Lori Loughlin is playing Abigail Stanton once again. Just weeks after news broke that the 57-year-old actress will reprise her When Calls the Heart character on GAC Family's When Hope Calls, the first footage from Loughlin's season 2 guest-starring stint was released.
In the clip, Abigail and her son, Cody (Carter Ryan), admire a Christmas tree as they walk through town. The clip is from the show's two-part premiere, which is titled When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas.
"Cody," Abigail says, "nothing has made me happier than being your mom."
"You mean it?" he asks.
"With all my heart," she replies.
Loughlin last played Abigail on season 6 of Hallmark Channel's When Calls the Heart before the network cut ties with her in March 2019 due to her involvement in the college admissions scandal.
In a statement to ET, the Hallmark Channel said they were not working with Loughlin.
"Hallmark Channel has not cast Lori Loughlin in any current projects, including When Calls the Heart, nor do we have any plans to cast her in the future," the statement reads. "She was cast by GAC Family, a wholly separate cable network not affiliated with Hallmark Channel or Crown Media Family Networks."
When Hope Calls is set in Brookfield, a town on the western prairie, and is a TV spinoff of award-winning author Janette Oke's novel series, When Calls the Heart.
According to a press release, When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, Part 1, revolves around a Christmas festival happening in Brookfield as the community is one of three contenders in Harper's Bazaar's search for America’s #1 Country Christmas Town. The entire town is preoccupied with creating the essence of Christmas for the photojournalist’s lens, though, behind the scenes, residents are not living the spirit of the season. Abigail and her son, Cody, then appear, bringing a troubled boy to Lillian's orphanage.
When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, Part 2, revolves around photojournalist Paul Franklin, who's wrapping his research on the community of Brookfield as a contender for America’s #1 Country Christmas Town. Lillian, the orphans, and Gabriel are running out of options to restore the troubled boy's hope for better times. Just when all seems lost, a secret Santa appears to fulfill all holiday wishes, and Abigail has a profound conversation with a dear friend from the past. Meanwhile, Paul's lens is recording every miraculous moment.
In March, a source told ET that Loughlin is "excited to work again" following her release from prison.
"Lori's been offered many opportunities to open up about what she has been through, but she can't seem to find the right words," the source said. "She fears no matter what she says, people can't get past this. At this point, she just wants to move forward and focus on the positive."
Following news of Loughlin's When Hope Calls role, her daughter, Olivia Jade, told ET that she's "super excited" for her mom.
The show's two-part premiere debuts Saturday, Dec. 18, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on GAC Family.
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