Season 12 Chat with Brian Bird

Its a Tradition! WCTH CO Creator and Executive Producer Brian Bird joins James Lott Jr for an all access chat about Season 12!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
All right, we are coming on live here at JLJ Media.
Hello and welcome. This is the Wenk Calls right after show.
I love saying that, and I'll be continuing to say
that for another least another season.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
I'm sorry about that. Hi.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
I'm James Lott Jr. And of course I do this
at the end of the season. We do it for
about ten James, there you go, as be talking to myself.
I do this with him every year, and I'm so
glad that he agrees to join us because he's a
busy man. Folks be out there tweeting, he is on Facebook,

(00:39):
he's in meetings, and he's my family. Ryan Bird, thank.

Speaker 3 (00:44):
You you're you're my brother from a different mother. But
we are family and excited to be back again with you. James.
It's our tradition every every Monday, after the final episode
of Wind Calls Heart, let's keep going, let's let's let's
catch up with the Simpsons. Will be like in Walkers

(01:06):
by that time.

Speaker 2 (01:07):
But I was almost there already.

Speaker 1 (01:09):
But when you said that, but remember I think it
was like season three or four you said so, like
I want to get like the Simpsons with so congratulations
on season twelve. Congratulations on an announcement season thirteen. It
looks like the end is not ne It looks like
it could continue to you a season twenty. I mean,

(01:31):
we talked about I'm seriously, we talked about this over
and over again, but literally it could go there, right, Brian,
And it could.

Speaker 3 (01:38):
You know, I never thought that would even be a possibility,
you know, way back in the day. But the farther
we get into this and the fact that it's still fresh,
the storytelling's fresh, we find new ways to break new
ground with the with the episodes and with the storylines.

(02:01):
I really do believe this could keep going. And you
know that. I don't know if you saw follow the
ratings of all this year or some of these ways
in which you know, shows are being measured these days.
With all the you know, the digital revolution and all
the platforms and streamers and all of that, there's a

(02:21):
lot of ways to watch shows, and so we believe
more people are watching now than ever because they're watching
it in a lot of different ways. And there's a
particular analytics company called Parrot Analytics, which you probably know about.
All the big streamers have hired Parrot Analytics to do

(02:42):
their metrics and measure and measure the demand for shows.
And they did a report in season twelve about When
Calls the Heart and we are twenty three times more
in demand this show then all the other shows on television,

(03:02):
twenty three times more, and we rank in the top
three percentile of all shows in terms of viewer demand.
And that includes all the ways in which people interact
with the show social media, watching the show, taping the show,
recording the show, watching it later, watching it on different platforms.
So we you know, we had no idea that it

(03:25):
was twenty three times more in demand than other shows.
But you know, we consistently landed in the top twenty
of all on all networks on Sunday nights. Right, that
includes ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, all the big networks, all
the cable networks. We're in the top twenty of all shows. Yeah,

(03:49):
in season twelve. And you know, to be honest, most
shows sort of start to get tired, they start to
kind of get flabby, you know, like what happens to
us real life. But you know what it's not. It's
not showing up. It's not showing up with this show.

(04:09):
And it's not because we're all rocket science. Is it's
because the audience is starved to death for this kind
of content and they don't get it anywhere else or
most not most places, right, and so they will love
you and they'll keep coming back for more.

Speaker 1 (04:27):
So, yeah, there are two things that I think could
I want to piggyback off of that?

Speaker 2 (04:33):
Why it is?

Speaker 1 (04:35):
So there's shows I was regod thinking about comparing it
to ncis the original? How that one got better? Like
it's the ratings got better season seven eight, they got
better because, like you said, so folks at home, the
tricking usually is first season maybe not so great or great,

(04:56):
but you go up and down this couple of seasons,
go up and down, and then use my season four five.
I mean we're talking a young I mean it starts
to peter out, it just does. Right, some can last
at seven or eight, that that's happening nowadays. But to
get to twelve thirteen and have their ratings grow in

(05:17):
the changing time of how phone tablets later on a
streaming app, you know, like it's kind of like it's
it's it's crazy talk, but good crazy talk. Like it's
like you said, it's like it's kind of well, also
they're finding see what their times are changing. They're still

(05:38):
saying we want this and we'll watch it. However we
can get it right, right, I guess I just want
the big I just want the big reasons why this show.
And also we've carried this show and I'm saying me too.
We've carried this show from the beginning. The fans, the
Hardys have seriously took it in their hands and sad

(06:01):
we like the show, we want to protect it mm hm.
And so every season everybody's like sees it. They said,
Nazison nine, we see something like no matter what happens
in the world, it's like, everybody, what's another season? Like
they're not dene with the show. I think the audience
will tell you. And they're done with the show, right,
give me a TV a long time, you know how
how it works. I mean, audiences go away after a while,

(06:24):
like okay, I've done. You said it that you can
say for us, right.

Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah, yeah? And and you know, maybe there are obviously
some you know, fans who sort of you know, just
don't feel the vibes anymore and they move on. But
that's okay it, you know, God bless them. We appreciate
their support for the time that they were there, and
other other new newbies find the show like they'll watch

(06:49):
it on Peacock they never maybe saw it on on
the Hallmark channel, and now all of a sudden, wait,
where's this been all my life? And they're and they're
catching up and they're watching and you know, I just
I I think that it's not going to be everybody's
cup of tea. We can't always please everybody all the time, right,

(07:10):
But but you know, and you've got to be careful
in trying to be all things to all people to
become nothing to nobody, right, it's easy, it's easy to
go that way. We're not, you know, we're we're going
to Uh. The the mission statement continues the same mission
statement from way back when we Michael Landon Junior and

(07:32):
I first built this show. The mission statement has not
changed and all all when we've and we've had new
writers come onto the show, uh, you know, over the years,
new showrunners and so forth. But everybody agrees with the
mission statement and and it's not broken, So why try
to fix it? Right? Keep leaning in, find fresh takes,

(07:56):
find find new ways to you know, new wine skin
for the old message, Right, that idea and we continue
to do that. And I'm so proud of everybody associated
with the show, the cast, the crew, the writer's producers
were and I'm proud of the community. I'm proud of you.
I'm proud of all the people that surround the show

(08:17):
with it. It doesn't always meet everybody's need, but but
there's a sense of goodness right about the show indecency.
You know, at a time when the culture is struggling
to find goodness in decency, right, oh, you can rely
on when calls the heart to bring you goodness in

(08:39):
decence that entity their own world. The community of the
Heartys is now a thing in the But the community
is bigger than the show in some ways. And the
legacy of this show is that community in that community
actually does good, decent things in their in their own backyard.

Speaker 1 (09:01):
Hope, Vully's getting bigger, folks. Second, O'd Valley is getting bigger.
Diane c Hi, Diane cy, I know you win calls
startists know asis for me in this chaotic world.

Speaker 2 (09:12):
Thanks to all of you who have a part making
of this show.

Speaker 3 (09:15):
Busy, You're going to enjoyin that list.

Speaker 2 (09:17):
You heard that, folks, right, you heard that you said that. Okay,
I'd love to have that. I can. Then I will
attempt to live tweet if that happens.

Speaker 3 (09:24):
Yes, yeah, yeah, I want you to.

Speaker 1 (09:26):
We'll get into the season twelve. But I first want
people if you can share a little bit, not the
I don't want the whole process obviously, but part of
the process of outlining a season we talked about a
little bit a couple of times, a couple of seasons ago,
a little bit. But I just want to remind people
kind of because now I guess he's in thirteen's.

Speaker 3 (09:46):
With the writers. Just one of the rules of brainstorming,
no bad ideas, say whatever comes to mind, and it's easy.
It's the cheapest part of the process is to just
do a brain right initially. And but what whatever, What
the writing team knows every year is that obviously they're

(10:09):
gonna give us a lot of humor, emotion and romance
the famous acronym from Alfonso Marino. I added a zero
to that, by the way, or oh sorry, not a zero,
but an oh right, humor, h emotion, e romance are
and oh for optimism. So so part of the secret

(10:31):
sauce of when calls the Heart is it's it's it's
a continuing or serialized drama in that all of the
big season long arcs. The mystery of the gold coins, right,
goes for all seasons.

Speaker 2 (10:46):
Uh, the.

