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Melissa Gilbert <\/strong>starred as a guest on\u00a0When Calls the Heart\u00a0<\/em>in Season 12 and will return for Season 13. Her return comes with a little upgrade, and she’s clearly excited about it.<\/p>\n The Little House on the Prairie <\/em>star returned to the set in mid-August to film for her role of Georgie McGill for the upcoming season, which is expected to premiere in early 2026.<\/p>\n It’s not clear yet how many episodes Gilbert will be seen in next season or how many episodes Season 13 will have. But her latest post is a clue that she will likely have more than two, like the previous season.<\/p>\n On Friday, September 5, Gilbert shared a photo of her director’s chair on the WCTH <\/em>set to her Instagram page, and this year, instead of the chair just saying “cast” on it, it has her name and character name displayed.<\/p>\n The caption read, “I got a chair!!! No longer just ‘cast’. Yeeeeeeehaw! @wcth_tv<\/a>#theresnobusinesslikeshowbusiness<\/a>#hididdledee<\/a>#actorslife<\/a>#priorities<\/a>#aplacetosit<\/a>.”<\/p>\n Melissa Gilbert isn’t the only one who is excited for her return to Hallmark’s long-running series. Her fans aren’t holding back their excitement.<\/p>\n One fan wrote in the comments section of her post, “Cannot wait to see Georgie and Bill\u2019s story continue\ud83d\ude4c\ud83d\udd25\u2764\ufe0f.”<\/p>\n Another weighed in, “I am excited to see how Georgies character and story line develop in Hope Valley!”<\/p>\n “\ud83d\udc4f\ud83d\ude4c Georgie! Looking forward to all the Hope Valley adventures!!\ud83d\ude0d” a third wrote.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfacSIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox<\/strong><\/a>\ud83c\udfac<\/p>\n Fans are so excited to see Melissa Gilbert return for Season 13 of\u00a0When Calls the Heart\u00a0<\/em>because it’s her first television series role since she played Lisa Daly in Secrets and Lies <\/em>in 2015.<\/p>\n We have the Little House on the Prairie<\/em> 50th Anniversary Cast Reunion to thank for Gilbert’s role on the Hallmark hit. That’s where she met Michael Landon Jr<\/strong>., who is a WCTH <\/em>executive producer and the son of her TV father from the infamous ’80s series that made her famous.<\/p>\n Gilbert also made a handful of TV movies, including the 2018 Lifetime movie\u00a0Hometown Christmas\u00a0<\/em>and 2011’s Hallmark’s\u00a0The Christmas Pageant<\/em>.<\/p>\n Gilbert and her husband, Timothy Busfield<\/strong>, left Hollywood in 2013 after deciding to move to New York. Earlier this year, Gilbert told Page Six<\/a><\/em>that they made the move to escape the pressure of living and aging in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n The 61-year-old former child star explained, “I just didn\u2019t feel like [Hollywood] was a safe place for me to age. It\u2019s so anti-aging, which is one of my least favorite expressions in the world. Anti-aging means dead.”<\/p>\n Related: Melissa Gilbert Makes Candid Confession About Legendary Co-Star<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n This story was originally reported by Parade<\/a> on Sep 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the News<\/a> section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\nMelissa Gilbert Fans Are Excited for ‘When Calls the Heart’ Return<\/h2>\n
‘When Calls the Heart’ Marks Melissa Gilbert’s Return to TV<\/h2>\n