# When Calls The Heart **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 14, 2016, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-calls-the-heart/746143 "2016-02-14T19:23:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2016, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-calls-the-heart/746143/1 "2016-02-14T19:23:18Z")
I was idly flipping through channels yesterday, and landed on Frasier on the Hallmark Channel. During commercials, up popped a promo for a show called “When Calls The Heart”. It looked so much like a soap opera parody, that I looked it up to see just how funny it might be. I was intrigued partly because I didn’t know Hallmark produced any comedies. What I know of their output is gleaned by occasional visits to my sister’s, where she watches their product. Anyway…it’s not a parody, but it sure looked like one. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2016, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-calls-the-heart/746143/2 "2016-02-14T19:49:52Z")
I thought I had a fun group activity before I knew “The Hallmark Channel” had a sense of humor. Back to the drawing-board… **"The Hallmark Channel Drinking Game"!** Not in a relationship? Alone on Valentines Day? Despair not! Invite some singles over, fill glasses, and play “The Hallmark Channel Drinking Game”! Each person draws 10 folded paper cliches from Hallmark Channel Romance movies from a bowl before the movie starts. Then… play the movie…! “Who has ‘she’s a widow with kids played by a size 2 24-year-old actress’? Drink.” “Who has ‘One of the leads was someone who was hot on a TV show in the 90s’ ? Drink.” "Who has “The lead drives a $80,000 show-room condition car up to where she’s asking for a waitress job’. Drink.” “Who has ‘Single dad looks like 10,000 sit-ups a day, dresses like GQ, but has a green job helping the environment’? Drink.” “Who has ‘She’s talking to her best friend like she wants to french her instead of the single guy for the rest of the show’? Drink.” “Holy Shit, is that Lacey Chabert!?” “Social…!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-calls-the-heart/746143/3 "2016-02-15T00:22:15Z")
Let me introduce you to Janette Oke. > **[Janette Oke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janette_Oke)** > > Janette Oke (née Steeves; born February 18, 1935) (pronounced "oak") is a Canadian author of inspirational fiction. Her books are often set in a pioneer era and centered on female protagonists. Her first novel, Love Comes Softly, was published by Bethany House in 1979. As of September 2016\[update\], more than 75 others have followed. The first novel of her Canadian West series, When Calls the Heart (1983), became the basis of the current television series of the same name. > Janette Steeves was bor... Here’s her Amazon page. > **[Janette Oke: books, biography, latest update](https://www.amazon.com/stores/Janette%20Oke/author/B000APD1ME)** > > Follow Janette Oke and explore their bibliography from Amazon.com's Janette Oke Author Page. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-calls-the-heart/746143/4 "2016-02-15T16:33:32Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > I was idly flipping through channels yesterday, and landed on Frasier on the Hallmark Channel. During commercials, up popped a promo for a show called “When Calls The Heart”. It looked so much like a soap opera parody, that I looked it up to see just how funny it might be. I was intrigued partly because I didn’t know Hallmark produced any comedies. What I know of their output is gleaned by occasional visits to my sister’s, where she watches their product. Anyway…it’s not a parody, but it sure looked like one. What made you think it was a parody? It’s a wholesome period drama, and certainly has soap opera elements to it. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-calls-the-heart/746143/5 "2016-02-15T17:17:06Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > What made you think it was a parody? It’s a wholesome period drama, and certainly has soap opera elements to it. It was the tone of the promo, plus the very name of the show which said to me “parody”. “When Calls the Heart” sounds like a Carol Burnett sketch.