Speaker 3 (10:49):
Love affair between you know, Nathan and Elizabeth, it's gonna
go all season, right, So that's a season long arc
for those characters. And so we have character arcs that
or plot arcs that will travel the whole season. But
then every two episodes there seems to be a story
to fix, yes, right, So the secret of When Calls

(11:10):
the Heart is that the audience isn't left hanging with
no resolve, no resolution, and so every second episode, a
problem that's set up in the first episode of that
two gets some sort of resolved by the end, right,
And so that's how we block shoot the show. And
so that hybrid model has worked for us for a

(11:33):
long time. So you know, as the writers are already
gathering for season thirteen right away to start working on
season thirteen, they know that they want to build some
big arcs. Right now. You all saw into Melissa Gilbert
that I fiss between Melissa and you know Jack Wagner

(11:54):
there in her final episode of the season. That's something
we got to pick up up on I think that's
a big long win and dance. We got so.

Speaker 1 (12:04):
A grillion in a brillion years, that good old Henry
would be the wise old man everybody comes to. I like,
remember remember Marissa hated his characters, like, oh my god,
he's so you at the beginning or all of that,
and I'm like, and he was so shady. But his

(12:28):
his arc over these twelve seasons, it has been amazing.

Speaker 3 (12:33):
And Henry's whole arc this year was for me. It
was it was like breaking good right, that old that show,
breaking bad Man. That was the deconstruction of a good
man to write to an eatvil man. We're going the
other direction with Henry. He starts out as this pretty

(12:57):
despicable but very ambitious guy to a man who now
has wise advice for the others in town and is
perfectly content minding the hazel nut trees. The piece of that.

Speaker 2 (13:16):
What's what the Brian, what's what? The hazel nuts? I
can't laugh from the hazel nuts are are.

Speaker 3 (13:25):
This is where the ecosystem kicks in again too. So
the so the McKenna's family which owns the ranch and
the farm that we that we film on and they
own the town right of Jamestown. It's called Jamestown Movie
Movie Ranch, but Hope Valley when we're there. Uh, they

(13:45):
part of their agreement with the with the the farms,
I mean the far the Agricultural Commission in Vancouver is
that it has their farm has it's it's zone for
far and that we're doing filming there right, which is
a little different than farming. So part of part of

(14:08):
what they had to do on that farm is actually
put a hazel nut orchard in for for for practical reasons,
for financial reasons, but also for to keep there to
you know, to keep the it the the the status
of their farm as an active farm, right and not

(14:30):
get taken over by a bunch of people making a
TV show. Right. So the hazel nuts are there for real,
base are right? Those are real hazel nuts, right. So
they have an orchard there that they that they started
and that is there for good now and so it's there,

(14:50):
why not use it for the show?

Speaker 1 (14:52):
Yeah? No, I know it's there for real. That is crazy, folks.
You guys know that. How I didn't know that. I
know it's for real.

Speaker 2 (14:58):
Oh wow. So when when the kids are pulling they
were really pulling on the hazel Lets birthday. Yes, oh,
how funny.

Speaker 3 (15:06):
Isn't that great?

Speaker 2 (15:07):
Great?

Speaker 3 (15:07):
It was great. I love the the just the the
textures of all of that in the show but also
part of real life. Right, yeah, a little song they
sing you know, I was there there. Yeah, that was
so good.

Speaker 2 (15:24):
But you also used them which was funny.

Speaker 1 (15:28):
When when because Okay, Lee this season everybody knows I've
been commenting on Lee. He's been a little shading this
season and a funny, a funny way towards Lucas. That
was he's hilarious. And when he had all those hazelets
in his old office.

Speaker 3 (15:44):
Yes, taking over the governor's office.

Speaker 2 (15:47):
Yes, that was hilarious.

Speaker 1 (15:51):
I just thought that was But those hazelets when me laugh,
I was like, I man, like has the coffee? I
guess I like it? So, I mean, it's fine, but
that was a bit exprise. Also, we are just one
last time with the with the Angela and manything. They
were dealing with children and not as matter at what
age And I'm at you, Brian. So I had one

(16:13):
daughter who went to college cross country and we went
to drop her off.

Speaker 2 (16:18):
Now I was a mess. Her mother was okay, like
she was like she was holding together.

Speaker 1 (16:24):
I'm the one who's falling apart as I'm leaving her,
leaving her dorm and it's like, uh, you know, they
call me daddy, you know, daddy, like really, like I mean,
I love you. I'm so happy you're here and you
got it too. Went to Saint John's in New York.
I'm so proud of her. I have family back there,
My grandmother was back there and go to watch her.
But I mean me leaving her dorm room to go
back to the hotel to go fly out.

Speaker 2 (16:46):
I was a mess.

Speaker 1 (16:47):
I'm like, uh, this it's not fair. So I'm glad
you guys touched on that. It was something that both
of them, mother to mother, Yes, connecting even though it
was two situations that were different, but also to chronic situations.

Speaker 4 (17:01):
Yes, kids with special needs.

Speaker 3 (17:05):
With special needs. Absolutely, I went through that four times
with four kids.

Speaker 2 (17:09):
I know you have.

Speaker 3 (17:10):
I know you have from dropping them off and it
you know, it's always it's always a challenge for mom
and dad because you know their life will never be
the same right for the good and good or bad, right,
So because then you're you're losing control you're losing your
touch of and your your ability to keep accountable, you know,

(17:34):
with them sometimes. But it's part of the necessary growth
arc for every human being to distinguish themselves as themselves
without just inheriting everything from their mom and dad. Right.
So yeah, very very universal that you know we always
try to do that on the show, is to have

(17:56):
the storylines that are great equalizers for the odd Yeah.

Speaker 1 (18:02):
And and when when we we're talking, we're now mentioned
the town is growing and until we'll get we'll getting
some more characters. Fus, we're getting some more characters. The
chat is like, yes, are you gonna have bags at
the next hf R?

Speaker 2 (18:15):
Mazel Nuts? They're laughing. They laugh there laughing about that.
It'd bean.

Speaker 1 (18:21):
It would be great if an addition to honey, Barbara
Laird says, and I said so that when my son
is in the third year of college, I still cry
we drop them off after visits. I know it's tough.
I'm the hard dad. It's like, I don't I don't
fall apart, and I'm like, I've been crying baby. Now
as I got older, Brian, I cried everything about everything.

(18:44):
Now I got grandkids, it's you're worse now because they
take a step like, oh my god, I love it.
It's it's not fair, you guys. I'm softening up as
I get older. Another thing, so the town is growing.
But also we're in the late twenties. So you mentioned
we got radio, which I go, I went taught that,

(19:05):
so I want to that I was wanting to say,
but yeah, we told we have references like Buster Keaton
starts cold medicine because folks, if you watch my show,
I look this stuff up for real and tell you
about it. Alternative learning, comic books like you guys always
do this. I say it every year. You guys always
are relatable. But you're leading into so when you choose

(19:26):
that's nothing. On your planning process, you have people like
looking up like okay, what's kind of happening?

Speaker 4 (19:31):
Also one yeah, yeah, yeah, we have we we we
look at we look at the history books okay, okay,
and make sure that we're you know, sometimes you have
to fudge a few things to fudge the years or whatever.
Song No, that song wasn't written for two more years.
Well too bad. It works for them for the show.

Speaker 3 (19:55):
But yeah, so in in the dip in the insulin
and the diabetes. It was a perfect example. I know
we'll probably hit that too, but it that's another example
of letting history work for you. Right. So we got
the Charleston, we got the music, we got the Flapper Downs,
we got the rowing twenties going yes, comic books that

(20:16):
you mentioned, and the and the explosion of radio and
small towns and across the country, huge huge technological advancement, right,
And so we've tried to follow those trend lines through history,

(20:36):
right with the phone and the telegram, telegraph wires and
those things coming to town. But boy, radio just opens
up all kinds of.

