Heartbreaking announcement: Alexandra Breckenridge (Nurse Mel) reveals health battle: ‘I don’t have much time left’ md20

Ahead of the Season 6 premiere of Virgin River on December 19, the Netflix drama has scored an early Season 7 renewal, which sets a new record for the streaming service. Adapted from the novels by author Robyn Carr, Virgin River premiered in 2019 to critical acclaim, and stars Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe, a woman who moves from Los Angeles to the titular Northern California town to work as a nurse practitioner, only to realize that leaving her troubled past behind isn’t as easy as it seems.

Per Deadline, Virgin River’s Season 7 renewal makes it not only Netflix’s longest-running current original scripted series, but the longest-running English-language drama series in its history, eclipsing the six-season runs of House of Cards and The Crown. It’s been pointed out that Orange is the New Black also ran for seven seasons, but it started out being categorized by the streaming service as a comedy before it made the shift to drama. The only other Netflix series to have a longer run than Virgin River is the Spanish-language series Elite, which concluded its eight-season saga earlier this year.

With an ensemble cast that includes veterans such as Annette O’Toole and Tim Matheson alongside the likes of Martin Henderson, Colin Lawrence, and Jenny Cooper, Virgin River has managed to maintain its popularity thanks to not only the plethora of source material it has to draw from (there are 22 novels in the series so far), but also because of its rich character development and deep themes that deal with everything from PTSD to postpartum depression. Don’t forget about its gorgeous setting, either, which uses Snug Cove on Bowen Island in British Columbia as the stand-in for the California locale.

A Virgin River Prequel Series Is in Development

Given the fact that Virgin River has managed to resonate so well with audiences thanks to its many plot twists, it makes sense for Netflix to want to capitalize on its popularity by creating a spin-off, which they’ll be testing out in the upcoming sixth season by bringing into focus Mel’s parents and their 1970s romance. With a large portion of Season 6 centered around her nuptials to Jack, the series will also go back in time to explore how her late mother and biological father met, with Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day) and Callum Kerr (Monarch) set to portray the star-crossed lovers.

The plan is to eventually give the two their own show, but though the spin-off is in active development, it remains to be seen if it will be a full-fledged series, or a limited run much in the same way that Queen Charlotte was spun off from Bridgeton for a six-episode event. Either way, Virgin River fans can take comfort in knowing their beloved show isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and if everything falls into place, they’ll get even more drama set in the same universe, which spells good news for the main series going forward, and could lead – fingers crossed – to a possible Season 8.