It's time for the annual re-watch of A Heartland Christmas
Heartland fans, the festive season is upon us and I want to use today's blog to look back at "A Heartland Christmas". On CBC Gem, the description for the special reads, "Christmas comes to Heartland, along with an anonymous call about starving horses stranded by an avalanche in the Rocky Mountains, which send Amy and Ty to their rescue."
An accurate description, to be sure, but there is so much more to this Heartland movie than this. What the holidays mean to different individuals, to families and to communities are all examined and realized in true Heartland fashion.
Can you believe that A Heartland Christmas originally premiered in 2010? We first got to watch this "episode" back on December 12, 2010 and it has been standard holiday viewing for many Heartland fans around the world for all of these years. It's again that time for the great re-watching.
Aside from Lou taking out our favourite snowman, here are some fun facts about this special:
After its first broadcast, the special was released separately on DVD, and currently appears on CBC Gem as episode 19 of Season 4. You can also watch (in Canada) on CBC this Saturday at 7 p.m.
A Heartland Christmas is where we are first introduced (and Jack gets reintroduced) to Will Vernon, played by the always excellent Nicolas Campbell. In the original photography for the movie, he has a slightly different name (curious?) but can you see him with any other name? He would go on to appear in five more episodes of Heartland until we see him for the last time (as a vision/flashback) in Season 12, episode 10: "All Hearts Lead Home".
Speaking of guest stars, we also meet Joanna Hawke, played by Hélène Joy, who many of you also know from another CBC series: Murdoch Mysteries, where she has played central character, Julia Ogden, since the beginning.
Joanna's son, Sam, is played by Matthew Knight. Recognize the name? You may remember his real-life brother in another role on Heartland. His brother, Jack Knight played Badger in several episodes.
And at the last minute, George Canyon as Mallory's father, Charlie Wells even shows up for dinner.
However you celebrate this holiday season, Heartland fans, I hope you have a fine one.
That's all I have for you for today. I'll have more next week but, for now, be sure to watch A Heartland Christmas this season and let me know if you do. Here's some more pictures I dug up from the archives, just for you.