Speaker 1 (20:46):
You know, the folks I mean, And I brought his
those either out, understand. So for me growing up, radio
is everything. It's the radio shows in the morning. I
want to be on the radio. I my voice turned deep,
like at thirteen. One day I was like hi, and
I was like, and we're like what happened? But I
always had this voice, right, So for me, I was like,
it wasn't TV. Ironically I'm in television now, but it

(21:07):
wasn't TV so and all stuff. So when before I
got to for a TV, I got my first radio show.
So I came back FIRSTEE with the radio show, a
weekly radio show on organizing, and that was my dream.
I thought, I hit the Jackpine. I'm like, I have
a weekly radio show. It goes up to millions of people,
and I'm good, you know, I was. I was happy
because radio is my thing. So to see this story

(21:30):
a surprise, to see the story had happened, and how
they had to produce it. It reminds me of my podcasting.
It's so it's it's so similar and making it sounds
and how you can't rely you can't rely on visuals,
and so I really I was played personally. I really
enjoyed the whole all the radio shenanigans and and even

(21:50):
all the little side talk like news on the radio,
Like that's kind of crazy, you know, because newspapers were
still so big right now, where's the newspaper now? But
like this kind like all the little side talk about
that I don't working, you know, and we should do
but we should do a bad a baseball game on radio.
Like I'm like, it's like it's.

Speaker 3 (22:09):
Such a drama on the radio.

Speaker 2 (22:12):
We hit all.

Speaker 1 (22:14):
I do audio dramas. I produced audio dramas. I love them.
I love the whole radio thing. I loved it. I
just thought, personally, it hit me in a spot that
made me smile.

Speaker 3 (22:25):
Nice, nice, me too, Me too.

Speaker 1 (22:27):
It was really good. So those are good too. Another
a breakout couple who's not a couple yet. Actually they're
not really a couple yet, a breakout couple, but they worked.
I call them breakout couple, non couple. It's Olie and Oliver.
So we get a new character and brought in whereas
already with drama, already hearnest drama. It was a good drama.

(22:51):
And those two actors have such great chemistry. Oh my
gosh on heaven. I was like wow. And because because
they're not really a couple, that's why they're not a couple.
So but there's the they work, So you gave them
great stuff. So you talk about it says almost feels
like the next generation so to speak.

Speaker 3 (23:13):
Yes, absolutely know. You know we prior to season twelve.
It's the early planning and so forth. When we started
talking about the shape of season twelve, we said, wouldn't
it be since some of these kids are growing up
right on the show. You know, they started out as
little kids and now they're like older teenagers who are

(23:35):
going to have to experience adulthood. What if we, you know,
instead of like added a romance, another romance for you know,
one of the older characters, let's add a romance for
this younger this this younger set right of kids in town.
And so Ali sort of was the perfect place to

(23:56):
start there because you've got her single dad who was
in love with Elizabeth but who's only learning how to
become a dad, and he's got a teenager for a
daughter at this point, right, So what about that? How's
he gonna deal with the young man showing up at
his door right to take her out on a date.

(24:17):
So we just felt like that was a nice fresh
wrinkle on romance in the town is to put her,
you know, put let the teenagers have, you know, and
they had their birthday dance party, right. That was such
a scandal to Molly and to everybody else, like, what's
gonna happen there? Right, these kids reading their comic books

(24:39):
and letting and being you know, they're being corrupted, right,
So it's just like the same stuff we say nowadays, right,
So we just thought, you know, what a wonderful new
wrinkle to that. And then we also said, okay, let's
get an older romance going actually a couple of them
between Ned and Molly, but also you know, for Jack,
for Bill Aver so yeah, yeah so but but yes,

(25:03):
love love, the idea of young love, young romance, them
trying to find their way in that. It doesn't always
work so nicely at a little bit of a love triangle
there for a couple of episodes with the guy with
all the hair, you know, like so I called him
sunshine sunshine on Uh has.

Speaker 1 (25:22):
Some good he has some good hair. He has some
good hair when you're when you're young, right when you're young. Yes,
that's what happens, you have some good hair, good air. No,
it's and then and what reminds me of the old
the first couple of seasons you know we had young
we had well, I mean the second and third or
fourth we had it, I said, reminded me of that.
It reminded me of Okay, now we're spraying up again.

(25:43):
They're not a couple, they're leading there. They're getting there.
So next season probably. But but as a father of
two daughters, it was not easy for them. Yes, ye
I say, I know, boys think what's going on? So
it was not easy. But I like their husbands. I
do like each of their husbands.

Speaker 2 (26:01):
I do.

Speaker 1 (26:01):
I approve they both asked them there they asking for
their hands and marriage.

Speaker 3 (26:05):
We did.

Speaker 2 (26:07):
Yeah, they're laughing the guy. All the hair we had
great hair.

Speaker 3 (26:10):
I love.

Speaker 2 (26:11):
I love brag. All my hair is hidden right now.
I love hair.

Speaker 1 (26:15):
Somebody said, I love seeing all the variations of love
story first love loving an older age. We're coming from
a broken heart, newly weds, forever loves well. You know,
from the beginning, it was we had this huge tragedy happen,
and we had a lot of women who lost their husbands, right,
and we were all so it's good to see that
now we're going into a fully formed town where it's

(26:35):
people can meet up. We have a saloon, we have cafe,
like people can actually meet up. So I kind of
like that. You people are saying Bill and George your
next great couple. You know, I'm sorry, folks. I like
Lucas and Edie and I want to mention her too.
What a great addition to the show. She's a great addition.
We got a lawyer. We got a lawyer. I was like,
I love it.

Speaker 3 (26:55):
Uh, you know, you got Tho's got to share his
office with the lawyer now to you.

Speaker 2 (27:00):
We'll get to him to you. But so she's inspired.

Speaker 3 (27:03):
So yeah, Miranda, what a what a breadth of fresh
air for the town. Like Seina, you know, Fiona was
quite a great character in Love Alley Off and on there,
and you know, brought kind of a fresh perspective. But
Brandon now brings another fresh perspective. A professional woman who
actually you know, has achieved a lot in her life,

(27:27):
and not not out of necessity because but because you know,
she's gifted and smart. So love that. Addition, love the
potential there for Lucas, She's he seems like he needs
a gal like who can who can keep up with
him right on the ambition side, and who knows how

(27:50):
to play.

Speaker 2 (27:50):
Cards with him, have a bourbon with or whatever exactly.

Speaker 3 (27:57):
So we love, Yeah, we love Edie. Ed addition to
the show, we love how you know her her personal
storyline and professional storyline synced up with the town right
and this this this mystery with the gold, you know,
so a lot of really nice ways to weave the
stories together.

Speaker 2 (28:17):
I agree.

Speaker 1 (28:17):
Hello miss Jeanette Stevens, my girl, and Hi Mark, how
you guys, Thanks for all you guys. You got there
out there is tweeting and sharing and running the page.
You guys are great. So I want to say that
loud to you guys.

Speaker 3 (28:30):
And let me just say, James, you you you kind
of hinted at this, but that that you mentioned Jeanette
and Mark, who are you know, are trusted, trusted complete
run we really run the sort of help. They're air
traffic controllers of the Hardys, you know, airplanes. And but

(28:53):
we we are letting everybody know that there will be
another Hardy's Family reunion.

Speaker 2 (28:59):
It's kind of folks one.

Speaker 3 (29:01):
So we'll be watching. We won't give to save the
date out quite yet, but soon. And they should keep
their eyes open for you know, the information that comes
out on the Hardy's Family reunion. So we're excited about that.

Speaker 2 (29:15):
If folks heard that, Yes, and nobody so much in
that Mr. Again, they are great. They're great. They're champion,
They're champions. Yes, you guys do carry the show. You
guys do.

Speaker 1 (29:24):
Back to want So and Fiona. Okay, first of all,
I love Fiona. We love Kayla Adams. It's just it's
at her story. I know it's a quick little arc,
it was still very powerful arc. Modern woman trying to
save the you know, you know, and like you said,
he's a modern woman too, but she's different.

Speaker 2 (29:43):
You're right, they're two different modern women.

Speaker 1 (29:47):
And but he knows who she is kind of she
she found a profession where Fionda was trying to figure
it out, right, So great with you. It's good to
see Kayla. We love her. I just I wish she
was on more. But you're right, it's I think Edie
will do nicely. I think she will do nicely. But
after back to it says, time, OK, time for have

(30:07):
a hard question folks. You know we don't We talk
about everything folks on the show. I do not shine
away from nothing. We talk about everything on the show.
So I'm gonna ask you to are sixty seven people
who are watching on a Monday night, thank you folks
for watching.

Speaker 2 (30:20):
Get that like button. We like me.

