virgin river

Netflix fans have been hooked by the latest season of Virgin River and are already on the search for shows that are similar to the hit romantic drama

Virgin River enthusiasts have been compiling lists of their favourite comparable programmes during the ongoing break, and the number one choice may come as a shock.

Netflix’s popular romantic drama follows nurse practitioner Mel Monroe (portrayed by Alexandra Breckenridge) as she relocates to a quiet Northern California town after experiencing a personal tragedy.

She rapidly develops a connection with local pub proprietor and ex-Marine Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson), and together they’ve navigated numerous personal obstacles across six series to date.

Adapted from Robyn Carr’s cherished book collection, the show has established itself as Netflix’s most enduring English-language programme since launching in 2019, with an additional two seasons currently being developed.

With the eagerly awaited seventh instalment expected to arrive either towards the end of this year or in early 2026, supporters have flocked to Reddit to identify the finest programmes offering a comparable small-town atmosphere, reports the Mirror US.

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One member shared a compilation of nine programmes and commented: “Finished Season 6 and damn I’m seriously mourning right now.

“I made a list, so please help me rank the top 3 shows that exactly give Virgin River vibes. Thanks!”

Their selection featured Chesapeake Shores, Sullivan’s Crossing, Ransom Canyon, Sweet Magnolias, Hart of Dixie, Heartland, Gilmore Girls, Cedar Cove and Everwood.

Whilst the majority of programmes mentioned garnered appreciation from at least one supporter in the responses, a somewhat unexpected selection received the greatest backing.

One Reddit user simply declared: “hart of dixie!!!” A second chimed in: “Hart of Dixie!! Best show ever. Dare I say better than VR? (I love vr so this is saying a lot).”

Another fan confessed: “I was absolutely obsessed with this show, I wish I bought the series on dvd back then!”

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“Hart of Dixie! It’s a gem,” one enthusiast remarked, adding: “And Doc is still the Doc!”

Echoing the themes of Virgin River, the CW series Hart of Dixie centres around the driven Zoe Hart (Rachel Bilson), who relocates to the quaint town of Bluebell, Alabama to work as a general practitioner after her aspirations to be a heart surgeon fall through.

Her arrival and subsequent crush on local lawyer George Tucker (Scott Porter) stirs up trouble, especially with his betrothed, Lemon Breeland (Jaime King), who concocts schemes to oust Zoe from their tight-knit community.

As if the plot wasn’t enticing enough, the show also stars Virgin River’s Tim Matheson, who plays another medic, Brick Breeland, father to Lemon.

For fans across the pond, there’s good news – all four seasons of Hart of Dixie are ready for binge-watching free of charge on ITVX.

Are you set to dive into the ideal Virgin River alternative this week?

Virgin River is available to stream on Netflix. Hart of Dixie is available on ITVX.

With Virgin River becoming one of Netflix’s biggest shows of all time and Sullivan’s Crossing following in its footsteps, could a crossover be on the cards?

Virgin River might potentially merge with another beloved small-town romance series, according to claims from this prominent star.

Drawing inspiration from Robyn Carr’s cherished bestselling novels, the Netflix sensation chronicles Mel Monroe (portrayed by Alexandra Breckenridge), a nurse practitioner who relocates to a remote community after experiencing personal tragedy.

Upon arrival, she encounters bar proprietor and ex-Marine Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson), with instant chemistry developing between them.

The captivating romance has recently concluded filming for its seventh series, anticipated to arrive on Netflix towards the end of this year or potentially in early 2026.

Meanwhile, American audiences have been engrossed in the newest series of Sullivan’s Crossing, which follows comparable themes and draws from another Carr book collection, reports the Mirror US.

Given this link, viewers have speculated whether these programmes might intersect, and it seems we now have our response.

Starring Morgan Kohan and Chad Michael Murray, this heartwarming romance unfolds in Nova Scotia, centring on Kohan’s character Maggie, a neurosurgeon who chooses to reconnect with her father Harry, known as Sully (Scott Patterson), whilst developing feelings for former solicitor California ‘Cal’ Jones (Murray).

In conversation with TechRadar, Kohan revealed she’d enthusiastically welcome the opportunity to interact with Mel, Jack and the entire Virgin River ensemble should circumstances permit.

“That would be so fun, why not!” she declared when presented with the concept. Despite the considerable geographical distance between the two towns, there’s no reason why Virgin River and Timberlake can’t exist in the same universe.

Interestingly, Sullivan’s Crossing, which airs on CTV in Canada and The CW in the US, has also found significant success on Netflix, much like Virgin River, becoming its streaming home in the States.

The two shows even share a producer, Roma Roth, who is an executive producer for Virgin River and the creator and showrunner of Sullivan’s Crossing.

Watch Stranger Things on Netflix for free with Sky

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

from £15

Sky

Get the deal here

Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan.

This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like Stranger Things.

With the Canadian drama gaining momentum and Mel and Jack’s love story captivating millions, could a crossover episode be on the horizon?

Regardless, Kohan has teased plenty of unexpected twists in the newly renewed fourth season of Sullivan’s Crossing, especially with the shocking revelation that Maggie is still wedded to her ex-lover, Liam (Marcus Rosner).

“I hope they can [stay together],” she commented about her relationship with Cal.

“They’ve built such a beautiful foundation, and clearly this is a bit of a bombshell.

“I think it will take some trust to build them back up, and maybe a lot of explaining… but they are so good together.”

As the fanbase for both shows continues to expand, could Netflix surprise viewers by linking the Robyn Carr universe on screen?

Virgin River is available to stream on Netflix. Sullivan’s Crossing airs on CTW and is on Netflix in the US.