor, when she wondered how the daughter got recruited for crew. The scam organization then warned the husband that he could not be having shouting matches at the school, because they would be found out. I also just read that Olivia Jane apparently rarely attended high school. She said so herself. She was going back for some senior day (during her senior year) and said she hoped people would remember who she was, since she rarely attended school. 

[free2think]

2 hours ago, Pickles said:

Lori also appeared "arrogant and defiant"

Ya, well she is used to getting her own way. Hallmark and LL put on a deception for the ages. This can also really taint the Hallmark brand because they are the ones marketing the actors the same as the characters they play. Although I did see a glimpse of this arrogance and defiance in LL when she angrily lashed out on fans like me who questioned the whole kill Jack right after marriage story line. 

[Ali1313]

3 hours ago, free2think said:

Although I did see a glimpse of this arrogance and defiance in LL when she angrily lashed out on fans like me who questioned the whole kill Jack right after marriage story line. 

When did she do that? I don’t doubt that she did it, just wondering when. 

She was only supposed to be on in the beginning then she took over. She felt she was the star and that’s prob why lissing left. I would love for him to come out and speak about why he really left. 

[free2think]

45 minutes ago, Ali1313 said:

When did she do that? I don’t doubt that she did it, just wondering when

Ya right after they killed Jack, on Twitter LL, BB and Candace Bure where telling fans if they did not just go along with the story they were not true fans. Telling fans if they don’t watch they would be responsible for people loosing jobs etc. calling us ungrateful for all they had done “for us” and in some cases quoting scripture to passify what was done.

it was horrible.

LL had this tag line on her Twitter that said “Be careful when you blindly follow the masses. Sometimes the ‘m’ is silent” I took it to mean if the largest group of Hearties where against the killing of Jack, we were “asses”. It’s was how I took it at least.

It all just felt so un-Hallmark but even they at the time backed LL.

Edited March 17, 2019 by free2think

[zillabreeze]

Well, well.  The show has been replaced tonight.  Who saw that coming?  

[SusanwatchingTV]

14 minutes ago, zillabreeze said:

Well, well.  The show has been replaced tonight.  Who saw that coming?  

Those of us who posted the last few days knew it had already happened. They announced it several days ago.

They're re-working the show.

[zillabreeze]

36 minutes ago, SusanwatchingTV said:

They're re-working the show.

I took that to mean going forward.  I. expected them to air what was already in the can.   Oh well