Virgin River has been renewed for a sixth season on Netflix.
The announcement, which was made as part of Netflix's first-ever upfront presentation to advertisers in New York, comes just before the expected release of the highly-anticipated fifth season.
While a release date has yet to be confirmed, the show's stars, Martin Henderson and Alexandra Breckinridge, previously suggested that new episodes could arrive in July.
© Photo: NetflixThe news of the show's renewal comes as no surprise considering its popularity. Season four of the drama took the number one position in the Nielsen top 10 streaming rankings in July last year, overtaking another of Netflix's smash hit shows, Stranger Things. In the first three days of series four's availability, the drama was viewed for 2.6 billion minutes.
The show was last renewed in September 2021, when Netflix picked up the heartwarming hit for seasons four and five.
The romance is based on the Robyn Carr book series of the same name and is set in the remote titular town in Northern California. It follows nurse Mel Monroe, played by Alexandra Breckenridge, who moves to Virgin River for a fresh start in the hopes of leaving behind painful memories.
© COURTESY OF NETFLIXMartin Henderson stars alongside Alexandra as local bar owner Jack Sheridan, while Tim Matheson and Annette O'Toole play husband-and-wife duo, Doc Mullins and Hope McCrea.
What to expect from season five
Patrick Sean Smith is at the helm as showrunner for season five, taking over from Sue Tenney, who headed up the first four seasons of the romance drama.
The new series will pick up from where season four left off and will no doubt address the storylines that need wrapping up. The show will likely focus on Jack and Mel's upcoming wedding plans following their engagement in the previous season.
MORE: All you need to know about Virgin River star Martin Henderson's love life
The upcoming episodes will also deal with an "important" and "timely" issue that brings the community together in "a big way", according to Hope actress Annette O'Toole.
"I don't think we've ever done anything like this," she told HELLO! in an exclusive interview. "It's an important issue and I'm glad that we're getting into things like that on the show. I don't know if that will continue but it certainly is something that the town gets to all come together and be part of and work together."
Alexandra also teased the new episodes in a previous interview with New Beauty, revealing that viewers can look forward to a season unlike any other. "I think this season has started out well and we're getting into a few episodes soon that are pretty heavy," she told the publication during filming.
"They're really intense and I think that they're some of the best episodes we've ever done," she continued. "I never say that either! I think that there's a high sense of drama that starts to come up this season that it's going to leave people on the edge of their seats. At least, I hope. I'm excited to get into that."
Check out our explainer of all the questions we need answering in the new episodes.
Meet the cast of Virgin River
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