We have a lot to celebrate, Hearties!

As the When Calls the Heart Season 8 finale is winding down, we got some great news.

The show will be back! When Calls the Heart Season 9 has been announced by Elizabeth Thornton herself, Erin Krakow during the final minutes of When Calls the Heart Season 8 Episode 12.

What an absolutely wild ride this season has been. Scratch that.

What a wild ride the last several seasons of When Calls the Heart have been!

When a love story years in the making was so unfortunately ended, we knew it would take another incredible journey for Elizabeth to find love again.

What we never expected was that we would fall in love with not one suitor, but two, and how our hearts would ache for all three parties as they discovered where their path of love would take them next.

Chris McNally and Kevin McGarry brought new energy to the show, and in response, all of the other stories rose to the challenge of their introduction.

It has been an honor and a privilege living within Hope Valley even when our own lives were crumbling during a pandemic.

Hope Valley offered what we needed the most, and we've all come together every week to share our passions.

Hallmark heard our call.

“We are proud to have When Calls the Heart as a central part of our programming; it continues to captivate audiences with its amazing cast and storylines of love, community, and optimism, and we are excited to continue the journey in Hope Valley for season nine,” said Michelle Vicary, Executive Vice President, Programming, Crown Media Family Networks.

“The series has become appointment viewing on a highly competitive Sunday night; it continues to climb in ratings year-after-year and is one of the top-rated shows in cable!”

Indeed, the ratings momentum is impressive.

When Calls the Heart Season 8 Episode 10 ranked as the most-watched episode of the season in Households (2.8 million) and among Women 18+ (2.6 million) on a Live+3 basis.

In fact, Season 8 to date is pacing as the most-watched season of the series in Households, and among Total Viewers and Women 18+, with the program delivering 2.6 million Households, 3.2 million Total Viewers, and 2.4 million Women 18+.

The program also ranked as this year’s #1 original scripted series on ad-supported cable in 2021 to date among Households and Women 18+.

After ten episodes, the season also reached 8.9 million unduplicated Total Viewers.

We'll be eagerly awaiting the numbers for the finale, which promises to outmatch anything that's come before this season.

Be sure to watch When Calls the Heart online to catch up on all the excitement, and check out our review of the finale!

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.