Speaker 1 (30:22):
He's follow me if you don't follow me already, So
I don't phrase this thing Lucas. So we got so
we already established that Elizabeth has chosen Nathan. Of course,
so how hard soft, easy? Not easy was it to
decide to kind of push Lucas towards another woman on

(30:47):
the show. We brought back his bad as obviously, and
then she got taken away. But but yes, it's like
it's but now with Edie coming in and most of
the chat, we all kind of we like her so far,
so it's good. But how hard was that to kind
of okay, we're now, we're going to give him something
outside of Elizabeth.

Speaker 3 (31:07):
Well, you know, in season eleven, he was so caught
up in you know, having to deal with Jessica Rabbit
coming to town, right, and yeah, and for former flame,
but also he was recovering from you know, being shot, right,
and so he had lost his memory, and so there

(31:29):
just was all this intrigue around that mystery of who
shot Lucas, and so we wanted to give him an
aspiration for season twelve. And that's why this this idea
of the National Park came together, right, a way to
give back, and it's not just about money and a

(31:50):
resort and a big hotel, but it's about giving preserving
nature for people to enjoy forever, right, And so in
giving that, in giving back, you know, the governor is
stepping on toes, you know, professionally, right, and probably sacrificing
the job by doing so. But we wanted to give

(32:12):
him a foil, not a foil, but somebody who was
on opposite sides with him for a while, right, even
though we sensed the attraction there immediately, right, the sparks
there were there for both of them. But she's she's
she's out of odds with him, right, They're trying to

(32:32):
make this uneasy truce together even though they're on literally
opposite She's representing these these cattle ranchers so and he
and he's trying to preserve his his his dream to
give back to the province. And we just felt like
that was a really interesting new way to introduce a
woman into his life, not somebody who was trying to

(32:55):
manipulate him, but somebody who's opposite sides of an issue
with him, right, because how how do you how do
you bridge that gap? And was so cute in the final,
you know, episode for her to say, well, you can
fire me. I can dance with you if you fire me, right.

Speaker 2 (33:15):
Because you're fired for the duration of the dance.

Speaker 3 (33:18):
Yeah, exactly exactly, So you know, it was just I
just think that was a wonderful edition. We we see,
we see much future for Edie in Oh Valley.

Speaker 2 (33:29):
I like that, I do like that.

Speaker 1 (33:31):
Well also said I mentioned shady Lee this season, We really,
you guys really had Lee and Lucas nott at odds
for a lot of episodes. I mean it was kind
of like we are again. We're like, oh my, I'm
like I feel bad. I'm like, come on, what do
you got to their friends? I got work it out?
I mean, like, you know, it was really, I mean
it was.

Speaker 2 (33:48):
It was a little uncomfortable.

Speaker 3 (33:50):
Yes, yeah, you know, you.

Speaker 1 (33:52):
Think lis is you know, he's a great guy obviously,
but he's a man. I think he's a man to like.
And their romance was like broken. It was like what's
going on here? And Lucas was so sad this his friend.

Speaker 3 (34:06):
Yes, well you know that this is what politicians deal
with all the time, right, They're they're pulled and pushed
and pulled by all these competing forces in their lives.
And here's a friend, a real friend, who's a man
of conviction. Well also gives the benefit of the doubt

(34:27):
to people, right, He's very great, he's got grace for
people usually, but this was this is this I believe
that whole storyline was meant for Lee to remind Lucas.

Speaker 2 (34:42):
Who he really was I think so too.

Speaker 3 (34:44):
Yeah, right, and it's and and we all need tough love.
We need people to to bring the hammer down when
we need it. Right. And even though Lucas was misunderstood,
he felt he felt misunderstood. He felt like, I'm trying
to be a good guy. I'm trying to do the
right thing for everybody. Well, at some point you have

(35:06):
to take a stand, yep, right, even if it means
sacrificing your office, your elected office.

Speaker 2 (35:14):
To do it.

Speaker 3 (35:15):
And Lee was a rock for him in that way,
and so he so that TLC that he was given
him was was painful for him too. You didn't like it.
You didn't like doing that opening up, you know, a
can of whoop a on on his buddy.

Speaker 1 (35:34):
Yes, yes, right, all right, I mean it really felt
I really like I said, they say the chat. In
the end, Lucas did the right thing. But he figured
out they figured out a way by way of the
by by way of Ali and Oliver. They found a
way in there. So so you took to you We'll
get to that alternati runing storyline later, but you but
you literally took to your stories kind of brough them together.
So the whole once again the mission the town comes

(35:57):
together or a problem, but just it was just it
was uncomfortable watching them fight so long. It was just like, okay,
so like what are you be friends again? It was
like it was it was just kind of like it
was like, wait a minute, this is not fair at all.

Speaker 2 (36:11):
But you're right. I think it was.

Speaker 1 (36:12):
I think because he had Edwin, who I love that character,
whoever that guy is.

Speaker 2 (36:16):
It's hilarious.

Speaker 1 (36:17):
He plays that smarmy character saw and but Lucas was like,
but he's good too, like he he's there for a reason. Also, yes,
and Lee is not like him at all, but just
shade the league gives him the ent time he sees them.
He is not a fan of Edwin. It makes me
laugh every time. But you're right, but they're both of
like two sides of the of the coins. For Lucas, yes, hey,

(36:41):
you gotta do this, gotta do this. And then again
Henry comes in from the heavens, comes down with a
piece of wisdom. He did, but he said, you might
have to give up your office this thing, but there's
things you can do in the meantime. He was like,
he said, there's things you can do, And it was
like thinking orders. There's things you can do in the meantime,
like again Henry coming to the rescue, so to speak.

(37:04):
There was poor Edwin played Eric Gal Thank you Eric
Goal is the name? Thank you hi Eric Gal More
Edward please, I know he's he is that guy at
Dude is hilarious.

Speaker 2 (37:12):
I don't know where you found him, but he is.
So I'm glad you brought it back this season too.

Speaker 1 (37:19):
He's a good one. So speaking of strong characters people,
and he also if you guys are coming in now,
mister gilt way back to season thirteen, he said it
a little earlier. He went back to season thirteen. She'll
be back to thirteen. George is another your show does this.
And I've noticed from the very beginning the women are strong,

(37:41):
you know, And and I loved when she met up
with Bill after all these years, and she was like,
you never just you never saw me as a woman.
You saw me, You saw me in class as a
you know, as a you know, as as she was.
And she's kind of like, I wish you'd see me
as a woman. I saw it was kind of funny
you did it. It was like she but you a
treaty's care these women characters that are really strong.

Speaker 2 (38:02):
I love that. Is that? Is that a conscious choice
to you? It is?

Speaker 3 (38:05):
It is part of the you know, it's part of
Janette Oaks books originally, right, like the strong you know
women had in that time. Women, I mean women have
to be strong now too, right, but like they you know,
they didn't have all the they didn't have all the
the luxuries of modern day life to make life easier

(38:29):
for them. So we we Michael I always believed from
the beginning, like, this has to be a town full
of women who have to take control, right. They've lost
their husbands. There's nobody else who's going to do it right,
so they need to step up. And I I I

(38:49):
personally believe that it's the moms and the women who
saved the world, right, we need them to save the
world because we met things up as men, and we
need the moms to step up and and they do.
They're the glue that hold us all together. And so
we wanted the show to very much always resonate that way.

(39:11):
And yeah, there's different like, uh, there's different facets of
the diamond, right, So Fiona and Edie and everybody's got
a different facet on that diamond. But it's it's hard
right that those diamonds will cut, will cut anything, and

(39:32):
and so we love the different facets, but it's always
about let's these are the people that are the glue
that hold life together.

Speaker 2 (39:40):
Yes, I agree.

Speaker 1 (39:42):
And speaking of that, so you're a couple of side characters,
you guys introduced, and now you're telling me how you
how you do it?

Speaker 2 (39:50):
Now I see it.

Speaker 1 (39:50):
Now I'm seeing the pattern Like now you said, I'm like, no,
I'm seeing the pattern as well. One thing that was, uh,
we asked somebody come to town must like a Elizabeth,
but yet end up being a lot like Rosemary, And
I thought, and I want to I want to ask
you a question. After after I saw the story ended,
I was like, was was she when she came to town?

Speaker 2 (40:13):
Even Eva?

