“When Calls The Heart” Has Officially Stolen Fans’ Hearts
Let me preface this article by saying, don’t worry… The Hallmark hit, When Calls The Heart, has already been renewed for a fifth season just days after the season four finale. (Phew, I almost had a heart attack.) Whether or not you’ve seen or heard of this show is irrelevant, because it has quietly asserted itself as a fan favorite over the past few years, spurred by positive themes like family, faith and hope. And the finale, which aired earlier this week (April 23), sent fans into a frenzy on Twitter, with more than 63K tweets pouring in about the episode, and 41.9% expressing a specific emotion (according to Canvs, the emotion analytics company).The top emotion from fans (by a landslide) was love, which accounted for 38% of Emotional Reactions (ERs). What drove the love? Actress Erin Krakow was mentioned in 24.7% of all love ERs, with co-star Lori Loughlin driving an additional 16.4%.Viewers especially admired the impressive horse riding skills displayed by Erin during the program.
Awesome Horse riding @erinkrakow #hearties @hallmarkchannel
— Beverly S (@BevStrad) April 24, 2017
Other top emotions? Enjoy (14.8%), excited (9.9%), and sad (4.7%), with an additional 2% of viewers expressed cried. And it was Lori Loughlin tugging on the heartstrings, driving 27.4% of sad ERs and an overwhelming 50.7% of cried ERs.
@LoriLoughlin @hallmarkchannel It's so sad. Your making me cry.
— Ruth Smith (@smitycrochet) April 24, 2017
This is when some readers inevitably think to themselves, “Why is Hallmark renewing a show that has all its fans crying?” Well, sentiment is out, and emotions are in. It’s not about simple clicks and views, it’s about creating a long lasting emotional connection with viewers. THIS is why When Calls The Heart has resonated so well with fans. And THIS is why fans are already celebrating the season five announcement.