When most people think of Netflix dramas, their minds go to big, splashy sci-fi spectaculars like Stranger Things or lavish romps like Bridgerton, but one of the streamer's steadiest and most popular shows is Virgin River.
The show's fourth season, which was released in the middle of July, did almost 200 million viewing hours in its first two weeks on Netflix, not quite Stranger Things numbers, but for a show with a budget that's a fraction of the size, it's no wonder Netflix have locked in another round.
Based on the Virgin River book series by Robyn Carr, the show follows Alexandra Breckenridge's Mel Monroe, a midwife and nurse practitioner who decides to relocate to the remote North Californian town of Virgin River and away from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles.
Hired on a one-year contract by the town's mayor, Mel is desperate to start afresh and keep her head down, but soon gets sucked into drama in Virgin River and discovers that while life may be quieter, it's no less dramatic...
With the fourth season not long out, it'll be likely this time next year before we see the gang in Virgin River again, so, to help any fans of the show who are pining for their fix of rugged drama, we thought we'd recommend five alternatives with the same mixture of small town life and big drama as Virgin River. Happy watching...
Sweet Magnolias
Sweet Magnolias is set in the wonderfully named town of Serenity in South Carolina and follows the lives of three women, best friends since they can remember, who guide each other through many ups and many downs, calling their little gang the Sweet Magnolias.
JoAnna García Swisher, Heather Headley and Brooke Elliott star as Maddie, Helen and Dana, with Justin Bruening, Chris Klein and Jamie Lynn Spears among the supporting cast.
Tamer than Virgin River, but sweet and still full of drama, this is an easy follow-on from the goings on in rural California. There have been two seasons thus far and a third is booked, likely come in 2023.
Where Can I Stream It?
Netflix (Worldwide)
Hart of Dixie
Rachel Bilson, best known for her much-loved role in The OC, spearheads this drama, which ran for four seasons.
Bilson stars as Dr. Zoe Hart, a New Yorker who, after being denied the chance to become a heart surgeon due to her poor bedside manner, moves to Bluebell, Alabama when she suddenly inherits half of a doctor's practice from a father she never knew.
Her blunt, New York manner quickly brings Hart into conflict with the more quaint leanings of Bluebell's citizens, leaving her with a choice to make, make a life in Bluebell or head back to the city?
With the same premise of a big city medicine woman heading to a small town, hoping to make a life, there's a lot of common ground with Virgin River, though Hart of Dixie, which was made by the same network that produces the likes of Arrow and The Flash, skews a little younger.
Where Can I Stream It?
Amazon Freevee (US), ITV Hub (UK), Stan (AU)
Call The Midwife
A British behemoth, with 11 series already out there and a further two booked for coming years, Call The Midwife is an institution these days.
Originally based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, the show initially followed Jessica Raine's Jenny, a newly qualified midwife who moves to London's East End in the late 1950s. After arriving in Poplar, she is surprised to find that she will be living in a convent named Nonnatus House.
After becoming part of the team, the show follows the lives of the midwives as they're given new and more difficult challenges every day.
The show, which Raine left after series four, has continued to evolve and grow, and while dismissed by some as cosy, comfort viewing, has delved into some controversial topics and never shies away.
There's a lot to get through there, with almost 100 episodes, but you won't get more Virgin River until 2023...
Where Can I Stream It?
Netflix (US), BBC iPlayer (UK), Foxtel (AU)
Gilmore Girls
When it comes to documenting life in a small, claustrophobic town, there's one show that rules all, Gilmore Girls.
Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, who would go on to create The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, the show began in 2000 and ran for seven seasons. It stars Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel
Graham plays Lorelai Gilmore, a single mother bringing up her teenage daughter Rory. Lorelai became pregnant with Rory at just 16, and, as a result, the two are more like friends than the traditional mother/daughter relationship.
After the unexpected pregnancy causes a fallout with her parents, Lorelai relocates to the small town of Stars Hollow in Connecticut and builds a life there. The show follows the pair as they navigate a unique teenage experience for Rory, try to reconcile with her parents and try and keep their relationship on track, as the ups and downs of adolescence threaten to tear it to pieces.
During the show's run, the likes of Melissa McCarthy, Liza Weil, Jared Padalecki and Milo Ventimiglia all played key roles, but everything is built around Graham and Bledel's characters.
While never feeling soapy, Gilmore Girls is a gentle watch, and there are often episodes where it feels like nothing happens. But, somehow, Gilmore Girls is incredibly compelling and one episode can quickly become three or four. A lot of that is down to Graham and Bledel, who bring so much charm, emotion and heart to the screen. It's no surprise it remains a firm favorite of so many.
Where Can I Stream It?
Netflix (Worldwide)
Firefly Lane
Another tale of life-long friendship that begins in a small town, Firefly Lane stars Scrubs' Sarah Chalke and one-time Greys' Anatomy focal point Katherine Heigl.
Based on the novel of the same name by Kristin Hannah, the show documents the 30-year-plus friendship between Heigl's Tully Hart and Chalke's Kate Mularkey.
Charting every stage of their journey, every love, every loss, every high and every low, the show can be overly sentimental at times, but Heigl and Chalke carry it well.
A second season is due in November 2022.
Where Can I Stream It?
Netflix (Worldwide)
