1874 Trailer and Premiere Date (Exclusive)

January may not be over quite yet, but there’s plenty of hope and joy to come. Literally.

PEOPLE can exclusively reveal the premiere date for the When Calls the Heart prequel series starring Bethany Joy Lenz and Benjamin Ayres: Hope Valley: 1874 will debut on Hallmark+ on Saturday, March 21. And new episodes will follow on the streamer every Thursday.

And we’re not going to leave you with just a countdown (it’s 49 days, just to spare you from having to do the math): PEOPLE also has an exclusive first look at the Hope Valley: 1874 trailer.

“Before Coal Valley, before the town built on love and faith, there was a story of new beginnings,” a voiceover begins. “They traveled west for a new life. They were building more than just a home. They were building hope.”

In the footage, Hearties get a glimpse of Hope Valley before it was even called Coal Valley.

“We’re in gold country,” Rebecca Clarke (Lenz) tells her 11-year-old daughter, Sarah (Mila Morgan) upon their arrival to the Western Canadian frontier from Chicago. “An adventure, huh?”

The mother-daughter duo is next seen getting a ride (on a covered wagon, of course) from local rancher and confirmed bachelor, Tom Moore (Ayres).

“My mother can do anything she sets her mind to,” Sarah tells Tom with more than just a little sass.

“I believe it,” he responds as Rebecca fights back a smile. Later, Tom tells her, “Grit alone isn’t going to save you out on the frontier.”

“Are you worried about us?” she teases.

That chemistry is on full display again at the end of the clip, when Tom and Rebecca are on his ranch and he tells her, “I’m looking to build something that lasts.”

“So am I,” she says pointedly.

According to the show’s official logline, Rebecca has the “best intentions to remain unattached,” but “can’t help but slowly fall for Tom.”

The show will also highlight the power of female friendship as the trailer shows Rebecca sharing a warm drink with tenacious pioneer woman Hattie Quinn (Jill Hennessy). “To new friends,” Hattie says.

While not highlighted in the first trailer, those new friends will also include Hattie’s daughter Olivia (Roan Curtis), who helps run their trading post and has a love triangle of her own with Constable Alexander Vaughn (Lachlan Quarmby) and blacksmith Clayton Cooley (Jedidiah Goodacre).

Rebecca will also meet Tom’s foreman, Nash McCabe (Brad Abramenko), and his wife, Peggy (Chelsea Hobbs).

The logline for the eight-episode series also notes: “Showcasing themes of perseverance and romance, this series explores the journey of a mother as she discovers a new chapter in her life as she helps forge what starts out as a collection of isolated settlers into a small, close-knit community during the rugged and hopeful Pioneer Era. This prequel to Hallmark’s historical drama series, When Calls the Heart, will take viewers back in time to follow the early settlers of the community that will one day become the beloved frontier town of Hope Valley.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Hope Valley: 1874 premieres Saturday, March 21, on Hallmark+, and new episodes will stream every Thursday beginning March 26.