When the heart calls fans can expect a mini Little House on the Prairie reunion next year!
On Saturday, September 14, during the annual Hearties family reunion in Vancouver, British Columbia, Hallmark announced that Melissa Gilbert will appear in When the heart calls12th season.
According to a press release, Gilbert, 60, will guest star in a two-episode series in the upcoming season, which is set to premiere in 2025. Her character, Georgie McGill, will share “a surprising past with one special resident of Hope Valley.”
The actress’ upcoming episodic role has a special connection with Little House on the Prairie. When the heart callsThe executive producer is Michael Landon Jr., whose father, Michael Landon, played the beloved dad (Charles Ingalls) on the family series that ran from 1974 to 1983.
Gilbert — who played Laura Ingalls Wilder on the show — and Landon Jr., 60, reunited in March on Little House on the Prairie A cast reunion and 50th anniversary festival, where the idea for her Hallmark cameo came about. Fans may remember that Landon Jr. himself. appeared at two Little House on the Prairie episode in 1977, making Gilbert’s upcoming guest appearance all the more exciting.
Melissa Gilbert.
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Kelly Garrett, vice president of programming at Hallmark Media, pointed out the similarities between the two When the heart calls and Little House on the Prairie in the statement. Both series have “charming and compelling stories of hope, human connection and overcoming boundaries,” she said.
“It was only fitting that the first people to hear this special news were the Hearties — the devoted fans who have celebrated the show year after year and made it such a success,” Garrett continued. “The energy that is here with them to share this news is electric and we can’t wait for them to meet Georgie next year.”
Gilbert recently reflected on the impact that Michael Landon — who died in 1991 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer — had on Little House on the Prairie set. “Michael was a quarterback, wasn’t he? So he set the tone for what we were doing,” she told PEOPLE earlier this month.
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She also recalled being close to him, saying she “was the only member who regularly hung out with him and his family.”
“We all vacationed together during spring break in Hawaii — at the same hotel every year,” she added. “Mike’s kids went to the same school I went to. I slept over at their place all the time. They slept over at my place.”
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When the heart calls is available to stream on Hallmark+. Little House on the Prairie is available on Amazon Prime.
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Source: HIS Education