Image via Netflix
Published Mar 20, 2026, 1:51 PM EDT
In over three years at Collider, senior author Jake has now penned over 2500 articles covering a wide range of TV and film for the resources, lists, utilities, news, and interview teams. Alongside interviewing stars such as Selin Hizli, Rose Ayling-Ellis, Harlan Coben, and Chelsea Peretti, Jake was lucky enough to visit the set of Aardman and Netflix's Wallace and Gromit: A Vengeance Most Fowl in 2024, getting the chance to chat with four-time Academy Award winner Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham. Jake has also worked for other publications, including Agents of Fandom.
Few shows are worthy of being compared to Gilmore Girls. Debuting in October 2000 and becoming the defining series for Fall, Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel quickly became the quintessential mother/daughter pairing on the small screen, and, 26 years on, the show is arguably more popular than ever. Many series have since tried and failed to capture the coziness and wit of the happenings in Stars Hollow, with the series that has perhaps come the closest recently returning for its seventh season.
Following nurse practitioner Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) as she moves from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles to the titular remote town, Virgin River continues to impress on Netflix and melt hearts with its indulgent drama and romance against a gorgeous mountainous backdrop. Although not a major hit with critics, it is with general audiences that the show has become a sensation, as millions across the world continue to tune in even after seven years to keep up to date with the Sheridans. Season 7 of the series explores "the honeymoon phase for them [Mel and Jack] as they’re building their lives on the farm, which can come with its own obstacles."
Following the seventh season's debut last weekend, in which it went head-to-head with another popular returning series, One Piece, Virgin River has fought its way to the streaming summit. On March 17, the series is officially the most-watched show on Netflix in the U.S., with One Piece coming in second. The current domestic rankings place Virgin River at #3 and the live-action anime series at #5. Globally, these top two positions are flipped, with Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) and The Straw Hats coming out victorious at #2 and Virgin River at #3. This puts Virgin River well ahead of both halves of Bridgerton Season 4, which dominated Netflix for quite a while.
Related
Casting (Re)Directors — The Collider TV Quiz!
When a new actor takes over an existing role, audiences can be wary. On this first day of spring, let's look at some characters who got fresh starts.
Will 'Virgin River' Return for More?
Ahead of Season 7's arrival, it was officially announced by Netflix that Virgin River had been renewed for an eighth season. In a statement, showrunner Patrick Sean Smith said, "On behalf of myself and the whole Virgin River family, we’re eternally grateful to Netflix and to the fans for allowing us to continue on this journey with these beloved characters." When will you be able to get your sewing circle together to watch the next batch of 10 Virgin River episodes? Currently, a release date is not known, but stay tuned to Collider for updates.
Virgin River is streaming now on Netflix. For all the latest streaming stories, stay tuned to Collider.
Release Date December 6, 2019
Network Netflix
Showrunner Patrick Sean Smith
Directors Martin Wood, Andy Mikita, Gail Harvey, Monika Mitchell, Tim Matheson, Jann Turner, Felipe Rodriguez, Nimisha Mukerji, Jem Garrard
Writers Jackson Sinder, Jackson Rock, Richard Keith, Erin Cardillo, Tesia Joy Walker, Talia Gonzalez, Natasha M. Hall, Mary Page Keller, Thomas Ian Griffith, John Lowe
English (US) ·