Netflix’s content leadership may be changing but one thing remains constant — Virgin River getting another early renewal. The long-running romantic drama starring Alexandra Breckeridge and Martin Henderson has been picked up for a ninth season months ahead of its 2027 Season 8 premiere. It will once again consist of 10 episodes, bringing the show’s total to 94 episodes. Patrick Sean Smith returns as showrunner and executive producer.
With the renewal, Virgin River officially becomes the longest-running original scripted series on Netflix — and all of streaming — by number of seasons after taking the title with a qualifier last year. It has edged Spanish teen dramaElite, which ran for eight seasons. In number of episodes, 94, Virgin River ties current Netflix record holder, comedyGrace and Frankie, which produced seven seasons and is half-hour with an overall run time significantly shorter than that of the hourlong Virgin River.
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Alongside the renewal, Netflix also revealed that the adaptation of the popular Robyn Carr novels has passed the half-billion views mark this year.
Virgin River, one of Netflix’s “blue sky”, “comfort” series, has defied the notion that streaming series cannot run for too long.
The show has benefitted by its sustainable premise, chronicling relationships among characters in a small town, appealing leads in Breckenridge and Henderson and strong supporting cast anchored by veterans Tim Matheson and Annette O’Toole, as well as attractive economics, keeping the budget reasonable by filming in Canada in a handful of primary locations with little stunts or special effects involved.
The string of early renewals handed to Virgin River in the last few years has allowed the series to stay on an yearly cadence, dropping a new season every 11-13 months. There is no release date yet for Season 8 but a late spring premiere appears likely.
As Deadline reported in March, Season 8 won’t feature two longtime cast members who are not returning, Marco Grazzini, who played Mike, and Lauren Hammersley, who portrayed Charmaine. Joining the cast is Natasha Calis in the heavily recurring role of Dr. Astrid, with an option to become a series regular in Season 9.
Virgin River, which wrapped production on Season 8 in August, follows the romantic journey of nurse practitioner Melinda Monroe (Breckenridge), who moved to the remote California town of Virgin River after a personal tragedy, and charismatic local bartender Jack (Henderson), who is haunted by his past.
The renewal comes a month after Peter Rice joined Netflix as new Chief Content Officer. It was done by Head of UCAN (US – Canada) Scripted Series Jinny Howe, who has continued in her role after the executive shakeup, now reporting to Rice.
A self-professed romance buff, Howe was a fan of Virgin River before taking oversight of the show starting with Season 5 when Smith came in as new showrunner, replacing Sue Tenney.
“Mel, Jack, and the whole town of Virgin River have become a place that feels like coming home, for viewers around the world,” Howe said. “Reaching Season 9 as our longest-running original scripted series, with over half a billion views, is a milestone that speaks to how deeply fans continue to love being a part of this community. Patrick Sean Smith and the entire team have done a beautiful job in keeping fans engaged in this world, and we can’t wait to invite fans back for more.”
Season 8 will follow Mel and Jack’s journey as new parents as their adopted baby is fighting for his life. Across its first seven seasons, Virgin River has spent 28 weeks in the Global Top 10, and reached the Top 10 in over 80 countries. Smith executive produces with Erin Cardillo, Richard Keith, Jackson Sinder, Mary Page Keller, Thomas Ian Griffith, Norman Buckley, Ian Hay, Tenney, Roma Roth, Christopher E. Perry and Carr.
“We’re all so grateful for our partnership with Netflix and incredibly proud to be a part of their legacy,” Smith said. “In a world that can sometimes feel increasingly disconnected, there’s something meaningful about having a place people want to return to. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built and continue to grow, and deeply grateful to the cast, crew, writers, and fans who have made Virgin River feel like home the world over.”
The renewal comes ahead of Smith’s appearance on the panel “The Netflix Effect: How Book-to-Screen Adaptations Are Capturing the Heartland” at the Texas Book Festival on Nov. 14.
“I’m incredibly proud of our show and couldn’t be more thrilled to have the opportunity to continue into Season 9!,” Breckenridge said. “Everyone on our production works so hard to make the world of Virgin River come alive. It’s truly been a gift to be here.”
Added Henderson, “It’s staggering to think we are still making Virgin River after all these years and I’m delighted to get to play the role of Jack for the ninth straight season! It means the world to me that fans connect with the work we do in such a profound and passionate way—we wouldn’t be here without them all so, THANK YOU….as long as you guys want it we’ll keep making it to the best of our ability!”
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