The wait is almost over once again! We’re just a little over a month away from the highly anticipated premiere of Heartland season 19, so it’s time to break down everything we know about the brand-new season of Canada’s longest-running family drama.
From the official premiere date to the returning cast, episode count, and even some speculation about what’s ahead for the Bartlett-Fleming family, I’ve gathered all the latest details to get you ready for the next chapter of Heartland.
But before we dive in, here’s your official SPOILER WARNING! If you’d prefer to go into the new season completely unspoiled, now’s the perfect moment to close this article.
Still here? Then let’s dig into everything we know so far about Heartland season 19!
Heartland Season 19 Premiere Date
We’ll begin with the most important detail of all – when does Heartland season 19 premiere?
CBC has officially announced that season 19 of Heartland will premiere on Sunday, October 5, both on CBC and their streaming platform CBC Gem.
This marks the next chapter in the beloved Canadian ranch family saga, as viewers prepare to reunite with Amy, Lou, Jack, and the rest of the Heartland crew in the fall.
Don’t want to read the article? You can listen to it, podcast-style, here:
Season 19 Episode Count
Thanks to CBC’s press release of their programming slate for the upcoming season, we also have the official episode count for Heartland season 19.
Just like the previous two seasons, the official episode count for season 19 has been confirmed at 10 hour-long episodes.
So, fans can look forward to another solid run of new stories with the Bartlett-Fleming clan when the series returns this fall.
Returning Cast for Season 19
Heartland season 19 wouldn’t be the same without its beloved characters, and fans will be happy to know that many familiar faces are back for the new season.
Leading the way are Amber Marshall, Michelle Morgan, and Shaun Johnston, who will once again reprise their iconic roles as Amy, Lou, and Jack.
We’ll also see Ruby and Emmanuella Spencer as Lyndy, Spencer Lord as Nathan, Baye McPherson as Katie, Gabriel Hogan as Peter, and Jessica Steen as Lisa.
And rounding out the returning cast are fan favorites Kerry James as Caleb, Aidan Moreno as Rick, Krista Bridges as Nathan’s sister Gracie (who we met in the season 18 finale), Cindy Busby as Ashley and even Alisha Newton as Georgie (who will appear in episode 1910 as per executive producer Michael Weinberg’s IG post), ensuring that the core Heartland family—and the wider Hudson community—are well represented in season 19.
One notable absence so far, however, is Chris Potter, who plays Tim Fleming.
The actor hasn’t been spotted in the on-set photos and videos taken during the filming of season 19, which naturally raises some questions about how much or even if Tim will appear in the new season.
While nothing has been officially confirmed, his absence from behind-the-scenes footage suggests that Tim’s role might be reduced this year. This is a bit surprising given how, in the season 18 finale, Tim made the decision to turn down the rodeo hosting gig and stay close to home, which, in my opinion, suggests that the character would be prominently featured in season 19.
I guess we will just have to wait and see how much of Tim we will see in the upcoming season once the new season premieres.
New Cast Members for Season 19
Even though nothing has been confirmed until the season actually starts airing, eagle-eyed fans have spotted a couple of new faces on the set of Heartland season 19.
Baye McPherson’s (who plays Katie) sister, Saylor McPherson, has been on set and is rumored to play Katie’s new friend River.
And actor Dylan Hawco has been filming scenes for season 19 as well. I speculate that he might be playing Nathan’s nephew or Katie’s friend/boyfriend.
What Else Do We Know About Heartland Season 19?
Although there isn’t that much information out there on season 19 as of yet (the official synopsis for the season hasn’t even been released yet), there are a few things we can decipher from all the available information online on the new season.
Season 19 Fan Extras Day
As has been the tradition for a few years now, the show hosted an official fan day again, where fans could be part of the filming of Heartland.
This year, the Fan Extras Day took place on June 27th, and Amber Marshall, Michelle Morgan, Shaun Johnston, Baye McPherson, and Jessica Steen were all present during the event and shot scenes for an upcoming episode.
During the event, they shot an epic nighttime rodeo competition scene for episode 1906, which also just happens to be Heartland’s 275th episode!
And, by the looks of it, this time around Katie will be the one participating in the rodeo event, since she was the one dressed to the nines, while the rest of the family was dressed more in their regular everyday attire.
Other Story Tidbits
Michelle Morgan, who plays Lou on the show, also got to direct two episodes this season (as she has been doing for several years now) and blessed us with little directing vlogs on her Instagram account. How cool is that?
These videos gave us quite a few little tidbits of information on what we might see during the two episodes she directed (episodes 1907 and 1908).
First of all, there was a sweet scene of Jack and Lisa talking on the porch. Michelle also mentioned a touching scene between her character, Lou, and Amy, a scene where Amy and a guest character ride a horse (most likely for the horse storyline of the episode), and a scene with Nathan on the phone at a new location – the Hitching Post.
Also, she talked about a scene at a bar with Lisa and a mystery female character, who apparently Lisa will be very happy to see (fans speculate that it might be Lisa’s sister). As well as a scene at the dude ranch with 50 extras, music, and dancing, which kind of sounds like a party of some sort.
As per usual, they have also filmed a cattle scene, which is always great fun! Katie has also been spotted in the round pen with her horse, Dodger. And, as expected, scenes have also been filmed at Maggie’s Diner.
Finally, according to Okotoks Online, the show’s cast and crew also filmed scenes in the Town of High River (which is a stand-in for Hudson on the show), one of the locations being the George Lane Memorial Park and its playground signifying that there probably will be a scene or a few scenes taking place at a park in Hudson.
And there has also been talk of them filming at the nursing home where Nathan’s dad, Nathan Sr., lives, with Jack going to visit Nathan Sr. with a horse in tow.
Final Thoughts
As with every new season, I can’t wait to see what Heartland season 19 brings us!
From the returning cast to the storylines we’ve speculated about, it’s shaping up to be another season filled with family, heartfelt moments, and plenty of drama under the wide-open Alberta skies.
Personally, I’m especially curious to see how the show handles Tim’s storyline, given Chris Potter’s absence from set, and to see Georgie back together with the family!
What about you? What storylines are you most excited for in season 19? Let me know in the comments below.
I will update this article as new information about the upcoming season comes in, so check back here if you want to know all the latest!
Or check out this Facebook Group for Heartland, which is an incredible source of Heartland updates!
And, as always, don’t forget to visit us every Monday after a new episode airs—there will be a fresh recap waiting for you to read and enjoy!
Need the character of Ty in some form!