Virgin River has received a record-breaking renewal. The Netflix romantic drama, which premiered in 2019, is based on the series of Robyn Carr novels of the same name and follows the lives of the residents of a small town in Northern California. The main cast of the series, which is already set to continue with the upcoming Virgin River season 6, includes Alexandra Breckenridge, Martin Henderson, Colin Lawrence, Annette O’Toole, Tim Matheson, and Ben Hollingsworth.
Per Deadline, Netflix has officially renewed Virgin River for a 10-episode season 7. This news comes nearly two full months ahead of the season 6 premiere. This renewal will make the show break the streaming platform’s record for the longest-running English-language drama, tying with the seven season runs of the comedy Grace and Frankie and the dramedy Orange is the New Black. The only other show to have run for more seasons is the Spanish teen drama Elite, which concluded in July after running for eight seasons. Virgin River has now also become the longest-running ongoing scripted original on Netflix.
What This Virgin River Renewal Means For Netflix
Future Shows May Have A Chance
One thing that Netflix has become known for is ending their scripted shows after short runs. As early as 2019, THR reported that many of the streamer’s shows, even those with strong viewership, were cancelled by their third or fourth seasons for a multitude of financial reasons, including avoiding talent renegotiations and not paying higher fees on the back end to those both in front of and behind the camera. This may also be what has led to the creation of spinoffs to cancelled or ending shows including the Big Mouth spinoff Human Resources and the Money Heist prequel Berlin.
The fact that a spinoff prequel show is in development, following the parents of Mel (Breckenridge), could have spelled the end of the drama series. However, the announcement that the Virgin River cast will be reuniting yet again in a seventh season continues to highlight the fact that some of the streamer’s popular series are able to achieve longevity against the odds.
Our Take On The Virgin River Renewal
It Could Continue To Break Records
Ultimately, it remains to be seen if Virgin River is renewed for any further seasons beyond season 7. However, the fact that this renewal came before season 6 even premiered indicates that Netflix is confident in the show’s ability to continue connecting with its audience. Its back-end costs could also be counteracted by its low budget and limited visual effects needs, potentially seeing it continue to run for even longer, eventually breaking records as the platform’s longest-running show ever.
Virgin River season 6 premieres on Netflix on December 19.
