Eighteen seasons into Heartland, Alberta weather is old news for the cast and crew. Season 18 still found a new headache: they had to shoot a drought in one of the wettest summers they’d felt.
The Bartlett ranch storyline — priced for viewers starting late September on CBC Gem, with linear CBC close behind — leans into real ranch pain after Alberta’s dry stretch in 2023. Scripts locked months ahead. Then May rolled in green and rainy.
“We were shooting a drought in one of the wettest seasons we’ve ever felt,” says Amber Marshall (Amy Fleming). Characters talk about not making it without rain while standing in lush pasture. “Last year, everything was crispy and dry and hot… this summer it’s beautiful and raining… and we’re talking about this big drought.”
The crew framed around the green when they could. The “save the ranch” pressure stays on screen anyway.
Competition next door
Drought isn’t the only squeeze. Neighboring Pryce Beef is selling into the same markets and undercutting Heartland’s business. Lou (Michelle Morgan) leans on her business background; Tim (Chris Potter) and Jack (Shaun Johnston) feel the strain with her. Family drama and cattle math stay tangled — which is the point.
Amy in the middle
Since 2007, audiences have watched Amy grow from a grieving 15-year-old into wife, mother, and, from Season 14, a widow after Ty Borden’s death. She’s dating again. Season 17 brought Nathan Pryce Jr. (Spencer Lord) — Romeo-and-Juliet friction with the rival ranch — while Ty’s old friend Caleb (Kerry James) wants more than friendship.
“Amy is becoming very close with Nathan, who is the neighbour they are in direct competition with,” Marshall says. “That doesn’t sit well with Amy’s family… and she is stuck in the middle.”
Horses still anchor the hour. Marshall, now a producer, helps shape the equine arcs — new breeds, what wranglers can safely put on camera, what a horse can actually do on set. She’s lived that life longer than she’s played Amy.
Why it still works
CBC also rolled out a dedicated Heartland streaming channel with the first 17 seasons — another sign the brand isn’t cooling off.
Showrunner Mark Haroun took the top job in Season 16 but started as a script coordinator in Season 1. He mixes fresh teen faces every few years with the old ranch DNA. He spotted the spark early.
“I certainly knew that there was lightning in a bottle with Heartland,” says Haroun, who won the Writers Guild of Canada’s Showrunner Award this year. “That sort of family drama didn’t exist on television… It did feel like there was something really special from Day 1.”
Will it end? Networks decide. Haroun wants enough runway for a real goodbye if that day comes. He’s not hunting for an exit yet.
“Nothing is guaranteed, but I feel like we have so many more stories to tell,” he says. “I’ve never gone into the room at the beginning of the season and struggled… I feel like we could just keep going.”
