The series follows Melinda Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge), a nurse practitioner who sacrifices her Los Angeles life for a fresh start in a remote Northern California town, where she soon meets the rugged and attractive Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson).

As Mel gains a solid foothold in the local community, we soon become caught up in the dramatic events of the neighborhood, from shock pregnancies to gun crime, drug dealing, and everything in between.

As Mel and Jack struggle to overcome a romance laden with past traumas and fears for the future, their love for each other is at their beating hearts. Essentially, all the ingredients of your stereotypical US drama focusing on a straight white couple and their troubles.

I tried to try the show myself a few years ago and didn’t attract much attention. The plots, characters, and tropes all felt superficial and worn-out, so after a few episodes I clicked.

Although I could see myself returning to the series when I’m looking for some tacky, mid-range TV to watch in the dead of winter.

Whatever they put into this adaptation is clearly working, as the series continues to generate astounding viewing numbers.

A Netflix report tracking viewing figures from July to December 2023 confirmed that the show’s fifth season reached an incredible 331 million viewing hours, with a total of 35.8 million viewers. And they’ll be expecting similar – if not better – results for their sixth season in December.

I have no doubt that series like this have a valuable space in the streaming ecosystem, and that the dramatic but ultimately feel-good nature of the show is likely an important form of escape for millions of people.

Still, if these are the only shows that have any chance of longevity, I can’t help but despair about the future of TV.

These shows have not only provided brilliant premises (hapless vampires, quirky coming-of-age dramas, and haunting fantasies), but they’ve also reshaped the boundaries of what we can expect from a series when it comes to truly representing the world we live in.

Even if they didn’t get millions of views in their first week of release, they pushed the needle forward.

In my opinion, it is clear that Virgin River, which is also considering some potential spin-offs, will not close this gap.

While there was a base level of diversity when it came to race, class, and sexual orientation, the first few seasons were bland enough that there was increasing pressure to do anything to make the show a little more representative.

In 2022, Netflix head of drama Jinny Howe reiterated that this is a focus on the series.

‘It’s fair to say that this will continue to be a focus and is something viewers will experience more of in Season 5. That’s definitely a priority, and I think you’ll see that as we expand the Virgin River community. “There will be more diversity and inclusion,” he told Deadline.