The cast and creator of “Sweet Magnolias” are bidding farewell to the Netflix drama after the streamer canceled it on Friday following a five-season run.
JoAnna Garcia Swisher, who starred as Maddie, shared a number of photos from her time on the show on Instagram, along with a written tribute that read in part: “How do you say goodbye to something that became so much more than a job? Seven years. Five seasons. A million tiny moments that somehow became a whole life. ‘Sweet Magnolias’ came into my world during a chapter that held some of my deepest loss and, somehow, some of my greatest joy. I lost both of my parents during those early seasons, and in a time when I wasn’t always sure how to keep moving forward, Serenity gave me somewhere to go. These people gave me somewhere to belong.”
Jamie Lynn Spears, who co-starred as Noreen, added on Instagram: “I can’t put into words how much the people who make up our ‘Sweet Mags’ family mean to me, and that’s not just the producers, cast, crew, & Netflix who are like actual family at this point, but also each of you who watched and became a part of our family as well… I owe it all to each and every person who loved Serenity, and the people who made it what it was, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, I’m so grateful to be a part of this magical family and that’s something that will never end.”
Series creator and showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson offered her own tribute on Instagram: “Living in Serenity for five seasons has been a privilege and a blessing. The people I’ve met and worked with — our incredible writers, cast, crew, executives, and producers — have touched my heart and changed my life. And our fans have been amazing in their passion for our characters. Thank you all. Though our journey has sadly come to an end, I hope Serenity will always have a place in your heart. Keep pouring it out!”
Netflix canceled Sweet Magnolias after five seasons
“Sweet Magnolias” — based on the book series by Sherryl Woods — starred JoAnna Garcia Swisher as Maddie Townsend, Brooke Elliott as Dana Sue Sullivan, and Heather Headley as Helen Decatur, a trio of lifelong best friends who also co-own a spa in their sleepy hometown of Serenity, South Carolina. It debuted on Netflix in 2020, with the streamer axing the series last week after five seasons.
Season 5 ended on a somewhat sour note in June, with Dana Sue suggesting that she and Ronnie take a break from their marriage. But Helen and Erik finally tied the knot, and Maddie bounced back from getting fired and found fulfillment in helping local authors connect with a larger audience. (See what the stars of the show told TVLine about a potential sixth season.)
There’s a silver lining, too: Netflix has ordered a new drama series, “Ladies of the House,” starring Garcia Swisher and hailing from “Magnolias” showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson, that follows a wife and two adult daughters who take over a family winery after the owner’s death and “must battle through their issues with each other in order to confront challenges with the business, their extended family, and the men in their lives.”
Are you going to miss “Sweet Magnolias”? And will you give Garcia Swisher’s new show a try? Let us know in a comment below.
