Here’s today’s dispatch from the crossroads of faith, media and culture.

Heart finds its home. When Hallmark Channel’s second original prime-time series When Calls the Heart begins filming this summer, it will mark the first time a TV series has been shot in Telluride, Colorado and will be the first scripted TV series in the state  since 1991. That show,  BTW, was Father Dowling Mysteries starring the late Tom Bosley as a crime-solving priest. Ah, the memories.

Talk about happy days. But I digress.

Welcoming the new Hallmark drama, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper proclaimed “We are delighted with Hallmark Channel’s choice of Colorado for its latest series. With Hallmark Channel’s brand behind it, the show will have a positive economic impact for our state and provide tremendous national exposure for Telluride and all of Colorado.”

Bill Abbott, President and CEO, Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel, returned the compliment saying “Hallmark Channel is coming to the gorgeous state of Colorado.  The state provides the perfect backdrop for our Western-inspired series When Calls the Heart and we are incredibly proud to infuse the state’s economy with new jobs and resources as a result of filming our family-targeted program here.”

Hallmark Channel’s choice of Colorado to film episodes of When Calls the Heart was facilitated by the Colorado Film Office with the legislation signed last year by Gov. Hickenlooper.  The legislation added incentives to make Colorado more competitive for television and film production. Colorado Film Commissioner Donald Zuckerman says “While we can’t compete side—by—side with other state incentive programs, we continue to see the benefits of our modest incentive package coupled with Colorado’s talented workforce and extraordinary scenery.”

Based on Janette Oke’s bestselling Canadian West book series, When Calls the Heart is the story of Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow of Lifetime’s Army Wives), a young teacher accustomed to her high society life, who receives her first classroom post in a small prairie town in the Western Frontier lead by two strong coal miner widows,  Abigail Stanton (Lori Loughlin of Full House) and Frances Tunnecliffe (Jean Smart of Designing Women). Elizabeth must deal with her restless students as well as the new Constable in town, Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing of ABC’s Last Resort).  Set against the wild canvas of a 19^th century coal town, Elizabeth will have to learn the ways of the frontier if she wishes to thrive in the rural west.

When Calls the Heart is a Believe Pictures and Brad Krevoy Television production.  Brad Krevoy, Brian Bird, Michael Landon, Jr., Roman Viaris, Francisco Gonzalez, and Jimmy Townsend are executive producers.  Eric Jarboe is co-executive producer.

BTW, Cedar Cove, Hallmark’s first original drama series (starring Andie MacDowell as a small-town judge) , is set to premiere on July 20th.

Encourage one another and build each other up – 1 Thessalonians 5:11