The producers behind the When Calls the Heart didn’t set out to cultivate a strong social following for the romantic period series. To the team’s surprise, however, fans of the show have found each other online, defining themselves as “Hearties” and prompting the producers to do what they can to keep these loyal fans engaged.

“It’s really not us – it’s the fans that are doing it,” Canadian executive producer Michael Shepard told Playback Daily. While the series is produced by American prodcos Believe Pictures and Brad Krevoy Television, Canadians Vicki Southeran and Greg Malcolm serve as producers on When Calls the Heart, which is based on a series of books by Canadian author Janette Oke.

While commissioning broadcaster Hallmark Channel created and maintained official social media fan pages, viewers soon started making their own fan pages and connecting with each other using the “Hearties” hashtag. Fans also started to reach out to the production team, who then made a point of providing them with insider information about the series. Based on the fan engagement, the producers also decided to launch a “Hearties Family Reunion” event on Jan. 16 in Langley, B.C., where the series is currently in production on its third season (all three seasons of the series have been shot in British Columbia).

Nearly 200 fans – some from as far away as Asia or France – visited the set and participated in Q & As with the talent and crew, with tickets to the event selling out in less than 24 hours. The producers also hosted a tea the day prior in Vancouver at a hotel frequently featured in the series.

“We gave them access and engaged with them. We absolutely responded to everything they wanted and we paid attention,” Shepard said of the fans.

When Calls the Heart first aired in Canada on Super Channel, and made its free-TV debut on CBC this past summer. Season three will bow on Super Channel in March, with season two headed to CBC this June. While Shepard noted most of the fans of the show appear to be American, the free-TV exposure of season one in Canada certainly hasn’t hurt.

Overall, he said the series seems to be tapping into a predominately female audience who wants lighter, more inspirational fare than what is now largely available on TV. And in the age of the internet and OTT dominance, Hallmark Channel has actually seen its ratings grow, Shepard said, with its strategy of airing programming in the same vein of When Calls the Heart.

“The ratings for Hallmark has seen massive increases…because those viewers, female, 25 to 54, the ones who like this type of show are no longer served like they used to be,” Shephard said.

Along with Shepard, other executive producers on When Calls the Heart include Brad Krevoy, Tony Blake, Robin Bernheim, Brian Bird and Michael Landon Jr.