Speaker 1 (40:14):
Right now when she came to was she supposed to
be a reminder of both of the ladies kind of
where they came from? Was that kind of was that
the thoughts or or that's or did I just get
that out of it? Well?

Speaker 3 (40:28):
I I do. What I loved with the reveal for
Eva is that she you know, when she finally did
reveal why she was there, right she she was living.
She was running a con on everybody for a while, right,
because she was in hiding from the Pinkertons or after
her right, even though it was not her fault. She

(40:48):
was a shill for this other guy who was really
the confidence man. And so what I loved about that
is that she came to a place that she had
read about in a book. Yeah, right, like, maybe I
can maybe I can have a life there like the
rest of these people. Maybe I don't have to be

(41:08):
running from anybody here. And I think there's a there's
an idea, there's a mirror that we're holding up to
the Hearties into the audience.

Speaker 2 (41:18):
Right that.

Speaker 3 (41:21):
This show and this world of Hope Valley is a place.
We hear it all the time. You hear it all
the time. I want to live there, right right. We
often say that Hope Valley is an example of the
world as it should be.

Speaker 2 (41:38):
Yes, I agree, I agree.

Speaker 3 (41:39):
And that it can be if we just all pulled together,
it can be that. But we believe that's why people
want to live there. So the writers they've heard that too, right,
They pick it up from the Hearties and they see it. Oh,
I wish I could live in Hope Valley. Well here

(42:00):
we go, here's a character who is them?

Speaker 2 (42:05):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (42:06):
Yeah, right, no, I guess right, Okay, I see that now? Yes, okay, so.

Speaker 3 (42:11):
So I I just love the love it when we
can hold up a mirror like that to the audience
and say, come on in, right is okay?

Speaker 2 (42:20):
I can I see that.

Speaker 1 (42:22):
But I still got out of it from the conversations
because Rosemary was not having it, not having it.

Speaker 2 (42:28):
And they had those and her we're talking. It was hilarious.

Speaker 1 (42:31):
They were talking about that when we were young, to
like when we get older, you and I have done it.
We're young, you do it. So it's like I thought,
I I just so I see you saying now. But
I also I still got out of it. That was
kind of like reminding them of where they get.

Speaker 3 (42:45):
I think that's lovely. Yeah, I think that's a lovely
uh you know analysis of it, because that's that is
part of it, right, because she actually did have talent, right,
and so she for Rosemary is like, why she's challenging
me in my own backyard here? What is this about? Y? Yeah? No,

(43:06):
it's very good, very good analysis.

Speaker 2 (43:09):
I loved it. I loved it. God's so funny.

Speaker 1 (43:13):
Then he brought in Then he brought back Wyatt, so
young character, bringing him back a little older, and I said,
the hair and everything. So he so we we so
what was his purpose to you?

Speaker 2 (43:25):
Also? We can you tell what his purpose was kind
of just like just.

Speaker 3 (43:27):
Well, you know, yeah. Part of part of that is,
you know, we we knew that there should be a
teenage romance and Ali was like the perfect candidate to
set up for that, given her dad as the mounty, right,
and so it creates pressure and friction there on the
dating front for her. But we also like the idea

(43:49):
of a young girl trying to figure out what mattered
when it comes to a boy. Right, And here comes
sunshining Wyatt with all of his hair and his good
looks and all that, and he's back in town. He
was a kid here and now he's back and he's
getting a job and you know, and shaking his hair
out all the time. And baby Babbio comes to town.

Speaker 2 (44:14):
Right, oh go, totally, totally, totally, And so I do.

Speaker 3 (44:17):
Think it's about helping Ali understand like what love really means, right,
And all of us had these encounters with people who
are not right for us, right, and you kind of
part of the learning curve for young people is sometimes

(44:38):
you've got to stub your toe in order to learn
how to walk right. And we we think that is
you know that that was absolutely that little two episode
love triangle that happened was also kind of a great
reminder of what really matters to young people.

Speaker 2 (44:58):
Like that's may Sue and Hickum. So.

Speaker 1 (45:04):
So I'm thinking that he went at this point is
the heart of the show, the heart of the town's
good this point, he is a man of all trades.
He may be a little nervous half the time. I
did laugh when I came back and the place was flooded.
I went through the same thing kind of folks. So
I was like, oh, I understand that. And they couldn't
get that. They couldn't get a honeymoon to save their lives,

(45:26):
but they did help save little Jack's life. Got to
see a little bit of their lives. And then at
the end of course I'm getting a trip from going
to Miami. I love Miami fus so with themly because
they were because they were our marriage of last season
and we didn't have any marriages to season. We'll give
him that later, but they're now our couple. So so

(45:50):
how are you happy with how the their storylines going
so far?

Speaker 3 (45:53):
Oh yeah, no, I love the Bickersons. There when they
first got home from their honeymoon, they didn't go very well.

Speaker 2 (45:59):
No, great feel, that was a great feel.

Speaker 3 (46:02):
Yeah, yes, because you know, it's like again to try
to bring you know, true life into the storytelling, right,
like we all have the fiasco trips that happened for
us and we you know, so you know the the
you know, if you're an early what we call it
an early settler on the story breaking side, early settlers,

(46:27):
you go, oh yeah, that must be it. That's that's good.
Let's just stick with that, right. But when you're not
an early settler settler, you go, okay, well, everybody's going
to be expecting them to have had a marvelous honeymoon,
right right, everybody's expecting that, right because it's a nice place.
It's a place full of goodness. So then like then

(46:49):
somebody pitches, well, wait what if it wasn't a good trip?
Right now, we got actually something to work with, right, right,
And you build conflict and you you you put people
at odds, and that's good, that's just good. Storytelling, you know,
when when you're trying to be fresh and unexpected with
people and with the stories. So yeah, May May Sue

(47:13):
and Mike, uh what a what a great couple. And
I love how they did save the day at the
end they're sacrificed their beautiful second honeymoon for little Jack.
It's a it's a no brainer. Everybody steps up when
crises happened right in a town.

Speaker 2 (47:29):
Like this, Yeah, they do.

Speaker 1 (47:30):
That's good and that that we're gonta, We're gonna lead
into that now because it's what a surprise because little
jacksonan little jack nothing major, you know, we told her
his dad last season.

Speaker 2 (47:45):
It looks like that.

Speaker 1 (47:46):
It's like, okay, And when you threw this diabetes storyline
in there, which is right again very highly still very
tighly the different types of diabetes and the whole thing
we did that it was I mean, because you guys
always do great kids stories and we have had it.
We this this kid's story. I think rivals Cody back

(48:06):
in the day. Yes, and I was thinking about that.
I was like, that was saying, when was the last
kid story? It was like that, and we came to illness.
It was like that's sick. And that was scary because
we know diabetes is not it's treatable, but there's no
care for it. And back then, like I was curious
how this works, and I don't know, I didn't know why.
I looked it up later, but I didn't know much

(48:28):
about like, like you highly do that, and they're in rural,
they're in rural, and you guys addressed all that.

Speaker 2 (48:34):
So who came up with the diabetes? Who decided to
come with that story?

Speaker 3 (48:37):
Yeah? So so did we mentioned this earlier? This this
uh always checking the history books right for the year
that we're in and see what was going on at
the time. And it just so happened in nineteen twenty
two in Toronto is where insulin was. I read, right,

(48:57):
like that's real truth, that's real. That really happened, and
it absolutely revolutionized an incurable illness that actually was a
killer back then. Right, I'm diabetic. I've been diabetic for
twenty years. Right, I'm not on insulin. I have been.
All the medicines now are so fantastic that it sort

(49:18):
of controls things. It's a chronic illness that you can
live with, okay nowadays, but you couldn't live with it
back then, and so what feels like a fatal moment
in hindsight, it wasn't. But in the moment it was
because it just so happened that literally in the time

(49:41):
of this the story, or the time of the time
period that we've chosen for Hope Valley, literally that same
year as when insulin came. So it just felt like, Wow,
this is like a story waiting to happen here and
making the most you know, precious child in the town

(50:04):
namesake of the town, right, making him the most vulnerable
one was gave people flashbacks of season five. Yeah, we
know that, we know that, and we've we've made clear
that we're not going to take people through what they
went through in season five.

Speaker 2 (50:24):
Oh my goodness.

