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‘When Calls the Heart’ Undergoing Major Shakeup Before New Season, Exec Reveals
A big shakeup is happening at “When Calls the Heart” for season 13. A new showrunner is taking over the series, replacing Lindsay Sturman. Sturman led the series through seasons 10, 11 and 12.
Executive producer Brian Bird made the announcement during The Official Hearties Aftershow.
Joy Gregory Is Replacing Lindsay Sturman as the Showrunner
Bird announced on the Aftershow: “I’m pleased to be on this Zoom with Joy Gregory, our fantastic season 12 writer and executive producer, who is joining us again for season 13 as our showrunner… We’re so thrilled… Joy did such an amazing job this year on the show. Her first year on the show but she just got it so quickly. Picked up the world, picked up the values, picked up the vibes.”
Gregory, who was also a guest on the Aftershow, shared how excited she was to be stepping into her new leadership role.
“I feel really honored to be trusted with carrying this ship forward,” Gregory said. “I’m deeply inspired by the fan engagement on the show. It’s like nothing I’ve experienced in 25 seasons of TV that I’ve written and produced. It’s a very special show… I love small moments between people. I love to watch flawed people try to love each other as best they can in difficult circumstances. And I’ve been on quite a few shows that didn’t have much patience with that. Which again, that’s the job… But finally I get to indulge my love of people just loving each other as best they can. It’s the kind of TV I love to watch and I’m so grateful to get to create it for all of you.”
Sturman Led the Show During the Lucas & Elizabeth Breakup
Sturman took over for John Tinker, who was showrunner when Elizabeth chose Lucas and ended a Lucas-Elizabeth-Nathan love triangle. After Sturman took over, the show changed direction and Elizabeth broke up with Lucas at the end of season 10 and then started a relationship with Nathan that is still going strong.
“The Edify After Show” hosted an interview with Sturman after the big breakup and she explained her decision.
“With Lucas … he was somebody we didn’t know that well,” Sturman said. “He has a history. … We started to look at who … this character was, and we really wanted to do a hero’s journey for him… They were on different journeys. Elizabeth and Lucas had different destinies. And how do we follow those?”
Sturman told “Edify” that the story naturally led to the breakup.
“We found this story … that was both heartbreaking but also felt true to who they were,” Sturman explained. “She gets to see him grow, but they also grow apart, and the heartbreak of that. … It sort of revealed itself to be a ‘Casablanca’ story.”
In an interview on Heart to Hearties, the hosts asked who played the biggest role in guiding the big shift in the show in season 10.
Bird said: “In terms of the decision-making process, as I said… this is not me alone, this is not Lindsay alone in a vacuum making these decisions. The network has a voice, the producing team has a voice. But just know … that we don’t take … any of these decisions lightly…”
He added: “We don’t do it for any reason other than it’s necessary for reasons that we might not be able to talk about. But we also believe that it’s still the best path forward.”
In the most recent Aftershow interview, after the news of Gregory taking over as showrunner, the hosts asked about the transition. Gregory was quick to share how gracious and helpful Sturman was.
“[Sturman] was so kind and supportive and generous when it became apparent that she was going to pass the baton to me,” Gregory said. “She agreed to be co-showrunner with me for the last few episodes… She just reached out to me and said, ‘Let’s think of ourselves this way.’ I can’t imagine a more supportive transition to taking over a show that many others before me have built with love and care… She called me to join the show and then shared the leadership with me with a tremendous humor and grace and generosity.”