Speaker 3 (50:25):
Yes, So it was it was a It was a
I I thought Episode eleven ranks out there with one
of the best we've done.

Speaker 1 (50:33):
We go on the neck, that's the whole thing. I
was gonna say, Yeah, scream, Yeah. Reminded me of when
she found out about Big.

Speaker 3 (50:41):
Jack one hundred percent, one hundred percent. It was the same.
It was the same whale, mournful whale. Yes, yeah, And
kudos to her and for channeling that same it was
PTSD is what it was. Yes, yes, yeah, And so

(51:03):
I just thought it was deeply moving. And you know,
to be honest, you know, we hear from some hearties
it's like, wait, this show is my happy place. I
don't go here for real life. I go here for escape.
I go here for fantasy, for fun and and delight. Well,
I would challenge anybody to tell me that you didn't

(51:26):
get that in season twelve, in you you know, overdoses
of it someplaces, right, there are plenty. There's plenty of that.
I have always felt that this show was best when,
like I said earlier, it provides the great equalizer, right

(51:47):
because all of us the last time I checked, all
of us are going to be in the hospital something somehow.
We've already been, probably many of us, but we're going
back there too, right, right, We're all going to end
up there, and we're all going to end up in
those boxes. Right last time I checked, one hundred the
mortality raise one hundred percent in our work. Now, does

(52:11):
people want the reminder of that constantly? No, we know that, right,
but we all go through it with loved ones. We're
all going to lose loved ones. What better way for
a show two be of service and to provide a

(52:33):
guide the guidebook for how to live right? And even
as you mentioned right the speech to Elizabeth, you know
at the very end you're capable of so much that
you don't know you are right. I need to hear
that in my life. I do. I need to hear that, right,
We all do. And so this show provides that for

(52:58):
the audience too, because we don't know what's going to
happen tomorrow. We could, you know, they're just we're not
guaranteed anything, right, So having a primer like when calls
the Heart, to help us through those moments. It doesn't
happen all the time, but I think it needs to
happen sometimes, you know, because that's real life. We all

(53:20):
have to go through that. So I want to ever
apologize even for season five. I don't ever apologize for
Season five. I thought it was some of the best
episodes we bet well, yeah, it was hard, they were, yeah,
and the apocalypse it caused for some people. We don't
we won't do that to them, right it. You know,

(53:40):
downt n Abbey did it to their their people too,
So I don't We're not going there right, but the
near misses of life where grace and courage have to
step in to help us through. We need those reminders
that you can get through this. God is there to

(54:01):
help you through. And you know it may not all
go according to our our best plans, but last time
I checked, you know, he has plans for us to
prosper and for us to have hope in the future.
And I trust that promise in scripture for our.

Speaker 1 (54:23):
People in you know, I feel you know, he's always
leading in our direction. He's rooting for us. Yes, He's
set up parameters for us so we to go by.
So I'm with you. He all of a sudden, I'm
going through my roof collapsing, my friends and family, losing
homes and the fires in January.

Speaker 2 (54:41):
We still we came together. We same here. We came.

Speaker 1 (54:43):
I saw, I saw, I saw LA come together. We
came together. I saw we we really did. And so
I was out there doing stuff. We're all doing stuff.
So I agree with you, and I feel he says
never to worry. So I wasn't trusted him, you know,
don't worry, you know.

Speaker 3 (54:57):
Yeah, And it also brought the whole commun unity back together.
To do what the community does best, which is what
we want all the communities to do.

Speaker 1 (55:05):
Yes, yes, yes, And I'm not about to tell you
something I gotta tell you. So the episode level was
crazy because it felt like I was I was, okay,
so let's get two things, get things right. So first
of the diabetes, so ied in the first part of it,
I think what made me nervous for the first time
ever watching a show. I'm like, this is a modern times,

(55:28):
so I'm going I can watch Grazes a Nati everything. Oh,
they can fix it and say it's a modern or
Chicago bed. But I'm like, nineteen twenties. He's a little kid,
and I know they didn't survive back because I'm like,
how does this even? And I'm a former nurse, folks,
but I'm just like, by I didn't work back in
nineteen twenties, not that only but but but I was
just like, but I was kind of I think as

(55:48):
a watcher, as a viewer, I was extra just going
but this is a different time period, so I was
I was like, this is the TV.

Speaker 2 (55:56):
I see what the wow, you guys are gonna fit it?

Speaker 1 (56:00):
And then Seas and then Seas an episode eleven. I'm
look at the clock.

Speaker 2 (56:04):
I'm going you got it. It was at the forty
five minute market way.

Speaker 1 (56:08):
It feels like you kind of wrapped up everybody's dancing
and had a good old time. And I'm like, you
wrapped up the coin story and he wrapped up this
and had the graduation like like what's going I'm like,
but there's no big clever ik. So they kept thinking, well, maybe,
because we don't know if we have a season thirteen,
we were gonna end on a note that's pause pleasant.
And then I'm like that would be different the end,

(56:29):
the end of season with no cliffhanger or whatever. Like
I'm like, they say, well, James break after a commercial break,
Ryan Bird, I'm like, okay, Well, I'm like, where's just
us right here? You guys surprised us so hard with that.
But she was like Jack John honey Man, and she

(56:50):
was like you wouldn't wake up. Scared the out of me,
And I was like, oh, like, oh my goodness, I
just had Rosemary frantically like try. I mean just it
was like here, it is here, it is here, it
is And it tied back into that letter from Granny,
which I thought a nice nod back to to her,

(57:12):
and you asked if if if it was it Brooks
Shields come back.

Speaker 2 (57:15):
Anytime, and we don't have your plans for that. Watch
stay tuned, folks, stay tuned, you have another season. Stay tuned.
Oh god, I started going to full.

Speaker 1 (57:25):
Oh my god, they're going to full to okay there
in my yes, there's okay, you might just stay tuned, right,
And it just hit me, Brian just hit me. I'm
a little slow sometimes we just hit me. Yes, they're
going to folded. But anyway, so that's what it was like.
It was like real life. It knocked the wind out
of my sail because I thought we're to tying anything up.
That's it's all great, okay, everybody's rye. And then again

(57:47):
right the whole town had to come together again to
to figure this out. And she had had to make
that decision as a mother, make that decision whether it
would be best. And when she said to Faith, you
know which you do it?

Speaker 2 (58:00):
Yes?

Speaker 1 (58:02):
Yes, like just no question, and that a bad bats
came to town, like that's I guess that could happen.
I mean that totally cold happen.

Speaker 3 (58:08):
Now, it was important for it to be refrigerated properly
or it would just be ineffective, right, so that this
is all just historical stuff. But yeah, what you know
what it is you as a parent. I'm a parent.
You drop everything, Yes, in an emergency, nothing else matters. Nope,

(58:30):
no other consideration. You you, you do what must be done.
And that's what happened there, and I I I love that.
I loved the pain in Rosemary. Oh day, what is
going to happen here? But I'm going to go get
to find the train schedules for you. Like right, it's

(58:51):
like everybody steps up and they'll do it must be
done right, and many come in with the food and
the beautiful words of wisdom there, Yes, and Elizabeth having
to leave without knowing if she would get to talk
to Nathan and she didn't, and then he catches up
with her. That's beautiful.

Speaker 2 (59:10):
You got me there too.

Speaker 1 (59:11):
I'm like, oh my god, I'm gonna leave it where
they miss each other and that's I'm like, oh that
be cliff we'll be a cliffhanger too. I'm like, oh, no,
they meet up and we're family and into the night and.

Speaker 3 (59:25):
You go, I go where you go? I go, and
and you know this is this Janett Oak would have
written that in the original Wind Calls the Heart book.
You know, Elizabeth and Win and that original Win right, yes, right,
She's taken off in the train and he rides the

(59:48):
horse and catches up to the train and jumps in
the train and they have their moment in the train car.
That's exactly what we did here.

Speaker 1 (59:57):
You did did and folks, we did actually read the books.
You can check out our We did episodes of those two.
But yeah, and that I agree. Also that see where
Rosemary's standing alone the taxi drives off. Everybody knows I
got a giant crush on Pascal.

Speaker 2 (01:00:12):
She knows that too. Of course, it's my girl. You
can do Rosemary can do no wrong for me. And
so I'm gonna switch out for a second.

Speaker 1 (01:00:18):
Because one of the best things this season, one of
the best things this season, Bill and Rosemary slooping together.
That was genius, you guys, that was Jeane. Yes, I
don't know that's just one word, but you know what
I mean. It was just it was like, oh my god.

(01:00:41):
And it's just because Bill is so grumpy in a
wonderful way. I always say the anti hero. So this
people but he's like, but he was that he loves everybody.
But then she's just so Elizabeth but something, she's so Rosemary.
It's like but they really did work so well together,
and it was it was just it was hilarious. It

(01:01:02):
was good them trying to and then bringing Nathan in
and and the Demarcos. But oh yeah, that was.

Speaker 2 (01:01:14):
That was the spies on mentioned that was inspired to
you and how much you guys enjoy that.

Speaker 3 (01:01:19):
Oh, you know, again, we're in the twenties, we're in
the roaring twenties, and so you got to pull out
the flapper downs and the head you know, and all
of that, and the tuxes and get a get the
Charleston going that. That actually was so fun for me
to see happen. And you know, in the Big the
Big Gas, it was a Gatsby poking GAPSI the gas

(01:01:43):
be there too, So I loved it. I love the
production numbers, the production value of that. I also love
the radio drama that went awry and now it's all
women doing the radio drama. You know, now, just so
many fun wrinkles, and I think we're gonna see more
of that in season thirteen.

Speaker 1 (01:02:05):
I really do everybody in chats mentioning and I love
that scene too of them helping Nathan get ready.

Speaker 2 (01:02:11):
Yes, hilarious.

Speaker 1 (01:02:12):
How they both were talking about it like he wasn't
there and I used to do that, and I'm like, well,
you know, he's kind of like that.

Speaker 2 (01:02:17):
He's like, hello, and walk.

Speaker 3 (01:02:20):
You gotta walk like a criminal, dude, you get you
walk like a mounting.

Speaker 2 (01:02:27):
It was so everybody chat.

Speaker 1 (01:02:29):
I know you guys agree with you that it was
such a fun but they're all they're all great. Road
Bill and Roseberry too good. And even when George came
to town and try dismissed her a little bit, Rosemary, wait
a minute, don't leave me out.

Speaker 2 (01:02:43):
He didn't. He came back to her later you're back.

Speaker 3 (01:02:45):
And even Georgia gave her gave and Georgia gave her
props for the legend she built for demorrow.

Speaker 1 (01:02:51):
Yeah, yeah, I said the party scene was extraordinary. Yes,
it was really. It was very cool. I don't mean
they you can do dancing. I love that. Also, I
do want to mention and so I mentioned the chat too,
because he's because episode left, episode eleven, episode twelve were
so good. I mean, it's just it's just great any
season when when the invisible ink, Yes, reading what her

(01:03:16):
uncle wrote her, and you know, Rosemary, how the guys
they see like but there's so much new dealing like
what you do. Like it's just like there was such
a touching another touching tear inducing moments.

Speaker 3 (01:03:29):
Yes, and and fun too for for some very droll
kind of humor from Nathan, you know, as they're following
the treasure map and he goes, of course, a treasure map.
I'm a MOUNTI doing an investigation, and we're here because
of a treasure map. And then we get to the
invisible ink. Oh, a treasure map with invisible ink.

Speaker 1 (01:03:52):
I did well, you know, but also I want to
mention this too, because I do want to ask you this,
and I wrote this my notes. The Garrison cousins were
kind of funny, like like what he was kind of
he was kind of a funny character, and you're kind
of like, was that a purpose?

Speaker 2 (01:04:08):
I was.

Speaker 1 (01:04:08):
I was like, I know, it's a serious thing about
the coins, but but hope, I god, Jail. They were
kind of funny with each other, were kind of hilarious.

Speaker 3 (01:04:15):
Yeah. I think there was a nod to not want
to go too dark, you know, with that storyline because
it was really a national treasure kind of storyline, right,
and so you know, you know, uh, having having the
nephew be sort of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventures exactly,
totally kind of adult.

Speaker 2 (01:04:40):
I was like, and then we had a nice, mean
guy McGuinty.

Speaker 3 (01:04:45):
He mean yeah, he no, he he definitely you know
he he was definitely a good villain this season. Yes, right, yes,
and even even you know, even uh kind of mock
the children or the teenagers. Right. The way he did
was pretty dark, you know, but it made for a

(01:05:08):
good a good uh you know, a good bad guy
to beat.

Speaker 1 (01:05:13):
There's a there's a great scene moment where Nathan's holding
Homeboy back from he says something about her, and then
he has the whole Nathan back when he says something
about Ali. So it's not like, okay, like I thought
that it was a great subtle seed. It was just
kind of like that's kind of yeah, I gus like
you were trying, but he talked about Ali.

Speaker 2 (01:05:30):
He was like wait a minute, you know, They was
like wait a minute.

Speaker 3 (01:05:33):
So I thought that was waiting for one of them
to punch him.

Speaker 2 (01:05:36):
He just wave me too, me too.

Speaker 1 (01:05:38):
I thought it was that was a lot of that
was a lot of fun. Well last but not least,
and I say it was all that proper said at
the end of ours, we had a great season everything.
So it's about Nathan Elizabeth. So people are asking me
there was no wedding this season, So was that a
conscious choice? Was it more about building their relationship?

Speaker 3 (01:05:58):
Yeah? You know what, one of the things that I
love most about that, even though you know, we we
catch some flak for progressing the relationship slowly. It took
five years for Jack to to wed Elizabeth. Five seasons,
so we're not there yet, folks. So I you know,

(01:06:21):
for me, it's like, you know, the power of throwing
Nathan and Elizabeth truly into the deep end of the
parenting pool that we've done.

Speaker 2 (01:06:34):
Right.

Speaker 3 (01:06:35):
For Nathan, he has to like he's he's only now
getting his feet under him about being a dad this season, right,
and and his girls, his daughter's grown up on him already,
and he's now he has to worry about like what
are these boys coming around here?

Speaker 2 (01:06:52):
You know?

Speaker 3 (01:06:53):
And but but on the other side of it, he's
got this vulnerable young boy right that he feels truly
like a protective responsibility for right because of their own
origin story. And I love that, just that interesting wrinkle,

(01:07:16):
that dramatic wrinkle of throwing giving Jack little Jack diabetes,
what it does to that relationship. Right. Not only does
Elizabeth have to deal with the big why question, why me,
which we've never really I mean, we never really heard
her go there almost like a crisis of faith that

(01:07:39):
she's having. And to have Nathan be this big, strong
guy who's supposed to beat the bad guy. He cannot
beat this bad guy ever, right, and so he has
to rally around little Jack. And I think there's an
important part of them learning how to be parents, even

(01:08:02):
though they're not married yet, right, like learning those hard
lessons and those important lessons of what it means to
protect your family. I love that we were able to
delay the wedding for those reasons. Right. It's some of
the best TV we've done. And it was unexpected. What

(01:08:25):
was expected, Oh, they're going to get married. Yeah, this
is not expected. And so now we're teed up for
the future. And by the way, whether or not we
were reading the tea leaves about season thirteen, yes, it's
always going to be a decision that the network has

(01:08:45):
to make We will never ever not do it a
cliffhanger at the end of a season, even if they're
even if it looks like it's ending. I think the
only way we would do we would ever not do
that at the end of a season is if we
choose to end the show.

Speaker 2 (01:09:02):
Okay, Okay, that makes sense.

Speaker 1 (01:09:04):
Yeah, that's and they're saying the sense I told you
what you're saying, Brian, Yes, I want to Eli, I
want to say with you. It was the it was
the conversation between Nathan and Bill that broke him. And
as a guy myself, I had a few of those
the last couple of years where I had to talk
to the other guy and it was like, because your folks,
I think it says for four years ago. You know

(01:09:25):
we're fixers. Yes, men are fixers. We just want to
fix it. We're gonna fix it. We're all about talking
about it. We just want to fix it. And when
we can't do that, it's a natural instant. I think's
a natural anthing, right, Brian. And I mean I had
two girls, I raised two I used two daughters for me.
They taught me how to be more emotional because there
are times they didn't ask me. You have daughters too,

(01:09:46):
I know they didn't ask me to fix it. They
wanted me to hear them yes and just be right,
just be there. So Nathan was like, I'm gonna be there.

Speaker 2 (01:09:56):
I can't.

Speaker 1 (01:09:56):
I'm gonna be there. I'm not gonna I'm not gonna
go I'm gonna be there, but I want to do more.
So I felt that so in my soul, I felt that,
like fix it.

Speaker 3 (01:10:05):
See that one, that one little diagnosis brought a treasure chest. Yes,
of power and pathos and drama. And I'm so proud
of that. I love that when that happens. And you know,
everybody's gonna get what they want someday, right, But you

(01:10:29):
can't have everything you want all at once.

Speaker 1 (01:10:32):
Well, you know, in the world, I think it was
I think it was either Erna Phillips or Agnes Nixon,
somebody from the soap world who started the soaps back
in the sixties or fifties. Sixties said you don't give
everybody what they want. That's the whole point. You give
them some stuff, but you don't give them everything he wants.
Of course, that's the pot of watching a continuing drama.

Speaker 3 (01:10:53):
Yes, and I and I will readily say, you know that.

Speaker 5 (01:10:59):
It's not it's it's actually very possible to do a
show about a married couple and keep all the romance
and keep everything you need.

Speaker 3 (01:11:10):
Little House and Prairie did it for nine seasons.

Speaker 2 (01:11:12):
Yeah, yeah, in two.

Speaker 3 (01:11:14):
Hundred and nine episodes, so as a married couple, so
it's absolutely doable. We're not afraid of oh, well, somehow
they get married, that will be the end of the show. No, no, yes,
the chase is as satisfying as the destination, right, but

(01:11:36):
when they do get married. People loved when Jack and
Elizabeth got married as the most romantic you know, three
episodes before he died of the show. So it's we're
not afraid of it. We've had a a whole bunch
of weddings on the show.

Speaker 1 (01:11:52):
Yeah, right, that's true. I want to side note a
little promotion. I did interview Karen Grassley a few years
ago and loved her to pieces. She wrote a book,
So on my channel in between the Pages with Karen Grassley,
and her book is really good. But you know she
she being married in a Little House and the Prairie.
I've interviewed several members of the House and the Prairie

(01:12:14):
details interviews on there, but I would say with her,
I fell in love with her. We had a great
conversation before afterwards off camera, on camera, She's a hoot
and holler. And again for me, it was a dream
come true because I loved that show so much, so
so I did do I did interview her, so you
check that out of my channel. Guys are fans of

(01:12:35):
The Little House and Parde a few of the others.
I interviewed some people from that show. So okay, season thirteen,
twenty twenty six, very excited. I guess you got to
is there any is We always did it this way,
so I was like, is there anything you can say
at all about anything in the ether or anything?

Speaker 3 (01:12:58):
Well, I think I made a pretty strong hint that
there's probably gonna be more Melissa in the show. Yes, right,
and they're there. Uh, I will say that Elizabeth and
Nathan don't come home that quickly.

Speaker 2 (01:13:18):
Oh, we see, we see, so we see some Fullershan
for a while.

Speaker 3 (01:13:21):
Then yeah, and you know we have the ability on
this show too to take to go to new places, right,
and we have the ability to this show to get
on a train. Yeah, even even if the train is
built on the saloon in the saloon. That's the magic

(01:13:43):
of Hollywood.

Speaker 2 (01:13:44):
I love it. I do. I love it. I do,
I love it. But yeah, we can do that. You're right,
you can't.

Speaker 3 (01:13:48):
Yeah, we we were in you know, we're in Capital
City with with Lucas and his Governor's office, you know,
in the past. So we can move around a bit, right,
uh in this show. So I love the idea that
Elizabeth is headed with Nathan to Kate Fullerton to get

(01:14:11):
this life saving medicine and a good supply, a ready
supply at the clinic that's already been established there, you know,
in the proximity of Jack's mother.

Speaker 1 (01:14:24):
No, I'm excited already hit hit, hit hit everybody.

Speaker 3 (01:14:33):
Yeah, and I and I think we can expect more
fireworks in the way of love and romance between you know. Uh, Bill,
Avery and and Georgie.

Speaker 1 (01:14:43):
Are saying the chat they want it. I wanted too,
I wanted to, but the chat.

Speaker 3 (01:14:48):
That was an epic kiss that came off there.

Speaker 1 (01:14:50):
I know, I think you cannot forget. Come on, Brian Bird,
Jack Wagner, he was a leading man, he was a
man back in the day. He was I need that
song and its number one. He was like, he was,
I watched with Frisco on your hospital and Merrow's late.
But he's like, you gotta bring that back to him again.

Speaker 3 (01:15:09):
He still got it.

Speaker 2 (01:15:10):
He got it.

Speaker 1 (01:15:12):
He still got it. He does yes also, And then
I was I was gonna say someverybody. Everybody wanted to
praise little Highland for his work. But as usual, all
the kids are good, and just seeing seeing Opal is
like almost a young woman. I mean, it's just like
it's crazy. I'm like, this is and we like we
watched her with the Brown Bear like all those years ago.
Like the kids are growing and everybody's getting taller and and.

Speaker 3 (01:15:35):
Little a little Goldie, little Goldie with those big cheeks. Man,
it's just like a little rascal.

Speaker 1 (01:15:44):
Oh yeah, so that that that little access you got
for you for Goldie is such a cutie and air
to you. But everybody's like a Bill and Georgia. How funny. Okay,
it's okay, guys like that. Thank you, mister Bird, thank you,
brother Bird, thank you.

Speaker 3 (01:16:00):
Yeah. I always loved doing it, James. We'll do it
until we can't do it anymore, until we're just the
brain and a jar.

Speaker 2 (01:16:07):
Hopefully I can say, just roll part of me up.

Speaker 3 (01:16:12):
Yeah, aatient little voice box in the throat here.

Speaker 2 (01:16:17):
That it's season thirty five.

Speaker 3 (01:16:21):
There we love it. Yeah, I love you man, love
what you do. And and blessings to all your your
audience out there for all your shows. You've got a
lot of shows, and I'm honored that you still do
this one every year. So I'm so proud.

Speaker 1 (01:16:35):
Yeah, it's my pleasure. No, seriously, it's my pleasure. And you,
Hearty is out there.

Speaker 2 (01:16:39):
You know.

Speaker 1 (01:16:39):
I love you to pieces, So thank you so much.
Share the show with everybody. He told you what he
told you. He shares all kinds of stuff here, so
he does every season. You make the show a big
hit for me every every season we do this. That
I appreciated more than I can say for my network
because I'm celebrating five years as my own network this week,
so it's kind of a funny university for me.

Speaker 3 (01:17:00):
Hey, can I do a shameless plug for something else here? Yeah?
In the vein of Harty's saying, how can I wait
nine months till the show comes back? Right, It's like, well,
I got good news for everybody. So on April third
and April sixth, our spin off show When Hope Calls,

(01:17:24):
Season two is happening, and it's coming on Great American
Family on April six, and on Great American Pierflex the
Streamer a few days earlier on the third. So if
you want your fix of hope, faith and love on
a show that is from the Janet Oaks Telling universe,
just like When Calls the Heart, you're not going to
be sorry a Fonso Moreno or great showrunner for a

(01:17:48):
few years on One Calls the Heart. He's got six
great new episodes cooked up for everybody, and we got
some great guest stars coming on there, some great stars.
So I hope everybody, all the hardies will at least
figure out how to go over there and watch for
sixty six.

Speaker 1 (01:18:07):
Yeah episode, let's go to Brookfield. I'll be there again again.
My announcement is I'll be doing season two after the
show again again the first time. I love When Hope
also Hopefuls joined me mondays, I'll be doing my reactions again,
so please. Yeah, so those serious we're gonna we're gonna
promote the that show too. We're gonna promote both of them. So, yes,

(01:18:28):
that's a great thing. Yes, you're gonna check that out again.
These are shows you are asking for. He is delivering
Papa Hardy is delivering him to you. He said, you
asked for him. Here they are there, here for you
and everybody. Take care of yourselves out there, and do
we have strange weather all over the place where we're
going to Just be careful where you are. And again
I said, I'll be back next season also like they

(01:18:49):
will talking about this and we'll see you next time.

Speaker 2 (01:18:52):
Thanks for joining us, god Bye.